RIC Carbine Survival Rate Anomaly

RIC Carbine Survival Rate Anomaly

Friends,

As you may have seen from an earlier posting at this forum, I am doing research into, and building a database on, Lee-Enfield RIC pattern carbines. At present, the spreadsheet stands at 155 carbines, which is about 1.4 percent to the total made.

One thing is immediately noticeable: The survival rate among those rack numbered from 1 to 2000 is far, far higher than those numbered above 2000, the figures being about 3.2 percent (1-2000) and 0.76 percent (2000 and up), respectively. I have no immediate explanation for this.

If you own a carbine rack numbered above 2000, I would particularly like to hear from you please. If you have such a carbine, and know its provenance, please get in touch with me.

If your carbine is numbered below 2000, I’m more than happy to hear from you too.

Coggo
Dpmunro9@gmail.com

I have LEC#1 RACK # 4095 and sold a few years ago LEC#1 #4508 both found in Texas
Carl

Thanks, Carl. Can you let me have some info on both carbines? What I need is:

1. Receiver serial number.
2. All crown cypher data.
3. All butt conversion info (the roundel on the butt).
4. All disc acceptance info.

If you could provide three focussed photos corresponding to those attached, that would nail it. (Note that the disc photo also includes the wood-stamped roundel, which is very important.)

Thanks v. much,

Coggo

Attachment 107220Attachment 107219Attachment 107221

I have LEC Mk I* S/N 8189. Rack number is 3875 dated April '04. Cypher shows VR Enfield 1900 LEC I*. Roundrel shows Birmingham 190- I*. The fourth digit is unreadable (My guess would be a "3"). I don't have the rifle at hand at the moment, but I've attached 2 of the 3 requested photos! I purchased it from John B Henry Firearms out of Pennsylvania in April 2019.

Excellent, Gunner. Thanks! At your convenience, please let me have the full serial number when you get the carbine. I know you mentioned 8189 above, but no LEC Mk I* was ever produced without a letter suffix. For those made in 1900, I'd expect an A or B suffix or, less likely but certainly possible, a C suffix.

Cheers,

Coggo

Will do! It'll be a couple months, as I'm in the middle of a move for the Navy with schools along the way.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 303 Gunner

Will do! It'll be a couple months, as I'm in the middle of a move for the Navy with schools along the way.

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Thanks and good luck with the move — Coggo

Rack #4508 was sold a few years ago , here is the info I have on it
1902 BSA conversion mark on butt LEC#1 Enfield 1898
RIC Disk 06-04
The other one is in storage and I will try to find it this weekend
Carl

RIC #4095
Disk is marked 4.04 R.I.C 4095
Rondel is BIRMINGHAM 1903
SN is 1000 over A
ENFIELD 1818
ENGLAND Import stamp
>< marks on receiver and barrel
BNP proofs
I bought it at a Austin TX gun show around 1998
Carl

LEC
1*
#5462
Disc
3.04
RIC
1294
Roundel
R crown M
Enfield
1*o

* = small sun at 1 oclock
o at 5 oclock in line with the sun levei with foot of the 1
E on Knox

Thanks very much, gents, much appreciated — Coggo

additional info as requested.

LEC 1* 1903
serial 5462 D. The D on the receiver is poorly struck but very plain on the barrel
Roundel as described Enfield

Wouldn't rack numbers be the same for each unit/location? How many locations with an armory would have 5,000+ rifles? I'd expect 1-999 rack numbers to be way more common than a 4 digit rack number.
So in your data, it appears there were locations that had 1-2000 rifles. But how many had more than 2K?
What's your thoughts?