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91-586: PDW may refer to: Personal defense weapon , a class of submachine gun-like firearms designed to fire rifle cartridges PDW, the National Rail station code for Paddock Wood railway station , Kent, England PDW, the Sydney Trains station code for Padstow railway station, Sydney , New South Wales, Australia Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with

182-512: A Colt Single Action Army revolver in .44-40 or .38-40 . During the 20th century, this trend continued with more modern and powerful smokeless revolver cartridges, in the form of Winchester and Marlin lever action carbines chambered in .38 Special / .357 Magnum and .44 Special / .44 Magnum . Modern equivalents include the Ruger PC carbine , which uses the same magazine as the Ruger pistols of

273-464: A NATO request as a replacement for 9×19mm Parabellum submachine guns. The PDW is a compact automatic weapon that can defeat enemy body armor and which can be used conveniently by non-combatant and support troops, as well as a close quarters battle weapon for special forces and counter-terrorist groups. Introduced in 1991, the FN P90 features a bullpup design with a futuristic appearance. It has

364-443: A 50-round magazine housed horizontally above the barrel, an integrated reflex sight and fully ambidextrous controls. A simple blow-back automatic weapon, it was designed to fire the FN 5.7×28mm cartridge which can penetrate soft body armor. The P90 was designed to have a length no greater than a man's shoulder width, to allow it to be easily carried and maneuvered in tight spaces, such as

455-453: A NATO CRISAT vest or an NIJ IIIA soft Kevlar armor at up to 200 m (220 yd)), PDWs have also been used by special forces , paramilitaries , heavily armed tactical police , and bodyguards . In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, shortened versions of the infantry rifle were issued as " carbines " for cavalry troops and gun crews. This designation was dropped as infantry rifle designs became shortened overall, such as in

546-558: A carbine converted pistol may be treated as a standard rifle under Title I of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). However, certain "Broomhandle" Mauser C96, Luger, and Browning Hi-Power Curio & Relic pistols with their originally issued stock attached only may retain their pistol classification. Carbines without a stock and not originally manufactured as a rifle are not classified as rifles or short barreled rifles. A carbine manufactured under 26 in (660 mm) in length without

637-402: A certain number of soldiers need to retain longer-range weapons, serving as designated marksmen. The rest can carry lighter, shorter-ranged weapons for close quarters combat and suppressive fire. This is basically a more extreme extension of the idea that brought the original assault rifle. Another factor is that with the increasing weight of technology, sighting systems, ballistic armor , etc.,

728-581: A few examples kept by Ordnance Department . In 1918, Ribeyrolles, Sutter and Chauchat designed the Chauchat-Ribeyrolles 1918 submachine gun . This weapon was meant to be used for close-range protection for the French tank crews. The weapon is based on the RSC Mle. 1917 semi-automatic rifle mechanism. The first trials used a Mannlicher–Berthier clip holding eight cartridges. The trials continued until 1919 with

819-565: A forward vertical grip will be a pistol and, state law notwithstanding, can be carried concealed without creating an unregistered Any Other Weapon . A nearly identical carbine with an overall length of 26 in (660 mm) or greater is simply an unclassified firearm under Title I of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as the Any Other Weapon catch-all only applies to firearms under 26 in (660 mm) or that have been concealed. However,

910-518: A modification intending to fire from the shoulder and bypass the regulation of short-barreled rifles is considered the unlawful possession and manufacture of an unregistered short-barreled rifle. In some historical cases, the term machine carbine was the official title for submachine guns, such as the British Sten and Australian Owen guns . The semiautomatic-only version of the Sterling submachine gun

1001-546: A new, slightly larger and heavier caliber such as the 6.5mm Grendel or 6.8mm Remington SPC , which are heavier and thus retain more effectiveness at lower muzzle velocities. While the U.S. Army adopted the M4 carbine in 1994, the U.S. Marine Corps retained their 20-inch (510 mm) barrel M16A4 rifles long afterwards, citing the increased range and effectiveness over the carbine version; officers were required to carry an M4 carbine rather than an M9 pistol, as Army officers do. Because

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1092-470: A pistol or full carbine conversion kits, which are at least 26 in (660 mm) long and replace the pistol's barrel with one at least 16 in (410 mm) long for compliance with the United States law. In the United States, fitting a shoulder stock to a handgun with a barrel less than 16 inches (410 mm) long possibly turns said firearm into a short-barreled rifle , which may be in violation of

