New member here, and a Ross nut!!

[Tinman204]

Hey all, I just joined this forum last week and am loving it. I currently own a 1916 Ross mkIII. It's set up like a "factory stripped" rifle, just like the ones in so many pictures of Canadian snipers in WW2. I bought it for $150 dollars at a local gunshot this year. It's truly a special gun and I now know what all of the Ross lovers out there are talking about.

Here's some pics

Information

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[AGB-1]

Welcome to Ross Rifle
Looks like the barrel has not been cut,so if you want to put it back to the military configuration,you can find the parts on the rossrifleforum. AGB-1

[Surpmil]

Welcome Tinman. Any MkIII Ross with a full length barrel is worth having these days. I see you have the dreaded "E" for enlarged chamber, but most of them do.

It was in WWI, not WWII that Canadian snipers used sporterized Rosses like yours.

How does it shoot, or to be more precise, how do you both shoot?

[oldpaul]

Nice purchase. I think $150 is an excellent price for any MK III. There is a post Great War picture of the great Canadian sniper Francis Pegahmagabow (Peggy) demonstrating his sniping technique and rifle. Your rifle is indeed configured similarly to his. I read that someone is making replacement original stocks for this model but I think the stamped steel nose-cap/bayonet lug is a tough one to find. Are there any markings on the right side of the butt stock? Canadian author Joseph Boyden wrote an outstanding book titled Three Day Road, about a First Nations Canadian sniper and he reportedly did extensive research on Pegahmagabow for his book. Wonderful rifle, let us know how it shoots and welcome.
Regards. Tom

[Tinman204]

Funny was reading my posts and I wrote WW2! Oops, don't worry I know that this gun was used in the first great war. As for stock markings it reads "930 RS 1916" next to that there is III*.

The Ross and I shoot well together. I've shot as good as 1" 3 shot groups at 75 yards and regularly shoot 2" 6 shot groups, with factory ammo. This gun fits me well and it seems I may be spoiled now. I bought a '43 longbranch today and we'll have to see if it's as good as the old Ross!

[Surpmil]

oldpaul are you thinking of the photos in The Ross Rifle Story of the WWI sniper demonstrating his methods with a scoped Ross MkIII in the 1970s? Hugh Cairns was the gentleman's name if I remember correctly.

If not, I would like see the photos you refer to.

[oldpaul]

Surpmil, I am unfortunately not near my home/library to check but you are likely correct. I will check when I can. Just as an aside, my MK III has an E on the barrel but without the enlarged chamber, however a member of our rifle club has a butchered up MK III with LC on the chamber that grossly distorts the fired cases. Tinman, are your fired cases overly expanded?

[bushwhacker]

Hard to tell if your rifle has the pinned bolt. In my opinion it is a plus if it doesn't

[Tinman204]

My rifle also has an E on the barrel but the fire formed cases are very close to their unfired size. I'd say my Ross is the easiest on brass out of all my .303s, despite the enlarged chamber marks.