Some comments on my Ross, please

[bandook]

7142I have been reading the Ross threads, with interest. It is vastly under-rated rifle. I just wish it would feed round nose bullets, as they seem to be most accurate in mine. It shoots very well.
Attached are some pictures of the buttstock of my Mark II 3*. The info is there, but not being Canadian, I need some interpretation.
Are the number-over-number stampings indicative of military organizations to which this rifle belonged ?
It did belong to the US Army, like most of the Rosses I have seen in 35 years of collecting. I know the story of those rifles, and what their usage was.
Visible underneath the US Flaming Bomb and US serial number stamped between the pistol grip and trigger guard, there is a small sized number. Was this some sort of marking that Canada put there? It has been overstamped, but it is visible.
The butt is stamped CEF, which is lined out. I hope it is visible in the pictures. Does this mean that this rifle got to France? I was under the impression that only Mark III s made it there.
Any information would be appreciated.

[Amatikulu]

Your rifle has the identical date and unit marking for the CEF. See my thread below titled "My Ross Rifle" where there is more information on what the markings mean and a bit about their history.

[bandook]

OK, I understand what you are saying. The 8 over 15 indicates August, 1915.
However, does the 762 over 1909 indicate a production serial number at the factory? Yours has a different number in that area, in the same format.
What do the letters "BB" on mine, and "X" on yours indicate? What does the C over 9 mean?
If these rifles never left Canada before beiing sold to the US, the 1 over 17 must also mean something. Since the US did not declare war until April, 1917, then the other stampings may indicate that the rifle was turned over to another Canadian unit prior to the sale?
It is fascinating how many armorer's marks appear on these rifles. Some, like the 53 over 104 on mine must not have anything to do with the date. Is that a unit marking?
Thanks

[Armyphotog]

I am making a chart of serial numbers and U.S, inventory numbers trying to make heads or tails out of this Ross numbering business.
As I am beginning to understand, the three digit number is the serial no., followed by the year of manufacture, followed by the series in which it was made. The Canadians only used serials up to 999, and then started over with a different alphabet letter or letters to keep up with it. The number behind the trigger guard is the serial number of the U.S. Ordnance Department. So far, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to how the rifles were assembled for sale. All are Mark II's with the bulk being 2*, but I have seen 3*'s, one 4*, and two 5*'s in my search. That's all I know for now.