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 weapon that features in BioShock Infinite. Both variants of the weapon are available and used by Booker, and are notable as accurate mid-to-long range marksman rifles.

Carbine


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 early in the game, or if lacking lockpicks, against a bannister on the top floor of a building below the entrance to Soldier's Field. 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 deterrant in close quarters if the player is caught off-guard, capable of quickly killing most standard enemies with a few bodyshots if needed. The Carbine also sports high damage with each shot, plus a huge critical damage bonus, capable of killing most unarmored enemies with a single headshot for most of the game.

However, the Carbine's main faults come from its lack of overall versatility, as the player can empty their magazine alarmingly quickly, only worsened by a 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 advised that the player carries 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 mainly depend on Elizabeth and Dollar Bill machines for 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, meaning that the Carbine serves relatively poorly in faster paced fights, instead finding utility in longer and slower battles.

Burstgun


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 heatshield 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 the target itself at longer ranges. This recoil also negates a lot 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 as a marksman weapon and more effective in mid-range conflicts. 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.

Trivia

 * The Huntsman Carbine and Vox Burstgun models (both based on the United States M1 Carbine) sport an ambidextrous bolt handle, a design trait which at the time of 1912, was extremely unusual if not practically non-existent. The technology to produce a self-loading gas powered rifle did exist at the time, however, having been developed in the 1880s by (perhaps ironically, in the case of the Founder weapon) a Mexican named Manuel Mondragón.
 * 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 reticle.