Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Boomsticks: I'll be facing M'bogo today...

I can smell him, out there in the bush. Rare and elusive; a Ross Mk. II. I've spotted him once before, but he got away.

This time, though, when he charges, I've got a $450-caliber check to bring him down.

(He comes with a set of .303 dies now, too. :) )

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tamara:

You NEVER know what the day will bring...

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070206/BREAKINGNEWS/70206004

8 is enough from a .300 WBY and .45-70.

Mike C

Anonymous said...

There have been several bubba-ized 1905 Ross rifles up on gunbroker, and I've been severely tempted to buy up one or all of them with the goal of assembling one really nice sporter a la the original Ross sporting rifles. My conscience would be clear, since the guns have already been hacked up beyond the point of restoration. Unfortunately, I have too many other half-finished projects and not enough funds. Good luck with your acquisition!

Anonymous said...

Tam,

I've felt the same way when I saw my first Persian Mauser. I handled it and look at my wallet and had to put it back. Fast forward a couple of years and I see one in a gun shop that was in good condition going for $249 - I bought it because I didn't want to miss out again. Still is one of the best looking of the Mausers I own - not the rarest though - that goes to the Polish WZ-98A I bought. I didn't let that one go by...

Joe R.

Kim du Toit said...

Watch out for that Ross when reassembling it: putting in the firing pin the wrong way round WILL cause a catastrophic breech explosion thing. (A technical term.)

Can't see why you'd want a Ross instead of a fine SMLE, but then again, I never claimed to understand women.

Tam said...

First, I own 2 SMLE's (a 1916 Enfield and an unissued Fazakerly post-WWII No.4Mk.2.)

Second, in a certain model of the Ross (the 1910/MkIII, easily identified by its interrupted-thread locking lugs) the bolt sleeve can be inserted incorrectly, which will keep the lugs from rotating into engagement, causing the bolt to depart the receiver with some alacrity on firing.)

The earlier 1905/Mk II, like my example, uses conventional locking lugs and is immune to this problem.

Tam said...

PS: Didn't mean to sound prickly; I've just heard the "Your Ross will blow up" thing about a half-dozen times today. :o

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't worry about that - you're not in a trench in Flanders so the Ross won't know what to do! Should be good either way as you know more about them than most people.

( Also getting .303 dies for the same reason you are... :) )

Joe