1183-501: A pistol using the same ammunition is controllability. The combination of firing from the shoulder, longer sight-radius, three points of contact (firing hand, support hand, and shoulder), and precision offer a significantly more user-friendly platform. Many carbines have the ability to mount optics, lights and lasers to accessory rails, which make target acquisition and engagement much easier. The longer barrel can offer increased velocity and, with it, greater energy and effective range due to

1274-564: A process which can take several months. Because of this, firearms with barrels of less than 16 in (410 mm) and a shoulder stock are uncommon. A list of firearms not covered by the NFA due to their antique status may be found here or due to their Curio and Relic status may be found here; these lists includes a number of carbines with barrels less than the minimum legal length and firearms that are "primarily collector's items and are not likely to be used as weapons and, therefore, are excluded from

1365-592: A proprietary cartridge, such as the 5.7×28mm cartridge for the FN P90 or the 4.6×30mm for the H&;K MP7, neither of which were originally compatible with any existing pistols or rifles/carbines. Although both manufacturers planned handguns that used the same proprietary rounds, only FN went forward with production of the Five-SeveN pistol, which was the only handgun option available for the 5.7×28mm cartridge for over two decades until

1456-577: A requirement for a "light rifle" with greater range, firepower, and accuracy than the M1911 pistol while weighing half as much as the M1 Garand. As a result, the U.S. developed the semi-automatic M1 Carbine and shortly thereafter the select-fire M2 Carbine. Widely employed until the end of the Vietnam War, these carbines are generally considered the forerunners of modern personal defense weapons. In 1969, AO-46

1547-518: A result of the propellant . The drawback is that one loses the primary benefits of a handgun, i.e. portability and concealability, resulting in a weapon almost the size of, but less accurate than, a long-gun, but not much more powerful than a pistol. Also widely produced are semi-automatic and typically longer-barreled derivatives of select-fire submachine guns , such as the FN PS90 , HK USC , KRISS Vector , Thompson carbine , CZ Scorpion S1 carbine , and

1638-443: A rifle, perhaps because it was designed as such and not shortened from a longer weapon. Modern carbines use ammunition ranging from that used in light pistols up to powerful rifle cartridges, with the usual exception of high-velocity magnum cartridges. In the more powerful cartridges, the short barrel of a carbine has significant disadvantages in velocity, and the high residual pressure, and frequently still-burning powder and gases, when

1729-480: A short barrel and sight radius, it is not accurate or powerful enough at longer ranges. Submachine guns also tend to have poorer armor and cover penetration than rifles and carbines firing rifle ammunition. Consequently, carbines have gained wide acceptance among United States Special Operations Command , United Kingdom Special Forces , and other communities, having relatively light weight, large magazine capacity, selective fire, and much better range and penetration than

1820-624: A shorter barrel, flash suppressor, and manufacturing modifications designed to decrease the rifle's weight Officially titled Rifle, No. 5 Mk I , it was introduced in the closing months of World War II, but it did not see widespread service until the Korean War , the Mau Mau Uprising , and the Malayan Emergency as well as the Vietnam War . A shorter weapon was more convenient when riding in

1911-425: A submachine gun. The smaller size and relative lighter weight of carbines makes them easier to handle in close-quarter situations such as urban engagements, when deploying from military vehicles, or in any situation where space is confined. The disadvantages of carbines relative to rifles include inferior long-range accuracy and a shorter effective range. These comparisons refer to carbines (short-barreled rifles) of

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2002-641: A truck, armored personnel carrier , helicopter , or aircraft, and also when engaged in close-range combat. Based on the combat experience of World War II, the criteria used for selecting infantry weapons began to change. Unlike previous wars, which were often fought mainly from fixed lines and trenches, World War II was a highly mobile war, often fought in cities, forests, or other areas where mobility and visibility were restricted. In addition, improvements in artillery made moving infantry in open areas even less practical than it had been. The majority of enemy contacts were at ranges of less than 300 metres (330 yards), and

2093-493: A weapon using the same magazine as the Chauchat. The results were satisfactory but the weapon was too powerful for the intended self-protection use. A mix of standard and tracer bullets was planned to be used to assist in aiming. In 1938, the U.S. Army Ordnance Department received a request for a light rifle to be issued to mortarmen, radiomen, drivers, clerks, cooks, and similar grades. During field exercises, these troops found that

