Myth and Reality of the Ross MkIII Rifle

There is a long-standing urban legend about the Canadian Ross rifle, a straight-pull bolt action that was used in lieu of the SMLE by Canadian troops early in World War One. The story is that the Ross would sometimes malfunction and blow the bolt back into its shooter's face, with pretty horrible results. Well, I wanted to learn "the rest of the story" - could this actually happen? What caused it? How could it be prevented? In short, what would a Ross shooter need to know to remain safe? And if I could get some cool footage of a bolt blowing out of a Ross in the process, all the better.
Well, reader Andy very generously provided a sporterized Ross for the experiments, and I started reading into what the issue really was. Turns out that the legend was quite true - you can put a Ross MkIII bolt together the wrong way, and it will allow you to fire without the locking lugs engaged, thus throwing the bolt back out of the gun at high velocity. However, the issue was recognized fairly quickly, and the vast majority of Ross rifles were modified with a safety rivet to prevent this from happening. It is also quite easy to determine if a Ross is assembled correctly, once you know what to look for.
www.forgottenweapons.com

[@LEECHESANDCREAM]

"I don't want to scare people about the Ross to an irrational level" I like how you say that holding a gun wrapped in red tape with the word danger written in bold letters. Just thought that was funny is all.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Yeah, I know...but I had it sitting around for a while with the bolt put together wrong, and I didn't want anyone to shoot it in that state.

[@WhattAreYouSaying]

​@@kanonierable Switzerland and Norway seems pretty similar in that way. If you do something weird, unusual or stupid at a Norwegian shooting range the same thing will happen, people will tear you to shreads. The church example is also accurate.

[@josho5108]

So THIS is the video we see at the end of the new intro

[@Canadian_Metalhead]

Good fucking thing I watched this. I just got a MK3 Ross, and the bolt doesn't rotate and lock. Thanks to this video I won't be blind in my right eye lol.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

+ProJirard the Finishist Yikes!

[@Canadian_Metalhead]

+Forgotten Weapons I fixed it and now the bolt turns, but when I push the bolt all the way in, I can pull it right back out, is it supposed to do that? It should be locked in place until you fire right?

[@ForgottenWeapons]

+ProJirard the Finishist As long as the bolt head is rotating when you push the handle forward, it is locking. You can always unlock it by pulling on the bolt handle; firing the rifle will not cause it to open because it does not put pressure on the bolt handle. Think of it like unlocking a deadbolt - you can always unlock it by turning they key, but if you push on the door without turning they key it stays locked shut.

[@Shadowkey392]

Yes. unfortunately, the Ross rifle is (and always has been) a rather crappy rifle, in every area except for its accuracy, in which it is actually fairly decent (Allied snipers loved the Ross as a result, even though it failed in every other avenue).

[@Canadian_Metalhead]

Finally got a chance to fire it a week ago, worked without a single issue. Got it all sighted and is it ever an accurate rifle.

[@reesetompkins7987]

To quote the 1940 edition Canadian army training pamphlet no. 1; "It is possible, by undue use of force, to introduce a wrongly assembled bolt and sleeve into the receiver. The bolt action is then apparently closed but is not really locked. If rifle is fired in this condition, the bolt will be blown into the face of the firer. ALWAYS SEE THAT YOUR ROSS RIFLE BOLT ACTION IS CORRECTLY ASSEMBLED."

[@canadianfury3027]

If it were Canada the pamphlet would fall apart

[@TKnightcrawler]

If they had to write about it, that makes me suspect it happened.

[@chrisspencer6502]

TKnightcrawler for every sign there had to be a reason.

[@FakeSchrodingersCat]

It is documented that it happened not as often as the legends would have you think but it would be kind of memorable every time it did.

[@snipersl270]

I suspect there is a difference of intent when they said "blown into the face of the firer" from ejected from the rifle into the face of the firer.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Y'know, someone on my blog pointed out that the Ross was pushed as a military rifle starting during the Boer War, where it would have been an excellent arm. Maintenance would have been much simpler on the veldt compared to the trenches, and the Ross' excellent speed and accuracy would have made it a superior weapon to the typical Boer 7mm Mauser. That war wasn't such a drain on the Empire that poor ammo would have been used like in WWI.

[@alaineleroy7318]

I am a Life Member of the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association and an owner of a Ross M1910. In Canada, the concern was always a bolt blow-back. But like most legends it gets bigger ("the rifle explodes") the further you get from the source. Your presentation was very accurate. Well done.

