A Word on Pistol Carbines
A pistol carbine is the civilian equivalent of a submachine gun: a long gun firing pistol-caliber ammunition, usually from a high-capacity magazine. Submachine guns lost favor in military circles as personal body armor capable of defeating pistol rounds became increasingly available and inexpensive, but the popularity of pistol carbines for civilian self-defense has risen steadily over the past few years, and for good reason.
Civilians and police are much less likely to encounter armored attackers, so pistol carbines offer an attractive intersection of value, firepower, and usability. Let's examine those three attributes a little more closely:
Civilians and police are much less likely to encounter armored attackers, so pistol carbines offer an attractive intersection of value, firepower, and usability. Let's examine those three attributes a little more closely:
Value:
- Most pistol carbines are simple blowback-operated designs, making them both reliable and inexpensive, usually in the $3-500 range.
- Pistol carbines usually share magazines with their manufacturer's pistol line, so magazines are inexpensive, readily available, and have the manufacturing and R&D heritage to ensure reliability.
- Ammunition for pistols is generally much less expensive than rifle ammunition, so the average shooter can afford to become practiced and proficient while still enjoying the occasional steak dinner.
- Virtually all gun ranges, even indoor ranges, will allow pistol carbines. Say goodbye to the expensive range memberships and long drives often required to practice with a rifle or shotgun.
Firepower:
- A pistol carbine usually has a 16 inch barrel, which fires the bullet substantially faster than the 3-5 inch barrel of a handgun. In fact, 9mm pistol carbines often generate ballistics that are similar to a .357 Magnum revolver, and the results only get more authoritative with larger rounds like .40 S&W and .45 ACP.
- Magazine capacity is intimidating, with a variety of high-capacity pistol magazines available to push the "rounds before reload" well above 30, with rock-solid reliability to boot.
Usability:
- A 9mm round generates about half the recoil of a .223/5.56 NATO round, allowing easier and more accurate follow-up shots and making pistol carbines an extremely friendly option for small-framed shooters (however, variations in action design make some pistol carbines recoil just about as hard as a .223/5.56 carbine; 9mm AR-15s are one example)
- Pistol carbines are very lightweight, averaging a lithe 4-6 pounds, which is another plus for small-framed shooters.
- The short actions allowed by pistol bullets make pistol carbines very compact, usually around 30 inches or less. Some models go one step further and house the operating system in the stock to create a bullpup layout, reducing the overall length by 7-10 inches compared to a traditional rifle or shotgun.
- The 16" barrel of a pistol carbine reduces muzzle flash and audible report substantially over a 3-5" pistol barrel. It is not uncommon for pistol carbines to exhibit almost zero muzzle flash when firing ammunition with flash retardants in the powder (such as self-defense ammunition), and the muzzle report is four times further away from the shooter's ears compared to an average (4" barrel) handgun. Both of these factors make pistol carbines much less disorienting to fire indoors or in low-light conditions, where the majority of civilian self-defense scenarios occur.
- Pistol carbines knock handguns out of the park in terms of effective range, with even the most inaccurate pistol carbines able to consistently hit a man-sized target at 100 yds with minimal shooter training. An accurate shot is a safe shot, so the risk of collateral damage is greatly reduced compared to handguns.
- The effective range of the pistol carbine (100-200 yds) is still well above the maximum ranges usually encountered in civilian and police shootings, so you can worry less about dangerous overpenetration and avoid paying extra for unneeded long-range accuracy.
Armed with an understanding of the feature set offered by pistol carbines, scroll down to see some of the models currently available on the market:
Kel Tec Sub-2000:
Pros: Low price, folds in half for storage or transport, uses common pistol magazines (Glock, Beretta, Sig Sauer, etc)
Cons: Lacks sight rails or accessory rails from the factory (rails now standard on newer models)
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W
Price: apprx. $400 (if you can find one)
Beretta CX Storm:
Pros: Compact design, reversible controls, retractable accessory rail, sight rail as standard, uses Beretta magazines, caliber can be changed by replacing bolt, magazine block, and barrel
Cons: High price
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP
Price: apprx. $600 - 900
Ruger PC (discontinued):
Pros: Uses Ruger P-series magazines, sight rail as standard
Cons: Difficult to find, expensive as a result of finite supply, difficult to attach accessory rails
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W
Price: Originally apprx. $400, now apprx. $500-$900
JR Just Right Carbine (JRC)
Pros: High accuracy, sight rail and accessory rails as standard, many parts shared with AR platform, caliber can be changed by replacing bolt, magazine block, and barrel, uses common pistol magazines
Cons: Expensive, larger and longer than most pistol carbines, requires multiple tools for disassembly
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP
Price: apprx. $750
AR-pattern rifle with pistol-caliber conversion (9mm AR-15)
Pros: High accuracy (if paired with a free-floating handguard), sight rail is standard using flat-top receiver and accessory rails are easily attached, many parts shared with AR platform, caliber can be changed by replacing bolt, magazine block, and barrel, uses surplus SMG magazines or common pistol magazines
