Hello gentlemen

Anyone out there know where a fellow might find some 280 Ross Brass, in the USA, or Canada for that matter?
Thanks Greg

HDS or Huntington Die Specialities used to make it in the 1990s when I shot a 280 Ross here in England.

http://www.huntingtons.com/

I also think that if you just do a websearch you'll find a current maker...or try Horneber cases on the link I've given above.

I was not very impressed with the HDS stuff! There were not "splits" or "nicks" but almost like very small "slots" in the case shoulder.

I had to throw away about 10% of the cases even before use. However the good news is that Midway sell a .288" bullet which at 160 grains is right for the Ross.

Have I read that the Ross rifle had some design problems that made it dangerous?

Well the "bolt blowing out" problem is really a nonsense written by those who have probably neither shot nor owned a Ross. It is possible to take apart (why would one do that) and the reassemble a Ross bolt with the locking lugs "wrong".

However it is so obvious when it has been done that it would be an idiot that would fire the rifle. I don't know what is the easiest thing to compare. I suppose like taking apart a disc brake and assembling it with the pads on the shoes the wrong way around?

It is a long time - twenty years - since I had a Ross (1905 in 280) but from memory if you did assemble it wrong then the bolt didn't actually close properly and it was obvious.

Ken Stuart will make them and ship them for you. With the exchange rate in your favour, I dont think it matters that they come from RSA.
Very good product in my opinion FWIW. A different league to Bertram. I dont have the link with me, but if you cant google him, let me know and I will find it for you.
boet

Could you post, please, some more info on this Mr Stuart and what he can also make? Does he have a website? Getting items to UK from USA is too complicated nowadays...to say nothing our our poor Pound!

quote:

Originally posted by enfieldspares:
HDS or Huntington Die Specialities used to make it in the 1990s when I shot a 280 Ross here in England.

http://www.huntingtons.com/

I also think that if you just do a websearch you'll find a current maker...or try Horneber cases on the link I've given above.

I was not very impressed with the HDS stuff! There were not "splits" or "nicks" but almost like very small "slots" in the case shoulder.

I had to throw away about 10% of the cases even before use. However the good news is that Midway sell a .288" bullet which at 160 grains is right for the Ross.

I'm amazed you turned to the 'States to buy your .280 Ross brass. I always used mostly .280 Kynoch/ICI brass (made in the U.K.) in my Rosses. Worked perfectly and was excellent brass.

Sure I had to use Berdan primers in some lots. So what? Said primers are a lot more easily available than one might think, once a person starts looking for them with dilligence.

I also still have some original brass headstamped "Ross Rifle Co. - P.Q. - .280 Ross". I don't know just how old it is, but it is still performing well and is made for standard LR Boxer primers.

I used Barnes .288" 180 gr. bullets as regular fodder for a long while, but later discovered the rifle also shot well with standard .284" bullets, as the land diameter is not significantly larger than any other standard 7 m/m. It is the grooves which are generally deeper and thus allow the .288" diameter bullets to pass without excessive pressures. Or at least that's how it was in my .280 Rosses.

The larger diameter bullets and grooves were a response by designers to the relatively rapid erosion of bores by the high nitro content of some early smokeless powders. Deeper grooves gave longer field life with suitable accuracy for folks who might be away years at a time in the colonies such as Africa, India, Ceylon, etc. As many were very ignorant of the detail workings of guns AND ammo, and air transport generally didn't exist, that could be really important to military officers who only got "long leave" home once every three years

Over the few rounds normally used in hunting, I never discovered any negative side effects to the smaller diameter bullets at all.

enfield spares
I last spoke to Ken Stuart on this phone number: 0027 152899401
It has been a while since I contacted him, and I cant find his email. A lot of zim people use Stuart bullets, and find them on a par with woodleighs. The cases he makes for obsolete calibres are of high quality.I ordered components for my 425WR and was very satisfied.
When I dealt with him, he had retired from Stuart Gunsmithing Services, and was operating independantly. Seemed like he just could not give up. I chose to deal with the master rather than the company that kept his name, and am not sorry. He is always up for a chat, and knew Selby and manners. He played a big part in the developement of the .458 African Express / .458 3 inch. He told me of when Harry Selby shot his first elephant with a 425 WR. His bullets are often mentioned in hunting stories in MAGNUM and AFRICAN HUNTER. He is a real character, makes a good product but,humbly, does not promote himself or his product on anylarge scale. I do still have his son in laws email.
Gordon Greaves: uptown@pixie.co.za
Hope this helps
boet

quote:

Originally posted by enfieldspares:
Well the "bolt blowing out" problem is really a nonsense written by those who have probably neither shot nor owned a Ross.

Thank you for your response. Exactly what I had read. Perhaps demanded by editors to protect the publication?

quote:

Originally posted by boet:
enfield spares
I last spoke to Ken Stuart on this phone number: 0027 152899401
It has been a while since I contacted him, and I cant find his email. A lot of zim people use Stuart bullets, and find them on a par with woodleighs. The cases he makes for obsolete calibres are of high quality.I ordered components for my 425WR and was very satisfied.
When I dealt with him, he had retired from Stuart Gunsmithing Services, and was operating independantly. Seemed like he just could not give up. I chose to deal with the master rather than the company that kept his name, and am not sorry. He is always up for a chat, and knew Selby and manners. He played a big part in the developement of the .458 African Express / .458 3 inch. He told me of when Harry Selby shot his first elephant with a 425 WR. His bullets are often mentioned in hunting stories in MAGNUM and AFRICAN HUNTER. He is a real character, makes a good product but,humbly, does not promote himself or his product on anylarge scale. I do still have his son in laws email.
Gordon Greaves: uptown@pixie.co.za
Hope this helps
boet

Hi,
I am a good friend of Ken Stewart (not Stuart). He has been heavily involved in creating the Norma African PH line of ammunition. A character he is and also one of the great 'unknown' African hunters and wild life managers. Born in Kenya, shot his first Thompson gazelle in age of 7...
He joined up with Harry Selby's older cousin Ken Randall, hunted and catched wildlife for Zoo.s and game park all over the world.

Ken makes top quality bullets and cases for all kinds of calibres in limited quantities.
you can contact him at; stewbullets@mweb.co.za

142 pounder shot in northen Kenya 1960.s by Ken Stewart


3 lions that simultaneously attacked Ken, note that the last lion was shot from above in the back, the distance to Ken was closer than 2 meters!

quote:

Originally posted by Winchester 69:

quote:

Originally posted by enfieldspares:
Well the "bolt blowing out" problem is really a nonsense written by those who have probably neither shot nor owned a Ross.

Thank you for your response. Exactly what I had read. Perhaps demanded by editors to protect the publication?

Perhaps, but I doubt there are very many living people left in this world who know one way or another for absolute certain.

I have owned and shot a number of Ross rifles, and used to use a Ross M1905/07 .303 Carbine as my canoe gun in the North. The bolt never "blew out" on me, but I sold it after a couple of times of finding the action part way opened after firing a shot. No damage was in evidence in any way to either rifle or cartridge cases, but it made me nervous.

I want a rifle to help me feel secure in the bush, not to cause me fear, so it had to go.

I miss its handiness, and it wasn't the most commonly seen model of even Ross guns in the bush either, so that was kind of neat. Still, I like the actions to stay shut until I open them, so would sell it again, based on my experience.