[@vernonfindlay1314]

Curious, are these rifles hard to find and buy,my Dad often talks about them. Our family have 6 lee Enfield's, and i have 2 of them ,P14's.

[@marcbernard2411]

Keep in mind that the Ross rifle's tight target-rifle tolerances was exacerbated in the field by poor British ammunition. Canadian ammunition was generally superior to what was being quickly assembled in UK factories during WW1, and this was well known to troops at the front (read Herbert McBride's "A Rifleman Went to War"), particularly by machine gun companies that required high-quality ammo to ensure proper functioning of their weapons (Vickers and Lewis guns). Consequently, the Brits often appropriated Canuck ammo for their own troops and, in exchange, tossed their junk to the "colonials", spelling disaster in the tight tolerances of the Ross rifle. So bad ammo was just as big a problem for the Ross as the mud of the trenches.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

amyhuk Many of the commercial guns were made in .280 Ross, but the military ones were all .303 British.

[@elijahaitaok8624]

@TheSonofFrank, Ross was famous for starting up projects and not finishing them, had Ross gone and finished his rifle it could have been quite ground breaking

[@MegaRazorback]

The Brits also sometimes did it at gunpoint as well from what iv'e heard, demanding that the Canadians hand it over or they would be shot.

[@SingularNinjular]

@@MegaRazorback Source?

[@MegaRazorback]

@@SingularNinjular Kind of hard for me to cite the source when i got the info from my late grandad who in turn got the info from his father and a few Canadian friends that he made during the war. His father did write a small journal of sorts detailing his things and one entry was about the British holding a group of Canadians up at gunpoint, demanding that they hand over the ammo.

[@WhiteCavendish]

Not widely known, but the Canadian snipers LOVED the Ross rifle for a couple of reaosns. Firstly, being specialists, they kept their rifles meticulously clean and avoided the problems of muck gumming up the works. Secondly, the Ross, for all its faults, is an exceptionally accurate rifle. And finally, because of the short bolt throw and straight pull action, the rifle can by cycled with virtually zero movement, allowing the sniper to remain very well concealed in his shooting position. There were a lot of German soldiers who fell victim to Canadian snipers armed with Ross rifles in WWI.

[@michaeldorosh5047]

"Not widely known?" I would suggest that most major texts dealing with the Ross, or Canadians in the First World War, has repeated this bit of knowledge, particulary anything written in the last number of years.

[@pinz2022]

The definitive story of the Ross rifle in action would be H.W. McBride's classic: "A Rifleman Went To War". McBride was an American who went North to join the Canadian military when America took too long in getting involved (re: "Legends of the Fall"). He was a sniper, then a machine gunner and wrote one of the great early works on sniping. He did indeed write that the Ross was a good sporter and dead accurate but just too dirt-sensitive for service in the trenches. Plus, it was also ammunition-sensitive and the fact that a whole slew of sewing machine and typewriter manufacturers were churning out cartridges under contract made for some iffy quality control.

[@WhiteCavendish]

pinz2022 Sounds like a book I definitely want to read!

[@krwood8371]

WhiteCavendish its actually a free download on amazon if you have a kindle or some thing that reads kindle format e books.

[@WhiteCavendish]

bigkevin303 I do have a kindle! Awesome, thanks for the tip!

[@danny50582]

Canadian sniper Francis Pegahmagabow had the most confirmed kills in WW1 with 378, and he used the Ross rifle.

[@life_of_riley88]

@Joe Blowe It's war Joe, kill or be killed.

[@derekheuring2984]

Othias and Mae suggested we watch this video and I'm glad I did. I'm about to to take possession of an unpinned Ross MkIII and I wanted to make sure that I understood the whole mis-assembled bolt issue thoroughly, which I do now thanks to Ian. Ian is correct, the whole exploding bolt issue is a hyperbolic overblown myth passed down through the generations of soldiers (imagine that). There is a factual report of a Canadian soldier losing an eye and another being injured by a rifle with a mis-assembled bolt that was fired but heck, that was a result of an average beer league hockey game every Saturday night after the pubs closed. Any Canadian will tell you that.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Yep, I understand. FWIW, I was willing to so only because there really was a valid educational reason to do it, and because the rifle had already been sporterized. Since the bolt was the only part actually damaged, it will eventually see new life as a semiauto Huot - a project which would have also required chopping a Ross as well.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Replacing the bolt head would probably render it useable again. I may just do that and hold onto it for someday building into a Huot replica. :)

[@KhrisMiddletonFitnessOfficial]

9 years later...where's our Huot Ian?!