Cons: Expensive, heavier than most, larger and longer than most pistol carbines, reliability can be questionable, requires host AR rifle
Calibers: Many
Price: apprx. $600 - $1000
Hi-Point Carbines
Pros: Inexpensive, compact design, sight rails and accessory rails as standard
Cons: Heavy, limited to OEM single-stack 10 round magazines (.45 ACP model can use modified 1911 magazines)
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP
Price: apprx. $250 - $350
MechTech Carbine Conversion
Pros: Can be shipped straight to your house (legally speaking, it's just machine parts), inexpensive (if you already own the host pistol), can use single lower for multiple calibers, available in extremely powerful cartridges, optics rail as standard and accessory rails available, uses common pistol magazines
Cons: Cost is comparable to other pistol carbines but does not function without a host pistol, does not come with iron sights
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 Sig, 10mm Auto, .460 Rowland
Price: apprx. $350
Stock kit for pistol (SBR conversion)
Pros: Extremely compact, sight rails and accessory rails usually standard, uses common pistol magazines
Cons: Expensive, extensive paperwork and a $200 filing fee, requires host pistol, does not increase muzzle velocity
Calibers: Many
Price: apprx. $100 - $700 + $200 federal fee
Heckler and Koch USC (discontinued):
Pros: Accurate, sight rail and accessory rails as standard
Cons: Expensive, larger and longer than most pistol carbines, OEM magazines only
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP
Price: apprx. $1500
FN PS90
Pros: Accurate, bullpup, sight rail as standard and accessory rails available, extremely high-capacity magazine, very light recoil
Cons: Expensive, uses exotic ammunition, heavy, OEM magazines only
Caliber: 5.7 x 28mm
Price: apprx. $1500
Taurus CT (discontinued)
Pros: Sight rail as standard and accessory rails available.
Cons: Expensive, OEM magazines only.
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W
Price: Apprx. $750
Kel Tec Sub-2000:
Pros: Low price, folds in half for storage or transport, uses common pistol magazines (Glock, Beretta, Sig Sauer, etc)
Cons: Lacks sight rails or accessory rails from the factory (rails now standard on newer models)
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W
Price: apprx. $400 (if you can find one)
Beretta CX Storm:
Pros: Compact design, reversible controls, retractable accessory rail, sight rail as standard, uses Beretta magazines, caliber can be changed by replacing bolt, magazine block, and barrel
Cons: High price
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP
Price: apprx. $600 - 900
Ruger PC (discontinued):
Pros: Uses Ruger P-series magazines, sight rail as standard
Cons: Difficult to find, expensive as a result of finite supply, difficult to attach accessory rails
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W
Price: Originally apprx. $400, now apprx. $500-$900
JR Just Right Carbine (JRC)
Pros: High accuracy, sight rail and accessory rails as standard, many parts shared with AR platform, caliber can be changed by replacing bolt, magazine block, and barrel, uses common pistol magazines
Cons: Expensive, larger and longer than most pistol carbines, requires multiple tools for disassembly
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP
Price: apprx. $750
AR-pattern rifle with pistol-caliber conversion (9mm AR-15)
Pros: High accuracy (if paired with a free-floating handguard), sight rail is standard using flat-top receiver and accessory rails are easily attached, many parts shared with AR platform, caliber can be changed by replacing bolt, magazine block, and barrel, uses surplus SMG magazines or common pistol magazines
Cons: Expensive, heavier than most, larger and longer than most pistol carbines, reliability can be questionable, requires host AR rifle
Calibers: Many
Price: apprx. $600 - $1000
Hi-Point Carbines
Pros: Inexpensive, compact design, sight rails and accessory rails as standard
Cons: Heavy, limited to OEM single-stack 10 round magazines (.45 ACP model can use modified 1911 magazines)
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP
Price: apprx. $250 - $350
MechTech Carbine Conversion
Pros: Can be shipped straight to your house (legally speaking, it's just machine parts), inexpensive (if you already own the host pistol), can use single lower for multiple calibers, available in extremely powerful cartridges, optics rail as standard and accessory rails available, uses common pistol magazines
Cons: Cost is comparable to other pistol carbines but does not function without a host pistol, does not come with iron sights
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 Sig, 10mm Auto, .460 Rowland
Price: apprx. $350
Stock kit for pistol (SBR conversion)
Pros: Extremely compact, sight rails and accessory rails usually standard, uses common pistol magazines
Cons: Expensive, extensive paperwork and a $200 filing fee, requires host pistol, does not increase muzzle velocity
Calibers: Many
Price: apprx. $100 - $700 + $200 federal fee
Heckler and Koch USC (discontinued):
Pros: Accurate, sight rail and accessory rails as standard
Cons: Expensive, larger and longer than most pistol carbines, OEM magazines only
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP
Price: apprx. $1500
FN PS90
Pros: Accurate, bullpup, sight rail as standard and accessory rails available, extremely high-capacity magazine, very light recoil
Cons: Expensive, uses exotic ammunition, heavy, OEM magazines only
Caliber: 5.7 x 28mm
Price: apprx. $1500
Taurus CT (discontinued)
Pros: Sight rail as standard and accessory rails available.
Cons: Expensive, OEM magazines only.
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W
Price: Apprx. $750
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