[Mark Barnes]

I have a line on a Ross sniper that is in good shape with a Winchester A-5 scope,,,the scope could use a cleaning . I have no idea what it is worth and neither does the little old lady that owns it, can anyone give me an idea..

 

[DaWoof]

I have a line on a Ross sniper that is in good shape with a Winchester A-5 scope,,,the scope could use a cleaning . I have no idea what it is worth and neither does the little old lady that owns it, can anyone give me an idea..

Brian Di-k would know, but sometimes won't say depending on the mood he's in...

 

[Mark Barnes]

Di-k pull your head outta your @#$# and help us out ,old man

 

[DaWoof]

He reads this Forum, but seldom comments. You might call him or Email him at [email protected]. You can find his number on his web site...He's usually pretty good about things like this...

 

[sssniper]

Mark, """IF""" it is real probably in the $3k to $5k or more on a good auction. Pretty much unheard of in U.S. Collections. Problem is any good Canadian gunsmith could have put it together anytime in the last 90 years. If you just sum up the parts you are still going to be something close to $1,500 or $2k. Any chance you can get some pictures?
These are covered in several of my sniper books. I am on my way to the Phoenix gunshow tomorrow and will be back Monday. Will see if I can find you some pictures.
Look forward to pictures - Skid

 

[Ross280]

The real question is the provenance. As mentioned above, it would be easy to put one together and not an unlikely combination, especially in the 20s or 30s, for someone in Canada who wanted a scoped hunting rifle on a budget.

Find out as much as you can from the little old lady and research the military service if any, of the family member(s) she says it belonged to, or whoever it did belong to, if that is known.

A number of Canadian battalions in France put together their own rifles with Win. A5 scopes. Whether they were marked in any way is not known AFAIK, but probably they bought them directly from the USA and so they would not likely have any War Department marks as they would not have gone through the usual inspection and acceptance channels.

If the rifle can be authenticated as a WWI bring-back it is worth whatever someone is willing to pay and these days the 3-5K $ mentioned would be no problem at all.

 

[Mark Barnes]

The Ross has turned out to be what I think to be a sporting rifle made from a Battle rifle, albeit a wonderful job. Like I said , I know absolutely NOTHING about the Mighty Ross at all ..I don't even have but a very few pictures to even compare it to. I can see that in "HER " day that she must have been quite formitable.I will send you all pictures if I can wrestle it away from her and her relatives long enough to photo..

 

[longrangesniper]

Sporterized Ross snipers

It was quite common in WW1 for Canadian snipers to request their armourers to cut down the forend and remove the foresight. There are photos of three separate Ross rifles cut back to the sling swivel band in Clive Law's book - Without Warning. All are fitte with Winchester A5 scopes. I have a different photo, not published that also shows the same set up (I tried to attach it to this post but failed).

 

[gunny357]

Nice atricle in the November 2008 American Rifleman that discusses the Ross. Page #83 has a small article on "The Deadly Ross Sniper Rifle"

 

[Ross280]

It was quite common in WW1 for Canadian snipers to request their armourers to cut down the forend and remove the foresight. There are photos of three separate Ross rifles cut back to the sling swivel band in Clive Law's book - Without Warning. All are fitte with Winchester A5 scopes. I have a different photo, not published that also shows the same set up (I tried to attach it to this post but failed).

Yes, and quite often the barrel was cut off behind the foresight also, particularly with the A5 setups, from the photos that exist. There is a Warner & Swasey scoped Ross in that book with the barrel cut as well. No doubt the users found them unwieldy in the trenches.

They were in use right to the end of the war in some battalions.

I wouldn't conclude this is a sporter just because it is cut down. The provenance is the key.