1905 Sporter?

[JamesB]

I just got this at auction. After reading through this site, it appears to be a sporterized Ross rather than a Sporter. However the sights seem to be identical to those on sporters. Any input from the experts?

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[smellie]

Looks very sweet to me, friend.

How's the bore?

Friend Buffdog was here for coffee a few days ago. He had just got a 1905 which had been "sporterised" and it had that same ugly Gummint of Kanada sticker, right where yours is. Sticker was loose, so we broke the law and gave it a tug and it fell off. Guess what? Nice factory serial number, right under that silly sticker that they put on because the gun had no serial number! Conclusion: factory Target rifle, commercial, and a lovelier piece of wood you won't see on any rifle.

It is entirely possible that your rifle will be the same. It certainly LOOKS factory to me: no evidence of military sights, ever, commercial triggerguard, commercial sights front and rear, no cutoff.

The diamonds in the wood will not be factory, but the style of the stock is 'period', as is the checkering.

It is a Very Nice Toy. And it needs to be fed.

I do invite another opinion.
.

[buffdog]

Although I am no "expert" on the Ross rifles, with the pictures you have provided it looks like it might be a Sporter.


Turn the rifle upside down, and look inside the trigger guard loop where the trigger is, at the inside front of the trigger guard loop between the trigger and the sling swivel. Is there about a 3/8 inch hole there going through the floorplate?

On a military rifle, the hole was for the cartridge cut-off, allowing it to be fired singly with the magazine full as a reserve. Commercial ones do not have the hole.

An Early 1905 Ross will have a threaded firing pin that threads into the cocking piece. Also the extractor is a thinner steel piece with a hook, while the later ones are milled. However, nothing is "written-in-stone" as many pieces and parts could be swapped around.

As SMELLIE mentioned, the decorative diamonds are not original. As a fast safety check, open the bolt, then close it to the point the locking lugs are still out from the receiver. Then watching the locking lugs, slowly close the bolt. You should be able to see the left locking lug disappear downward, and the right locking lug come into view when fully closed.

With a good bore, a Ross is a fun rifle to shoot. If you disassemble it, you MIGHT find a serial number on the barrel.

ADDITION: I went back to the pictures and enlarged them. The floorplate/trigger guard is from a Ross Military Mark II rifle. You can see the edge of the hole for the magazine cut-off and also a small hole about 1/16 inch diameter into which the end of the spring for the magazine cut-off fits. I'm surprised that SMELLIE didn't tell you to "use the black light". If you find a small black flourescent light the same as those used by stamp collectors to see watermarks, you can shine it on the right side of the buttstock. Canadian military rifles were stamped on the buttstock with unit markings and serial numbers, and a black light MIGHT help show them up if the stock has been sanded..

[JamesB]

Thanks guys. I pulled it apart and there are small "26" stamps on barrel, receiver and stock. There are two 4 digit "serial numbers" on the receiver under the wood on the right side. One was crossed out. There are no markings under the sticker though.
Bore is very nice, there is a little frosting in the grooves, but the lands are sharp and shiny.

[buffdog]

Well, now, this is getting interesting. Yesterday I stopped at a person who had told me he had an "old Ross rifle," and would like to sell it. It was reasonable, so of course, I bought it.

It turned out to be a 1905 Ross Model R factory Sporter. It also had a trigger guard from a Military Mark II the same as your rifle. We need a few more pictures of your rifle, particularly the top of the barrel near the receiver. Does your rifle have any calibre markings, such as ".303 Ross" or a "P in a circle" on it in that area?

From this, it would appear that since the Model R was an Economy Sporter, the Ross factory used some Military floorplates and trigger guards that were available, but put a much narrower sling swivel loop on them. Your rifle has the same type of sling swivel loop.

Also, unscrew the buttplate and check for a serial number on the inside of the buttplate, at the top.

Commercial Ross rifles were usually serial numbered on on the left side of the barrel, just ahead of the receiver ring, in very small numbers, a little over 1/16 inch high.

Lets have a few more pix.

.

[smellie]

Your "26" stampings are assembly numbers. The Ross plant was very particular about keeping fitted parts together, so the body, bolt and barrel would be fitted and given an assembly number for the batch they were in, the stock would be fitted later and only then was it given a serial number.

This tells you that you have an original rifle which has not been tampered with, at least insofar as the major fitted assemblies are concerned. Nice to know.

With a good bore, you should have a fine shooter.

You have a very nice 'find'.
.

[brownie]

JamesB, what is the barrel lenght or your 1905 Ross?

Brownie

[JamesB]

It is 26"