[@Schnipah]

@@KhrisMiddletonFitnessOfficial Its the AK-50 of Forgotten Weapons.

[@FredCheckers]

I remember hearing that the bolt could collect dirt in the mechanism and freeze up, requiring the bolt to be disassembled to clean all the gunk out. That could account for the disassemble of the bolt in the field by unqualified personnel. Also, WWI was not the peak of thorough training and ample support staff.

[@pancholom]

FredCheckers Yes. Actually, the mechanisms vulnerability to dust and mud were the main reasons of the Ross being retired from frontline service.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

pancholom But I'd not like to call the infantry man unqualified --- Empire troops were very well trained in the use and care of their own weapons. Ok - misassembly when tired or stressed can happen, but having started to read up on this in response to another thread, the actual cases of injury caused by a bolt seem to be rare and of minor significance. The basic point of the video is that if the rifle is assembled correctly then you have nothing to fear, and that as soon as there were cases of the reversed carrier, a modification was ordered to prevent it.

[@pancholom]

Simon Nonymous Anyway, since you raise the issue, the Ross rifle's main problem wasn't the one addressed in this video (i.e., the danger of the bolt misassembly) but its inadequacy to the trench warfare conditions. If kept clean, it would work wonderfully. But keeping it clean in the Flanders battlefields under the average soldier's battle conditions, was nearly impossible. On the other hand, specialized troops like snipers could take advantage of the rifle's fine points without suffering much from its weaknesses. This was due both to a sniper being more prone to taking care of his rifle and the difference in combat conditions. Keeping the Ross working when you fire it once from a concealed position, then have considerable time before firing it again is quite something else than trying to rapid fire your gun either from a muddy trench or while charging in the middle of no-man's-land.

[@ronaaserude8225]

he mentioned that very early in the video-the rifle's design being NOT suitable for trench warfare, of course there were no big red letters stating so, understandable that you missed it

[@wizardofahhhs759]

Why wasn't it designed to only fit together one way? That way mis-assembly of the bolt wouldn't even be possible.

[@andrewbrown7976]

so this is where that clip in your old intro came from.

[@OvoJeGovno]

That clip is what brought me here; I recognized that rifle instantly

[@ForgottenWeapons]

The military ones are in .303 British, and the sporters are in .280 Ross (generally speaking).

[@mogdefender8520]

Hello Ian, thank you for your awesome videos. They truely are a wealth of information. I have a Ross m10 but rebarreld and chambered for .250 savage. This is not even like most sportirized Ross rifles I guess which most of them were .280 calibers correct? I'm running into issues with chambering a .250 savage round from the original magazine. First of all the round ofcourse is way to short for this magazine, secondly the rim diameter of the casing is only around 12 mm vs, 13.70 mm on the .303 round. The bolt face can strip the .250 cartridge initially but as the bolt moves forward it ends up slipping over top of the casing, not being able to chamber the round properly. I wonder how this problem was dealt with in the .280 caliber sporter rifles since the rim diameter on the .280 cartridge is also around 12 mm. I'd like to hear your take on this. Regards, Marty.

[@TheGreatBeard]

Usually when I buy a new gun, I like to take it out that day and test it out. I bought a Ross rifle last weekend and I've yet to try it because I wanted to make damn sure I knew what I was doing. I watched this video 3 times this week. Thank you!

[@NSluiter]

It's been 4 years since I did a history project about the Ross Rifle and youtube is still recommending this to me.

[@NSluiter]

Still in my recomended

[@lentlemenproductions770]

Semi-semi-automatic; it fires and then completes half of a cycle for you.

[@LJVolkov21]

Hey guys, I'm really loving your videos. We learn a lot watching them. Thanks, keep it up!

[@mrprank19]

great video and timely too, I have come by two from my father's collection... one sporterized and my Grandfather's Military issued original... Dad had heard the stories and was reluctant to use it due to the stories he'd heard over the years despite knowing his dad had hunted with it exclusively... now I know what to look out for and will have it back in circulation as a target and hunting rifle!

