My new Ross M10

Just got this - my second rifle in just a couple of months. Bought this one really because of the outstanding bore with tight muzzle. I am really becoming a fan of them.

Questions:

1. Can anyone tell me what the unit disk says?

2. Who, and when, were these rifles sn#ed? Interestingly the bolt is sn#ed to match the rifle.

3. Is what looks like brownish paint on the action (all hidden when rifle assembled) something the factory did?

4. What was the purpose of the hole in the trigger guard just behind the front action screw?

Any comments???

Friend, you have rather a nice middling-to-late Mark III military rifle, oiginally taken into service by the Canadian Corps in the Great War.

I have no idea what that 50-billion-odd number might mean, but this is the second rifle I have seen wearing one. The actual serial number of your rifle is 998LA of 1916; this is stamped into the wood on the right side of the butt. The rifle looks to have "324" electropencilled onto the right side of the receiver ring; this is not a Canadian marking. s there anything on the other side of he receiver ring? Can we have a picture? Might solve a problem or three.

That ugly paint likely was applied during the Second War or afterwards. It certainly isn't Great War standard for a Ross Rifle, that's for sure. I have some paint much like that on a 1918 NRF SMLE which has been fitted with a recycled Ross butt and a composite aluminium/wood fore-end. It is a 1945 EFD rework on an SMLE, which is something the books say just was not done, so anything is possible. I do know that there were a lot of experiments going on with rust-proofing at that time, so this could be from that.

I would think that the rifle might have done some service in India, but my book of unit marking IDs is out on loan at this time. BUFFDOG knows a great deal about unit markings; he should be on here shortly.

You have a very nice toy there, friend.

Be careful when you are working on this one; this is the model on which it was possible to assemble the bolt incorrectly. It an't get out of adjustment by itself, but YOU can put it out. There is a sticky on bolt assembly at the top of this page, also a download for the correct Manual for this rife.

With a good bore, I have no doubt but that it will shoot, and I mean REALLY shoot. I have one here which is an honest 1/2-MOA rifle, although it takes sandbags, good eyes and very good ammo to show that. Not bad or a rifle 98 years old (in the case of my own)...... or even one a mere 95 years old (as yours).

Looking forward to seeing receiver photos.
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The 50 billion numbers were usually added by the British. If I see it correctly, the front sight protector is also being cut on top, that is another hint for British use. I don't know much about Ross Rifles, but this is what I've been told as my M1910 has the before mentioned criterions.

€dit: that brown-yellow-green stuff reminds me of the (rust?) protection thing they added to those No. 5 Jungle Carbines, still got some of it left on one of my No. 5's

Here goes the pics. Had to dig it back out.

Just about 100 digits away from my rifle :D (and mine is definately British).

What marks are on the right side of the butt, apart from the serial?

You have a Indian (east) military Mk III, meuphamistically referred to a "Curry Gun" by the wags on the Ross rifle site. There is a very good discussin on the site by BarryJ on the subject.
I have an action of the same ilk.
A lot of these got dewatted so you are luck to have one intact.

Good luck
OGC

Hi
I have what I believe to be a WW1 Ross Sniper Scope. I really need information on this please, to confirm that it is a Ross scope, when made, approx value etc etc. Any help would be appreciated. It measures 24.5 inches ,with mounts, and is boxed.

MeadowTom Attachment 29373Attachment 29372Attachment 29371

Somebody has done a job on the rear screw which holds the action to the trigger guard--those were originally a straight slot, and someone has turned yours into a Phillips, presumably after the original slot was hashed up. That paint is the stuff which was put on British rifles between the wars, I believe, as a rust protector. You'll see the same stuff on the SMLE Mk V rifles.

Cheers

Ed

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MeadowTom

Hi
I have what I believe to be a WW1 Ross Sniper Scope. I really need information on this please, to confirm that it is a Ross scope, when made, approx value etc etc. Any help would be appreciated. It measures 24.5 inches ,with mounts, and is boxed.

MeadowTom Attachment 29373Attachment 29372Attachment 29371

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There should be more markings on this scope and/or mounts. If Military, it will have a "broad arrow" and a model number. To get information, it is best to present all the information that is on the item, as it could be made by several makers.

There is very little connection between the Ross Rifle Company in Canada who made rifles, and Ross and Company in England, who made binoculars, naval and artillery sights, draw type telescopes for spotting, signalling and general service, and other optical items.

This scope actually looks live a Target or Varmint scope for mounting on a rifle. The mounts are too light for Cannon use, it is definitely a type of mounting used on Target and Varmint scopes, and is not really designed for Military Warfare, as the adjustment knobs would easily be knocked off or get out of zero. It is typical of the Unertl, Fecker, Lyman and other similar types available from the late 1930s to the 1970s when the inexpensive Japanese scopes became readily available. These scopes were fairly expensive in their day, and as a precision instrument, they were usually supplied with a protective box.

Without further information, it is most difficult to tell you exactly what you have.

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