Carbine

“When you need accuracy on the move, reach for the HUNTSMAN.”

― Fink Manufacturing advertisement

The Huntsman, known in-game as both the Carbine and the Burstgun, is a close-quarter to medium-ranged rifle, part of the BioShock Infinite weapon arsenal. Booker can use both variants of the weapon in combat, and they are notable as accurate mid-to-long range marksman rifles.

Carbine

Huntsman Carbine
Damage	213 - 287
Damage Multipliers	2.25x
Rate of Fire	Medium/High
Spread	Low
Recoil	Medium
Magazine Size	8 or 12 (with upgrade) 12 or 18 (with Bullet Boon) 14 or 23 (with Ammo Advantage)
Maximum Ammunition	8 or 12 + 72 (with upgrade) 12 or 18 + 72 (with Bullet Boon) 14 or 23 + 72 (with Ammo Advantage)
Reload Time	3 Seconds Full Reload
Ammunition	Carbine Ammo
Used by	Booker DeWitt Soldiers Leadhead Splicers Scofield Sansmark

The Carbine is a relatively uncommon weapon, rarely used by enemies, instead being found most often in supply rooms or lying about. The player can find their first Carbine in a locked office in the Welcoming Center of Soldier's Field early in the game, or if lacking Lockpicks, against a banister on the top floor of a building below the entrance to Patriot's Pavilion. It can also be found in the Employees Only section in the Boxer's Rebellion exhibit in the Hall of Heroes. The Carbine is most effective at mid-to-long range, second only to the Sniper Rifle for fighting far away enemies, boasting almost perfect accuracy with each initial shot. The Carbine also has double the magazine capacity of the Sniper Rifle, as well as a rate of fire comparable to the Broadsider, firing almost as fast as the player can pull the trigger. Thus, the Carbine is a much more versatile weapon than the Sniper Rifle, while serving as a more effective close range deterrent in close quarters. If the player is caught off-guard, it is capable of quickly killing most standard enemies with a few body shots. The Carbine also sports high damage with each shot, plus a huge critical damage bonus, making it capable of killing most unarmored enemies with a single headshot through most of the game.

However, the Carbine's main faults come from its lack of overall versatility, as the player can empty its magazine alarmingly quick, made worse by its considerably long reload time. This means that the Carbine is relatively inefficient when fighting in close quarters, as the player will need to place headshots to kill enemies quickly when swarmed. It is thus advisable for the player to carry a second weapon to balance the Carbine's shortcomings, such as a Machine Gun or a Shotgun. Ammunition for the Carbine is also relatively scarce, forcing the player to depend on Elizabeth and Dollar Bill machines for its ammunition, as well as a steady aim and Vigor stuns to ensure that all shots are well placed. This can be somewhat difficult with the Carbine's considerable recoil. Thus the Carbine serves relatively poorly in faster-paced fights, with its best utility being in longer and slower battles.

Huntsman Carbine Upgrade 1: Damage Boost 1 Effect: Increases Carbine damage by 25%. Cost: $357 Upgrade 2: Damage Boost 2 Effect: Increases Carbine damage by 25%. Cost: $357 Upgrade 3: Clip Increase Effect: Increases Carbine clip size by 50%. Cost: $484 Upgrade 4: Recoil Decrease Effect: Decreases Carbine recoil by 60%. Cost: $333

Advantages

• High damage
• Surprisingly accurate
• Kills in a few shots
• Fast rate of fire
• Useful in medium to long range
• Clear iron sights
• Effective even without Tunnel Vision

Disadvantages

• Long reload time (three seconds)
• Ammunition is fairly uncommon
• Small magazine size (can be upgraded)

Burstgun

Vox Burstgun
Damage	85 - 115
Damage Multipliers	2.25x
Rate of Fire	Medium/High
Spread	Low
Recoil	High
Magazine Size	30 45 (with Bullet Boon) 52 (with Ammo Advantage)
Maximum Ammunition	30 + 120 30 + 180 (with Reserve upgrade) 45 + 120 (with Bullet Boon) 45 + 180 (Bullet Boon + Reserve upgrade) 52 + 120 (with Ammo Advantage) 52 + 180 (Ammo Advantage + Reserve upgrade)
Reload Time	3 Seconds Full Reload
Ammunition	Burstgun Ammo
Used by	Booker DeWitt Soldiers

