My Great Big MkII** Ross Rifle Project.

[BrianLara400*]

Hi Everyone
Recently picked up a MkII** (assuming it to be a commercial) .303 that has at some time in its past been seriously "got at", and as a result there's an amount of work and (unobtainable) componentry required to get it back to something nearing its original (glorious) condition.


What I intend this thread to be is a place to chart the progress I'm making towards the restoration, but also somewhere I can ask a few of the questions I'm bound to encounter along the way.

Among the unobtainable trinkets that my rifle is currently missing, :

#MkII** Nose Cap (to suit the heavier profile barrel)

#Rear sling swivel

#Bolt that retains the middle barrel band

#MkII front sight assembly--------------(FOUND)

#Now just need the sight hood

#"Keeper Ferrule"-------------(DONE)


Now given there's not been a ross made in close to 100 years, and that these same items are the ones everyone seems to be looking for: I'm very realistic about the prospects of tracking some of these parts down - so I'll be looking to machine/fabricate any of those which I can't source in the meantime.

The first of those parts I've resorted to making is the serrated "keeper Ferrule" (not sure of the official Ross Nomenclature) that engages the twin front action screws of the MkII ross (assumedly to prevent the screws loosening under recoil) . Had been told these tiny little pieces are virtually unobtainium, and can certainly imagine these'd be the first item lost once a rifle's been disassembled a number of times and in reality its probably of questionable necessity to the rifles machinations anyway.


Mill set up in horizontal guise with the dividing head


Close up of the machining details


Note: The split magazine box and twin front action screws (and serrated keeper) necessitated by the arm of the "Harris" follower being on the centre line of the action.


The "Keeper" installed in its pocket, engaging the other screw heads.
The heads of these action screws are visibly mangled so if these can't be tidied up a bit, I may resort machining some replacements of these too. ("slippery slope"... I Know)
Does anyone know the dimensions of the little bolt that holds the "keeper"?


Also wondering if anyone's got drawings or dimensions for a II** (heavy) barrel? If not can anyone can comment on how close the barrel profile might be, to those used on the later MkIII's? The situation is the barrel on mine has been shortened from its original 30 1/2" length, and I'm thinking its a "ring-in" that's been fitted at a much later date (so can't really base my profile measurements off this, to order the new barrel).

"TSE" a local Australian barrel maker has a profile on record for a "Ross Rifle" (generic) from diameter measurements he has lifted off a MkIII DP rifle and I need to determine how close this would be to what II** is meant to have?

Any info would be really appreciated
Thanks

Information

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[MilSurp in Oz]

Whilst unable to contribute to your project in any way, nevertheless I look forward to reading about your progress.

[BrianLara400*]

Thanks Mate, heres the next instalment:


Excerpt from the ross rifle book showing the evolution of the various fittings; those in the centre column are of the correct era for my MKII**


Roughing out the profile & then parting


Undercutting the lug


Parting off with a slitting wheel




The completed lug, now to work out just how i'll go about the forming & fabrication of the nosecap.

Among the bits my rifle is missing is the rear sling swivel, so here's me working to rectify this:

Using the dividing head to machine the wave shape on the rear sling swivel head. I used the existing target swivel attached floor plate as reference for the dimensions & styling etc

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Nice work!!

[Lee Enfield]

I'd be up for a couple of the little keeper bushings and 3 MkII** nose caps....

Awesome work by the way...

[Simon P]

Great to see the old engineering / Tool making skills still in use

[CINDERS]

Pretty tidy work all round not to much swarf or chips great to see as to watch a CNC or an automated lathe at work is like watching bats in a dark cave if you get my drift...................

[BrianLara400*]

Hi all, would like to thank everyone for their comments - just a quick update concerning my ross rifle project: Win88 (from the ShootingAustralia.net forums) magnificently offered to lend some of the missing componentry to me, for measurement/duplication purposes - so a massive thankyou goes out to him for his generosity and his patience whilst the reverse engineering/nutting out process crawls along.

The protective hood for the front sight was discarded from my rifle long ago and after some research it turns out they are right up there (along with MkII nosecaps) on the list of most requested ross rifle trinkets in the various milsurp classifieds. Those that have them aren't selling and Ross Rifle Co certainly isn't making any more so figured I could do something about it and help others out too.

These are the jigs, I came up with to assist in the making of Ross sight hoods. Fortunately the hoods used on the MkII's & MkIII's are dimensionally the same, so the one set of tooling caters for both models.




The number drills will be replaced with tool steel of the appropriate gauge, initially was just keen to see if the concept would even work.






Have had to skim some material down to match the thickness of that originally used, otherwise the mean diameter would be wrong for the developed shape/layout.
So long term will need to chase around and see what can be sourced - am hoping .0525" is a common gauge in some of the imperial speaking country's.





Still need to de-burr a little and investigate blueing etc but think the result looks promising at this point.

Btw am still desperately seeking profile dimensions of the MkII** heavy barrel if anyone can assist.

[browningautorifle]

So, I thought I was doing well making my own wrenches for an M1 rifle receiver and barrel. I daily converse with men that make their own forming and machining jigs...at least it leaves me in good company...nice work on the scarce and unobtainium parts.

[Salt Flat]

Very nice machine work. We appreciate the photography and updates. Salt Flat