Given a sporterized Ross 1905 - Questions?

[tinbirdrod]

I was given a sporterized Ross 1905 yesterday by a fellow who didn't want it, his grandfather had hunted with it I guess. anyway, the only stamping on the barrel is on the top just ahead of the receiver. It is stamped 303 Ross (I'm guessing that a gunsmith did this and that the cartridge would be the 303 British.

The barrel is 26 1/8 inches (and the front blade missing). The fellow also gave me a 3/4" (?) diameter Weaver J 2 1/2 brass scope and mounts (odd looking but definitely off the rifle). The scope was made in El Paso,Texas. The rear sight had been removed and there is a blank in the dove tail.
the stock is sporter style, no handguard and no visible marks (I'm guessing any marks were sanded out) The buttplate is steel, with the sliding door and in fact there is an old piece of cardboard with a newsprint clipping attached from Col Crossman regarding the 'safety' issues and the confusion surrounding the different Ross models.

Did our troops ever use such a small scope? I'm thinking that it was part of a 'sporterizing' package to use the 3/4" size.

The bolt uses an interesting 'angle iron' shape for the extractor, was that the case for the mark I and mark II rifles or is it a possible method of model determination. The only marks on the rifle (other than the aforementioned 303 Ross) are on the receiver left side Ross Rifle Company Quebec 1905. If it was a 'mark 1 -5' would the asterisk be after the 1905?

Finally, this rifle is a shooter obviously, if I wanted to install a 1" scope, can you point me in the right direction for a supplier? My eyes are too old to use open sights, unless there's a compatable peep sight out there.

thank you in advance

Rod

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[Rossguy]

A jpeg or two would have cleared this up in a flash......It is/was a 1905 Ross. Depending on just who stamped the .303 on the barrel, it could be an original Ross 1905-R Sporter. The "triangular" extractor is the later version- the early one was flat stock, slightly curved.If you are sufficiently interested in identifying it, visit us over at RossRifle.com and you'll find photos of all the original variations.

[smellie]

Friend, I am guessing that you have a commercial 1905 Ross sporting rifle. These were made in comparatively small numbers and are rather desirable. They are also a lot of fun to shoot.

I have a number of old Rosses, but I have never seen a military one stamped on the barrel as yours. All the military rifles I have seen have the Dominion proof mark and NO calibre stamping. Commercials, on the other hand, ALL are stamped as yours.

The .303 Ross was the Ross Rifle Company's pet name for the .303 British. I have a box here of commercial Mark VII Ball ammunition, made on contract by Dominion Cartridge Company for the Government of Newfoundland. The blurb on the box states that it is adapted to the .303 British and .303 Ross as used in Lee-Metford, Lee-Enfield and Ross Rifles as well as in the Lewis and Vickers machine-guns. You have no ammo problems, friend!

Check her over, take her out and shoot her. You will BOTH have a ball!

As to scoping the old critter, I do agree that your Weaver J is just a little outdated (I have its twin here). There should be some mount which can be adapted to whatever holes you have already, save drilling any new ones in a fine old rifle. Check the Weaver catalogue, get on an equipment exchange and see if you can scare something up. Know any OLD gunsmiths? A fellow with a parts-bin that goes back into the dim mists of the past just could have something that was too good to throw out, so he kept it 'just in case'. Best bet, in my thinking.

Hope this helps a bit.