The Royal Irish Constabulary Carbine

By Garry James

Over the years, many have pointed to Britain’s “unarmed” police forces as an example of what can be done to maintain the peace with a minimum of force. The problem with this line of thought is that it was (and is) not necessarily true. The famed Royal Irish Constabulary is a good case in point.

There have been many armed police forces in the United Kingdom, even including, at times, London’s vaunted Metropolitan Police. Few, however, have had the firearm connections enjoyed by the RIC.

The Royal Irish Constabulary had its beginnings in Ireland as a peacekeeping force as early as the 1820s. Involved with normal policing duties, as well as being drawn into the strife of the Irish separatism movement, the force evolved into a quasi-military-style organization, wearing dark-green uniforms modeled after those of Britains Rifle Brigade. There were mounted and foot units, which over the years employed a wide variety of arms.

The Royal Irish Constabulary was an effective military-style police force that modeled its green uniforms on those of the British Rifle Brigade. Canada’s North West Mounted Police took much of …Read the Rest

Source:: Guns and Ammo