doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Resources/ideas to rebarrel Ross/Lancaster rifle?

The photos below illustrate my need. Two rifles are shown and they are not the same. One has a barrel and the other does not. I would like the rifles to look the same. I could accomplish this by removing the barrel from the one... and they would look the same. However, I would prefer them to both have barrels. The rifle without the barrel was (according the the Lancaster factory ledger) chambered in .370/.375 (.375 Flanged Nitro Express - not the magnum version). The original barrel is completely absent. This is a shame given the task of producing a duplicate barrel would be much easier.

So, I need a new barrel made, threaded and indexed to the action, blued (not a hot blue) and sights installed. Having it chambered to .375 Flanged may add more complication and I am considering a time period, yet more practical chambering. The .405 WCF is on the list. It is a vintage cartridge yet ammunition and components are available. It also has a good amount of mystique. The .405 and .375 are similar cartridge of about the same length, rim diameter and the .375 is almost a straight wall case.

I need a barrel maker and a gunsmith. Ideas and comments are also welcome.

By the way, these rifles are known as the Ross M1901/1903. They are marked on the receiver, Ross patented. They were built by Charles Lancaster using the Ross action design. They both appear in the Lancaster factory ledgers (I have a certificate for each).

The ledger information for the rifle sans barrel states: 370 2 FT 2INS BARREL ROSS 327; STRAIGHT PULL MAGAZINE RIFLE; ROSS LIFTER; NITRO PROOF; 40 GR CORDITE 320 GR BULLET (ENGRAVED) 6 - 15oz, 100 YDS 200 YDS, 300 YDS ROSS RIFLING 4 GROVES.

The rifle with the barrel intact is chambered in .256 Rimless

I hope the photos work:

























My overall agenda here is to salvage a very fine rifle. I generally don't go in for, "project" rifles, but this one deserves saving.