1905 or Model R Ross.

D

DaveF

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Location
Airdrie, AB.
A friend has a well used Ross .303 rifle he wants to sell as his POL expired and due to age etc. he can't be bothered getting a PAL. He has owned it for about 45 years.
At first I thought it was a bubba'd service rifle, but on checking the limited information I have, it looks like it could actually be a Model R sporter.
It has a 26" barrel, what looks to be the correct sporting rear sight, and the front sight doesn't look as if it ever had the military sight hood on it.
It is marked "Ross Rifle Co Quebec Canada 1905 Patented" on the receiver, "303 Ross" on the barrel boss, but it also has a faint "crown with crossed flags" stamp there.
The stock is banged up and varnished, but there are no apparent markings on it, and the butt plate has a sliding trap in it.
Any ideas to determine if bubba or not will be gratefully accepted.
Regards, DaveF.
 
Sporter Ross

Dave here is a sporter Ross un- altered
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1905 or Ross

The Ross Rifle Company introduced the R, E and M-10 sporters based on the 1910 action in 1913. If yours is a R model it will have a Winchester Buckhorn rear sight. Production on these sporting rifles continued during the WW1 and total production of all three models was around ten thousand so they are somewhat rare.
 
280 Ross

manitou210 said:
Dave here is a sporter Ross un- altered
100_2441.jpg
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Click to expand...


Your rifle looks really nice.

I bought a rebuilt Ross sporter. It is identical to the one shown in your picture. Mine is chambered in 280 Ross. I have also bought dies and bullets for it. I have two concerns.

1. The cartridge looks to be more potent than a 7mm Remington Magnum. Will the action hold up to this kind of pressure?
2. I have no data to reload the 280 and do not know where to begin.

I have heard all the stories too about improperly assembled Ross rifles blowing heads off and otherwise ruining your day. Frankly, I am scared to load up a batch of ammo and pull the trigger. I thought of giving the rifle to my wife and letting her try it. But things have not been going well between us lately, and she may be suspicious. I do not think the scheme will work.

Therefore, I am wondering, have you ever shot the 280 Ross and do you think my fears are legitimate? Do you have a data source for the 280 Ross?

Big
 
Most factory sporters are serial numbered on the left side of the barrel breech. A sported service rifle will not have this serial.
Action strength is not an issue with the .280. The action is strong. Examine your bolt when it is in the rifle. If the lugs are about an inch in front of the sleeve, and if you can see the bolthead rotate as the bolt is closed, everything is fine. If the lugs are right up against the bolt sleeve when the bolt is open, the head will not rotate to lock. There have been threads about this, with photographs.
 
Thanks for the information tiriaq, khornet, et al.
On checking, the rifle does have the Serial Number 10642 stamped on the left side of the barrel breech as you say.
The bottom of the number is partly below the wood, and it appears to have been struck by hand and fairly lightly, being a little irregular instead of machine stamped or rolled.
The rear sight isn't maker's marked, but is a Winchester Buckhorn style.
Thanks again guys,
Regards, DaveF.
 
1905r

Yes sounds like a 1905R Dave. Strangely at the Nanaimo show yesterday was a cutdown 1905 which at first looked like a 1905R but was actually a cutdown MKII** commercial target rifle that someone had dovetailed a buckhorn sight into the barrel like a 1905R, but definetly was not.
A decent 1905R should go between $200-250 depending on location. Rare only to find a good one, lots of beat ones around if you look hard enough. Nifty little rifles though, should actually shoot my latest.
Geoff in Victoria
 
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