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Amongst my rifle collection is this unfinished project that started out as a 1st Pattern Monarch in 270 Winchester that had been well used. Bore was fairly worn and the blacking almost all worn off the barrel. I picked it up cheap many moons back as a representive of the model in my little collection. Some years later was offered a much better little used 1st Pattern Monarch for reasonable money so bought it that left what to do with this one?

After a lot of deliberation the idea evolved to make a modern equivilent of a 280 Ross performance wise which is why the Ackley version of the 280 Remington was chosen

Originally my idea was to use a slim stock off a Majestic Featherweight to replicate the Ross style:-

This is the state of the rifle now. The stock is not much good due to a previous owner of the 270 Majestic that is belongs to butchering it and sanding off the chequering panels from the forestock leavng it too thin and flimsy not to mention wrecking the bedding :Banghead: . I think it may be possible to still get a new original BSA stock in either style from Knibbs however that is not exactly a cheap option.

The barrel is from a late BSA CF2 and they have a much larger breech area than the Majestic or Monarchs have and this looks more in keeping with the M10 Ross rifles. Seeing as how everything has changed now have been thinking of restoring the Monarch's original stock and fitting it instead:-

Clearer photo of a Monarch stock................ and yes on the Project Monarch the barrel is shorter as had been cut down before I acquired it. The foresight ramp had been moved back and soldered on out of plumb. It was angled off to one side. The barrel in the photo had been cold blued as when it arrived there was almost no blacking left on the barrel from forestock to foresight. Someone spent a lot of time holdign this rifle by the barrel!

The stock is of heavier style and will require the barrel channel to be opened up to take the heavier barrel and the larger breech area as mentioned before the Majestic and Monarch barrels were more swamped over the breech:-

as the fad was for lighter rifles then even though then many shooters then complained of the sharp recoil light rifles gave.

So it needs finishing off with a good stock fitted. The foresight soldered onto the barrel or the muzzle drilled and tapped depending on which foresight ramp is used and a sporting aperture sight fitting. The action is drilled and tapped on the LHS for such a sight. If I can my desire is to stalk deer using the irons at some point. As for the sights we have a choice:-

Front .................

Original BSA Monarch ramp soldered into place a bit further from the muzle due to the thread and allow for a muzzle can moderator to be used.

BSA foresight off a .22 Supersport Five.

Williams ramped fores tight off a Parker-Hale

Tikka ramped foresight off the Pre T3 Tikka.

Rear sight .................

Lyman 57 SME

Redfield as shown here:-

Parker-Hale 6EH

I do have a William Guide barrel mounted rear sight as fitted to the CF2 rifles and the matching Tikka rear sight for the Tikka foresight.

So as they say decisions ............................ decisions!

Observations, suggestions, and even just opinions appreciated.

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Don't let the bastards grind you down!