Another Mk. II 5*

[RangeRover]

My reason for earlier postings in this forum are revealed...with the arrival yesterday of my first Ross, a Mk. II 5*...repatriated from the U.S. (New York State), where, the seller tells me, it has been in his family since his father, a U.S. Navy veteran, acquired it for about $20 just after the Second World War.


[the sling is a QHG (or OHG)-marked leather one I bought a while back on spec]

A scan through the Ross Rifle story, and a review of the 5* listed on the Knowledge Library here, would show this to be a 5*, though the buttstock is devoid of any stars at all. Nor can I see the Quebec roundel/cartouche.



The markings, according to author David Edgecombe, indicate it "served" with the 3rd Battalion - Victoria Rifles of Canada, 6 Battalion - Hochelaga Light Infantry and 60 Battalion - Canadian Expeditionary Force.

The rifle is complete; a shooter, rather than a collecter as it has a couple of cosmetic flaws, and the bore is good. The seller ran a few rounds of '42 vintage .303 through it before I bought it, so I know it works though it does make the brass a bit round-shouldered (comparative photos to follow).

The rifle is not marked with the U.S. ordnance flaming bomb as I gather it would have been if it was among the 20,000 rifles officially purchased by the U.S., so its route to the U.S. is unknown.

There is one marking I don't understand. It's stamped on the right hand side of the stock, just forward of the mag platform screw.

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[Rossguy]

The 5* version can readily be identified even without the stampings on the right side of the buttstock, as it is the only "short" Mk II that was fitted with the Sutherland sight on the barrel, and the two pieces of walnut on top of the barrel are unique to the 5* only.The Sutherland sight can be spotted easily, as it's elevation knob is on the top right-hand side, with a small "detent" for the knob in the walnut. If all it's markings are gone from the wood, it's "collectible" status is pretty well lost, but it will surely still shoot (and the bolt will not blow back in your face, either!).A photo of the remaining stock-marks would be helpful..