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I've been lurking for a bit and trying to learn as much as I can. I have been interested in WWI and the CEF for years. I read (currently re-reading Nicholson's book), watch the Military Channel almost exclusively and have visted many of the Western Front Battle sites.
I have recently been considering trying to obtain a CEF version of the Ross but know almost nothing about how, where, what to look for, how much to expect to pay etc.
Can you folks could help educate me?
Thanks,
Rob
Welcome to the forums! As for Ross rifles- I guess your best chance at finding one would be to either travel to the larger gun shows or haunt the gun auction sites. They just don't turn up all that often.
I've only one Ross currently, and it's an older purchase. Haven't paid much attention to prices, sorry!.
As Jmoore states, Ross Mk III rifles, the model the CEF took to France, don't come up as frequently as many other milsurps, though there have been a couple show up on some of the other milsurp forums (CanadianGunNutz for one) over the past few months.
You'll find some Mk IIIs with regimental markings stamped into the buttstock, others (like the 1916-production one I have) do not have any military markings. Clear markings, even if only the Ross factory markings, tend to increase the value of a rifle.
Try to find the most complete rifle you can, as some bits are either impossible to get, or extremely hard to find. Many Ross Mk IIIs that show up for sale have been played around with a bit by individuals who converted them to hunting rifles by bobbing off the woodwork, changing the sights, or shortening the barrel (among other treatments). That treatment does make them the most affordable way to get your hands onto a Mk III, but restoring to full military configuration is extremely challenging given the shortage of original parts.
You'd be advised, as well, to invest some time here in researching the way to confirm the bolt is assembled correctly.
As for price, as usual, it depends on both buyer and seller, but they are certainly not getting any cheaper. Sporterized versions seem to run between $200 and $300 here in Canada (occasionally less), and then it's a big jump up to full military configuration rifles, which go for upward of $1,000, sometimes well upward, depending on overall condition, how complete they are, the clarity of markings on the buttstock and the story told by those markings. It is possible to score a deal...you'll just have to keep your eyes open and be a little patient.
Good luck and post yours here when you get it.
Jmoore and RangeRover have pretty much put things in perspective, I would say.
I have several chopped Rosses and sportered ones, all made out of Mark II and Mark III rifles but only a single full-military Mark III. As it happens, it is one of the Chilean Navy rifles which served on our old battleship HMS Canada, which originally was buit for Chile. The ship was delivered after being used by the British in WWI, along with the Canadian rifles which were aboard it. Mine was one of those. Previously it had served with 16 Battalion CEF, so it has Army markings as well. I paid $100 for it and that was not pocket change, even then (35 years ago)..... and counted myself lucky to get one that wasn't chopped. The thousand-dollar tags of the present day really aren't too bad when you consider that the rifles now are approaching a century old, that Lee-Enfields outnumbered Rosses something like 20 to 1..... and that Russia managed to snaffle onto the vast majority of unchopped Rosses..... and they aren't letting them go. They are just too good as target rifles, altered to 7.62x54R.
That much said, there still are rifles around with full-length barrels and chopped wood. They run about a third the price of a full-military rifle, some of them can really be made to shoot...... and some can be restored.:dancingbanana::dancingbanana::dancingban ana::dancingbanana:
And there is NOTHING to compare with a Ross trigger. Serious.:clap::clap::clap::clap:
Good luck in your quest, friend.
And welcome to the club!
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