Crossword Genius

Gunners and engineers are not common (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

rare

'not common' is the definition.
('rare' is the opposite to 'common')

'gunners and engineers' is the wordplay.
'gunners' becomes 'RA' (Royal Artillery).
'and' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'engineers' becomes 're' (abbreviation for Royal Engineers).
'ra'+'re'='RARE'

'are' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for rare that I've seen before include "Might steak be" , "not often spotted" , "Infrequent like underdone meat" , "Occurring infrequently" , "Not easily come by like undercooked meat" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Independent.
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