Printable View
I have recently come into a Ross 1905 US marked rifle. Serial number 183 BC over 1910. It has other markings and large alpha numeric emblazing on stock. I will post pictures when I can. It is in good shape and I am interested in its history. Any help would be appreciated
Pictures would be most helpful. This is most likely going to be a 1905 Mk II***, as most of these were the ones which went to the US for training purposes. Some are in very rough shape, some very nice. Is it still full wood, with the barrel mounted rearsight, bayonet lug, etc?
Ed
The US got 20,000 of these older-model Rosses for use as training rifles right after they became involved in the Great War.
They were in good condition when they left here and, when in US service, were not shot a lot..... if at all.
They were sold as surplus immediately after the War ended. Today they form the largest pool of pre-Wartime Rosses still existing in good condition. Most of the rifles remaining here were shot and shot and shot, nearly always with military corrosive ammunition. With the Ross out of favourn and the prevailing anti-military sentiment, the hundreds of Rifle Clubs across the country became lss popular, shooting fell off as a sport, membership fell off, the rifles were sold off as they were worn (no spare barrels) and, finally, Bubba got to far too many of them.
Quite a number of them were issued to famous Canadian Regiments as training rifles before they went to the US and it is because the markings still exist on some of them, these rifles can be traced to the Battalion or even Regimental formation which used them. A particular example which showed up her is a rifle which can be traced to Borden's Machine Gun Battery, a small group of men with half a dozen machine guns, later amalgamated with other tiny units and with an incredible (but true) history of service on the Western Front.
DO post photos of your rifle, in particular right/left side views, a close-up of the area of the action..... and a clear one of the right side of the Butt, which is where all those formation markings are to be found.
BTW, in good condition, these are still WICKED accurate on the range!
Hope this helps.