Description
Physical description
Ross Match rifle 2nd model; Plain, tapering fore-end. Has mounts for Galilean telescopic sights, but no sights fitted.
History note
Luke Ricketts Tippins was a noted maker of target rifles in the period prior to the First World War, and an author on target shooting subjects, his best known book being 'Rifle Shooting in Peace, War and Sport' (1900). Headmaster of the Normal National School, Mistley, Essex, he had a strong scientific interest in ballistics, and eventually gave up teaching to pursue ballistics research and rifle-making. His son, John, was an outstanding rifle shot, shooting for Britain in the 1912 Olympics, and holding the World Records for rapid fire rifle shooting (94 shots without a miss in one minute using .22 self-loading rifles) and long range shooting(149 x 150). A Machine Gun Sergeant in the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Essex Regiment, John Tippins requested transfer to a Regular Battalion at the outbreak of war. He was credited with 20 'kills', using a Tippins regulated rifle, before himself being killed while serving a machinegun in late 1914. The omission of '& Son' in the Tippins address therefore indicates that this is either an early example of L.R. Tippins' work, or a post-1914 one.
The .375/.303 is a Westley Richards proprietary cartridge introduced c. 1904-1906 as a medium game cartridge. Its performance approximated the .300 Holland & Holland Magnum, and it used Axite as a propellant, less erosive than Cordite. This was advantageous in a target rifle and Tippins recognised its potential as a long range target round. The Kings Norton Metal Co. loaded 'Pointed Palma Cartridges' especially for Tippins before the First World War.
This rifle would originally have been chambered for .280 Ross.
1) Stamped left of body
2) Engraved along barrel
1) ROSS RIFLE CO. QUEBEC CANADA. 1905. PATENTED.
2)L.R.TIPPINS, MISTLEY, MANNINGTREE
Stamped on the receiver ring
7205 & British proof marks
Stamped on the top left of the barrel
British proof marks & .375/.303