What's Your Favorite Carbine?

[amprecon]

The following is my take on the carbine and my reasons for liking and having one, a SLR-95.

Carbines fill a vacuum and niche where the handgun might not be enough or the standard length/power rifle would be too much or too cumbersome.

The ideal carbine is one that packs as much of a punch as does it's full-sized brother, but without the heft, length, increased recoil and associated muzzle blast.

This goal has not been fully reached, the heft and length is reduced, but a full power cartridge cannot be fired comfortably and/or accurately from the lighter, shorter weapon.

Hence the intermediate cartridge and the carbine. Not as capable at distance as it's full-size counterpart, yet it's handy, compact, can be quickly brought into action and it is effective within it's range. In some cases, another attractive attribute is it's high ammunition capacity.

 

[Schuey2002]

The H&K 94 is my choice. It fits all of your criteria with the only downsides being price and availability.

 

[Tamara]

Favorite for what?

My favorite to look at is my No.1 RSI, my favorite to tinker with is my ongoing .223 project FAL, my favorite to just play around with is my 94 Trapper in .45 Colt.

It all depends...

 

[Smoke]

No AR choice?

oh well I voted lever anyway

 

[AK103K]

Tamara has a point. What you intend to do with it can make your choice totally different. If you had to pick just one, I think the AK in 7.62x39 would pretty much cover all your bases. Its compact, robust, has a round that will defeat what the 22's and pistol caliber guns consider cover, has available firepower if needed and will handle critters out to 200 yards without trouble. All you need in a little package.

 

[Tamara]

...not to mention mediocre sights and primitive ergonomics!

(Actually, my only real beefs with the AK are the awkward mag change & safety, and the fact that the design precludes anything but those crude sights that differ from those on an 1891 Mosin only by virtue of being mounted atop a gas tube. Oh, and Taurus sells pistols with a longer sight radius than an AK. )

 

[Onslaught]

No AR choice?

M4 - it's up there...

I voted M4... it's my baby.

I should cast a vote for dear-ole' Dad too... Now that he and Mom sleep in seperate rooms, I think he bunks with his M1 Carbine

 

[Mike Irwin]

Savage Model 99EG in .300 Savage.

 

[aerod1]

M1 Carbine, mainly because of it's history.
Jim Hall

 

[Ian]

My Daewoo. I might have to reconsider if I had an M1 Carbine, though...

 

[AK103K]

(Actually, my only real beefs with the AK are the awkward mag change & safety, and the fact that the design precludes anything but those crude sights that differ from those on an 1891 Mosin only by virtue of being mounted atop a gas tube. Oh, and Taurus sells pistols with a longer sight radius than an AK. )

Tamara, Tamara, Tamara,
These are little things that are not a problem at all if you practice a little and learn the tecnique. I think the AK is misunderstood by most American shooters who have little experience with them, not taken the time to learn them, and just pass on misinformation that they have heard, rather than experienced. The safety and mag changes are not hard to do and can easily be done with your hand on the grip. Contrary to what a lot of people will tell you, the mags will drop free without help, and the safety can easily be worked with the middle finger of the hand on the grip. Your right, the sights are the weakest part of the equation, (which are no different than the sights on most hunting rifles by the way)but are fine within its limits. They are very fast for quick up close shooting, and can readily hit a man, or deer sized target at 200 yards. The AK's accuracy has been bad mouthed unjustly, mostly due to the sights. I have AK's that shoot anywhere from as good as 2"-3" to at worst 4"-6" at 100 yards.(ammo can also figure in here, so its not always just the sights) My Krebs AK103K will routinely outshoot my Bushmaster Dissapator at 100 yards. The AK also shoulders fast and naturally, much faster for me than an AR. This is another area American shooters seem to have a problem with, stock length. Combat and hunting rifles SHOULD be short stocked! If you take the time to learn the AK, its by no means a handicap, and is actually a good performer. As with any weapon, its usually operator error or ignorance that is at fault. The way things are going, it would probably be a good idea if a lot more people became familar with them.

ps: The "go faster" position on a real AK is the first click down.

 

[Dorrin79]

I voted for the SKS; I find it more pleasant to shoot than an AK, and just as reliable (and maybe a tad more accurate, depending on what model we're talking about...)

Personally though, I like them all!

But seriously, how is a Yugo SKS a carbine? It's longer and heavier than many rifles I can think of...

