Long #4019, bolt action, British length 775 mm, Cal .303, British (7.7 mm); magazine (5 round capacity). Bayonet with 48H inscribed on the handle.

.303 round by butt of rifle.

This rifle was an adaptation of the Rifle, Ross Mk II to use the Sight, Sutherland Mk II. Some internal improvements were made as well. The original sliding button safety and the magazine cut-off were retained, along with the 28 inch barrel and the stylish older rear hand-guard. None of this model were newly manufactured. All were converted from Rifle, Ross Mk II with Sight, Ross Mk III or the later Rifle, Ross Mk II⁴*. Some 26,000 were converted from 1910-1912. 20,000 were sold to the United States in Nov, 1917. In 1911, the shorter variants were replaced by the longer Rifle, Ross Mk II** as standard Canadian issue.

For all practical purposes, the Mk III was an entirely new design. It incorporated the 30.5 inch barrel and flag safety of the Mk II**, taking that re-design much further. The internal double-stack magazine was replaced with an exposed single-stack magazine. The “dump loading” lever was gone, and a charger guide was added for loading with stripper clips. A magazine cut-off was employed, but the design that lowered the magazine shell was discarded and replaced by one that restricted the rearward travel of the bolt. The bolt-stop plunger was replaced by a flag lever with 3 positions (cut-off enabled, bolt release, cut-off disabled). The bolt was far sturdier and had multi-thread locking lugs. A new rear sight designated the “Ross Battle Aperture” was installed on the bridge of the receiver rather than on top of the barrel. World War I increased demand, and at least 235,540 were produced for Canadian forces.