Pistol Caliber Carbines

[TheTinMan]

I got a Ruger LC-45 PCC. It’s fairly quiet with a can. With a modified 30-round magazine, it is a hungry little beast. I like it!

My other “PCC” rifles all have levers. 38/357, 44 Magnum, and more than one in .45 Colt. Any of them would be effective at least out to 100 yards.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

My carbines are revolver rather than pistol caliber - Ruger/Marlin 357 & Henry 41. I load for both and thoroughly enjoy shooting either. The 41 is my grandson's favorite.

Same here 22 mag.... 357....44 mag....45LC........Have zero interest in a weenie 9mm rifle at all.

 

[JohnRippert]

I don't have carbines, but I do have a couple AR9 pistols that are quite handy and fun. I like them enough that I will probably sell most of my 5.56 ARs, keeping one of my M16A1 semi-auto clones and one modern carbine. It would be nice if they made suppressors good to go without the stamp. If they ever do I will get one for the smaller of my pistols. I do prefer the slightly larger one for the added barrel length.

 

[hkcavalier]

I am more in the “rifle calibers for rifles” camp. I’ve played with (and owned) a few PCCs and didn’t see the point. It’s now much harder here in WA to get a good one.

I have good memories of shooting real MP5s overseas in the 90s. Most of the plainclothes PSD guys carried MP5Ks in satchels or fannypacks. These both struck me as great weapons. 16” 9mms or .45s, semi auto only, are poor substitutes IMO. I’ve never met anyone who could handle one of these who couldn’t handle a 5.56mm carbine. Once you get down to the 10” barrel and below, they do make more sense than 5.56mm, but now you’re playing with braces vs a real buttstock, and of course no fun switch unless you have tens of thousands of dollars (plus a permissive state).

I originally built this AR45 as a braced pistol threaded for a can, but made the leap in 2023 and turned it into an integrally suppressed 16” rifle. I believe the bore is 6” or so. It’s far from Hollywood quiet but can be shot without hearing protection just fine. Why not a .300BLK? I already had thousands of .45ACP plus reloading already set up.

 

[toroflow1]

My Colt AR-15 in 9M sends a 147 JHP at nearly 1200 fps.

The Colt comes with one 30 rd mag. I also bought a 20.

I think it needs a suppressor.

Nah, it needs an "Arizona Regulator"!!

 

[zeke]

long ago started preparing for being effective, even as i age out. Pistol caliber carbines play a key role, and have numerous options. Cheap to feed and easier to be accurate with, although hard to effectively conceal carry

 

[rwsmith]

Not only do I have a ball with all of my carbines at the range, I wouldn't hesitate to employ one in an SD situation as a step up from a pistol. The reason? They say to use what you shoot best and to me, that's a carbine. I have shot them so frequently and so much since I was a kid that I'm a complete natural with them, even flash shooting and shooting from the hip. Much moreso than pistol or shotgun. Truthfully, I'm adequate with a pistol, but that's about all. The next step up in urgency would be a rifle. Most likely my AR CARBINE. Of course all of these would use appropriate ammo for the purpose. I've seen it demonstrated that some pistol JHPs fail to expand adequately at the higher velocites. if anybody is wondering, I'm an absolute carbine NUT! I wouldn't select a PPC for SD unless I felt like I knew what it was all about. I believe in this case I can be confident.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

When I attended Submachine gun instructor school everyone in the class used either an MP5 or a Colt SMG…all 9mm. We sent a lot of rounds down range that week.

The instructors said if you use proper techniques you can use a SMG on semi-auto as an emergency sniper gun if necessary out to about 100 yards. If a shorter barrel SMG can do that…there’s no reason why a longer barrel PCC can’t.

 

[jschmidt]

AP5. SBRs are the ideal size. Some dorks, though, act like no one was ever killed by a 9mm.

 

[Imissedagain]

A Winchester AE, '94/44Mag, with a 16" barrel, is our pistol caliber carbine.
Sweet shooter.
Gotta be quick to catch the brass.

 

[Mike0251]

Wife and I shoot PCC USPSA matches every month, our choice are the JP GMR-15's. Superb functioning guns.

