Ross m10 with smle no1mk5 rear sight

Hello, My cousin has a Ross rifle that has had the sights changed. It has the same rear peep sight that is in the lee enfield trials rifles No1 mkV (not to be mistaken with the jungle carbine) and the front sight has been changed to something that looks like a p14 sight. He was told by the seller that this ross was used by the british as a home guard rifle and had the sights changed then. I know the seller and he is knowledgeable and honest, so there is no reason to doubt him. Has anyone ever heard of this being done? I dont have any pictures yet. thanks

Trevor

M10B, british contract.

Those are the standard sights.

Thanks you. Any idea when they were done? Were they first world war conversions or originally made from the factory? does the ross bayonet fit on it?

Not conversions. Manufactured that way for the British.

Here are scans of some of the relevant pages of Ross Rifle Story. What you describe is the Mk IIIB or sometimes known as War Office Pattern, which was a modification to address the identified deficiencies of the Ross in the trenches. These rifles had a beefier bolt stop, enlarged chamber, P14 style ears (the hoods on the regular Mk III could get clogged with dirt or dent) and the rearsight which seems to have served as a pattern for the later SMLE Mk V. Unfortunately, the changes came too late and we were issued with the Lee Enfield, which served us well.

As for the Mk IIIB, I have owned 5 in the last 20 years, and 4 showed evidence of being issued somewhere in the Middle East probably, as they had extra numbers stamped on the butts and some ?Farsi markings as well.

Ed

Ross Mk.III(B)
Attachment 96062

Thank everyone for the info. Yes thats what hes got. Are the more rare or collectible than the standard mkIII? I actually prefer the standard mkIII myself.

Trevor

They seem to be less common than Cdn. issue Mk. III rifles.
Some had quite a history. Made in Canada, supplied to the Brits, supplied to the Whites during the Russian Civil War, captured by the Reds, supplied by the Soviets to the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War, captured by the Fascists, eventually sold off surplus.