 

[Tamara]

AK103K

These are little things that are not a problem at all if you practice a little and learn the tecnique. I think the AK is misunderstood by most American shooters who have little experience with them, not taken the time to learn them, and just pass on misinformation that they have heard, rather than experienced.

What about those of us who have owned five or ten of them and have realized that the control manipulations and sight picture of an AK (no matter how practiced) are inferior to the AR, G3 and FAL?

Sincerely,
Tamara
(Romak, MAK90, 'nother MAK90, Polytech Legend, NHM91, 'nother NHM91, AKM/47S, and probably some I'm forgetting... )

 

[Devonai]

Gotta go with the war baby

The M1 Carbine is my fav. Is it wrong to think of a lethal weapon as "cute?"

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Dang----I must be a carbine nut---I have 4 of the types listed---not counting duplicates.

 

[cratz2]

Never shot an M4 (though I'd love to)

Don't own an M1 (though I will someday)

Don't forsee having to take out 20 targets anytime soon.

I'll take a lever action 44 Magnum or 45 Colt, thank you very much.

 

[AK103K]

Tamara,
I guess we all have our favorites. They all have their good and bad points depending on your likes and dislikes. I've had at least a couple of each, and more than that of a couple, and they all lack somewhere and are stronger somewhere. They all have their own little quirks and manual of arms what need to be learned. Some are a little more user friendly. The HK and FAL are have their own set of problems. They also dont fit the carbine class, even with a 16" barrel. They are both heavy guns. The HK is ungainly, its safety has its problems as to reach at times, and charging it can be all but impossible in certain positions. Its iron sights are good and they are easily scoped and they do shoot. The FAL has pretty good ergonomics, but its saftey can be a pain too. I had three, and every one would not shoot worth crap, including a commerical FN. All my AK's will out shoot any of my FAL's. The FAL's rear sight flat out sucks. As much as I tried, I was never impressed with the FAL. The AR is the gun that comes closest, and if one of those new, 7.62x39, AK mag'd AR's by, I think it was Knights Armament, is available and really works, with a flat top it would probably be the one to look at closely. I've never had any trouble with the AK's. Agree'd they aren't everyones cup of tea, but then again, I aint everyone. For me, they are the best all around, always have with me gun. As I said before, I have no problem working the controls, and this works with any I've picked up. I wouldnt feel handicaped if all I had was any of these rifles, but then again, I've pretty much had them all at one time or another, so I can comfortably work them all, and know what to expect from each of them. Like I said, its usually not the fault of the weapon, we the users are usually the weak point in the equation.
Pick what suits you best and practice your *** off with it, and it wont matter what you have.

 

[ruger357]

M1

 

[Smoke]

M4 hmmmmm, was that there before?

I know shooting with out muffs can cause hearing loss...can shooting cause vision problems?

oh well. I still voted lever.

 

[bad_dad_brad]

A legal M4 for us civilians results in a 16" barrel with the compensator, a fixed length M4 lookalike silly stock, and an admitably lighter barrel.

Personally, except for the lighter barrel, my vote and money went into a 16" Bushmaster shorty A2 sans compensator as my favorite carbine. It has an Hbar barrel but it does not seem that heavy with the 4" cut from the tip. I suppose I could have her fluted someday, but I really like her as is.

After the Bushy shorty, I would go for a Win 94 carbine in .44 mag, and dang it, even though the Mini-14 gets a bad rap sometimes in the accuracy department, it is a nice, reliable, and very handy little carbine.

 

[Destructo6]

G3k

 

[Hkmp5sd]

M4. (technically a M16A1 lower on a Bushmaster 14.5" upper because the gov't won't let me have a post '86 M4)

 

[amprecon]

I entered the SKS because it fires an intermediate round and is handier and lighter than say a Garand or M98 Mauser or Mosin Nagant. I owned a Norinco "Paratrooper" model at one time with a 16" barrel which is moreso of a carbine than it's longer barreled brother. It was fairly accurate also.

It's interesting to note how popular the lever action carbines are in this poll. It's difficult to understand while there are so many more "modern" carbines that have higher magazine capacities, are semi-automatic and fire more "modern" cartridges. Is it the Western allure? Or something esle?

 

[Tamara]

AK103K,

I've had at least a couple of each, and more than that of a couple, and they all lack somewhere and are stronger somewhere. They all have their own little quirks and manual of arms what need to be learned. Some are a little more user friendly.

I can agree wit' dat.

 

[22x9]

Feather RAV-9MM Carbine

www.featherusa.com