Ross Mk.III and Winchester A5

[Marksman]

On a Ross Mk III set up for a Winchester A5, where exactly is the rear dovetail block fitted?

If on the receiver ring, is it entirely on the larger rear part (nom. 1.5" dia), or partially on that rear part and partially on the smaller front part (nom.1.4" dia) with the dovetail block having a stepped base?

Or is it partially on the front part of the receiver ring and partially on the cylindrical rear part of the barrel reinforce (nom. 1.3" dia), again using a dovetail block with a stepped base?

Or is it partially on the cylindrical part of the barrel reinforce and partially on the tapered part, using a dovetail block with a base with a flat and a taper?

None of the contemporaneous photos that I've found are sufficiently detailed, but I get the impression that the rear block is mounted in front of the larger diameter part of the receiver ring.
Hope someone can help.

[AGB-1]

Maybe this image will help?

https://bamfstyle.files.wordpress.co...gun3-rifle.jpg

Search "Joe Kidd" guns used>

[Marksman]

Thanks, but no help, as it shows a sporting rifle with the rear block on the rear bridge, where the aperture backsight would have been. Interesting set-up having the adjustment at the front end.

I should perhaps have made it clear that I was after info. on CEF sniping rifles.

[AGB-1]

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...fle/Win_A5.jpg

[Surpmil]

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...fle/Win_A5.jpg

The Riel rifle shown clearly has a stepped base to go from the shoulder of the receiver ring to the barrel. The only criteria are the distance between the axes of the rings (and therefore bases) as that determines the movement of the scope in relation to the adjustment knobs, and the eye relief desired.

I see there is at least one official photograph that shows a MkIII with the A5 scope removed. If a high resolution image of the photo was obtained, you might get more detail from that.

A slot was cut through the handguard for the front base which seems to have been screwed directly to the barrel. Until an original in a museum is examined, we don't know whether the front base was simply a riser under a factory 3/8" dovetail, or was cut entirely from a steel bar. We don't know for certain where these rifles were set up, (except that it was at Canadian workshops in the UK and/or France), or if there was even a pattern to be followed. Field level workshops had enough machine tools to do such work easily.

There is a Winchester company brochure on their scopes which gives the options for setting the distance between the bases depending on whether one wanted finer or coarser adjustment from the windage and elevation knobs.

As an aside, one can see from the official photos how much variation there was in the size and equipment of the Scout & Sniper sections, depending no doubt on the interest and attitudes of the O.I.C. and the unit O.C. at any given time. The 2nd Battalion must have been at a low ebb when this photo was taken, compared to some others.

The 67th Battalion looks very different.

[Ax.303]

The plaque from the butt of Paddy Riel`s rifle recently turned up.

No rifle attached unfortunately.

[Surpmil]

Does the plaque show any signs of the reputed fire?

[Melanie_Daniels]

[Marksman]

Folks, thank you the superb info.

As you probably guess, I'm planning on building up a recreation of a CEF sniping rifle. I will probably modify a set of blocks left over from a batch that I commissioned a good few years ago that reproduced what Winchester supplied to the USMC for M1903 before the Great War. The spacing on the M1903 was 7.2" which gives half minute graduations on the A5 rear mount, but with the rear block on the Ross being mounted relatively further forward, I think I may have to use a 6" spacing to keep the correct eye-relief.

I'm self-isolating at the moment so spending some time trying to finalise plans on a host of projects (classic rifles and vintage cars) that have been hanging around for too long.

[Surpmil]

It sounds like you have all the appropriate info required, though you will want to figure out the declination to get as much range adjustment as possible.

The only sticky bit is the fact that all the MkIII Rosses with the A5/B4 fitted had their barrels cropped. I have long assumed this was because the foresight and barrel impinged on the field of view of the scope.

I have a similar project on the back burner.