Your caliber preference for a pistol caliber carbine

[ghh3rd]

As a reloader using cast bullets, which caliber of blowback design pistol caliber carbine would/did you choose, and why.

Regards

Randy

[Tom_in_AZ]

Ruger pc9/9mm [emoji1360]

Easy to cast a variety of weights, shoots great. Cheap brass, doesn’t use a lot of powder. With cast and bullseye, can load very cheap. Fun gun to shoot and can be had for $499.


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[popper]

10mm. Only one that makes any sense.

[ghh3rd]

I am interested to know why popper. Better ballistics?

[Tom_in_AZ]

I am interested to know why popper. Better ballistics?

Much more powerful. Also, more expensive to shoot. And I only know of hi point and aero 10mm carbines. In my opinion, the Ruger is better than both. The 9mm out of a 16” barrel is no slouch.


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[Outpost75]

I think if limited to a blowback design, .45 ACP makes the most sense.

[brewer12345]

IMO, the case for a pistol caliber carbine is more power than in a handgun and the ability to share ammo with a pistol you already own. So I would say a carbine choice should be made based heavily on the pistol you already have and like. For me this was a lever rather than a blowback action, but I plan to get my hands on a 1911 at some point and it is quite possible that I add a simple carbine in the same caliber.

Some cartridges don't seem to get much lift from a longer barrel, though. .357 mag gets a whole heck of a lot. My hazy recollection is that 45 ACP only gets a modest bump, for example.

[mcdaniel.mac]

IMO a PCC is either to get a lightweight close range rifle, like the aforementioned .357/.44 magnums, or to give you the same capability as the pistol with the advantage of a stock and better sighting options, like the HiPoint and Keltecs. I prefer to shoot quiet, so .45 or 9mm is the flavor on order. I'd be happy with .380 as well, but they're unpopular. If you're not playing short barrels, then .45 makes sense. If you are, and are playing quiet, I think 9mm is a no brainier. If you're not worried about quiet or short barrels, HiPoint has their new 10mm carbine, and High Tower has a new bullpup stock that doesn't look half bad.

[FISH4BUGS]

As a reloader using cast bullets, which caliber of blowback design pistol caliber carbine would/did you choose, and why.
9mm hands down. Mainly because 1) I have a 6 cavity Hensley & Gibbs #331. 2) I already have 9mm sub machine guns 3) cheap and plentiful components to shoot 4) loaded up to max it is a solid performer 5) I already have a number of 9mm pistols anyway 6) The Star sizer eats them like candy 7) ....well....just because :)

[cwlongshot]

I have a 10 PCC and I like it allot... But I shoot more 40 so my choice is a 40 S&W.

But choices are good so I occasionally pull out the Marlin Camp Carbine in 45 and enjoy that too! :)

CW

[ioon44]

I went with the Rock River 9 mm for a PCC mainly for quality and selection of different capacity mags for USPSA & IDPA matches.

I shoot 9 mm and have several different cast bullets (115 gr to 158 gr) with Hi-Tek coating which works great in the 16 " PCC.

If I get another PCC it would be in .45 ACP just for the fun of it.

[475AR]

I like 45 acp and 10mm, both shoot great in pcc with cast bullets. I went with DI (gas operated) AR and not blowback because of the need in blowback to run a heavy buffer spring and extra heavy buffer (which = recoil) especially in 10mm, although there are some companies doing blowback 10mm I don't think 10mm is good for a blowback gun. Also with the 45 acp I can safely run 45 Super thru it for extra power over the 45 acp. My lower is a Glock mag lower and can use same mags and ammo in both.

[asmith80]

I got a Stern Defense barrel, bolt and mag well adapter to stick in an AR15 upper and lower. It's straight blowback and you can get the mag adapter for Glock and M&P mags. Mine's in 9mm, because that's mostly what I shoot, and using my 155 ELCO boolits it's a pretty solid weapon. An added bonus is the Stern Defense barrels come with the throat reamed so they are cast friendly right out of the box, and if you already have an AR15, all you really need to do is set up an upper for the PCC and you can swap out between .223 and pistol caliber in like 2 minutes.

[jakharath]

I have a quarter circle 10 AR pistol in 45ACP. I love it. Runs cast with no problems. Feeds everything I put in it. But I'm a big fan of 45ACP. So I might be a little biased.

[dragon813gt]

I got a Stern Defense barrel, bolt and mag well adapter to stick in an AR15 upper and lower....

Same here. Only thing you have to get used to is the mag release location. I don’t shoot ARs enough to find it an issue.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1740/27548151567_357690b890_b.jpg

I thought this was a different thread that I’d already posted in. What I really want is the setup above but in 10mm. I’ve been wondering if you could use 357 Sig w/ their 40cal bolt. But I have a feeling that like 10mm a blowback design would not work.

[mdi]

Your first post says "blow back". The largest blow back pistol I've heard of is the High Point 9mm. Or are you asking about semi-auto?

[ghh3rd]

Yes, I was referring to Hi Point. I thought that all of their carbines were blowback design.

[GhostHawk]

I have Hipoint carbines in 9mm, .40sw and .45acp. .40 was first, dropped a 60$ Red Dot on it and loved it. Wife loved it, but wanted one that "bumped her shoulder less". Enter the first 9mm (had 2, both used, let a shooting buddy rob me of one)

9mm is good, more accurate IMO than the .40. Easy to shoot, added Red Dot soon as it arrived.
I like the 20 round Red Ball Mag's for the 9mm. Only extended mag I've heard of for Hipoint that gets their seal of approval.

Last was the .45acp and I wanted it just because. Turns out I may like it the best of all of them. But it does have the better Truglo 2x Red Dot sight which I think helps a fair amount.

I have shot it more accurately at twice the distance that I have shot the 9mm.

