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Carbine vs short rifle


Irish Pat

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I now have the '73 short rifles (20"). I used '73 carbines, '66 carbines and cowboy comp marlins when I started but found that the slightly lighter round barrel carbines and the much lighter marlins tended to "sweep through" targets a bit faster than I could pull the trigger. Now that I have aged and am not nearly as strong as I once was I wish I had not got rid of the marlins. The only real issue I had with the carbines was that I didn't particularly care for the barrel band and modifications needed to set front sight height for me. The short rifles have a dove tail and can use a variety of manufacturers sights in various heights, back then you sent in your carbine's barrel band, it was modified and the bead mounted into it then returned. Pioneer now has one that is a direct replacement, most likely others do as well.

Try one of each and see which you like, that will be the one you should get.

Regards

 

:FlagAm: :FlagAm: :FlagAm:

 

Gateway Kid

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Personally, I have never thought there was much of any significant difference between a carbine and short rifle, especially when they both have round barrels that are the same length.

 

It really all comes down to what you think looks better, or that somehow works better for you.

 

That's why I say a 24" octagon barrel.   

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I prefer the rifle buttplate.  It seems to hold the gun more still while running the lever.

Some shooters, typically bigger guys, complain that the rifle plate bites their shoulder.

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I have both.  I figured the carbine, with a more rounded butt plate, might be easier on my shoulder, but since they are both in .44 WCF, the recoil is pretty light, so that did not seem to be a factor, once I shot both.  The octagonal barrel, in the short rifle, seems to weigh more, than the round barrel of the carbine.  I like the case-hardening of the short rifle's receiver, pretty well, and of course the carbine is full blue.  I do like the ring, on the saddle ring carbine, not that I use it while on horseback...thus it makes this as useless as breasts on a boar hog...but never-the-less, it looks cool, and looks "old-westy" (is that a word?). 

The lighter carbine may cause you to "overrun" your target, but with practice, I think that can be dealt with. 

The short rifle has a 20 inch barrel, the carbine has a 19 inch barrel...not a lot of meaningful difference...both are in the same caliber (.44 WCF), and both have low recoil.

But...you, like as not, won't buy both styles.  You will spend your hard-earned inflated paper money on one style.  If you can, perhaps you can check out both designs, in a side by side comparison, from a gun shop, or from someone you know that has both short rifle, and carbine.  Otherwise, if you can't do that, it will boil down to which style you like the looks of.  At the recoil they produce, and at the range we shoot, it may just be that easy...the one that you like the looks of the best.

 

W.K. 

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On 7/18/2020 at 6:05 PM, Tex Jones, SASS 2263 said:

I have/had both.  I prefer the short rifle (octagon barrel).  I found the round barrel on the carbine to be a little light in the front and it didn't shoulder as well as the rifle.

I too have both and it definitely comes down to preference on stock shape, weight, balance and appearance.  My preference is for the carbine because it is lighter and the butt of the stock flatter.  I shoulder it more consistently that I do the rifle's crescent shaped butt.

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1st thing to consider is the stock shape. I havent seen a pistol grip carbine so if that's a must for you..... Next thing is the contour of the butt plate. I immediately noticed how it shouldered better for me when I got my carbine. I like the looks of an octagon barrel but IMO the round barrel feels lighter and swings from target to target with less effort. I 100% like my carbines the only downside that I've found is when staging it. If I stage it with the saddle ring down occasionally it'll startle me because of how it lands on it. the ring will stand up as i'm setting it down and as my hands come off of it the rifle settles and drops that little bit. my brain always wants to make my hands go to catch it. I pulled the saddle ring off of my uberti for that reason. My winchester saddle ring doesnt unbolt. 

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I have both in 44-40. I like the short rifle, the difference in weight is not an issue for me. My wife likes the carbine cuz its a little lighter and had me remove the ring as stated by turkey flats, it hangs up when setting the rifle down. Hers' also has the 66 loading gate which makes it way easier to load. The rifle stock tends to catch on loose clothing when shouldering it, and she don't like that either. The carbine stock does not.

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It's a matter of what you like best. I have a 33-inch 73, a n original 1892 short rifle, and a 94 AE "Trapper" with a 16-inch barrel. I like all of them, but shoot the long one the most.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Short rifle with carbine buttstock. I really don't like the rifle Crescent buttplate. But I am 6"2" and 200 lbs. My wife and daughter like their carbines, but are much smaller than I am.

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Irish Pat,

I just pulled out my "hardly ever used" 19 inch round barrel Uberti carbine with a C&I 4th gen SS, that Lefty wheeler did for me, back in 2014.  I had been shooting the 20" Octagon Uberti in the same configuration since 2015. 

 

I will say it is a pleasant re-discovery!!!  Sweet little shooter.  Get one!!!

Smooth...Fast....Your built to shoot it!!!

 

OkDee

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On a 73 I prefer the short rifle. On the 66 I prefer the Carbine. My reasoning has nothing at all to do with performance. It's all about looks. 73 carbines usually come blue and I like the CCH. On a 66, I just love that huge brass butt plate.

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I don't particularly care for the Carbines.  I prefer the Rifle layout.  Ok, I have a Henry Trapper with 16 inch barrel.  Wunderbar.  Ok, I have an 18 inch barrel Henry Carbine.  Also Wunderbar.  Well, I also have a Henry 19 inch Carbine.  even more Wunderbar.  I have a 16 inch 1866 Trapper.  Most excellent.  And a 16 inch 1873 Trapper, also most excellent.  However, I don't particularly care for Carbines as OEM.  Don't like the Stock and Butt Plate.  All my rifles are built on "Rifles" as donors.  :)

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At one time I had both the saddle ring carbine and the 24" rifle, both made by Uberti and both in 44wcf.  Even though I liked the look of the carbine better the timer did not lie, I was consistently better with the 24" rifle.  Now my main match rifle is a 20" rifle with a round barrel made by Miroku/Winchester, best of both worlds for this game IMHO.

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 When I was looking for a '73 I was trying to decide between the carbine and the short rifle. I ended up getting a the Uberti '73  Taylor Trapper model rifle with an 18" octagon barrel and I really like the one I got.

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Yup - one can take the sharp rifle crescent butt plate and modify with a piece of wood and add the leather cover to form more shotgun style butt plate. My 24" Uberti Sharps Deluxe is this config and it is great to quickly shoulder the rifle. It rolls right into it. :) 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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