[@calamusgladiofortior2814]

Great video. Combine the rifle’s tendency to jam with the ease of misassembling the bolt, and you could see how those accidents could happen. You can easily picture a soldier taking his rifle apart to clean and oil it after a jam and putting it back together incorrectly.

[@DursoDave]

Excellent segment! After all these years someone gives us a proper explanation and demonstration of the facts surrounding the Ross rifle.

[@althesmith]

I read a limerick in the diary of a WW1 artilleryman from Nova Scotia; "There once was a poor young galoot, A Canadian Militia Recruit, His Ross rifle one day In disgust threw away, He wanted a gun that would shoot."

[@althesmith]

Amazingly, this artilleryman who went into the trenches in 1917 survived the war, including the Hundred Days offensive, and after the war got a medical degree from Dalhousie and lived into the 1970's. I have the full collection of his letters home.

[@shonny61]

I forgot how great this video was until binge re-watching.

[@John4566442]

One of the most informative videos I've seen on KZbin. I very much appreciate it.

[@jettrooper3rd930]

I wish you did podcasts man, I'd love to listen to this on my way to school every day.

[@OMGROFLMAOWOOT]

I can't say I enjoy seeing a firearm being damaged that badly, but I admire you for doing it just to show us what could happen, nice video!

[@skibob6]

I've been looking for this video strictly from seeing it in the intro and I'm glad i finally found it!

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

I have been trying to find this for awhile. I saw it in the intro video on so many videos but didn't quite know what you were testing. My quest is complete!

[@ingloriousbuddah]

I miss these simpler days of KZbin and the world but this video is still absolutely epic

[@devonevans]

Said it before I will say it again. BEST firearms channel on youtube and one of the best overall !!!!!

[@OspreyEye]

Heck yea!! This channel is better than anything The History Channel or any other traditional cable channel has ever made regarding firearms. Ian and whoever else is involved with this channel deserve tremendous praise for putting this stuff together. It will live on hopefully for many many years as catalogued video encyclopedia of forgotten weapons.

[@Tomeohara]

Thanks for the vid. My Grate Uncle used a Ross mk 3 in WW2 as a sniper rifle. I asked him about the bolt firing back legend. He told me the only thing he heard was some poor sod smashed his cheek. Great work, keep it up.

[@mpccenturion]

I have had a sporterized, cut magazine [5 rds] and walnut stock for 20+ years. It is a very nice shooter and very accurate, based on you not flinching due to stories. My grandfather -WW1- told me there was nothing wrong with them, the same issue resided in one of the machine guns of the day. Reverse the bolt and it too would fail to lock and fire when open, causing injuries. As My Grandfather said, the guys who got hurt, were not paying attention during their classes, because they were all taught to look after the gear. He was a Major by the time he left, and went on to fly the Sopwith Camel, so he was not at the bottom of the class. Thank you for a most enjoyable segment!

[@Sorcelon]

I wont dispute your story and I've never touched a Ross in my life. However, I do have knowledge of it's rival, the Lee-Enfield (specifically the .22 no.7 training rifle which is simply a modified .303 no.4), which has a much simpler bolt that is impossible to put back together incorrectly. In ideal conditions one would imagine the Ross's bolt isn't much of an issue but under stress, fatigue, cold, darkness, etc., such as they experienced in WW1, I can imagine that a significant number of troops trying to clean/unjam their rifles and failing to reassemble the bolts correctly. There's also a whole political battle surrounding the Ross with subcontracting jobs going to friends of minister Sam Hughes, who was also, if I recall, a Ross Rifle Co. share holder...

[@bulkforce5]

the guys who got hurt were trying to reassemble it under stressful battlefield conditions. my own grandfather grew up in Thunder Bay and the manager of the local Safeway store had is face scarred by a Ross rifle accident that happened while he was deployed. The bolt didn't 'fly out' except maybe if you were super unlucky but it didn't need to, like they said if you had your face too close to the stock you'd get socked.

[@mpccenturion]

bulkforce5 Thank you, I never have run across anyone who had actual experience with this. During war everything is more difficult. I spent a day at the National war museum in Ottawa and gained a small bit of appreciation as an older adult.

[@johnnicol5009]

Nice vid. I have a Ross and was worried about this specific issue, however you have explained it very well and given the technical detail on how and why it might have happened. I now feel very confident taking it to the range. Thanks again and well done.