2184-535: Is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges . The smaller size and lighter weight of carbines make them easier to handle. They are typically issued to high-mobility troops such as special operations soldiers and paratroopers , as well as to mounted, artillery , logistics, or other non- infantry personnel whose roles do not require full-sized rifles, although there

2275-525: Is a growing tendency for carbines to be issued to front-line soldiers to offset the increasing weight of other issued equipment. An example of this is the M4 carbine , the standard issue carbine of the United States Armed Forces . The name comes from its first users — cavalry troopers called " carabiniers ", from the French carabine , from Old French carabin (soldier armed with a musket), whose origin

2366-404: Is easy to use while having sufficient firepower to suppress enemy charges and hold them beyond a safe perimeter to prevent the defenders from being overrun, but the risk of hostility is rare enough that a standard service rifle would be an unnecessary burden during their normal duties. Because of their light weight, controllability, ease of operation and close-range effectiveness (can penetrate

2457-524: Is known as battle rifles and were a few inches shorter than the standard-issue rifles they replaced (22-inch (560 mm) barrel as opposed to 24 inches (610 mm) for the M1 Garand), although they were still full-powered rifles, with selective fire capability. These can be compared to the even shorter, less-powerful assault rifle, which might be considered the "carbine branch of weapons development", although indeed, there are now carbine variants of many of

2548-452: Is the pistol-caliber carbine. These first appeared soon after metallic cartridges became common. These were developed as "companions" to the popular revolvers of the day, firing the same cartridge but allowing more velocity and accuracy than the revolver. These were carried by cowboys , lawmen, and others in the Old West . The classic combination would be a Winchester lever-action carbine and

2639-686: Is unclear. One theory connects it to an "ancient engine of war" called a calabre ; another connects it to Medieval Latin Calabrinus 'Calabrian'; yet another, less likely, to escarrabin , gravedigger, from the scarab beetle . In 1432, the Joseon dynasty under the reign of Sejong the Great introduced the world's first handgun , the chongtong ( 총통 ). The chongtong has a total length of 13.8 cm (5.4 in), an inner diameter of 0.9 cm (0.35 in), and an outer diameter of 1.4 cm (0.55 in). It

2730-512: The .30-06 M1 Garand, as is typical for most rifles and carbines, but it was a wholly different design, firing a smaller, less-powerful cartridge . The "M1" designates each as the first model in the new U.S. designation system, which no longer used the year of introduction but a sequential series of numbers starting at "1": the M1 carbine and M1 rifle . The United Kingdom developed a " jungle carbine " version of their Lee–Enfield service rifle, featuring

2821-464: The American West , who could carry a revolver and a carbine, both using the same ammunition. The Lee–Enfield cavalry carbine , a shortened version of the standard British Army infantry rifle was introduced in 1896, although it did not become the standard British cavalry weapon until 1903. In late 1918, France developed the Chauchat-Ribeyrolles for tank crews to defend themselves. Developed from

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2912-572: The Apartheid era of South Africa and the Rhodesian Bush War / South African Border War , a semi-automatic-only pistol-calibre carbine based on submachine guns existed for civilian personal protection as land defence pistol s (LDP). Known examples were the Bell & White 84, BHS Rhogun, Cobra Mk1 , GM-16, Kommando LDP, Northwood R-76, Paramax, Sanna 77 and TS III. Some handguns used to come from

3003-493: The EM-2 . They pressed for the U.S. to adopt it so it could become a NATO-standard round, but the U.S. insisted on retaining a full-power, .30 caliber round. This forced NATO to adopt the 7.62×51mm NATO round (which in reality is only slightly different ballistically from the .308 Winchester), to maintain commonality. The British eventually adopted the 7.62mm FN FAL , and the U.S. adopted the 7.62mm M14 rifle . These rifles are both what

3094-504: The Fusil Automatique Modèle 1917 , the stock was replaced with a pistol grip, and the barrel is significantly shorter at 340 mm (13 in) resulting in an overall length of 575 mm (22.6 in). In the decades following World War I, the standard battle rifle used by armies around the world had been growing shorter, either by redesign or by the general issue of carbine versions instead of full-length rifles. This move

3185-493: The M1 Garand rifle was too heavy and too cumbersome for general issue. And, while handguns are undeniably convenient, they had limited range, accuracy and power. This request was refused by authorities. In 1940, after Germany's use of glider-borne and paratroop forces to infiltrate and attack strategic points behind the front lines, the request for a light rifle was resubmitted and subsequently approved. U.S. Army Ordnance issued

