By the time of the Somme battles of July 1916, Sir Douglas Haig, the new Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, had ordered the replacement of all Ross rifles in the three Canadian Divisions by the Lee–Enfield, which was finally available in quantity. ... At one time I had a very nice M-1910 sporter in .280 Ross, it was a well made rifle of both workmanship and materials. 400. Designed by Sir Charles Ross, this controversial straight-pull action rifle was made in a wide range of commercial and military variations from 1903 to 1917. Wyoming Game & Fish Department, State Agency: Home / Shop / FIREARMS / Used Rifles / USED CENTERFIRE BOLT RIFLE / USED ROSS M-10 SPORTER .280 Ro. Minnesota Deptartment of Natural Resources, State Agency: England could not supply Canada with Lee-Enfields, nor would the Brits build a factory to produce them in Canada so the Canadians found themselves going up against the Boer Mausers and Mannlichers with their utterly obsolete Sniders and Martini-Henrys. A. Bennett, to produce a sporting rifle called Model 1897 Magazine Sporting Rifle a hinged hammer type rifle. Canadian WW1 (1916) Ross Rifle Bayo - Converted to Sporter Knife. The bore in this sporter rates at very good to very good plus. [15], Model 1907 and 1905/1910 Match Target Rifle These very important single-shot rifles (two rifles are known to exist) are bearing special feature that would make the M1910 so different; the threaded locking lugs and receiver. This design, called MK II**, was a transitional step between Mk II and Mk III actions. Five hundred rifles were fitted with 5.2× Warner & Swasey Company Model 1913 prismatic telescopic sights manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio. [5] Many Canadians of the First Contingent (now renamed the 1st Canadian Division) at Ypres retrieved Lee–Enfields from British casualties to replace their Ross rifles. On a good day I can hold 2″ at 100 yards with Sierra 174-gr. By September 1916, all Mark III rifles in the hands of the troops were replaced with Lee-Enfields. Compared to other cartridges of the period such as the 6.5x54mm Mannlicher, 7×57 Mauser and the .303 British, all with the slower loadings of the time, it was notably superior. Ross rifles were then used in training roles, both in Canada and the UK, to free up more Lee–Enfields for the front. After the encounter, Canada went looking for a rifle of its own. British snipers found the rifle accurate out to 600 yards and more, with only one inherent disadvantage: the Ross accepted only perfectly clean ammunition, totally free of mud and grit, or else it invariably jammed. Enter To Win A ADCO BH Best Arms Semi-Auto Shotgun Prize Package! This example has an external magazine depressor and a metal buttplate. The straight-pull bolt-action Ross was initially designed by Scottish-born Sir Charles Ross, inspired by the Mannlicher M1895, as a target rifle for the civilian market. Ballistically, the .280 Ross cartridge’s performance was broadly comparable to that of the more modern .280 Remington / 7 mm Express Remington and 7×64mm. Okay, we’ll admit it right up front; one day this correspondent is going to retire — but that doesn’t mean I won’t be packing. The Model 10 (1910) was a completely new design, made to correct the shortcomings of the 1905. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: A fine example of a scarce Sporter Ross rifle. Order Ross 1905 MKII rifle parts with Numrich Gun Parts. Mechanism comparison between Ross Mk III (1910) and Mk II** (1907). New York Department of Environmental Conservation, State Agency: Firing a 140-grain (9.1 g) bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2,900 ft/s (880 m/s), the new cartridge qualified for the contemporary designation “magnum”. [2], By 1916, the rifle had been withdrawn from front line service, but continued to be used by many snipers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force until the end of the war due to its exceptional accuracy. Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: By the same time, he made commercial agreement with famous gunmaker firm Charles William Lancaster, inventor of the oval bore, to be his exclusive UK agent. However, as a sporting rifle, the Ross became quite popular after the war. In 1907, the Mk II was modified to handle the higher pressure of newly designed .280 Ross, this variant was called Mk II**. Hughes also made accusations that Canadian officers were induced to produce adverse reports on the rifle. Hughes refused to accept that there were problems with the Ross, and it took the intervention of many influential people to persuade him otherwise. Ross also tried to convince the British War Department to adopt the .280 Ross (and his rifle) as the new service cartridge, but World War I came along and dashed his hopes. A very nice Canadian WW1 Ross Rifle Bayo. The shortcomings of the rifle were made apparent before the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915. Sir Charles Ross did many attempts while in the process of creating the “perfect cartridge”, one of them leading to the creation of the .28-1906 in November 1906. The rear sight is the 200, 300 and 500 express. This early model featured a bolt sleeve with an integral operating handle riding in grooves in the receiver and an internal bolt sporting two solid rotating lugs at the bolt head. Description Additional information SPECIFICATIONS: Make: Ross Rifle Co. Model: M-10 Sporter; Caliber: .280 Ross; The.303 Ross Sporter shown here is indicative of the rifle’s design and quality. Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, State Agency: All stocks are made from Canadian Black Walnut. Ruger 22/45 22LR. SN 13440 is A Ross factory built sporting rifle Model R1910. None of the major parts are interchangeable between the 1905 and the 1910 models. He nevertheless continued to believe in its strengths despite the professional opinion of Sir Edwin Alderson, the British Army officer who was commander of the First Canadian Division. The operating principle of the straight pull bolt action comprises a bolt “sleeve” to which the bolt lever or handle is attached. In November 1906, Ross while in the process of developing a new and very powerful .280 caliber sporting cartridge, made some experimental tests with a necked-down version of the new 30-06 Springfield case which he called the .28-1906 (one rifle is known to exist). The M-10 Sporter was marked M-10 as were about seven other models. Ross settled a gun factory in Hartford, Connecticut, with machinist J. The Ross rifles and equipment being delivered by Catalina 210/P captained by Flying Officer Tim Healy. By the same time, he made commercial agreement with famous gunmaker firm Charles William Lancaster, inventor of the oval bore, to be his exclusive UK agent. Very Nice Ross Rifle Co. Canada, Model 1905 Sporter. Using $500,000 of his own money, Sir Charles set up a factory in Quebec and became Canada’s chief military rifle contractor until the end of WWI. This cartridge is recorded as the first to achieve over 3000 feet per second velocity, and the cartridge acquired a very considerable international reputation among target shooters and hunters. By the same time, he made commercial agreement with famous gunmaker firm Charles Lancaster, inventor of the oval bore, to be his exclusive UK agent. Alaska Department of Fish & Game, State Agency: However the large capacity case was capable of moving the bullets available at that time faster than would be desirable for reliable expansion, causing them to fragment rather than penetrate properly. None of the other Ross' in my research had that length. They were put to extensive trials; the war ended before they entered service. Some very scarce Mk II** with the same threaded lugs and receiver are known to exist. Haas 95% blue. Another was poorly tempered component springs that were described as being as “soft as copper”. A. Bennett, to produce a sporting rifle called Model 1897 Magazine Sporting Rifle a hinged hammer type rifle. The express sights (right) are sensibly regulated for 200, 300 and 500 yards. At around same time, the Dominion Rifle Factory (Quebec City) converted a number of Rosses into the Huot automatic rifle, under the guidance of designer Joseph Alphonse Huot. The action on this Model 10 Ross sporter is a well engineered, straight pull bolt of robust proportions. The sleeve is hollow and has spiral grooves or “teeth” cut into its inner surface in which slide corresponding projections or “teeth” on the outside of the bolt head or “body”. If you have any questions regarding this item, you should contact the Seller before bidding. The Issue of Gun Control, that you usually don’t hear on the TV ETC. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: While attending Eaton College in 1893, Ross patented his first straight-pull rifle — a design, he admitted, so complicated it never saw the light of day. [4] “Thankfully such incidents were minor.”[5] Another well-known deficiency was the tendency for the bayonet to fall off the rifle when the weapon was fired. Caliber; .303 Brit. Lee Enfield No.1 mk.3 Shtle 303 British. [14][15], Early 1900, he brought out the Model 1900 Sporter, still made in Bennett’s factory. 1. Ross Rifle Co. Model 1910 Sporter .280 Ross caliber rifle. The stock has some light marks, very good condition. Shop now. [7] Major T.V. Kingston, NY 12401 Phone: 866.686.7424 The handy, case-hardened safety is well positioned on the bolt handle. The experience had not been a pleasant one. Worse yet, the bolt could be misassembled so it would blow out rearward — with catastrophic results to the shooter! [1] Once the Ross rifle company went out of business after WW1, the cartridge was orphaned as no one else chambered rifles for it. A. Bennett, to produce a sporting rifle called Model 1897 Magazine Sporting Rifle a hinged hammer type rifle. Serial Number 11176 [11], Ross Rifles were again used in Spitsbergen. [1][17], The .280 Ross, also known as the .280 Nitro, .280 Rimless Nitro Express Ross (CIP) and .280 Rimless cartridge, is an approximately 7mm bullet diameter rifle round developed in Canada by F.W. Another 907 rifles were fitted with Winchester Repeating Arms Company A5 telescopic sights. The Ross Action. [citation needed] The new .280 Ross cartridge gained it a fine reputation for medium-sized game, and for a time after 1918 it was a fairly common rifle on safari. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: This rifle employs a rotary head bolt with locking lugs which rotate and lock up when bolt is in full battery position. I just bought a 1944 Long Branch rifle in Saskatchewan. The .280 also paved the way for Sir Charles’ newly designed bullets, such as “Full Metal Patch” and “Metal Covered Hollow Point”. The Ross rifle was modified to correct these faults and became the Mark II Ross (Model 05 (1905)). Both telescopic sights were mounted offset so the iron sights were usable and the rifle could still be loaded from charging strips. A. Bennett, to produce a sporting rifle called Model 1897 Magazine Sporting Rifle a hinged hammer type rifle. The M-10, in .280 Ross, is considered by many as being the finest rifle ever made by the Ross Rifle Co.[14][15], Model E-10; .303 Brit and .35 WCF[14][15], 1912 saw the introduction of the .22 rimfire sporting rifle. It was an effective design, feeding from a drum magazine, and cheaper than a Lewis Gun. He also used the same shape of heavy barrel as used on the Mk II**. Coast guard units in Ireland were armed with Ross rifles during 1920 to 1921. Being born a privileged nobleman might be considered — in our egalitarian 21st Century — to be a detriment, if not a pre-ordained pathway to idleness and debauchery. In its day, the .280 Ross was a very hot number indeed. [3][4] Handloaders continue to load successfully for it, by removing the belt from 7mm Remington Magnum or .300 Holland & Holland before resizing or by using swaged and necked-down .300 Remington Ultra Magnum cases and bullets more suitable for its high velocity. Action works perfectly and very smoothly. Barrel was 26 inches long. These were collected hurriedly from stocks held on Shetland Islands UK in May 1942 to re-equip the survivors of Operation Fritham who had lost everything when their ship was sunk. [16], Ross rifles were used once again in the Second World War. We have parts, accessories and schematics for your firearm needs. Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Rhode Island Department of Fish & Wildlife, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Mississippi Deptartment of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks, Minnesota Deptartment of Natural Resources, Michigan Deptartment of Natural Resources, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. The ’03 Sporter made in Hartford (and later at the Ross plant in Quebec) was chambered for the .370/375, a straight .375 rimmed cartridge also known as the .375 Flanged Nitro Express. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, State Agency: [1], It is generally accepted that Ross’ design was inspired by the straight-pull Austrian Mannlicher M1895 Rifle introduced into Austro-Hungarian service in the 1890s and used throughout World War I, and as secondary weapons into World War II. [9] The rifle became an element in political issues within Canada and between Canada and the British. New Hampshire Fish & Game Department, State Agency: Hughes responded to Alderson’s criticism by accusing Alderson of ignorance and copied the letter to many officers in the corps. A Knight of the Realm, he inherited an estate of 350,000 acres, 3,000 tenants and Balnagown Castle. Very fine Ross sporting rifle. Ross settled a gun factory in Hartford, Connecticut, with machinist J. This rifle was looking like the military Mk II**, using the same bolt, except having the sight bridge mounted on the receiver. These were cheaper than the Lewis guns then in use. [1], The Ross Mk.II (or “model 1905”) rifle was highly successful in target shooting before World War I, but the close chamber tolerances, lack of primary extraction and overall length made the Mk.III (or “1910”) Ross rifle unsuitable for the conditions of trench warfare, exacerbated by the often poor quality ammunition issued. Contact Us. Scudamore of the British Columbia Regiment, who was captured at Ypres after being wounded, wrote of the “contemptible Ross rifle,” that “Those in the front line with that rifle will never forget…what it is like to be charged by the flower of the German army…and be unable to fire a shot in return.”[8], Complaints rapidly reached the rifle’s chief sponsor, the Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence Sam Hughes. The .303 Ross Sporter shown here is indicative of the rifle’s design and quality. bullet and 2,800 fps for a 180-gr. Although the British were now encouraging standardization across the Empire on the Lee–Enfield, Canada stayed with the Ross. They didn’t, but the .280 Ross ran up some enviable target scores with the military target rifles built by Ross. [14], Model M (1905 Mk II action); .303 Brit[14][15], Model R (1905 Mk II action); .303 Brit. After the reports on the rifle were published through the Ottawa Citizen, and it became clear that his claims in the Commons that all faults had been cured were false, Hughes’ defence of the rifle could no longer be supported by the Prime Minister.[10].