[@NeoNyder]

Appreciate this video to clear up some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding this rifle.

[@myth-termoth1621]

That is a very satisfying and clear answer to a question that has long puzzled me.

[@ThreenaddiesRexMegistus]

I re-barrelled one of these for a customer a few years ago. It was nicely made and the owner was well aware of the potential issues . It wouldn’t have been hard to build in a lockout in the first instance to prevent ignition without full lockup. A pin with a corresponding slot on the firing pin would do it. Big-ass buttress or maybe square threads on the receiver/ barrel tenon , if I recall correctly. At least the bolt stop caught it , but you wouldn’t want to be there! Another great video.👍🏻

[@MrOlgrumpy]

Well done guys,very enlightening,always enjoy your channel.

[@diasirea]

Ian's videos are exceptional, like going to a high grade collector's gun show.Again no cuts on others, just complimenting quality of Forgotten Weapons site.

[@That70sGuitarist]

Thank you very much for this highly informative look a seminal Canadian battle/sniper rifle. Growing up in a shooting family, I'd heard the usual horror stories about the Ross, but always figured the horror stories were over-hyped. I guess it all came down to knowing how to assemble the bolt properly. One forgotten weapon I'd dearly love to see featured on your channel is the famous Luger rifle. As far as I know, they were made in fairly limited numbers, but could have had quite an effect in combat if they'd ever been deployed. Imagine if WWI German soldiers had access to a reliable semi-automatic rifle!

[@bigwilly2004]

Awesome video. Been anticipating this one for a while, and was not disappointed !

[@kbjerke]

JUST found this video! THANK you, Ian! You have explained exceptionally well how the Ross works, and what to avoid to make this firearm safe. Now, as a Canadian, I should no longer hesitate to add this to my WWl collection/accumulation. Besides, I really LIKE straight - pulls!

[@rosscollingwood5189]

Setting aside the potential safety issues, you've got to love the speed of that straight pull bolt!

[@troy9477]

Great video as always; very informative. I have a Ross, and i think it may be a civilian one, or it's half sporterized. I think it's a Mk2 w/o the projecting mag, but i don't have it handy to look at. I have herad of the bolt problem in several articles over the years. This helped clear it up a lot. Many thanks. I am looking forward to working with mine when i get re-settled. I also have a No. 4Mk1 SMLE, so i will be loading 303 for sure

[@nicholas_scott]

Rewatched the video that hooked me on forgotten weapons. Great!

[@bc312radio2]

Great Video. My great uncle who was in the Home Guard told me about an incident on a local range during the war about a bolt from a Ross hitting a member in his battalion in the face that hospitalized him, apart from that a really nice rifle.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Great video, Ian. I love seeing real history and real evidence to back it up. Like an episode of "Forgoten Weapons: Mythbusters....." ... Just great.

[@MrShaney54]

Great video in the 80s i worked at a gun shop My girl friend and i were from Oregon we would go back to Oregon quite often we started buying guns in Oregon and bringing them back to Pomona gun shop where we both worked 2 of the guns we bought were Ross one had the rivet.in the bolt the other did not.The owner of Pomona gun shop was a retired colonel from the US. Marines he was quite impressed with both guns and gave us a short course on both guns. We went out to the range for some shooting very ACCURATE guns the owner bought both guns from us for his own collection.GREAT VIDEO.......

[@OTDMilitaryHistory]

Very interesting video. Thank you for sharing the information on the Ross.

[@embarkingolive]

I have been checking out a lot of your videos lately. I really enjoyed the idea of putting the myth of the gun to practice, maybe make a series based on gun myths?

[@YouCaughtCzars]

It really makes you wonder if the Canadian government made a video similar to this, or at least an instructional program while during the infantry training in Valcartier, if that would have made a difference in this rifle's reputation and performance in WWI. I always knew about its accuracy and the problems it suffered, but I had no idea how clever the design actually was or how fast you can fire it. It's really a beautiful piece, although I think I may look for a Mk II if I ever go to buy one, because knowing me, I'd definitely follow in my forefather's footsteps and find a way to reassemble it wrong in a haze of inattentiveness. Fantastic video! Subscribed.

[@Butttcheekius]

This was literally the first forgotten weapons video I ever saw. Been subbed since

[@colemanmoore9871]

Joining the C&Rsenal crowd to resurrect this video!