3276-643: The M2 Bradley , named the M231 Firing Port Weapon . In 1980, the weapon was adopted as the M231. Although most of the Bradley AFV's ports have since been removed, these weapons are maintained, and are used by crews for self-defense, close-quarters situations, and for firing from the rear door firing ports as intended. Developed during the 1980s, the "Personal Defense Weapon" (PDW) concept was created in response to

3367-545: The National Firearms Act ; this is currently being adjudicated by the courts. Under the National Firearms Act, firearms with shoulder stocks or originally manufactured as a rifle and barrels less than 16 in (410 mm) in length are classified as short-barreled rifles. Short-barreled rifles are restricted similarly to short-barreled shotguns , requiring a $ 200 tax paid prior to manufacture or transfer –

3458-628: The Short Magazine Lee–Enfield rifle. Thereafter, handguns were typically issued as self-defense weapons. However, they were not effective in most close combat situations. As a result, during the First World War, the Mauser C96 and artillery versions of the Luger pistol were issued with attachable shoulder stock holsters, which allowed for greater control and accuracy. During World War I,

3549-536: The Sturmgewehr 44 , later translated as " assault rifle " (also frequently called "machine carbines" by Allied intelligence, a quite accurate assessment, in fact). Very shortly after World War II, the USSR adopted a similar weapon, the ubiquitous AK-47 , the first model in the famed Kalashnikov-series , which became the standard Soviet infantry weapon and which has been produced and exported in extremely large numbers up through

3640-542: The Union was the Spencer carbine , one of the first breechloading , repeating weapons. It had a spring-powered, removable tube magazine in the buttstock which held seven rounds and could be reloaded by inserting spare tubes. It was intended to give the cavalry a replacement weapon which could be fired from horseback without the need for awkward reloading after each shot – although it saw service mostly with dismounted troopers, as

3731-557: The Uzi carbine . In order to be sold legally in many countries, the barrel must meet a minimum length (16 inches (410 mm) in the United States). So the original submachine gun is given a legal-length barrel and made into a semi-automatic firearm, transforming it into a carbine. Though less common, pistol-caliber conversions of centerfire rifles like the AR-15 are commercially available. During

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3822-418: The saber often remained main weapon of such cavalry. Dragoons and other mounted infantry that dismounted for battles usually adopted standard infantry firearms, though some favored versions that were less encumbering when riding – something that could be arranged to hang clear of the rider's elbows and horse's legs. While more portable, carbines had the general disadvantages of less accuracy and power than

3913-521: The 16th century had infantry armed with firearms , prompting cavalry to do the same, even though reloading muzzle loading firearms while moving mounted was highly impractical. Some cavalry, such as the German Reiters , added one or more pistols, while other cavalry, such as harquebusiers , tried various shorter, lightened versions of the infantry arquebus weapons – the first carbines. But these weapons were still difficult to reload while mounted, and

4004-572: The 7N21 and 7N31 ammunition. The Russian Aerospace Forces added the PPK-20 variant of the PP-19-01 Vityaz into the ejection survival kits of the MiG-29 , Mig-35 , Su-24 , Su-27 , Su-30SM , Su-34 , Su-35 and Su-57 . The PDW concept has not been widely successful, partly because existing PDWs are not significantly cheaper to manufacture than carbines or full-size military rifles. Most PDWs also use

4095-605: The AK-47 was put into service – was designated a carbine, even though its 20-inch (510 mm) barrel was significantly longer than the AK series' 16.3 inches (410 mm). This is because of the Kalashnikov's revolutionary nature, which altered the old paradigm. Compared to previous rifles, particularly the Soviets' initial attempts at semi-automatic rifles, such as the 24-inch (610 mm) SVT-40 ,

4186-546: The AK47 was produced by the millions and was standard-issue to all Soviet troops, as well as those of many other nations. The U.S. was slow to follow suit, insisting on retaining a full-power, 7.62×51mm NATO rifle, the M14 (although this was selective fire). In the 1950s, the British developed the .280 British , an intermediate cartridge, and a select-fire bullpup assault rifle to fire it,