 

[M1A4ME]

The range isn't limited by the cartridge. There's a guy on the CZ Forum (posts his vids on you tube as well) that can shoot 4" 5 shot groups at 100 yds. from his CZ P09 9MM and one or two of his P10 9MM guns. He shoots at 200 yds and usually puts all the holes in the target paper but not so tight as at 100 yds. If he can hit at 100 to 200 yds. with a pistol it should be just as easy, if not more so, with a carbine or short barreled rifle in 9MM.

Sometimes there's an advantage to having the same ammo for the gun on your hip and the gun in your hands.

Wasn't that part of the reason for the M1 Carbine? Soldiers didn't do so well with a 1911 .45 acp so they developed a lighter/shorter carbine with a round that was easy to carry more of, didn't kick like an M1 Garand and was easier for the soldiers to make hits with?

 

[Valmet]

Never felt the need for one myself. I do have and like my SBR Colt 609 Moderator clone, but dear lord it’s LOUD

 

[.357magger]

While I don't currently have them stowed for primary home defense, I would have absolutely no problem grabbing one of my 9mm CZ Scorpion SBR's with a 30 rd mag of Federal 124gr +P HSTs. One is a 7 3/4 inch barrel and the other is a Micro model with a 4 1/2 inch barrel and only 22 in overall length. Both are set up the same with Holosun shake awake green dots and Streamlight TLR-1 lights and a sling. I ran the 7 3/4 inch model thru a 1200+ round PCC/Subgun class and came away completely sold on its capability. Consistently ringing steel at 100+ yards was childs play. Handling was very quick in the live fire shoot house runs and the Scorpion is even more ergonomic than my beloved HK MP5. Other than those malfunctions purposely induced for clearance drills I don't recall ever having a malfunction with either rifle in thousands of rounds.
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I can't imagine a scenario where I don't own my Scorpion Evo Plus Micro.

They are impressively reliable and anyone in the family can pick up and use to great effect from contact distance out to well beyond anything around my home.

IMHO just a fantastic urban/suburban defensive option.

 

[Rodan]

For defensive use, a pistol caliber carbine can be a very effective tool. A carbine is almost always a better choice for fighting than a pistol, with the only disadvantage being the length in close quarters.

One thing to remember is that a 5.56 has nearly twice the muzzle energy of a 9mm, even out of an SBR, and also has the ability to defeat most body armor. It's also less likely to over penetrate residential walls than a pistol caliber. The biggest issue with a 5.56 indoors is noise, and a suppressor solves that problem.

On the just for fun side, PCCs are great. Whether lever, semi, or whatever... they're fun!

 

[ACORN]

I’ve got a Ruger PCC9 and a Beretta CX4 in .40.
I had to have them.
They both just sit in my safe.
I got to get out more.

 

[chase45]

I don't feel undergunned with my MP5SD

 

[Astro14]

I thought a pistol caliber carbine would be fun and 9mm ammo is cheap but then I got a 300 Blackout AR pistol with brace and suppressor. I shoot mostly subsonic ammo which is about like a 45 acp or 10mm in power and it's a lot of fun and very accurate plus I can shoot high velocity ammo in it if desired but it's not as quiet.

Yep, I have a 10.3” SBR, suppressed, in .300 BLK. Same observations.

Back to the PCC, I just got a S&W 1854 in .44 mag. Much better capacity than a rifle round in the lever action tubular magazine. Moderate recoil. Much higher velocity out of that 16” barrel than a revolver, so, quite effective.

I really like the pistol round in a lever action - best of both worlds.

 

[beach elvis]

Personally, I love ‘em all, pistols, PCC’s, rifles,…
I also love the concept of having a carbine chambered in the same caliber as your handgun and I have combos of every common revolver and semiauto caliber except .22 WMR and .45 Colt. The carbines give you better accuracy out to longer distances and more punch at shorter distances, both thanks to the longer barrels and the sight radius made possible.

ETA- and galldangit, they’re just a ball to shoot. If you ever get the opportunity to shoot a MechTech 1911 carbine conversion, do it! Launches .45’s, shoots like a .22.

 

[AJ]

I have one pistol caliber carbine. It is a Pedersoli Colt Lightening .45 Colt. The receiver is color case hardened. This is a pump, and don't really see a lot around. Yes, I have a S&W 25 in .45 Colt & a Ruger Vaquero .45 Colt to go with it.




I did find a picture of my Vaquero. It started as a 3.5 inch Birdshead Grip. I changed to the plow handle grip and like it much better.