Carbine length...

I like the 16 inch barrels for most of my shooting needs and practice sessions. The 4 inch loss in barrel length doesn't really effect the practical shooting needs of the carbine. You can still get good distance of use, good accuracy and it is easier to move with in certain environments.
 
I like carbine length rifle barrels on a few of my bolt guns. The M1 carbine and the No5 Lee Enfield are both short and light, nice field rifles. I salvaged a No4 Enfield sporter with a cut down barrel, it became a Enfield Tanker.

Tanker11.jpg


I'm building a No1 Enfield Tanker right now for a friend.

The carbine length barrels are loader and have more muzzle flash. The Enfields have a increase in felt recoil but that's because of the reduced weight of the rifle. It does not seem to effect 1-200 yd accuracy.
 
A long, long time ago, there were true carbines, intended for horse soldiers. When a rifle was introduced, there was usually also a carbine version. There was a Krag carbine, which actually looked like a nice sporting rifle. But a few years later, the short rifle concept began to catch on and true carbines became rather uncommon.

I've only seen a couple of Mauser carbines and they looked awfully handy. But I've read they were something else to shoot. In addition to the recoil, they may have been more difficult to make hits at range with. There were trapper model lever actions, too, and I used to think they were a recent idea. But I happened to see an old one once, so they were around when center fire lever actions were the thing to have. Even so, the Model 94 had a carbine version that was even longer. But those trapper models were really nice. Maybe not something for hunting antelope with, however.
 
That .303 carbine is painful. That is y the real ones -- Jungle Carbines -- came with a built-in rubber butt pad. 50 years later they are as hard as steel and I made Rambo cry at a class shooting one!!!
 
I shoot a Ruger M77 .308 with a 16.5 inch barrel.
My Prefered action is the Controlled Feed, Mauser, so i guess I have a modern Carbine Version of it.
 
Back in muzzle loader days a carbine was usually 6" shorter than the musket or rifle .As the rifles got shorter so did the carbines . The 30-06 Sprigfield originally was designed as a 30" rifle and a 24" carbine .They gave up the rifle ! Sporting rifles then typically had 22"-24" barrels . Action length also has an effect , my 22" single shot falling block has a OAL of less than 37".
 
Carbines are cool and I personally think they are more pleasing to the eye. I have no problem hunting with a carbine lengthen rifle/barrel. You lose a little accuracy but not as much as you would think plus most carbines are light and easy to store/carry.
 
I honestly don't plan to ever have a rifle over 26" and 26" is only going to be on magnums. I have a 14.5" AR and a 18" AR, eventually going to get the GAP gladius which has a 18" barrel and is a .308. Plan on having a SBR. I like the maneuverability and reduced weight of of shorter weapons.
 
To me it all depends on the specific use of the rifle. For certain, you're not going to find many rifles shooting out to 1000 yds with barrels less than 24". You surely don't want a 24" barrel on a CQB rifle. Shorter barrels tend to be more accurate, especially if they are of a heavier profile. I have a Savage 10 LE 20" .223 and the thing is an absolute tack driver, and I will shoot it out to 500 well, but the loss of velocity in the shorter barrel tends to lessen effective range. Everything with guns is a compromise. It just depends on what you want to do with a particular weapon.
 
I posted this just to find out how many of y'all like the short barrels. I did not specify in the OP about hunting, but that was actually my thoughts and I inadvertently left it out. I realized the value of the carbine length barrel in my type hunting situations years ago and they are about all that has ever appealed to me since then even though I have many rifles with full length barrels. As a side note to this, our State Hwy Patrol Swat team shoots at a local range some and I see that they use 18" bolt guns in .308 very effectively out to 500yds. I have primarily hunted with handguns over the last 20yrs, but in my limited rifle hunting, I have found that I give up nothing in accuracy within 200yds with the short barrels on my favored hunting rifles.
 
You'd be surprised how effective 18's and 20's can be used out to 800-1000yds. Just a matter of the right rifle and load.
 
I've been using Carbine length barrels on my last 2 AR15's and had some good accuracy with them. granted I don't do any long distance shooting, and don't have a need to shoot past 200yards. Its also very easy to use, lighter weight, and very manueverable even in tighter spaces.

Eventually I'd like to try out an 18' or even 20' barrel.
 
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