4277-609: The Colt Commando was a bit longer, at 11.5 inches (290 mm). Neither was adopted as standard issue, although the U.S. did later adopt the somewhat longer M4 carbine, with a 14.5-inch (370 mm) barrel. In 1994, the U.S. had adopted the M4 carbine , a derivative of the M16 family which fired the same 5.56mm cartridge but was lighter and shorter (in overall length and barrel length), resulting in marginally reduced range and power, although offering better mobility and lighter weight to offset

4368-409: The M1 Garand rifle, and that it was intended for rear-area troops who could not be hindered with full-sized rifles but needed something more powerful and accurate than a Model 1911 pistol (although this did not stop soldiers from using them on the front line). Contrary to popular belief, and even what some books claim, in spite of both being designated "M1", the M1 carbine was not a shorter version of

4459-460: The M14 as the standard infantry weapon, although the M14 continued to be used by designated marksmen . Although at 20 inches (510 mm), the barrel of the M16 was shorter than that of the M14, it was still designated a "rifle" rather than a "carbine", and it was still longer than the AK-47, which used a 16-inch (410 mm) barrel. (The SKS – an interim, semi-automatic, weapon adopted a few years before

4550-548: The Marine Corps emphasizes "every Marine a rifleman", the lighter carbine was considered a suitable compromise between a rifle and a pistol. Marines with restricted mobility such as vehicle operators, or a greater need for mobility such as squad leaders, were issued M4 carbines. In 2015, the Marine Corps approved the M4 carbine for standard issue to front-line Marines, replacing the M16A4 rifle. The rifles are issued to support troops while

4641-544: The PDWs much better ballistic performance ( effective range , external ballistics and armor-penetrating capability) than conventional submachine guns, which fire larger-caliber but slower and less aerodynamic handgun cartridges . The low recoil of these "sub-intermediate" cartridges also makes muzzle jumps on PDWs (which typically have short barrels ) much easier to handle than short-barreled rifles , especially when shooting in automatic fire or burst fire . The name describes

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4732-628: The SKS was significantly shorter. The Kalashnikov altered traditional notions and ushered in a change in what was considered a "rifle" in military circles.) In 1974, shortly after the introduction of the 5.56mm NATO, the USSR began to issue a new Kalashnikov variant, the AK-74 , chambered in the small-bore 5.45×39mm cartridge, which was a standard 7.62×39mm necked down to take a smaller, lighter, faster bullet. It soon became standard issue in Soviet nations, although many of

4823-581: The United States did not change between the bolt-action M1903 rifle of World War I and the World War II M1 Garand rifle, because the 610 mm (24 in) barrel on the M1903 was still shorter than even the shortened versions of the Model 1891 and Gewehr 98. The U.S. M1 carbine was more of a traditional carbine in that it was significantly shorter and lighter, with a 450.9 mm (17.75 in) barrel, than

4914-553: The United States secretly developed the Pedersen device attachment for the M1903 Springfield rifle that allowed it to fire the .30-18 Auto (7.65×20mm Longue) pistol cartridge in semi-automatic mode. This attachment was developed to allow an infantryman to convert "his rifle to a form of submachine gun or automatic rifle" in approximately 15 seconds. Production of the device and modified M1903 rifles started in 1918. However,

5005-512: The United States, and their magazines can be used in the Hi-Point C-9 pistol. Another example is the Kel-Tec SUB-2000 series chambered in either 9mm Parabellum or .40 S&W , which can be configured to accept Glock, Beretta, S&W, or SIG pistol magazines. The SUB-2000 also has the somewhat unusual (although not unique) ability to fold in half. The primary advantage of a carbine over

5096-512: The United States. The Heckler & Koch MP7 is also used in a number of countries, including Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. 9×21mm IMI .357 SIG .40 S&W Italy PDW-caliber guns without select fire capabilities CMMG Resolute, Mk4/Mk57 5.7×28mm Carbine A carbine ( / ˈ k ɑːr b iː n / KAR -been or / ˈ k ɑːr b aɪ n / KAR -byn )

5187-540: The assault rifles which had themselves seemed quite small and light when adopted. By the 1960s, after becoming involved in war in Vietnam, the U.S. did an abrupt about-face and decided to standardize on the intermediate 5.56×45mm round (based on the .223 Remington varmint cartridge ) fired from the new, lightweight M16 rifle , leaving NATO to hurry and catch up. Many of the NATO countries could not afford to re-equip so soon after

