Sported Ross rifles

Kev303

Kev303

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Hay fellow CGNers I have been following the prices of Ross rifles that have been sporterized over the last couple years and have noticed that they have made a really big jump. Is there a reason for this. I'm not slamming any one who is selling one just wondering why they have gone from a $100 gun to a rifle that's almost worth a new hunting rig. I look a sportized Lee Enfield and the price for them havnt changed in 10 years they are still in the $100-250 range. Just wondering. I'm not asking about a full military condition one either just an old bubba Ross rifle that grandpa used for shooting moose.

Thanks for an info on this
 
I agree. A lot of them look like dogs too and due to lack of serial numbers, it's hard to tell until you get it in your hands whether the bolt is original or not. And due to the lack of numbers a lot of bolt swapping went on in years gone by, some intentional, some not.

Still, if you've got a matching bolt and no rust or dents, you've got an action that would cost a heap of money to make today.

As others have told us, Ellwood Epps and others gunsmiths made thousands of fine sporting rifles out of them, with never a "blow-back" known, and only the Arisaka has as strong a barrel and action.

In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the MkIII/M10 Rosses are as strong or stronger than a lot of the rifles built today.

Something to think about if you're handloading.

But it's all supply and demand, and the Ross is enjoying a bit of renaissance of interest at the moment, and there are a lot fewer of them around than Enfields.
 
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I have not noticed a surge in the prices of run of the mill sported Rosses.
The value of as-issued ones has risen astronomically, though.
Original factory sporters can often be had for reasonable prices, and are excellent rifles. They don't seem to have risen as much as service rifles.
 
tiriaq said:
I have not noticed a surge in the prices of run of the mill sported Rosses.
The value of as-issued ones has risen astronomically, though.
Original factory sporters can often be had for reasonable prices, and are excellent rifles. They don't seem to have risen as much as service rifles.
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I'm not being rude but they are going between $250-400. In my opinion that is quit a bit considering its a cut down military rifle compared to other Sporterized military wardogs on the market
 
Comparatively, Rosses are still 'WAY underpriced.

Used 94 Winchester: $150 and up. Seven million made.

Sportered 1910 Ross: $90 to $300. Quarter of a million made, tops.

ASKING prices have risen rather dramatically. I wonder how many are actually SELLING at the high prices.
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Kev303 said:
I'm not being rude but they are going between $250-400. In my opinion that is quit a bit considering its a cut down military rifle compared to other Sporterized military wardogs on the market
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Must be regional pricing. I have not seen this in Central ON. Last one I bought - a partially sported Mk. III Home Guard rifle, with a decent bore, was $80 plus tax.
 
Kev303 - you are probably just seeing the one's for sale in Quebec !

They always want more money out there, usually because 'if it's french its better' - lol

(just politically teasing you Quebec CGN'ers)
 
They do command a little more than LE's. I paid 175 for a run of the mill sporter and 275 shipped for one with a shortened bbl but still wearing it's handguard. The 2nd of the two came with a 'raiding bayonet'.
 
Kev303 said:
I'm not being rude but they are going between $250-400. In my opinion that is quit a bit considering its a cut down military rifle compared to other Sporterized military wardogs on the market
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I've noticed the same thing. Those cut down mil guns are worth like $150-$250 if they have a good bore...unless someone can sell it for more. Supply and demand.

Who's to say what something is worth really? Only the buyer and his cash...

If the price is out to lunch (which many of them are for cut down military guns) then they won't sell and the seller will test what they are actually worth.

An uncut 30 1/2" barrel Mk III with cut down wood and a nice, clean bore is definitely worth more, but not a ton more.

Even putting new wood on such a gun doesn't make it worth a fortune.
 
John Sukey said:
Of course there always the Rosses that left the factory as sporters.
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Ross Factory Sporters


...it appears to me that there aren't that many people that know how to recognize them or that know what they are worth. :(

They were rare even back when made. Most of the .303's were shot out long ago as there has never been a shortage of ammo in that calibre like the .280's suffer from.
 
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Picked up a Ross Sporter a few years back at a local gun show.

Poor thing had been positively beat to DEATH, then assembled so incorrectly that the bolt would not even reciprocate. Dealer friend bought it for me (I was short on cash, as usual) so I paid him the $60 for it and dragged it home.

Looked like it had a terminal case of leprosy, but it is coming along nicely. I'll put pix up when it gets finished.

Decent bore, too!
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Over the past 2 years, I have bought three original 1905 Factory Sporters, (one of which was sold to SMELLIE for the same price I bought it for --- I hate to see a grown man whine, snivel and cry, :)) and one 1910 Ross Factory sporter.

All four of these rifles had very good to excellent bores in them, with bright shiny rifling. All were bought for under $200.

I have also seen cut down rifles offered at Gun Shows as original factory sporters. At one show, the guy even had a copy of the "Ross Rifle Story" and pointed it out to me as a genuine factory sporter. I then pointed out to him the very obvious Military markings on the rifle. He was asking $500 for it.

The Ross made FACTORY sporters had a serial number on the left side of the barrel, about 1/8 inch high letters. Also, the calibre is stamped on the top of the barrel; the .303 calibre is stamped ".303 Ross" on it. There is also one other feature that is present in SOME of these Factory Sporters that I have found in SOME of them. I have disclosed this to SMELLIE and some of the other advanced Ross collectors, but it is not present in ALL factory sporters, so it is not an absolutely infallable method of identifying a sporter.

Oddly enough, the old C.I.L. yellow and blue boxed .303 British sporting "Dominion" ammunition listed some of the rifles that the ammunition was supposed to be used in and one of these was the "303 Ross" calibre.

Some of these sporting rifles were made up after the Canadian Government took over the Ross Rifle Factory. These were made up from parts that were on hand, and sold to raise some money.
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In my experience, factory sporters are easier to acquire in decent shape, and at easier prices than unaltered service rifles. Of my 20+ Rosses, most are factory sporters. One .280, the rest .303s, 1905s and 1910s. I think that the survival rate was better for sporters. Many service rifles never made it back to Canada, and many of those that did return were cut down.
 
I owned a 1910 Ross factory sporter, an E model, I think. It was a pretty gun and shot great. I have read that they were chambered in .35 Winchester. Any of you guys ever seen one?
 
Did they not have barrel length options on the factory sporters? The 280s I've seen mostly looked way longer than that one

Also what is the standard barrel length for a military M10?
 
With some of these milsurps, as the Ross, you take what you can get. There aren't a whole hell of a lot to choose from. A cut down sported Ross is still a Ross. And that's better than no Ross.:D
 
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