1905 Ross 303

flying pig said:
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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The brass comes out definitely better than the leeEnfield I had, but they are coming out a bit different then they go in lol.
I tried a few bullets and the Hornady 174gn seems the best, like you I get about 3-4”@100m maybe a little more! I would love an aperture but I don’t want to drill holes in it.
Thanks for the info!
 
3"-4" isn't all that bad for a light iron sighted rifle. Better sights would shrink that. Certainly not bad enough to warrant rebarreling.

I have a really crisp 1905R, very fine condition inside and out, and it has the enlarged chamber. Can't explain it. It is not a retrofitted service rifle barrel.
 
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tiriaq said:
3"-4" isn't all that bad for a light iron sighted rifle. Better sights would shrink that. Certainly not bad enough to warrant rebarreling.

I have a really crisp 1905R, very fine condition inside and out, and it has the enlarged chamber. Can't explain it. It is not a retrofitted service rifle barrel.
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That’s bizarre. Wonder if it’s a late one? Is the barrel or receiver LC marked?

I wonder if someone had trouble with surplus ammunition in it and had it reamed?
 
DGY said:
The brass comes out definitely better than the leeEnfield I had, but they are coming out a bit different then they go in lol.
I tried a few bullets and the Hornady 174gn seems the best, like you I get about 3-4”@100m maybe a little more! I would love an aperture but I don’t want to drill holes in it.
Thanks for the info!
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That seems about right then. Yes to d&t that one would be a shame, there’s lots of them out there that have had that done already.

The Hornady RN 174s are flat based and .312 diameter, they obturate and fill the bore nicely. Yours could be a late one, maybe that explains the brass? They built the Rs past MkII production and used left over parts to build them on I believe until parts ran dry. JT would know better how the dates of manufacture overlap, and I’d have to check my records but 05-R production went fairly high into the serial number range.
 
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flying pig said:
That’s bizarre. Wonder if it’s a late one? Is the barrel or receiver LC marked?

I wonder if someone had trouble with surplus ammunition in it and had it reamed?
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I'll have to get the rifle out and check, but I do not recall any LC. The barrel does not have any indication of any service rear sight being fitted. There were Ross rifles assembled from parts after the demise of the Ross Rifle Company, after the War, maybe it is one of those.
 
I really like the rifle and for $300 I think I did alright too.
I always wanted one in 280 Ross cause I think that is a cartridge that was way ahead of it time… but couldn’t find one so 303 had to do!!
 
Here is a brand new brass never fires on the left and the one fired out of my Ross on the right!IMG_3503.jpeg
 
ssapach said:
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.
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Late to the show, Just back from moose trip, still catching up.

I am the one that ended up with this barrel. It has not found a home on a rifle as of yet.
I agree it deserves to be to be installed on a rifle. I have too many projects, so not something I am going to get around to soon.

I have offered it to a few people, two of them have even commented in this thread. One day.

DGY I have an early 1905 R that does that to brass. Neck sizing and heavier bullets might help this one out some.
 
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woodchopper said:
my 1905R does the same damage to the brass, shortened neck and you can drop a 8mm bullet in the fired case. the odd one ends up split.

got a chopped down military barrel as a potential replacement.... it was worse.
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I had a leeenfield that was really bad, it would turn the brass into Ackley improved lol, so this one is doing good I thought!!
 
I recently acquired a 1905 sporter R .303 rifle which I am impressed with. It all appears to be factory correct as an R variant. It does not have LC or E engraved on it but it too has obviously got the large chamber. It keyholes good quality Belgian surplus fmj but shoots my hand loads with the Hornady 174gr RN just fine. Actively whitetail hunting with it this month, I sure hope to be successful…
 

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