The Vox Burstgun is a modified version of the Huntsman used by the Vox Populi that fires in three-round bursts instead of a single, powerful shot. It is only found in the later parts of the game, first available to the player after opening the Tear in the Shantytown Police Station. It is visually distinct from the Carbine, with a larger magazine, a wide, cylindrical heat shield around the barrel, an improvised optical sight, and the distinctive red tape marking it as a Vox weapon. Despite serving a similar role as a mid-to-long range marksman rifle, the Burstgun functions differently to the Carbine, with each shot delivering one-third of a single Carbine round, splitting up damage in each burst. This means that the Burstgun is considerably more effective in closer ranges than the Carbine, capable of firing more rounds more quickly and hitting multiple enemies with each pull of the trigger. The Burstgun also features a low-magnification sight which, despite using a crude reticle, allows the player to zoom in further than the Carbine when firing, improving long range effectiveness. The Burstgun has a larger magazine than the Carbine, capable of delivering ten full bursts as opposed to the Carbine's eight shots. Ammunition is also more common for the Burstgun than its standard counterpart, being used by Vox Populi members later in the game.

However, the Burstgun's usefulness is impeded by its very high recoil, putting shots far off target after only a few bursts, with the third round of each burst hitting a considerable distance above the initial target. This means that the player must compensate for recoil much more than with the Carbine, making it difficult to place all three shots into a target's head, or even on the target itself at longer ranges. This recoil also negates many of the benefits its optical sight grants, as it is much more noticeable in aimed fire. The division of damage between rounds means that every shot must make contact for the Burstgun to deal the same damage as the Carbine, making it arguably less effective overall. The three-shot burst from a Burstgun also takes longer than a single shot from a Carbine, which can lead to the player being overwhelmed at short-to-medium ranges. Vigor-based stuns such as Shock Jockey and Bucking Bronco are very useful with the Burstgun, making it easier to land all three shots and sustain fire without missing. Overall, the Burstgun is largely inferior to the Carbine and the player may want to pass on it despite its apparent strengths.

Vox Burstgun Upgrade 1: Damage Boost 1 Effect: Increases Burstgun damage by 25%. Cost: $423 Upgrade 2: Damage Boost 2 Effect: Increases Burstgun damage by 25%. Cost: $423 Upgrade 3: Recoil Decrease Effect: Decreases Burstgun recoil by 60%. Cost: $822 Upgrade 4: Ammo Increase Effect: Increases Burstgun reserve ammo by 50%. Cost: $672

Advantages

• Effective in closer ranges
• Quick rate of fire
• Large magazine size
• Higher damage
• Greater ammo reserve

Disadvantages

• High recoil
• Crude optical sights
• Wide bullet spread
• Chance of missing targets
• Less accuracy
• Low damage per bullet
• High ammo consumption

Burial at Sea - Episode 1

Main article: Burial at Sea - Episode 1

The Carbine returns in the ''Burial at Sea'' DLC, and its appearance is reshaped as Art Deco style. The Carbine in ''Burial at Sea'' is quite similar in appearance to the one from the main campaign, but functions like the Burstgun with low recoil.

Gallery

Release

The Carbine.

Carbine iron sight.

Pack of Carbine ammo.

The Burstgun.

The Burstgun's sight.

Pack of Burstgun ammo.

The Carbine in Burial at Sea - Episode 1.

Holding the Carbine in Burial at Sea.

The Carbine model.

The Burstgun model.

Rapture's Carbine model.

Pre-release

Icon from Industrial Revolution.

An early Carbine.

The Carbine's scope.

Concept art for a Carbine.

Behind the Scenes

• The Huntsman Carbine is based on the M1 Carbine , a semi-automatic weapon commonly used by American soldiers during World War II and for decades afterword. The Vox Burstgun is based on its successor, the M2 Carbine. However, it is clear that the Carbine's magazine is loaded with 7.62×51mm NATO rather than the M1 Carbine's .30 Carbine. This is either a development error or could be a way of the developers trying to create a hybrid gun based on aspects of multiple weapons.
• The Achievement/Trophy Big Game Hunter requires 100 kills with the Carbine or Burstgun to unlock.
• In pre-release footage, the Carbine is seen with an attached scope, which is not present in the final game. However, the Burstgun does feature a crude optical sight, most likely handmade by the Vox due to its simple design and seemingly hand-drawn crosshair.