Lee Metford RIC Carbine vs Metford Carbine

[H Wally]

Can anyone explain the difference in purpose between the Lee metford RIC carbine and the Lee Metford Carbine?

I'm assuming the RIC carbine was a proprietary gun meant to supply the RIC with a suitable short rifle when there were no other guns available.

RIC carbine:

Metford Carbine

 

[woodchopper]

RIC was just a short rifle

LEC and Metford carbines were designed for Calvary issue, they were carried in scabards and all the bits had to be rounded so that the rifle would not get all snagged up in the riders kit.

there were also carbines for Arty and Engineers as they did not need a long rifle and a carbine was just handier to haul around.

 

[sail32]

New Zealand also ordered a carbine similiar to the RIC carbine.

 

[Nyles]

The RIC Carbine was a way to make use of by then obsolete cavalry carbines to upgrade the weaponry of what was then an under-funded organization. Basically it was just an LEC or LMC converted to mount a P88 bayonet and take a rifle sling.

 

[John Sukey]

The main difference between a cavalry carbine and an artillery carbine is the bayonet lug.
However I did get lucky and picked up one with the sling ring intact. (They were ordered removed while still in service. That is evidenced by what looks like a scar on the left side of the butt socket.