Agreed with GASmitty...A militarized carbine or rifle as related to being an 'assault rifle' as by definition has an action that is automatic specifically in firing mechanism (not loading) be burst fire or fully automatic.
As to difference between carbine and rifle, that is IMHO minutae that overall waters down the point.
Most people at sight cannot discern 18 inches from 21 inches from 16 inches...Nor care to do so when it comes to longarms. Even manufacturers get this one twisted which adds to the confusion.
At home I have a Sig 556 carbine type rifle (16" barrel length).
It is a carbine type 'rifle'.
It is not an 'assault rifle'.
It has an automatic loading function as by design, and supports as an OEM feature bolt action type loading too.
It has polymer furniture.
It is loaded using an external box magazine.
It's roots are in military and law enforcement use.
It is not specifically a military nor law enforcement firearm.
It is black in color overall.
It is a semi-automatic (automatic loading with manual single action action firing) carbine type rifle, that is a firearm not a weapon.
Same as all of my model '1911' handguns which also are firearms not weapons.
Same as my Mossberg 590A1 short barrel shotgun, which is slide/pump action.
Same as the Marlin 1895 .45-70 carbine rifle I have cased to my right as used to hunt bear....Chambered to accept a specifically military applied innovation round.
Lets not muddy the water with minutae and fine discernment of this versus that. The Brady Campaign and other antis including much of the media as well as Hollywood and fiction writers for centuries have very well done that for us which is why things are as they are today.
Keep it simple and call a 'duck' a duck, rather than as say a
'Common Merganser' as for the folk who are in the know about minutae.
Otherwise all that you result in is confusion, misinformation and people operating on and making decisions by assumptive ignorance.
There are just three base types (species if you will) of firearm:
* Rifle
* Shotgun
* Handgun
There in are many different variants, or sub-species...
Carbine, 'automatic', revolver, SBS, SBR, AOW, SMG, PDW, EBR, 'M4', 'assault rifle', 'battle rifle', slide/pump action, lever action, bolt action, break action, OU, SBS, and the list goes on longer than God's own arm.
At the end of the day you either have a rifle, shotgun, or handgun as a civilian.
What's next, the definition of what a combat folder knife is as opposed to a non-combat folder knife? Or how about the difference between a 'sword' and that of a cavalier and a machete?
It can be taken to such degree of minutae that it just becomes silly and of no good purpose nor benefit, as is the case we have and have had for generations now with relation to firearms.
Firearms have since the start been adopted by military, police and criminals for use.
Equally so military specific design intent firearms have been from the start reapplied including at times with modified design for use by civilians such as hunters, sport & recreation shooters as well as those who simply have desire for personal and/or home land defense.
Do not allow others, antis and the media to twist things and convince you of otherwise.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck and lives on water like a duck too...Then most probably it is a duck, even if it's sub-species name is 'swan' or 'goose'.
Also an item of
_FACT_ that often times students in hunting related
Waterfowl Identification courses find difficult to believe as due to physical appearances, configuration, coloration and what they think they learned from hollywood and/or the media.
Anything and everything has been used and applied toward "combat" including Remington 870 shotguns and 700 rifles as sold at Dicks and .22 revolvers that kids and adult newbies tend to learn on. And yes AR type _rifles_ too regardless of barrel length, profile, or whether they are black and have a muzzle brake/flash hider/sound dissipation device attached at some point or not.
- Janq owns rifle, shotgun and handgun firearms...Nothing more, nor less