[@richwalls7678]

One of your coolest videos. Maybe you should turn it into a regular feature... Forgotten Weapons Monthly Mythbust

[@markgiroux593]

I also think the ammunition manufacture and tolerance was an issue. The SMLE had tolerance for I think 7 manufacturer's ans tolerances for them, the Ross did not. The Ross was also issued up and into WW2, by branches of the Canadian military, and many were sent to Britain in 1940 for Home Guard.

[@SSsupersoldier]

Dude, you are god send. Thank you for all your videos. I feel like this channel was specially made for me...

[@jafxdwg]

I enjoyed your informative video. You answered questions I wished I had asked my Grandfather, who was an Original with the 26th NB Battalion.

[@randalldalton5475]

Nice write up. Always wondered about these. Well done!

[@kwakagreg]

My father, a Scot, fought alongside Canadians in WW! and he told me there was a regular number of Canadian troops wanting lee enfields from dead soldiers because of the Ross blinding shooters. I dont think the bolt actually flew out but hit men in the eye. I have no idea how often it happened but it was common enough to worry the troops. Greg

[@Shadowkey392]

It happened too often. But it wasn't entirely because of the blinding thing. Mostly it was because the Ross, while a good rifle for marksmanship and hunting, was extremely ill-suited for use in the muddy trenches of World War 1, and quite often jammed because of the mud.

[@evandaire1449]

The C&Rsenal channel has an hour long review covering the Ross in exceptional detail.

[@diobrando2575]

Sam Farnsworth don't think Americans disrespect the Canucks, just most people don't know much of Canadian involvement in the First World War.

[@evandaire1449]

Yeah sorry. We've got people in the states who don't know the difference between the Korean War and World War 1. Canada really had a bitchin military at the time. Unfortunately most people here can't get past the leafy flag and saying "eh".

[@MrB00mbang]

I think this person means to say at the time. We should all understand that our three countries have been tied militarily since the dawn of the 20th century. We share a bond that is unbreakable no matter how left or right our leaders are. Brothers in arms.

[@imallearsru]

Another awesome video, great channel, great information.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Sure - I'm familiar with them, I just haven't done a video on any of the variants yet. Anything in particular you're trying to find out?

[@Stale_Buns]

That really is a fast and beautiful reload, just as satisfying as in bf1 which is why I main the ross marksman

[@Yorgar]

looks like i've got to add another one to my list. i liked seeing how smooth the action was.

[@Zamolxes77]

What happens if I don't value my face, can I do it ? Hehehehe Very nice video, came here from Othias clip about the Ross, as always, your crisp and engaging way of presenting things is captivating. I don't know much about guns, but just watching your videos I learn a lot.

[@romainlapie6362]

OMG I have been looking for this videos for years !

[@cherokid]

Seeing you shoot the rifle made it apparent why the Canadian military was attracted, in the sense of a fast handling straight pull bolt action. Watching the video made it also very clear as to why people were afraid of it. It's really too bad. The Ross was an excellent rifle and the 280 Ross was truly an outstanding hunting round coming only slightly behind the Remington 7mm magnum in velocity and 60 years its elder. Thanks Ian for the terrific video. Very informative and well presented.

[@redthegreendog114]

Very nice video. Very informative for anyone looking to collect and shoot these rifles. Will try to add one to my collection.

[@SwordofRagnar]

A little late but I finally got my hands on a sporty MRIII and was playing with it along with the video, safely of course. Great work my friend. Would love to see a simiauto Haot made and brought to Canada.

[@fdsdh1]

could you test whether the bolt is assembled correctly by closing it then sticking a cleaning rod down the barrel and poking it? If it was locked it would not open, if the bolt was unlocked it probably would open

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Yes, you could.

[@Crlarl]

That's smart.

[@thomasclark140]

Just thinking that thru a little more wouldnt the fact one lug was broken off mean it was at least partly locked and the force of the round firing be more than the cleaning rod?

[@thomasclark140]

Sorry i watched again missed that the lug broke off due to contact with the rear of receiver

[@SgtKOnyx]

Sure, but there's no real reason to here. Just watching the lugs rotate into place means they are locked.

[@DanielSvensson666]

Very nice and informative video.:) Always enjoy your videos.:)

[@1brettsnyder]

I own a sporterised Ross model 1910. Don't get a chance to shoot it often, but when I do, it always brings a smile to my face. They're great old rifles.

