What Makes a Rifle a Carbine?

[SharpsDressedMan]

Is it just a rifle with a shorter barrel, or are there other accepted criteria to define "carbine"?

 

[briansmithwins]

There aren't any clear definitions that I'm aware of.

Generally speaking, a carbine is a shorter version of the infantry rifle, originally used by horsemen.

This is true of the M4 carbine, which is a short M16. This is not true of the M1 Carbine as there was never a infantry version of the short stroke piston, .30 Carbine caliber weapon.

BSW

 

[tahoe2]

I think it's barrels 20" and below are considered a carbine and 21" and up a rifle.
I've noticed that a Marlin 336 for instance with a 22" barrel is cataloged a rifle and by their definition and a 336 with a 20" barrel is a carbine.
I have also noticed this to be true with milsurp rifles and carbines, In the past milsurps with 29" barrels were considered rifles and the 22"-24" ones were called short rifles.
Examples of carbines had 19" & 17" barrels and Mannlicher type stocks. These are just my observations, I am not professing this to be a standard rule.
Others with more knowledge than me will chime in soon.

 

[kyletx1911]

Dont know why but my 336 is listed as a carbine

 

[back40]

generally speaking, i've always considered anything with a 18" or less barrel a carbine. but then, the ruger gunsite scout "rifle" has a 16.5" barrel. there are other examples of mfrs calling them "rifles" when fitted with shorter than 20" barrels as well.

 

[Sam1911]

We had a great little eddy of thread drift on this exact subject a few months back: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=8265705

My comments:

A carbine IS a type of rifle. The word carbine also is pretty flexible in definition, looking at how it has been used by the various people who designed, built, issued, and carried them. (I mean, heck, my kids' Savage Cub-T is a "rifle" though it is far smaller than even an M1 Carbine.)

I'd say "most" enthusiasts would consider a K98, M1903, Enfield, M1 Garand, M14, FN-FAL, Win Model 70, Rem 700, etc. to be "rifles" -- and M1 Carbines, M16s, AK-47s, SKS, FNCs, AR-180s, FAMAS, etc., etc. to be "carbines" because they are smaller and lighter than traditionally sized (and chambered) main line battle (or hunting) rifles.

Here's a trick question: Which of these is a carbine, and which isn't? SKS, M1 Carbine, FNC, Swiss K-31?

Right on! " Karabiner Model 1931"

SKS = "Самозарядный карабин системы Симонова, 1945" (Pronounced, roughly: "Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova, 1945") and translated as, "Self-loading Carbine of (the) Simonov system, 1945"

FNC = "Fabrique Nationale Carabine"

And there are many others. Some were derived from, or were somewhat similar to, larger/longer/more powerful weapons issued previously, and some were brand new designs that were called "carbines" right off the bat. (SKS, M1C)

See the whole thing becomes a nearly absurd debate given one more example:

What is (arguably) THE quintessential RIFLE? The one that's the granddaddy of what most of us think of as THE rifle that all rifles exist in relation to, one way or another?

Why the Mauser, right? The K-98.

And what's a K-98? "Karabiner 98 Kurz!" A shortened version of the Gewehr 98 battle rifle. But the K-98 became the "Mauser" to most shooters. Within a fraction of an inch of the same size as an M1 Garand, and the primary main-line battle rifle of Germany throughout WW II.

So what's a carbine? Darned if I know!

Heh heh! Sure. But all carbines are rifles, so that doesn't even answer the question!

If you're going to claim that an AKM is NOT a "carbine" you'll have to define what would make it one, or make it not one. And that's entirely in the eye of the beholder!

I'm willing to believe a K-98 Mauser is a carbine, but an AKM isn't, if you can give me a great reason why that would be so.

Sure, Avtomat Kalashnikova doesn't have the word "carbine" in it. And if the word "carbine" bestowed by the designer is how we identify one, then aboslutely.

An AK-47 or AKM is a RIFLE, and an SKS (made in the same country at almost the same date, firing the same round, but 6" longer) is a CARBINE. But that's no stretch, because a K-98 Mauser and a K-31 are CARBINES, too, because that's in their official name, but a wee little M-16 isn't. No other reason matters.

 

[mortablunt]

Generally, a rifle is a firearm meant to be used with two hand that features a grooved barrel and launches a single solid projectile by using the energy released from the rapid combustion of a chemical propellant and has a bore of less than .6 inches in diameter.

A carbine is supposed to be a shortened rifle, traditionally for employment on horseback. Now it's popular in urban warfare because it's easy to maneuver in tight spaces. Thanks to the trend of calling guns that fire should arm caliber ammunition rifles, regardess of their length, carbine seems to imply that the gun is small, made to be operated with both hands, and fires a pistol bullet.

 

[jmr40]

To my knowledge lever actions are the only group of guns with a clear definition. If the gun has a barrel band it is a carbine. No barrel band, and it is a rifle. Barrel length is irrelevent.

These are all rifles.

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/bigbore/1895.asp
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/bigbore/1895G.asp
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/centerfire/336BL.asp


These are carbines

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/1894centerfire/1894C.asp
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/centerfire/336C.asp

Traditionally rifles with no barrel bands had longer barrels, but you find plenty exceptions. The standard 1895 is a rifle, the guide gun is technically not a carbine, but is classified as a "short rifle" even though it's barrel is shorter than the 336C. Which is a carbine because of the bands.

With other action types it is much less clear.

 

[CraigC]

To my knowledge lever actions are the only group of guns with a clear definition. If the gun has a barrel band it is a carbine. No barrel band, and it is a rifle. Barrel length is irrelevant.

Yep! In leverguns, carbines have the carbine-specific buttplate, barrel bands, forend bands, round barrels and sometimes a saddle ring. Rifles have crescent, curved or shotgun buttplates, round or octagon barrels, a dovetail magazine hanger and a forend cap. Barrel length is immaterial. There are carbines with 20" barrels and short rifles with 16" barrels.