What is a carbine weapon ?

[chetrogers]

I was under the impression that a carbine weapon was a rifle that shot pistol ammo..Im young and stupid could anyone educate me on this..thanks..I would love to have a .45acp or .44 mag rifle any suggestions...Oh and that dont cost a ton.As always thanks for your time

 

[Ewok]

Carbine just means it has a short barrel. The first ones were for calvary use, since a full-sized rifle is awkward to use while on a horse.

 

[CWL]

Here's the Wikipedia definition, which is as good a definition as I've ever seen. Notice that type of ammunition caliber plays no part in designation.

Carbine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Carbine is a firearm, similar to but shorter than an ordinary rifle or musket in barrel and stock. Carbine was originally developed to be used by cavalry soldiers, for whom a full-length rifle was too heavy and cumbersome to be fired from horseback. Carbines have also been issued to secondary troops, such as cooks, technicians etc., for whom a lighter weapon is sufficient and desirable. Many military rifles have been manufactured in both full-length and carbine versions. After WWII the assault rifle, which is basically a cross-breed of the carbine and a submachine gun, has become the standard infantry weapon, and carbine as a category of military firearms has virtually vanished.

Today the term 'carbine' is used on variety of firearms, basically anything between a pistol and a rifle. Pistols with a shoulder stock, submachine guns or assault rifles with only single fire cabability and small rifles designed to fire pistol cartridges can be seen to bear the title.

 

[TallPine]

I thought everybody knew ...

It's a gun designed to shoot beans at cars.

 

[Ironbarr]

BTW chetrogers...

Congrats for earning the "Senior Member" title.

Trouble is - now you're a young SENIOR ...

 

[Hkmp5sd]

A few more terms...

A full-auto long gun firing a rifle cartridge or larger is called a machinegun. A full-auto long gun firing an intermediate cartridge (smaller than a rifle cartridge, but larger than a pistol cartridge) is called an assualt weapon. A full-auto long gun firing a pistol cartridge is called a submachinegun.

 

[4v50 Gary]

You're probably asking about what's called a pistol caliber carbine. Those are short rifles chambered for a pistol caliber bullet, e.g., 9 mm, 45 ACP, 40 S&W. Guns that fall into this category includes the Ruger PC-9 & PC-40, the Calico 950, Uzi Carbine (16"bbl), HK-94, Colt AR-15 in 9mm, etc.

Note: The "term" carbine has evolved over the centuries. Back in the days when a long barrel gun (39-46" bbl) was cut down to 33" or so, the shorter barrel gun was called a carbine. During the Civil War, rifled muskets were around 39" long, short rifles 33" or so, and musketoons a mere 24" long. See how it changes? The German Mauser 98 of WW I fame featured a 29" long barrel. The Mountain Carbine version was a mere 24" long. Modernly many of our commercial rifles are 22-24" long. So, when you apply the term, also consider the period in which it is being used.

 

[einnor1040]

Don't forget about the Marlin camp carbines in 9mm & 45acp. They aren't made any longer but they were some good "carbines".

I almost forgot the Thompson.

einnor

 

[JackShandy]

A sort of follow-up question...

Is it car-bean or car-bine ? Or is this one of those po-tay-to/po-tah-to things?

 

[4v50 Gary]

Prapuhlee speaking the eye is long, so it's car-bine as in twine. Bedatasitmay, I likka call it car-bean as in frijoles. Just an ignant product of the Californian publick school seztem.

 

[Snowdog]

Perhaps it varies from state to state, but around here, it's "car-bean".

 

[Standing Wolf]

I've always heard "carbine" pronounced with a long "I" to rhyme with "mine."

 

[Coronach]

I think theis was gone over on TFL pretty thoroughly. Both are used often enough to be considered appropriate, but IIRC "car-bean" was more common.

YMMV.

Mike

PS I say car-bean. *shrug*

 

[Moparmike]

It's a gun designed to shoot beans at cars.

Funny, I thought it was a gun that shot cars at beans. Learn something every day...

 

[TheeBadOne]

Kel-tec makes a folding carbine in 9mm and .40 S&W

 

[foghornl]

Hmmmm

I kinda figured it this way...

If you know someone that has both the US Rifle Cal .30 M-1 [The Garand]
and the US Rifle Cal .30 Carbine M-1 [The War Baby] stand them side by side.

Or if you are in to Russian Rifles, take something like the Mosin-Nagant 91/30 [Rifle] vs. the Mosin-Nagant M-44 [Carbine]

Some variants of the famous Mauser 98's had 29" barrels, others had the shorter 22"-24" and could be called carbines.