What does carbine mean, they call a 10/22 a carbine but does that mean its gas operated or what?

What does carbine mean, they call a 10/22 a carbine but does that mean its gas operated or what?

Im not sure but i think all carbines are smaller than rifles, the are usually auto or semi auto. As for the true diffinion im not really sure.

You have rifles, short rifles and carbines.

1. Rifles have full length stocks and barrels(>24"), ie. 24" Winchester 1894, Model 70, Gew98
2. Short rifles have rifle stocks/butt plates and a shorter, easier to handle barrel (18-22"), ie. Winchester 94 20" with half mags/no barrel band, Springfield M1903, Kar98.
3. Carbines have short barrels and reduced stocks. ie, M1 carbine, M94 with barrel bands.

Lines get confusing and crossed quite often.

CD pretty much hit the nail on the head but I wanted to add that these are not hard criteria for establishing if the rifle is a "carbine". Often the wording is just used as a marketing tool. Also, the type of action doesn't have a thing to do with it. Remington considered the 600/660 series of bolt guns carbines and they have several pump rifles that are labeled "Carbine". Marlin has their short barreled lever-actions that they considered the same.

I've seen some text that considers the Rem 673 a carbine. It has a 22" barrel but the length of pull, drop, and overall length put it in a class that would handle as such.

http://www.remington.com/images/firearms/673.jpg

Another charactisic of a centerfire carbine is that they kick like a mule because of the features.

I read an article a couple months ago on the carbine. I can't remember which mag it was. If I remember, way back in history when the barrels were 30 and 34 inches a carbine was a shorter barrel rifle, i.e. a 24" tube on a rifle was called a carbine. Then later in history when the rifles evolved into 24" and 22" barrels, the shorter 18" barrels, chambered in similar calibers that pistols/revolvers, were called carbines. I think what it comes down to is a shorter/smaller/handier package. Right now I think it is down to a 16" barrel now, but what do I know?

SPAD

Originaly, carbine meant a short firearm designed for cavalry use. In the muzzleloader days, it was often a smaller caliber than an infantry musket as well. British carbines were often about .62 caliber, vs the long land pattern musket's .75. As noted above, not every short firearm was a carbine. Often it depended on a particular nation's nomenclature. there were infantry rifles, muskets, musketoons, carbines, and so forth. Carbines and musketoons were usually indentical in barrel length, the differences were provisions for bayonet mounts,sling placement, etc. Carbines were for mounted troops, and musketoons were for artillery, engineers, etc.
As far as modern firearms go, it is a manufacturer/marketing decision to cal a firearm a carbine. No hard and fast rules.

What does carbine mean, they call a 10/22 a carbine but does that mean its gas operated or what?

These good folks are absolutely correct. A carbine is a shorter and lighter rifle than what was used by infantry soldiers. Originally, carbines went to the cavalry and as time went on they were issued to artillery, transport, armored and other troops who could not easily handle an infantry rifle. Sporting arms may be called carbines as deemed appropriate by gunmakers. All the best...
Gil