Mark II 3*** Looking for info

[BigDawgBeav]

Fist off, new guy here... Wanted to share this with the rest of the class. My elderly parents are downsizing and can't take everything with them. I laid claim to the Ross Mark II that has been in his cabinet for God knows how many years.

A brief history: This belonged to my Great Uncle in WWI and since it has the import marks, was one of the 20,000 imported for training. Other than that I don't know much about it. A long time ago my father did fire it after tying it to a tree and using a string since he knew something about the previous bolt issues.

I hope the pics are satisfactory. I'm not much of a photographer.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[BigDawgBeav]

Wow... no replies.

[browningautorifle]

You expect too much. I've had posts go without much attention too...first I've seen it though, and I look at EVERY one...

[henry r]

Nice rifle. I particularly like the fiddleback and all the stamps.

[BigDawgBeav]

I thought u had something special with the bayonet and the sling

[browningautorifle]

Well...this one was packed up as surplus or lend lease and made it's way along with the bayonet to the US for training. It seems to have retained it's Kerr sling... Also the butt was marked to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry(PPCLI), my first regiment... and the Canadian Mounted Rifles(CMR). The other could be the Governor General's Foot Guards(GGFG) but I can't make it out well. Info about all those units is available...

So as a footnote, that rifle would have been one that Andrew Hamilton Gault purchased when he outfitted the regiment(PPCLI) of 1000 men for active duty in Aug 1914. He funded it with his own money and raised the regiment for the Princely sum of $100,000 CDN at the time. This included weapons and uniforms and horses for the officers.

[BigDawgBeav]

Well...this one was packed up as surplus or lend lease and made it's way along with the bayonet to the US for guard duty in WW2. It seems to have retained it's Kerr sling... Also the butt was marked to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry(PPCLI), my first regiment... and the Canadian Mounted Rifles(CMR). The other could be the Governor General's Foot Guards(GGFG) but I can't make it out well. Info about all those units is available...

So as a footnote, that rifle would have been one that Andrew Hamilton Gault purchased when he outfitted the regiment(PPCLI) of 1000 men for active duty in Aug 1914. He funded it with his own money and raised the regiment for the Princely sum of $100,000 CDN at the time. This included weapons and uniforms and horses for the officers.

Well, dang! That is some great information. Now I know what those letters mean that are crossed out. That is indeed a GGFG mark. On the left of the II there is some sort of seal that I cannot make out. Thank you, I've learned more about this rifle then ever before. Without sounding callous, any idea what the value of this might be? If I'm going to keep it I want to make sure it's insured. Not sure how rare this is with the sling and bayonet.

[browningautorifle]

There are more variables to show for pricing a rifle like that. The markings aren't really involved. The slings are available and so are the bayonets. They're just what they are. The bore condition and function might be an issue...and location of the rifle. You could look on Gunbroker and see what rifles like that sell for. Then add money for insurance as you want to be able to replace it, not get paid for it.

I don't know what seal you speak of...maybe the original production seal?

[breakeyp]

US marked Ross rifles were purchased during WWI for training. Most were delivered after the war and were sold off before WWII.

[Surpmil]

That's a pretty unmolested example. From the ring marks on the rear face of the barrel it might have had the chamber reamed out, but you could determine that by firing a few cases or taking a chamber cast. The GCFG would have been the first issue probably, then the Victoria Rifles, Canadian Mounted Rifles and lastly the PPCLI. In the case of the PPCLI it would have been a training rifle probably used in Canada. Other than a few odd pieces, the MkII variants did not get to France.

Victoria Rifles of Canada - Wikipedia
Canadian Mounted Rifles - Wikipedia