5278-438: The bullet exits the barrel results in substantially greater muzzle blast . Flash suppressors are a common, partial solution to this problem, although even the best flash suppressors are hard put to deal with the excess flash from the still-burning powder leaving the short barrel (and they also add several inches to the length of the barrel, diminishing the purpose of having a short barrel in the first place). The typical carbine

5369-417: The carbines go to the front-line Marines, in a reversal of the traditional roles of "rifles for the front line, carbines for the rear". Special forces need to perform fast, decisive operations, frequently airborne or boat-mounted. A pistol, though light and quick to operate, is viewed as not having enough power, firepower, or range. A submachine gun has selective fire, but firing a pistol cartridge and having

5460-473: The core pierce it. The RG054 variant of the 9×21mm cartridge follows the same pattern. The space between the core and the bimetallic jacket is filled with polyethyelene which results in 7N21 being lighter than regular 9×19mm, 7N31 is even lighter than 7N21. Using a different variant of the same cartridge bears the advantage that regular ammunition can still be used. The PP-19-01 Vityaz , PP-2000 and GSh-18 can use regular 9×19mm Parabellum as well as

5551-405: The enemy was exposed to fire for only short periods of time as they moved from cover to cover. Most rounds fired were not aimed at an enemy combatant but instead fired in the enemy's direction to keep them from moving and from firing back . These situations did not require a heavy rifle, firing full-power rifle bullets with long-range accuracy. A less-powerful weapon would still produce casualties at

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5642-415: The factory with mounting lugs for a shoulder stock, notably including the "Broomhandle" Mauser C96 , Luger P.08 , and Browning Hi-Power . In the case of the first two, the pistol could come with a hollow wooden stock that doubled as a holster. Carbine conversion kits are commercially available for many other pistols, including M1911 , and most Glocks . These can either be simple shoulder stocks fitted to

5733-526: The frontier provinces starting in June 1437. The chongtong was used by soldiers of different units and civilians, including women and children, as a personal defense weapon. The gun was notably used by chetamja ( 체탐자 , special reconnaissance), whose mission was to infiltrate enemy territory , and by carabiniers carrying multiple guns, who benefited from its compact size. The carbine was originally developed for cavalry . The start of early modern warfare about

5824-515: The heavy use of polymers in its construction, the MP7 is much lighter than older SMG designs, weighing only 1.2 kg (2.65 lb) with an empty 20-round magazine. Russia uses 7N21 and 7N31 cartridges which are hotter loaded 9x19mm Parabellum cartridges with special armor piercing bullets. The armor piercing bullets consist of a hardened steel core inside a lighter sleeve which damages soft targets but strips off if it hits an armored target and lets

5915-517: The inside of an armored vehicle. Introduced in 2001, the Heckler & Koch MP7 is a direct rival to the FN P90. Featuring a more conventional-looking design, the MP7 uses a short-stroke piston gas system as used on H&K's G36 and HK416 assault rifles, in place of a blowback system traditionally seen on submachine guns. The MP7 is able to use 20-, 30- and 40-round magazines and fires 4.6×30mm ammunition which can penetrate soft body armor. Due to

6006-589: The introduction of Ruger-57 in 2019. In turn, this made the PDW cartridges expensive to consumers due to the lack of mass production. Though personal defense weapons have not been very popular for their intended application, they have been acquired by various military special forces units and law enforcement groups, as an upgrade for their older submachine guns . The FN P90 and Five-seven pistol are used by military and police forces in over 40 countries, including Canada, Cyprus, France, Greece, India, Peru, Poland, Spain, and

6097-473: The late 19th century was artillery carbine . As the rifled musket replaced the smoothbore firearms for infantry in the mid 19th century, carbine versions were also developed; this was often developed separately from the infantry rifles and, in many cases, did not even use the same ammunition, which made for supply difficulties. A notable weapon developed towards the end of the American Civil War by

6188-434: The longer guns of the infantry. During Napoleonic warfare , pistol and carbine-armed cavalry generally transitioned into traditional melee cavalry or dragoons. Carbines found increased use outside of standard cavalry and infantry, such as support and artillery troops, who might need to defend themselves from attack but would be hindered by keeping full-sized weapons with them continuously; a common title for many short rifles in

