Silly Question

[Ivantherussian03]

Hwat is the difference between a carbine and a rifle?

[felix]

No idea, but assume a barrel 20 inches or less is defined as a carbine in all cases. However, logic suggests that when a gun, especially a lever gun, has a magazine tube which extends all the way to the end, then let's agree to call that a carbine too. In other words: quack, quack, quack. It if looks, walks, and acts like a duck, then it is a duck. ... felix

[JeffinNZ]

Carbine kicks harder. :-D :Fire:

[carpetman]

That depends on the brand and model number and condition. For example several years ago in The Blue Book of Gun Values 17th edition a Win 100 Rifle in 100% was worth $400 but a carbine was worth $475. So the difference in that case is $75. Now at 98% the difference was only $25. At 95% both worth the same. At 90% the rifle became worth about $5 more and at 60% they were equal. So there is no answer. Why are you asking such a question? Is that a rant? Rants aren't allowed. Oh BTW hi Ivan and glad to see you back on the board. You going back to Alaska to teach this year?

[mooman76]

Smaller version of a gun usually with a shorter action making it lighter and more manuverable in the brush!

[NVcurmudgeon]

Originally a short rfifle in military service. Usually it was the same rifle with a shorter stock and barrel. As time went by, a carbine become whatever the issuing agency or manufacturer said it was. For example, the US Krag rifle had a 30" barrel, and the US Krag carbine a 22" barrel. Fast forward to the M 14 RIFLE of 1952, and we learn that a rifle now has a 22" barrel. Then there is the M1 and M2 carbine of WWII. Its action only bears a superficial resemblance to the M1 RIFLE. Is a puzzlement!

[Frank46]

Ivan, you can apply the same reasoning towards the british MK4 rifles and then you have the jungle carbine with its shorter bbl and flash hider. I had one with all matching numbers and glass bedded stock. That puppy sure did shoot. But alas my buddy managed to buy it off me. I used it for deer hunting in pennsylvania. Frank

[arkypete]

'Carbine' is an ancient Sanscrit word that means it shrank in the wash.
Jim

[wills]

If you use Google you can enter your search term as "define:" then the word you want defined, Google will return a list of definitions.


I came across this, which is interesting
http://www.synonym.com/synonym/

[Char-Gar]

There are different ideas about the origin of the term "carbine" and it's meaning. What I learned many years ago, is that it came from the name of the Italian mounted police who had a short rifle for use on horseback. It came to mean a short version designed to be used on horseback.

The US Army had both rifle and carbine versions of their firearms, with the infantry getting the rifles and the cavalary getting the carbines. The 03 Springfield split the difference, and the distrinction ceased to exist in the US miliatry until the M1 carbine came along for use by officers and rear troops, as a weapon superior (in theory) to the 45 Auto handgun.

In Texas of old, a carbine was called a "saddle gun". With the demise of mounted riflemen, carbine has just come to mean a short and light rifle.

Das all I know on the subject...

[Larry Gibson]

The term "carbine" as related to firearms is a relative term that simply means "shorter". When rifles barrels were 40" a rifle with a 30" barrel was a carbine. When Rifles had 30" barrels a 24-26" rifle was a carbine. For the last 50 or so years a carbine is generally a rifle with a 20" or less barrel when the same rifle normally has a 22-26" barrel.

Larry Gibson