User blog comment:Gen.Cain/I have and igrorant question/@comment-1260687-20100329152319

A rifle is typically a shoulder-fired weapon, firing intermediate or full-power rounds from a rifled barrel to enhance the accuracy of the slug. A carbine shares the same characteristics, except that it features a shortened stock or barrel, and is usually created from a "parent" rifle design. A submachine gun is a carbine-sized weapon firing pistol-caliber rounds, and is usually capable of automatic fire. A light machine gun is usually an upscaled infantry rifle, with a longer, heavier barrel barrel, and larger magazines to compensate for automatic fire, or they may be belt-fed; belt-fed ones tend to fire from an open-bolt setup common to automatic weapons intended for long-term suppressive fire.