The Ross MkII (aka Ross 1905) was a reasonably successful rifle design, but it lacked a few elements that the Canadian military would have preferred. Most significantly, it was not compatible with the charger clip that was introduced for the Lee Enfield rifles in 1907. The rifle we have today is a toolroom prototype Ross from about 1909 that was an experiment in adding clip compatibility. The receiver is a 1905/MkII type, but with a combination stripper clip guide and rear sight screwed onto the rear of the action. It has a 5-round staggered Mauser-type magazine box, a Lee Enfield style buttstock, a 1903 Springfield type bolt stop, and a thinner profile barrel than either the MkII or eventual MkII Ross patterns. The only marking on the rifle is the designation “H5” on the receiver and bolt. Ultimately, virtually none of this rifle’s unique features were included in the finalized MkIII Ross.
Bolt Action Rifles
Myth and Reality of the Ross MkIII
This video took a bit longer than planned to put together, but it’s here at last… There is a long-standing urban legend about the Canadian Ross rifle, a straight-pull bolt action that was used in […]
Conversion
Experimental Pre-WWI Ross .30-06 Automatic Rifle
In August 1913, the British War Office wrote to Sir Charles Ross requesting a sample automatic rifle for trials in the UK. Ross was able to submit a prototype on May 1914, which was tested […]
Bolt Action Rifles
Hunting Rifles for Greenland: M1917 Enfield
Greenland is a remote and desolate land without a significant industrial base, but there is a demand for hunting rifles there. As the place has long been a Danish colony since 1814, its trade was […]
My 1905 Ross is one of my favorite rifles. Too bad it’s next to impossible to find the .280 Ross ammo for it.
You can find it. But at almost $6 a round you have to really love that rifle.
I’m surprised that nobody thought to add a bolt cover or any feature to keep dirt out of the bolt track.