A carbine 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 M16 rifle is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-round magazine.
The Colt AR-15 is a lightweight, magazine-fed, gas-operated semi-automatic rifle. It is a semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle sold for the civilian and law enforcement markets in the United States. The AR in AR-15 stands for ArmaLite rifle, after the company that developed it in the 1950s. Colt's Manufacturing Company currently owns the AR-15 trademark, which is used exclusively for its line of semi-automatic AR-15 rifles.
The M4 carbine is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The Colt Canada C7 and C8 are a Canadian family of service rifles, manufactured by Colt Canada, having similar design and function to the Colt M16A3.
The La France M16K is an M16 rifle modified by the company La France Specialties, which among with other firearm-related activities, convert common military weapons into more compact configurations typically for law enforcement and special forces use.
The Heckler & KochXM8 is a lightweight assault rifle system developed from the late 1990s to early 2000s. The rifle was designed by German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K), and shares design and engineering with their G36 rifle.
The United States Navy Mk 12 MOD 0/1/H Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) is a designated marksman rifle that was in service with United States Special Operations Forces in the designated marksman role until 2017, also designed to be shorter than standard weapons. SPR initially stood for Special Purpose Receiver as it referred to an add-on upper receiver assembly, but that nomenclature changed to Special Purpose Rifle as the weapon became a stand-alone weapons system.
The Colt Automatic Rifle-15 or CAR-15 is a family of M16 rifle–based firearms marketed by Colt in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, the term "CAR-15" is most commonly associated with the Colt Commando ; these select-fire carbines have ultrashort 10.5-inch (270 mm) and 11.5-inch (290 mm) barrels with over-sized flash suppressors.
The SEAL Recon Rifle is an American designated marksman rifle and assault rifle used by the United States Navy SEALs. Essentially a heavily modified M16 rifle, it is intended to provide SEAL snipers and designated marksmen with a versatile, accurate, lightweight, and relatively compact weapon chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO.
The Close Quarter Battle Receiver (CQBR) is a replacement upper receiver for the M4A1 Carbine, developed by the US Navy.
The Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R) is an American designated marksman rifle used by the United States Army. It is essentially a heavily modified M16 rifle designed to provide U.S. Army designated marksmen greater accuracy and firepower at longer ranges, increasing an infantry squad's effective range to up to 600 meters.
The two most common assault rifles in the world are the Soviet AK-47 and the American M16. These Cold War-era rifles have been used in conflicts both large and small since the 1960s. They are used by military, police, security forces, revolutionaries, terrorists, criminals and civilians alike and will most likely continue to be used for decades to come. As a result, they have been the subject of countless comparisons and endless debate.
The Bushmaster M4 or M4A3 is a semi-automatic or select-fire carbine manufactured by Bushmaster Firearms International, modeled on the AR-15. It is one of the Bushmaster XM15 line of rifles and carbines.
The Barrett M468 was a variant of the M4 Carbine, rechambered for a heavier and larger 6.8mm bullet for increased terminal performance. The designation of M468 stands for an M4 carbine chambered for the 6.8mm SPC cartridge. It was an attempt to create an optimal Special Operations close-to-medium range carbine for Close Quarter Battle (CQB). A 12-inch barreled micro-carbine and 16-inch barreled carbine version were created. Barrett ceased manufacturing the rifle in 2010.
The .300 AAC Blackout, also known as 7.62×35mm, is an intermediate cartridge developed in the United States by Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) for use in the M4 carbine. The cartridge yields increased performance in shorter barrels and effective subsonic performance for silencer use when compared to 5.56mm NATO. The .300 AAC Blackout uses standard 5.56mm NATO magazines and components with the exception of the barrel.
The CAR-15 XM177 or CAR-15 Commando was a part of the CAR-15 Military Weapons System designed in 1966 in response to the US military's desire for a compact M16 variant to improve on the inadequacies of earlier shortened M16 types.
