Ross Mk III
Ross Rifle Company · Rifle · Discontinued · 1911
Also known as: Ross Mark III, Ross M-10, Ross 1910
Overview
The Ross Mk III is a Canadian straight-pull bolt-action service rifle chambered in .303 British. Introduced in 1911 and developed from Sir Charles Ross's late-1890s patents based on Austrian Mannlicher straight-pull principles, it used a helical-rib bolt that rotated to lock as the shooter pulled and pushed the handle straight back and forward. Accurate and well suited to target shooting, it became the principal arm of the Canadian Corps early in the First World War but proved unreliable in the mud of the trenches, suffering jamming and extraction failures, and was largely replaced by the Lee-Enfield by 1916. A dangerous bolt-assembly flaw allowed the bolt to be reassembled incorrectly and fired unlocked.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3900 g (137.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1320 mm (51.97") |
| Barrel Length | 765 mm (30.12") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 792 m/s (2598 fps) |
| Effective Range | 550 m (601 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2700 m (2953 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Left Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .303 British · primary — also known as .303 Mk VII, 7.7x56mmR, .303 Enfield
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Internal Box Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Straight Pull Bolt, Charger Loading, Aperture Sight
Variants
- Ross Mk III (M-10) Sniper — Sniper
Service history
Operators
- Canadian Expeditionary Force · adopted 1911 · as Rifle, Ross, Mark III
- British Army · adopted 1915
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 420,000 · Production years: 1911-1918
Roughly 400,000-420,000 Ross rifles of all marks were produced; the Quebec City factory was nationalized in 1917 after the rifle's withdrawal from front-line service.
Origin
Country of origin: Canada
Designer: Sir Charles Ross
Discontinued: 1918
Notes
The Mk III introduced a redesigned interrupted-thread bolt and a five-round charger-loaded magazine. The M-10 telescopic-sighted variant served Canadian and Commonwealth snipers, who valued the rifle's accuracy in the relatively static sniping role even after it was withdrawn from general issue.
Background
The Ross rifle became one of the great controversies of Canada's First World War: prized for accuracy on the rifle range, it earned a bitter reputation in the trenches where soldiers reportedly discarded their jammed Rosses for Lee-Enfields taken from casualties.