6279-491: The nations with export Kalashnikovs retained the larger 7.62×39mm round. In 1995, the People's Republic of China adopted a new 5.8×42mm cartridge to match the modern trend in military ammunition, replacing the previous 7.62×39mm and 5.45×39mm round as standard. Later, even lighter carbine variants of many of these short-barreled assault rifles came to be adopted as the standard infantry weapon. In much modern tactical thinking, only

6370-413: The only way to reduce the burden on the modern soldier was to equip them with a smaller, lighter weapon. Also, modern soldiers rely a great deal on vehicles and helicopters to transport them around the battle area, and a longer weapon can be a serious hindrance to entering and exiting these vehicles. Development of lighter assault rifles continued, matched by developments in even lighter carbines. In spite of

6461-498: The present day. Although the United States had developed the M2 carbine, a selective-fire version of the M1 carbine during WW2, the .30 carbine cartridge was closer to a pistol round in power, making it more of a submachine gun than an assault rifle. It was also adopted only in very small numbers and issued to few troops (the semi-automatic M1 carbine was produced in a 10-to-1 ratio to the M2), while

6552-535: The propellant having more time to burn. However, loss in bullet velocity can happen where the propellant is utilised before the bullet reaches the muzzle, combined with the friction from the barrel on the bullet. As long guns, pistol-caliber carbines may be less legally restricted than handguns in some jurisdictions. Compared to carbines chambered in intermediate or rifle calibers, such as .223 Remington and 7.62×54mmR , pistol-caliber carbines generally experience less of an increase in external ballistic properties as

6643-418: The provisions of the National Firearms Act." Machine guns , as their own class of firearm, are not subject to requirements of other class firearms. Distinct from simple shoulder stock kits, full carbine conversion kits are not classified as short-barreled rifles. By replacing the pistol barrel with one at least 16 in (410 mm) in length and having an overall length of at least 26 in (660 mm),

6734-410: The recent 7.62mm standardization, leaving them armed with full-power 7.62mm battle rifles for some decades afterwards, although by this point, the 5.56mm has been adopted by almost all NATO countries and many non-NATO nations as well. This 5.56mm NATO round was even lighter and smaller than the Soviet 7.62×39mm AK-47 cartridge but possessed higher velocity. In U.S. service, the M16 assault rifle replaced

6825-423: The recoil of full-power rifle cartridges caused the weapon to be uncontrollable in full-automatic fire. They then developed an intermediate-power cartridge round, which was accomplished by reducing the power and the length of the standard 7.92×57mm Mauser rifle cartridge to create the 7.92×33mm kurz (short) cartridge. A selective-fire weapon was developed to fire this shorter cartridge, eventually resulting in

6916-554: The same caliber, and the (discontinued) Marlin Camp carbine , which, in .45 ACP , used M1911 magazines. The Ruger Model 44 and Ruger Deerfield carbine were both carbines chambered in .44 Magnum. The Beretta Cx4 Storm shares magazines with many Beretta pistols and is designed to be complementary to the Beretta Px4 Storm pistol. The Hi-Point 995TS are popular, economical and reliable alternatives to other pistol caliber carbines in

7007-451: The same power and class as the regular full-sized rifles. Compared to submachine guns, carbines have a greater effective range and are capable of penetrating helmets and body armor when used with armor-piercing ammunition . However, submachine guns are still used by military special forces and police SWAT teams for close quarters battle because they are "a pistol caliber weapon that's easy to control, and less likely to over-penetrate

7098-402: The short barrels of the new assault rifles, carbine variants like the 5.45×39mm AKS-74U and Colt Commando were being developed for use when mobility was essential and a submachine gun was not sufficiently powerful. The AKS-74U featured an extremely short 8.1-inch (210 mm) barrel which necessitated redesigning and shortening the gas-piston and integrating front sights onto the gas tube;

7189-459: The shorter barrel, which when coupled with the typical small, lightweight bullets, causes effectiveness to be diminished; a 5.56mm gets its lethality from its high velocity, and when fired from the 14.5-inch (370 mm) M4 carbine, its power, penetration, and range are diminished. Thus, there has been a move towards adopting a slightly more powerful cartridge tailored for high performance from both long and short barrels. The U.S. has experimented with

7280-430: The shorter ranges encountered in actual combat, and the reduced recoil would allow more shots to be fired in the short amount of time an enemy was visible. The lower-powered round would also weigh less, allowing a soldier to carry more ammunition. With no need of a long barrel to fire full-power ammunition, a shorter barrel could be used. A shorter barrel made the weapon weigh less, was easier to handle in tight spaces, and

