This RIC Lee Metford 1896 Mk1 Cavalry carbine was converted to Enfield rifling and fitted with  a 21 inch barrel, nose cap adapted to take the Pattern 88 knife bayonet It is also fitted with a small six-round magazines as part of the RIC Cavalry carbine contract in 1904.

      A total of 11,000 were supplied by the War Office as a free issue to the RIC between March 1904 and June 1914.
     The new Lee Enfield carbine's were first issued to the Reserve Force at Dublin's Phoenix Park Depot in March 1904, before being distributed across the county forces.  As part of that 1904 contract this early Lee Metford Mk1 Cavalry Carbine was pulled from stores and converted. 

 

   RIC letter to the Ministry of Munitions of War
      On 8th September 1920 the RIC wrote to the Ministry of Munitions of War to communicate their desire to sell as scrap approximately 10,000 of the 11,000 of these carbines, which were to be replaced by Lee Enfield SMLE  Number 1 Mark lll* service rifle.

      In late November 1920  10,000 Lee Enfield Cavalry Carbines were shipped to the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock for destruction.

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      Proximaly only 1000 out of the original 11,000 were not sent to Enfield, either s they were already broken for parts years before or maybe they just went missing or 'sold out of service' as this one has been.

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    This RIC Carbine has very clear 'sold out of service' stamps on the receiver.

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South African Boar War

                                         This rifle has a very interesting history priory to entering RIC Service in 1904,  this Lee Metford Carbine was manufactured at RSAF Enfield in 1896 as a Lee Metford Mark 1 303 Carbine and was almost certainly sent to South African Boar War for Mounted Cavalry use,  it still has it original boar war steel disc plate on the butt of this rifle. 

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   In 1898 all Lee Metfords were rebarrel to the 'Enfield Barreltype' so this Lee Metford .303 was rebarrel before leaving for the South African campaign.

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RIC Contract of 1904

                                    After returning to the UK from the South African campaign probably in 1902 or 3 it was converted to the RIC for use and sent to Ireland as part of the RIC Carbine 1904 contract.  The conversion required a bayonet lug to be fitted and the wood forend changed to RIC requirments. 

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  This rifle is a real survivor not only of the 1899-1902 Boar War but also the destruction order placed on all RIC Carbine in 1920.  (see a copy of the 1920 destruction order at the bottom of this listing).  

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