AHC & WI: Reliable Ross Rifles

[Some Bloke]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Rifle

The Ross Rifle was a very unreliable design due to a variety of factors.

The challenge is to have a reliable version see front line service in WWI then work on the effects on the Canadian armaments industry from then onwards.

 

[RAKtheUndead]

I think that the Bisley School was the biggest criterion in determining how likely it was that rifles would be battle-ready. Without a conflict to indicate how long-range accuracy would be trumped by reliability, robustness and rapid fire, it's unlikely that the Ross rifle would be redesigned in time for World War I.

 

[Some Bloke]

Unlikely? Not impossible? Seems you have an idea or two.

 

[Simon]

Well my main thought would be to put it through a proper testing process - heat, cold, mud, dust bath, several thousand rounds fired etc. - to highlight how temperamental it could be. As long as the army doesn't bury the report, not just a modern occurrence, combined with the Royal Northwest Mounted Police knocking it back that could be enough to see enough pressure to for some re-design work done to make it useable.

 

[Some Bloke]

Interesting thought. So say it gets issued to the Northwest Mounties in 1911, then put through its paces that year, the redesigned Mark IV model might be ready around about the same time as its OTL issue date.

 

[Simon]

The other thing to take care of has to be Sam Hughes as Minister of Militia and Defence, a quick search suggest he was somewhat of a disaster when it came to the purchase and supply of equipment for the armed forces. Once things start getting political and people staking their reputations on a rifle it becomes much harder to get criticism of it accepted and changes made. Best I can come up with off the top of my head is the Mounties turn it down and go back to their Lee-Metfords, the testing process happens and turns up a number of faults, Hughes tries to quietly bury the report but then a copy gets leaked to a newspaper and suddenly it becomes "results from the preliminary test", "well of course a few minor adjustments have to be made" and "never expected it to be perfect on the very first development batch" etc.

 

[Some Bloke]

Ok seems plausible. Assuming this happens in 1910 or early 1911 how long will it take to before a reliable Mark IV enters production?

 

[Fairdowner]

I thought the Ross was a bit more acceptable in places where there wasn't any mud, or at least the thick mud of the Western Front. I read it was a good snipers rifle and some have suggested that's due to snipers treating their "babies" better than the average grunt.

Maybe give access to it to the Australians in the Middle East.