Ross rifle M-10 questions

Paul:
Only the true factory sporters, target rifles, and "specials" had serial numbers on the barrel reinforce, on the port side, just ahead of the action.

On the militarys such as your cut down one, serial numbers were stamped on the starboard side of the (butt) stock along with issue numbers and regimental designations, and I suppose yours are sanded so no # will be found. All your marks are proof, acceptance and inspectors stamps at various stages of manufacture and the .303 nitro put on by the Brits as (always) is their wont.

SOME (not I) have had some luck with a black light on lightly sanded stocks looking for the two tier serial # ie. ### (up to 999) over YYYY (up to 1917) ie. number 345 made in 1914, followed by a one or two letter series (batch) counter ie. AA the AB then AC and so on.
IFF you are going to get into Rosses at all, get a copy of the Ross Rifle story from Bob McCormick at around $100 cdn (pesos) . It has some inaccuracies and omissions, but no one is going to write another as we are all too G.D OLD!!!
Best
Oldguncrank
 
That's great info, Cheers. I definitely am becoming infatuated with these rifles, so picking up that book should help. Thanks!

Just checked my stock and I could make out 665 on top of the black line but not the year beneath.
 
Paul:
You have a few stages to determine what you have.
First, is that it is a MKIII military as opposed to an M-10 (more later) even though the receiver may be marked in box car letters with M-10.
The receivers were used interchangeably with the M-10 factory sporters in .280 Ross (the first magnum real cartridge) or vice versa, and this causes great confusion. However, the convention in description is as above
With a shortened barrel and shortened and sanded stock it is not restorable to military configuration and with the "E" stamped on the barrel the chamber has been reamed out oversize to allow for lousy Brit ammo during WW1, so all your fired brass will come out "fire formed" to some as yet unknown dimensions. This will occasion resizing if reloading.
My advice, which is worth just what it costs, is to save up for a complete and original military (if that is your bent) or better yet, IMHO an 05 R or E (see FPs add below yours) or a 1910 sporter such as the E or M-10.
The E or M-10s are a delight to carry in the woods (as opposed to the heavy military barrel (bayonet support) on the "sporterized" MKIII which makes these uncomfortably weighty to carry any distance).
My all time favourites are my M-10 .280, 28" barrel w/lyman 48, SDS .280 with 26"barrel and the handiest of all my '05 R .303 26" barrel with a Lyman 50 (shoots the eye out of a knat!).
Finally, go to the Ross Rifle Site rossrifle.com, and sign up, and there is a INCREDIBLE WEALTH of knowledge that will serve you well as you contemplate the Ross collecting.
All the best in your endeavours
Oldguncrank
 
Oldguncrank said:
Paul:
You have a few stages to determine what you have.
First, is that it is a MKIII military as opposed to an M-10 (more later) even though the receiver may be marked in box car letters with M-10.
The receivers were used interchangeably with the M-10 factory sporters in .280 Ross (the first magnum real cartridge) or vice versa, and this causes great confusion. However, the convention in description is as above
With a shortened barrel and shortened and sanded stock it is not restorable to military configuration and with the "E" stamped on the barrel the chamber has been reamed out oversize to allow for lousy Brit ammo during WW1, so all your fired brass will come out "fire formed" to some as yet unknown dimensions. This will occasion resizing if reloading.
My advice, which is worth just what it costs, is to save up for a complete and original military (if that is your bent) or better yet, IMHO an 05 R or E (see FPs add below yours) or a 1910 sporter such as the E or M-10.
The E or M-10s are a delight to carry in the woods (as opposed to the heavy military barrel (bayonet support) on the "sporterized" MKIII which makes these uncomfortably weighty to carry any distance).
My all time favourites are my M-10 .280, 28" barrel w/lyman 48, SDS .280 with 26"barrel and the handiest of all my '05 R .303 26" barrel with a Lyman 50 (shoots the eye out of a knat!).
Finally, go to the Ross Rifle Site rossrifle.com, and sign up, and there is a INCREDIBLE WEALTH of knowledge that will serve you well as you contemplate the Ross collecting.
All the best in your endeavours
Oldguncrank
Click to expand...

Agreed, I think my new #1 goal is to get my hands on an original Mkiii with full wood. I haven't seen one up for sale in a very long time though. I think I will use this one as a learning tool, I'll try to restore it as much as possible, even if just putting a nicer stock on, cleaning it up and firing a few rounds to feel what it would have been like!

Cheers!
 
Paul:
IRT your request for a stock; contact "Flying Pig" on this forum or the Ross Rifle site.
I gave him a sporter stock with cheek piece for a MKIII as a pattern.
He will make you one.
Best
 
Oldguncrank said:
Paul:
You ...............................................
.............Finally, go to the Ross Rifle Site rossrifle.com, and sign up, and there is a INCREDIBLE WEALTH of knowledge that will serve you well as you contemplate the Ross collecting.
.........................Oldguncrank
Click to expand...

I have been trying to join the Ross Rifle Forum for months with no success (I own several Ross Rifles). Every time I click on Register, I just get this message:

. An Error Has Occurred! Sorry, registration is currently disabled.

I have tried to register from multiple I.P. addresses using different browsers - all attempts yeild the same error message. I finally gave up...
 
Last edited:
Not sure how long OGC has been on there(I'm sure a lot longer than my few years) but when I registered I had to contact Admin through email. He said he was flooded with spam a lot so he blocked the automatic sign up feature and has to manually add new members.

OGC's pattern stock is beautiful. It would make any old MkIII sporter a prized possession.
 
K-C
Talked to Admin and he sent this along to be posted on CGN
Best
OGC

October 23, 2011 Update:
Please note that I have turned off the registration feature. This does not mean I am not interested in new members. Quite the opposite. However, given I have had about 16,000 spam and computerized spam registrations requests, it is just too much to sort through and keep up with. The majority of spam registrations can be easily spotted and deleted but then there is that subgroup that is harder to determine. What will be far easier is for anyone interested in becoming a member, send me an e-mail with your e-mail address, proposed password and handle, and I will register for you. Once you have been registered, it is simple for you to go into your profile and change your password, profile, etc. So, simply e-mail me at: admin@rossrifle.com
 
Oldguncrank said:
K-C
Talked to Admin and he sent this along to be posted on CGN
Best
OGC

October 23, 2011 Update:
Please note that I have turned off the registration feature. This does not mean I am not interested in new members. Quite the opposite. However, given I have had about 16,000 spam and computerized spam registrations requests, it is just too much to sort through and keep up with. The majority of spam registrations can be easily spotted and deleted but then there is that subgroup that is harder to determine. What will be far easier is for anyone interested in becoming a member, send me an e-mail with your e-mail address, proposed password and handle, and I will register for you. Once you have been registered, it is simple for you to go into your profile and change your password, profile, etc. So, simply e-mail me at: admin@rossrifle.com
Click to expand...

Many thanks! I will fire off an email today...
 
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