Chilean Navy?

[Terrylee]

This rifle and bayonet were imported from Canada in 1973. I have more recently been told that their markings indicate issue in the Chilean Navy. Can anybody confirm this?

Information

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[bushwhacker]

Probably from HMS Canada that was sold to Chile complete with small arms on board. Some have since resurfaced here.

[boltaction]

This is a Chilean Navy item, as indicated was sent as part of the ship's armoury for HMS Canada. These Rosses are quite nice--they have usually been used rather hard, but are as often as not 1914 dated ones with CEF battalion markings on them. What sort of markings does yours have?

Ed

[green]

In 1914 two battleships the "Almirante Latorre" and the "Almirante Cochrane" and some other vessels were under construction in Britain for Chile. These were expropriated by Britain and one of the BBs was converted to an aircraft carrier and the other served with the RN as "HMS Canada" which was returned to Chile post WWI with the Ross rifles. DA is "Department de Armada".
The M1912 Mausers intended for these ships were issued to RN auxiliaries.

[Terrylee]

Thanks, Chaps, for your extremely interesting information. As you will have noted, the woodwork has a few minor dings, but otherwise the rifle is in very good shape. In the 37 years that I've had it, it has probably fired less than 20 rounds and the bore appears excellent, gauging .302".

It is dated 1915 on the butt, is a Mk.III and was obviously made at the Ross factory in Quebec. I do not know the significance of the other markings and attach photos. I would be most grateful if you could provide further information.

[boltaction]

Does it have any other markings, faint maybe, elsewhere on the buttstock, probably on the right hand side? Your markings are very nice and clear. You have the Ross Rifle factory stamp in the roundel there, the model designation and date of manufacture, and the other numbers can be considered the serial number as it left the factory -- 990GJ. The marking on top of the wrist behind the bolt track may be a British rack number for the Navy, although others may know that. I have two of these HMS Canada rifles, and both have an M over a number in that spot, and another HMS Canada I saw this weekend had an M290 on it. They all seem to be in the same number range, which is why I believe them to be a ship's rack number.

[Terrylee]

Thanks, Boltaction, for your most informative reply. I find your view on the rack number particularly interesting and logical. I have examined the butt very carefully but can find no other markings.

I have another Mk.III Ross, a B Pattern, but can find very little information on that rifle apart from the fact that it was one of an incomplete order for the British Government. This rifle turned up in South Africa and has obviously seen extensive use, probably as a range rifle. Externally very good indeed but barrel shot out and also traces of having had a target sight fitted at some stage. Can you tell me anything about this rifle? Apart from having a III B stamped on the butt, it has no markings whatsoever. I can post a photo if it will serve any purpose.

[Rossguy]

The MkIIIB was a separate contract during WWI between Ross Rifle Co.and England. The rifles were essentially the same as the Canadian Contract pieces, but had unique foresights as well as rear sights. No markings were applied to the wood by Ross, and the Poms numbered them themselves with eight-digit serials stamped in to the receiver rings. Most were "used hard and put away wet" but a few really clean survivors are still in collections (including mine). For photos of original examples, check out the Photo Gallery at RossRifle.com, where serious Ross Students and Collectors tend to gather....Good to better examples of the rifles are hard to find, but the distinctly different bayonets that went to the UK with them hardly ever turn up in Canada or the US; recently, the thugs who recently invaded and are trying hard to subjugate Afghanistan are finding some really sorry specimens in souks, and these are finding their way on to the North American markets these days.

[smellie]

Terrylee, congrats on your fine Ross!

I have DA 426 here, got it in 1975 while I was teaching school on rather a remote island off the NE Coast of Newfoundland. International Firearms in Montreal had these at $99.95 plus an extra $25 for the matching bayonet. I couldn't afford the set, so I got the rifle alone. International advertised that these rifles had come from HMS Canada, which Chilean records show was scrapped (I weep!) in 1969.

DA 426 is a bit unusual, having NO Ross Rifle Company roundel, NO standard serial number of the regular type. The only butt number on it is A1625, which makes me think it might be an early rifle. It is CEF Battalion marked to 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish), which I am told served briefly in Bermuda, then went to France just in time for all the fun at Second Ypres in the St. Julien sector when the gas came through, followed by an ugly night fight. Interestingly, the rifle also has 4 equidistantly-spaced holes in the stock to the shooter's left of the action proper. These, obviously, were for a hasp of some sort so that the rifle could be chained into a rack when the world rolled too much. It has NO markings on the wrist.

I have shot DA 426 a few times. People generally call me a liar when I tell them what it will do on a 2-shot called group from a dead-cold barrel, but they tend not to repeat the calumnies after they have seen it shoot. Touching and overlapping holes is pretty good for a 98-year-old rifle in my book, assuming that it is from the initial production lot as the unusual s/n would seem to indicate.

DA 320 is your best girl! You have to take her out more often. I would suggest the nearest range, where you can feed her a steady diet of GOOD ammo.

Have fun!

[boltaction]

Agree totally wit the last two posts. I have a Mk IIIB as well, and it too is not in pristine condition. They are getting very hard to find, so even with a shot out barrel, yours is highly collectible.

Ed