My Ross MkII

[steveu]

Need some help in identifying my Ross. I did take it apart to look for a serial number. On the barrel it was stamped 83C and the receiver was stamped 57. It also had some rear sight screw holes on the bottom of the barrel. Here are some pictures. I will be getting more detailed pictures when I finishing cleaning it.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[M94/14]

It appears to be a typical U.S. Issue 1905 Ross MkII 3*. This rifle appears to have been inspected at Rock Island Arsenal as identified by the markings in your first Pic. The U.S. Gov't procured somewhere around 20,000 of these rifles for training purposes. The Stock on yours has been sanded at some point, as all of the relevant factory markings on the right side of the butt are now gone. Also, the buttplate appears non original, and the nose cap looks to be from a P14, or M1917 Enfield. If it has a decent bore, it should make for a good shooter.

[steveu]

I am thinking that it may have come from Bannerman’s???

[steveu]

Maybe a Bannerman rifle???

[browningautorifle]

Maybe a Bannerman rifle

Maybe...first US marked model I've seen. Wonder why someone would work so hard to sand out the original markings? The nosecap actually makes sense because the original bayonets weren't great and underwent changes themselves. I'd rather use the blades available locally... Someone here will know what took place...

[steveu]

Maybe...first US marked model I've seen. Wonder why someone would work so hard to sand out the original markings? The nosecap actually makes sense because the original bayonets weren't great and underwent changes themselves. I'd rather use the blades available locally... Someone here will know what took place...

They did a great job on sanding the wood. I do like the look of the full length handguard.

[browningautorifle]

They did a great job on sanding the wood.

They at least were a bit careful...

[M94/14]

Don't know why I didn't notice it at the first look, but someone also added a top forward handguard, where the original pattern rifle had none.

[steveu]

Don't know why I didn't notice it at the first look, but someone also added a top forward handguard, where the original pattern rifle had none.

They did a very nice job of it too!

[bacarnal]

Attachment 99224Attachment 99225

Maybe...first US marked model I've seen. Wonder why someone would work so hard to sand out the original markings? The nosecap actually makes sense because the original bayonets weren't great and underwent changes themselves. I'd rather use the blades available locally... Someone here will know what took place...

Rock Island was famous during reworks of firearms after WWII for obliterating all of the previous Arsenal markings and then applying their own markings. I wonder if that started in WWI? My MK II 3* just has the US stamp Ordnance Bomb and Serial along with the Canadian stampings. I think it was one of the rifles sent to Ohio since the last owner had found it in a wall of a house in Kentucky that he was helping his father tear down in the '60's. The ones that went to the Camp in Illinois might have made a stop at Rock Island first.
I do agree that the full length hand guard has a nice look.