I have a 1905 Ross in 303 and it is a really nice little rifle, but the bore is dark and the chamber seems rather large( velocity low and accuracy average) and was wondering if any smith in Canada rebarrels those rifle and can make them a good shooter with good velocity? I would even consider maybe going up to a 303-375 or similar! What you guys think?
1905 Ross 303
- Thread starter DGY
- Start date
The chambers were very generous by design as they dont have the camming power of a turn bolt style action to extract stubborn cases ( noticeably a big deal u less you handload) they have a left hand acme/trapazoidal thread and an odd set screw tensioning system thst might make it a bit of a challenge to re barrel but not impossible. There used to be an outfit called bits of pieces in the lower mainland of bc that did rebarrelling when I called them about 15 years ago maybe give them a go?
Projects like this have been done. I think that the cost of what you are proposing would be substantial. Unless you can do it as a personal project it would not make economic sense.
Exactly what do you have? A sported service rifle? II**? Factory sporter?
Exactly what do you have? A sported service rifle? II**? Factory sporter?
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
your going to run into an issue with the barrel threading
its a left hand buttressed thread 3 TPI, very unique.
its a left hand buttressed thread 3 TPI, very unique.
- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
There is a problem if it’s a factory sporter Tiriaq. The dovetail for the Winchester sight on the Rs reduces the barrel diameter by enough that they are not suitable for a .35 cal bore. The .35 Win factory built rifles had a barrel band around where the sight mounts to increase barrel diameter there and then the dovetail is cut into that. The blind holes for sight mounts on the military barrels may even take them out of viability.
A member here used to be able to cut the threads but I believe he only ever did them for himself. I can cut them but my lathe is very small and the lead screw is too light to do the thread in anything other than very mild steel, so I'm no good to you either.
Thanks for this.
There was member here who learned how to cut the unusual threads. I know my lathe is not geared for the pitch. If the original barrel shank were converted into a bushing, and threaded for a new barrel, my concern would be the diameter of the replacement barrel over the threads.
A II** has the square thread barrel shank, so rebarreling one of those would be more practical.
There was member here who learned how to cut the unusual threads. I know my lathe is not geared for the pitch. If the original barrel shank were converted into a bushing, and threaded for a new barrel, my concern would be the diameter of the replacement barrel over the threads.
A II** has the square thread barrel shank, so rebarreling one of those would be more practical.
- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
Yours is a 1905-R. It has the 3tpi left hand buttress barrel, and the Winchester rear sight that dovetails to the barrel.
Other indicators include your safety (this is not an end all though, I have an R with with flag safety). The Es should have the heavy later style trigger as well. MkII** rifles usually have that trigger too, but I have the earliest known MkII** in my collection (so far anyway) and it has the light wire trigger.
Has he actually?
I sent him a barrel many years ago, so that he could copy the profile for me. I had him make me 3 blanks while he was still using chromoly steel, and I threaded them myself. He should actually still have my old barrel, as I think I told him to keep it in case I wanted more or if anyone else wanted barrels made/profiled.
I fixed up 2 sporter rifles and then sold the last barrel with the remainder of my parts. Can't remember where it went to, but I hope that barrel at least got assembled into a completed rifle.
I do still have my lathe and all the tools/gears necessary to cut those threads. It's probably actually hard on the machine. It's a wide thread for single point cutting, and definitely moves along in a hurry. Threading was actually quick. Fitting and chambering were the time killers.
- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
Try electrolysis on that barrel. It might lift a bunch of the darkness, but if it’s pitted there’s not much you can do. The chamber shouldn’t be generous, the Commercial rifles were never subjected to enlarged chambers like the military rifles. All of my commercial rifles spit brass out that make any Lee-Enfield very envious. After that, I’d try hand loads with a few different bullet types and see what happens. Is the crown in decent shape? What is the bedding like? Stock have any cracks? Are your bullets hitting paper nose on or keyholeing?
Another thing I just thought of, the Winchester buckhorn rear sight doesn’t offer to great accuracy either. They’re pretty tough to get a solid and repeatable sight picture with IMHO. Especially compared to aperture sights with a longer radius or a scope. What kind of accuracy are you seeing? My best Rs shoot about 3-4” with me behind them. My best ones with aperture sights (especially a Lyman 48 or 50) I can get down around 1.5” and my scoped SDS will do 1” regularly. I don’t suspect it’s a difference in the quality of rifle between the Rs and the others, I believe it’s mostly sight picture and radius.
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