[@bertreynolds3213]

Hello, fellows. What an interesting piece of history! Just a note here... I think the majority of the catastrophic bolt failure issues were with rifles chambered in .280 Ross, the original caliber of the rifle. A few soldiers and hunters were injured severely when the incorrectly-assembled bolt blew out of the rifle. I don't know that the lovely old .303 has enough gusto to do it, but the high-pressure .280 Ross (which was nearly a 7mm Remington Magnum of today) more than likely does.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

I don't know the exact details, but yes, British .303 ammo had some pretty serious QC issues. The Ross wasn't as tolerant of that as the SMLE, and it resulting in problems.

[@hnangell]

I am VERY impressed! You changed my mind over the report by Sharpe (The Rifle in America - over one million copies sold) the denied this could happen. Good Work!

[@teaeff8898]

That was very interesting! I knew they were unreliable vis a vis dirt etc, but did not know the whole story about the incorrectly assembled bolt blowback. Thanks for the really detailed video! What a fast rifle though. It could have been a real winner, had it been more robust and, ah, safe.

[@martentrudeau6948]

Bold experiment, well done.

[@MapleBalls]

Cool Video. Lots of history with them. Jamming in the trenches was ominous with the Ross.

[@letmeouttamycage]

Great video.. was looking for something like this for a long time.

[@zoggy2]

I would like to have one, the sights on those look excellent. Thanks for great vid.

[@jimmyggh1]

Great video Ian, learned much today! Thanks!

[@shotforshot5983]

Came back to rewatch this video after your new series on the Ross.

[@EpikArms]

Wow great demonstration Ian

[@VorpalDerringer]

Very cool! Interesting and informative video, as usual.

[@marks_sparks1]

I found this an informative video. A lot of myths cleared up.

[@AmericanArmsChannel]

excellent! best episode yet FW! Funny how American rifleman ran a history article this past month on the Ross series of rifles and you created this video; I feel like I got an extra special treat! haha

[@semibreve]

it hurt my heart seeing that beautiful rifle destroyed, but high quality analysis and videos as usual

[@VeraTR909]

Great video, it's old but still super interesting.

[@TheWayBackMachine72]

answered my own question courtesy if wikipedia "Two types of Mark III sniper rifles are identified by different telescopic sights. Five-hundred rifles were fitted with 5.2X Warner & Swasey Company Model 1913 prismatic telescopic sights manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio. Serial numbers for rifles manufactured in 1915 have a FK prefix; while those manufactured in 1917 have a LU prefix. Another 907 rifles were fitted with Winchester Repeating Arms Company A5 telescopic sights. Both telescopic sights were mounted offset so the iron sights were usable and the rifle could still be loaded from charging strips."

[@ecrogue4496]

ahh, i've seen the clip from the ross in the opening credits a thousand times and wondered what that was from. Now I know! Awesome.

[@ericholmes1275]

Nice video, I just purchased a Ross at a garage sale for 30 dollars, and have been hesitant to shoot it. Thanks for tips on what to check. I will Definitely bench test this rifle soon.

[@sebathadah1559]

I've been trying to find this video for YEARS. I've seen the shooting scene in the old intro and I've been hunting it ever since.

[@warpwar]

Thank you for doing this video, I did some research after my uncle showed me my great-grandfather's deer rifle - a Ross MK2. He hasn't shot it in many years due to safety concerns (he had heard the blowing up story). I can now tell him that the rifle is safe to shoot, maybe we can get some .303 and take it to the range. Thanks again.

[@Zer0Gunner]

Very good well thought out points on dispelling these myths. As informative as this video was, I was really distracted with the couch cover. I couldn't tell if those spots were watermelon seeds or bullet casings or just some random art. That aside this was a really great video :)

[@derpityderp-derp4007]

I love your channel man:)

[@1TruNub]

i like speed of the ross rifles reciprocation might look into getting one but will check the bolt now thanks to the video !!!

[@davewolf5469]

Thank you, sir, for this most informative video :)

[@cnlbenmc]

C&Rsenal sent me here with his new video.

[@c4c4cr0773]

I live few meters away from where those were produced. This is a very infamous weapon, but not many people here still know about it despite living so close to where the factory was.

[@The007lord1]

Here after the recent Ross rifle videos and now finally see where that one clip used in the old intro came from.

[@DeisEcks]

Awesome video!