To fill in a gap in the materials I presented in my "toes forward" posts, the Ross MkII** .303 British should be mentioned. This rifle is the commercial version of the military rifle. I have more than a handful of them.

An excerpt from the Ross Rifle Story explains the gap I just mentioned:

"Ross was thwarted in the match rifle competitions as the match rifle competitions at Bisley in 1909 and 1910. Eley failed to duplicate the remarkably accurate .280 match loads it had produced for Ross in 1908. This gave rise to wonder and even suspicion, as the firm was one of the foremost in its field in Britain. The Eley situation convinced Ross that if he was to get the ammunition he wanted, he would have to make it himself."

Missing out on the long-range matches, Sir Charles nevertheless had another ace up his sleeve. The 1909 Canadian service team came to Bisley with the MkII** Ross and proceeded to take the lion's share of the prizes. In its maiden appearance the MarkII** accounted for the the Mackinnon Cup, Kolapore Cup, Daily Graphic Trophy, Jubilee Cup, Graphic Cup, All-Comers Aggregate, and thirty-five medals and badges."

The Canadian success which prompted the British Service Gazette to admit that the 'Ross rifles fairly won their laurels,' rather disturbed the British manufacturers of the hitherto unchallenged Long Lee-Enfields (Mark II military pattern). There was the inference , ever proven, that this pique found voice in the action of the Enfield-equipped Transvaal team, which had filed a protest with the N.R.A. objecting to the attached receiver bridge which mounted a BSA Martin Mark II aperture rearsight, and in the hooded front sight. This reality mounted to a veiled accusation that the Ross was in fact a target rifle fraudulently passing as a service arm. Canada's militia minister, in England at the time, hastily set the record straight, asserting that the MarkII** was an indeed an authorized service rifle."

"Nevertheless, the N.R.A. ordained that only the Canadians could henceforth use the MarkII** at Bisley. And use it they did with resounding - and eviable - success. In 1910 they won principally the the Mackinnon Cup, the Daily Graphic Cup an second place in the prestigious King's Prize match. In 1911 they did the ultimate, winning both the coveted King's Prize and Prince of Wales Prize, an unprecedented achievement."

"Sir charles proudly crowed that if it hadn't been for the N.R.A. ruling restricting the Mark II** exclusively to Canadians, 'between one and two thousand men would have used the Ross rifle in 1911 instead of the 29 (Canadians) who were allowed to do so.' As it was Private W.J. Clifford, top shooter on the Canadian team, credited the MarkII** with giving him the honor of becoming the first man at Bisley to win both th Kings' Prize and the Prince of Wales Prize in the same year."

I'm looking for a photo I have of the Ross rifle team returning home to Canada. The parade and celebration was extraordinary - particularly compared to the current times. The public joy and large turnout - the carrying of the top shooter through the streets - on a platform perched in a chair - holding his rifle as the crowd cheers him on. I suppose this is why they call them, "the good old days."

Very sorry to have overlooked this thread. Wonderful stuff, and the Ross target rifles appear to be works of art!
Thank you for posting.

Glad you enjoyed the photos. I think for the most part, guys who hang around here like more modern rifles. Those of us who like the vintage stuff tend to be vintage ourselves.

Ross, at 70, I consider myself "vintage" qualified.