Ross Mr II* new owner

[ChrisKjr]

Years ago I inherited a Ross Rifle bayonet from my father who had attended HS in Canada during WWI. I finally acquired the rifle to match the bayonet. It fits, but is very loose on the barrel(smaller diameter barrel than bayonet ring). Is this common? I also have a Remington Bayonet for an Enfield Rifle. It does not fit my pattern 14 and oddly the scabbard has no lug nor anything to fasten it to a belt or pack.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

There was a 1905 and 1910 bayonet for the Ross and the ring size was different. The scabbard you describe may have had the US belt hooks cut off and now you have no way other than a tight fitting frog to hold it to a belt.

[boltaction]

It sounds very much like you have a bayonet for a standard WWI issue Mk III Ross, which had a larger barrel diameter than the 1905 models. When the US entered the war in November 1917, it was rather unprepared, so Canada sold it about 20,000 of the earlier, obsolete pattern 1905 Mk II*** rifles, complete with bayonets for use as trainers.

Up here in Canada, the most commonly encountered Ross bayonet is for the Mk III, while down in the US, the most commonly encountered rifle is the 1905 Mk II***.

I don't have a great explanation for why your P1907 bayonet won't fit your P14. IIRC, there is no difference between the P14 and M17 in terms of barrel dimensions. However, externally the bayonet used on the P14/M17 is the same appearance as the ones used on the SMLE, but an SMLE bayonet won't fit the P14/M17 and vice-versa. To prevent mix-ups on the front lines, the bayonets for the P14/M17 rifles had two grooves carved into the grips on each side so the difference could even be told in the dark.

I don't offhand recall whether or not any US manufacturers made for the British or not, or if they only manufactured for the US rifles. Does your P1907 bayonet have any British proofs on it, and most importantly, does it have two grooves carved into the wooden grips?

Any chance of posting pictures of your rifle and the markings on its stock, and of your bayonets?

Cheers
Ed

[green]

Remington made a batch of P1907 bayonets for the SMLE rifle which of course would not fit a P14/M17 rifle.
A Canadian alteration of the M1917 scabbard was to remove the hooks and hook mount on the US M1917 scabbard.

[browningautorifle]

Three guys give exactly the same answer...OP hasn't been back since he asked that question...28 Jan.