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Elwood Epps was a noted Ontario who developed a number of wildcat cartridges based on the .303 British and .30-30 case. He also did a number of different modifications to sporterize the Ross military rifle.
Does anyone know how he marked (if indeed he did) his work?
I have a very nice M1905 conversion with excellent open sights and new wood with out provision for the Harris Dump Magazine exterior parts. The quality and rebluing exceeds what can be expended with home gunsmithing.
I think Elloood would have marked his custom rifles.
It was not all that uncommon for the exterior paddle for the Harris magazine to be deleted. In addition to crude as well as sophisticated jobs, I have seen what I believe is a factory original 1905 sporter without the paddle.
I would have expected Mr. Epps to have marked his rifles as well, but apparently not so. I do own one of his rifles based on a MkIII receiver chambered for the Epps 22:303. The only marking on the barrel is: "22:303-A.S."
(Ackley Shoulder) As Mr. Epps and my father tied up their houseboats side-by-side just out of Orillia, I recall showing the rifle to him, and he told me who it was built for....(of course; I wrote it all down and put it in a safe place....) The rifle can be seen if you dial up Welcome to Ross Rifle and look in "Customs" I have another Ontario rifle that is marked by C.C. Meredith of Streetsville. He built a 35:405 on a MkII** receiver-