Really bad weapons...

[helbent4]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

As a hunting rifle, the Ross is a fairly decent weapon, the problem with it is that it was never designed for combat use (and how many times have we heard that description?). A lot of stories from WWI tell how the bolt would get so gummed up with dirt/carbon that it would often take two men to work it. So as a combat rifle the Ross is on the list for bad weapons.

Other horrible rifles would include the French Lebel and Berthier rifles. With their 3 round magazines and akward bolt design they are often described as "little more than a musket more useful to hang a bayonet from."

Lee,

Outside of the trenches the Ross wouldn't have been too bad at all, and tanks wouldn't have been the worst place for them. The weapon had such a bad rep (not undeserved) that there was no chance soldiers would use it. Those "zipperheads" would probably use captured Mausers and MP40s long before they would have used the Ross!

I can see why the Lebels and Berthiers were crap, French doctrine really did emphasise bayonet use over firepower.

Tony