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A Rifle We Passed on – Ross 1905 Sporterzied

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Ross 1905 Sporterized straight-pull

Occasionally. Not Often. But occasionally I get an email or private message that goes something like this, “I wish I could find the deals you guys do”. Or…”It must be nice to have the hook-up for all these guns”.

The truth is, we don’t have any “hook-ups”. And frankly, we really don’t know that many people in the firearms business. We don’t get any special treatment at the gun stores. And as far as most FFL’s are concerned, we’re just schlubs like everyone else.

Ross 1905. Checking the sight. Does it work? It is all there? Correct version for this model?

And that is the way we like it.

How do you do we find interesting or cool guns to add to the armory? It’s simple logic and math. Or more specifically statistics. We always have a list of, “to-buy” with us on our phones when we travel. And most importantly, we take the time to look in every… nook…cranny…and dusty corner… of every… gun store… we visit.

Seriously.

Check the markings. Do they match the “story”? Many times rifles don’t.

Sometimes you just need to step back from the, “buy-me-now-tactical-counter” and just spend 10 minutes deliberately looking at the back-wall racks. Ditto for the, “They are so cheap we put them out in the middle of the floor because if someone steals one it’s no big deal” rack. C’mon! You know some shops have those. Often times, “there be gold in them-there hills!”.

What is the stock? After market? Or cut down military? Can we part it out?

But it’s always good to have a partner. A wingman. Someone you can call for help if you see something you are not sure about. Obviously in my case, it’s the ubiquitous Freeze. I know modern stuff very well. But military surplus or “old” guns? Not my bag. I learn more everyday. But Freeze is our resident, go-to, mil-surp guru. Especially when evaluating the economic or logistical viability “de-sporterizing” or repairing old guns.

Ross 1905 Sporterized straight-pull

The images you see strung about this article may seem incomplete or not quite professional enough to merit publication. And you would be correct. These images I took about 16 months ago before we acquired the US Property marked Ross rifle.

How is the action? Correct for rifle? Matching numbers? Parts missing? Put together? Goes into battery? Dangerous?

This particular rifle had been sporterized and may have been missing a few parts. The rifle was rough and automatically was going to be a rehab project. What I was doing was sending Freeze cell phone shots trying to determine if we should buy it.

Listed price? Plus parts? Will final project be cheaper than buying unmolested to begin with? Is this the “real” price? How long has it been sitting here? Maybe shops have date codes on tags only they can read. I bet they would take less. Point out flaws. Maybe bundle with multiple guns? Options are endless. But is it worth it?

Ultimately, we didn’t end up acquiring the rifle. But…for every cool gun you see over here, there are countless text message threads and photos discussing gun shop finds. That’s the hook-up: putting in the work
Marky
www.John1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”

Marky
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