What is a Carbine?

keith,i beleive a carbine is basicly a short rifle.i do not think caliber has anything to do with it,hope this helps.--arthur
 
Agree, basically a short rifle, ie: winchester M-94, also, this configuration is available in a variety of pistol cartridges.
Another f'rinstance, my Remington 600 is a bolt-action carbine with an 18.5" barrel in .308 Winchester.
Most so-called "assault rifles" are of carbine configuration.



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The Bill of Rights, and the Golden Rule are enough for civilized behavior. The rest is window dressing. Shoot carefully, swifter...
 
Definately at RELATIVELY short barreled rifle. Usually a rifle with a barrel in the neighborhood of 16 inches.

The US Carbine Cal 30 M1 is simply refered to as "M1 Carbine." This carbine did use a cartridge that was specific to this gun.

Most other carbines, however, used the same cartridge as the rifle version.
 
If I am to understand this correctly, a 16" version of an AR would be considered a Carbine. It uses the same upper, lower and cartridge, but has the shorter barrel.

Is that correct?

In functionality, I assume the carbine rifle is less accurate, yet easier to carry/manage for combat/tactical maneuvers.

Any more info?



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Keith
http://www.ws6.com
 
The term "carbine" is relative and must be viewed in the historic context in which it is used.

Back in the days when the British line infantryman was armed Brown Bess Musket, the barrel was 39" long (that's the 2nd model Brown Bess as opposed to the 42" long First Model) and a light infantry carbine could be 32" long.

In the 1860s, when the regular British Infantryman was armed with the Enfield rifle (39" barrel), sergeants and riflemen (60th Regt & 95th) were armed with a 33" short barrel Enfield. Calvary received a 24" Enfield Musketoon. All were the same gun, just different barrel lengths.

In World War I, when Germany armed her troops with the Mauser 98 with a 29" barrel, their carbine was a mere 24" long. During the same time frame, our 1917 Enfield rifle had a 26" barrel and our 1903A3 Springfield a 24" barrel. Both 1917 and 1903A3 were considered rifles by our military.

Modernly, and you have the concept, the carbine is a shortened version of the rifle. Whereas the normal M16 has a 20" barrel, the M4 has a 14.5" barrel.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
From Old French carabin = a mounted musketeer - originally a shortened rifle adapted from infantry to cavalry use.
In Spanish carabina was used at one time to distinguish a military rifle from a civilian one ... ban carbines! they are "assault rifles" :)

Peter Knight
 
That Wackycarbine adapter kit must be straight blowback. A barrel that long presents too much mass for the short recoil action of the 1911 or any other pistol to function.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Depends on barrel length only.

I have no idea, but if I had to guess:

1" to 14" = Handgun

14" to 20" = Carbine

20" + = Rifle

[This message has been edited by Futo Inu (edited October 01, 1999).]
 
I shot a "Wackycarbine" with a Aimpoint scope a couple of weeks ago. Goofy looking, but suprisingly nice to shoot. I'm not sure about long term reliability, but I didn't have any malfunctions.

Just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover.

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Strength does not come from physical capacity.
It comes from an indomitable will. -- Mahatma Gandhi
 
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