7371-944: The target." Also, carbines are harder to maneuver in tight encounters where superior range and stopping power at distance are not great considerations. Firing the same ammunition as standard-issue rifles or pistols gives carbines the advantage of standardization over those personal defense weapons that require proprietary cartridges . The modern usage of the term carbine covers much the same scope as it always had, namely lighter weapons (generally rifles) with barrels up to 20 inches (510 mm) in length. These weapons can be considered carbines, while rifles with barrels longer than 20 inches (510 mm) are generally not considered carbines unless specifically named so. Conversely, many rifles have barrels shorter than 20 inches, yet are not considered carbines. The AK series rifles has an almost universal barrel length of 16.3 inches (410 mm), well within carbine territory, yet has always been considered

7462-493: The title PDW . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=PDW&oldid=1217302963 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Personal defense weapon The use of these rifle-like cartridges gives

7553-643: The trenches and merely proved a hindrance to the soldiers. Examples include the Russian Model 1891 rifle , originally with an 800 mm (31 in) barrel, later shortened to 730 mm (29 in) in 1930, and to 510 mm (20 in) in 1938, the German Mauser Gewehr 98 rifles went from 740 mm (29 in) in 1898 to 600 mm (24 in) in 1935 as the Karabiner 98k (K98k or Kar98k), or "short carbine". The barrel lengths in rifles used by

7644-447: The war ended before they were sent to Europe. The contract was cancelled on March 1, 1919, after production of 65,000 devices, 1.6 million magazines, 65 million cartridges and 101,775 modified Springfield rifles. The Pedersen device was declared surplus in 1931. To prevent them from falling into the hands of the lawless, nearly all of the stored devices were destroyed by the Army except for

7735-630: The weapon's original conceptual role: as a compact but powerful small arm that can be conveniently carried for personal defense, usually by support personnel behind the front line such as military engineers , logistic drivers, medical specialists , artillery crews, or signallers . These "second-line" personnel are not strictly combat troops expected to directly engage the enemy, but may still be at risk of encountering decently equipped (and often well-armored) hostile skirmishers and infiltrators , therefore having to defend themselves in close quarters . Such encounters will warrant an effective weapon that

7826-415: The weight of equipment and armor that a modern soldier has to carry. In spite of the benefits of the modern carbine, many armies are experiencing a certain backlash against the universal equipping of soldiers with carbines and lighter rifles in general, and are equipping selected soldiers, usually designated marksmen, with higher-powered rifles. Another problem comes from the loss of muzzle velocity caused by

7917-627: Was an unsolicited design by Peter Andreevich Tkachev working at TsNIITochMash . Although not accepted for service, this design, in combination with report of the US use of the XM-177 in Vietnam led the GRAU to start the competition known as Project Modern , which led to the adoption of AKS-74U for service. In 1979, Rock Island Arsenal designed a version of the M16 assault rifle adapted for shooting from firing ports on

8008-430: Was easier to shoulder quickly to fire a shot at an unexpected target. Full-automatic fire was also considered a desirable feature, allowing the soldier to fire short bursts of three to five rounds, increasing the probability of a hit on a moving target. The Germans had experimented with selective-fire carbines firing rifle cartridges during the early years of World War II. These were determined to be less than ideal, as

8099-436: Was held by the cheolheumja ( 철흠자 , "iron tong-handle"), which allows a quick change of barrel for the next shot, and fired chasejeon ( Korean :  차세전 ; Hanja :  次細箭 ; a contemporary type of standardized bolt ) with a maximum fatal range of around 250 metres (820 ft). Initially, Joseon considered the gun a failure due to its short effective range, but the chongtong quickly saw use after fielding to

8190-433: Was initiated by the U.S. Model 1903 Springfield , which was originally produced in 1907 with a short 610 mm (24 in) barrel, providing a short rifle that was longer than a carbine but shorter than a typical rifle, so it could be issued to all troops without need for separate versions. Other nations followed suit after World War I, when they learned that their traditional long-barreled rifles provided little benefit in

8281-436: Was typical of cavalry weapons during that war. In the late 19th century, it became common for a number of nations to make bolt-action rifles in both full-length and carbine versions. One of the most popular and recognizable carbines were the lever-action Winchester carbines , with several versions available firing revolver cartridges. This made it an ideal choice for cowboys and explorers, as well as other inhabitants of

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