It recoils a bit more, but not sharp, does not hurt. More shotgun like. Shoves ya a little.

If Hipoint ever did carbines in Rimmed cartridges I would probably have to have .357, .44mag .45colt.
Thankfully they don't, yet.

I love pistol caliber carbines. Easy on the ears, easy on the shoulder, cheap to shoot with home cast bullets and moderate loads of Red Dot. I don't much think you can go wrong on any of them.

Fun guns to shoot, good for home defense. And you just can't run a mag through one without that big grin on your face. That's my story, I'm sticking to it. YMMV.

[ghh3rd]

Red Dot to get a bit more benefit from the longer barrel?

[GhostHawk]

Red Dot because

A it works.
B moderate loads 4-7 grains perform very well. Plus are very accurate.
As compared to a rifle load of slow powder at 50+ grains.

C Red Dot is my go-to powder for most things. Not my SKS's favorite, but everything else likes it.

D Red Dot in pistol caliber carbines can also be used in pistols. So I can work up one load in most cases. Crank out 3-500 rounds of it. Have a 100 round box with the carbine and another with the pistol and 300 rounds on the ammo table. (Full ammo table helps me sleep well at night)

E Red Dot burns fairly quick, probably is done in the first third of the barrel. So having a short carbine barrel does not effect the Red Dot significantly as it might with a slower powder.

F Red Dot double charge in pistol cases is pretty obvious. If it isn't spilling onto the floor it is for sure not leaving a lot of room for a boolit.

G Red Dot/Promo is one of the cheapest powders which is readily available. Promo more so than Red Dot.

[dverna]

9mm. Cheap to shoot and pairs with many of my pistols and have over 10k 9mm bullets ready to load.

The .40 would be better at killing things bigger than a coyote, but then I may as well use the .223’s. For me PCC’s are primarily for fun shooting.

[wizofwas]

For me, it's a no brainer. 45ACP. I have a few 1911's and want a carbine in that caliber. Still waiting for Ruger to make that PC45.

[ghh3rd]

Thanks for all that info about Red Dot.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I am waiting for the Ruger .40 S&W model which I think is going to be the only one they do. It only requires a barrel and bolt face. Same basic Glock Mags as 9MM.

I have Glocks in .40 and .45 and I would wish for the .45 PCC but the bolt thrust is too much for that action, and the mags are bigger, so they'd have to make another mag well, barrel and bolt face and return spring as well as beefing up the action itself. Too much to change.

The 10 MM is way too much for it and would require even more mods..

9MM is always going to be the best seller and if they make a .40 S&W version, I doubt they will make many runs of it.

Randy

[GhostHawk]

Ghh3rd your very welcome sir. Hope you find it useful.

[2AALLTHEWAY]

My personal preference would be a 10 mm. The caliber is very flexible. Load it down to mimic the 40 or make it breath fire, it’s your choice. I’m also drawn to the 45 acp, a caliber I like a great deal. Its low operating pressure makes it easier on the ears than any of the others, something to consider if self defense in the home is at all a possibility. The 9 mm is also intriguing with the wide range of bullet weights available along with its low recoil impulse. 158 gr subsonic appeals to me. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t think one can make a bad choice as far as caliber is concerned. However I would prefer something other than a blowback action due mostly to its extra weight.

[am44mag]

For semi auto, a 45 ACP carbine with a magazine of decent size (20-30 rds) is hard to beat. For a lever gun, give me 44 mag any day of the week.

[Bazoo]

I'd go 45 auto. Id love to have a Mechtech with a dedicated 1911 frame. If I wasnt already married to my 1911, i'd probably go 9mm, glock 17 with a mechtech. Those 33 round stick mags are mighty tempting.

[three50seven]

9mm for me...
https://i.imgur.com/3jy4uRF.jpg?1

Cheap to load, cheap to shoot, brass is very very plentiful, and I have a P95 that uses the same mags.

[Sam Casey]

Another vote for 9mm.

[Cherokee]

My pistol caliber carbine has been around for some time. 30 rounds of 45 ACP and accurate with cast...and lots of fun.
222550
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[Oldbrowngun]

My sub 2000 in .40 cal is my favorite gun to shoot. Put together with glue and rubber bands (like all keltech products) but ****ed if it isnt the funnest thing to shoot and scary accurate. Has yet to fail on a single round, and shares magazines with my glock .22. Not the finest gun I own, but by far the most fun.

[Intel6]

I have KelTec's in 9mm and 40 that shoot well but I prefer my AR15 in .45 ACP with a dedicated lower that uses Grease Gun Mags.

30 rds of .45 ACP in a carbine with a red dot is lots of fun!

222869

[Reverend Al]

Mine is a .45 ACP JR Carbine since I was already shooting and loading for a Colt 1911 ... turns out that it is absolutely one of the most accurate guns that I own!

[fjpereny]

Recently I purchased the PSA AR-9 4" Pistol. It's technically a pistol, but practically speaking it's a very short carbine like weapon. It's a 9mm and it's so fun to shoot. Fits easily in a backpack and takes all types of 9mm mags.

I absolutely love it, but I did have a few small problems with the trigger and hammer pins being loose. I've purchased the locking type pins which hopefully will fix all my issues.

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[bigdog454]

Uzi 9mm with folding stock
BD

[kevin c]

9 mm. But I could be biased because that's what I have the most of in handguns, it's the caliber I shoot in USPSA competition, and one reason I bought my carbine in nine is that it uses the same mags as my competition pistols.

[slam45]

45acp ...I've shot a blow back pcc for 4 years now and have had real good results with cast boolits. loads that run 825fps in my1911 make 1050 from the 16" pcc barrel... this little rifle shoots so well that it just owns any target inside 135yds.... 5.2 of Red dot with a 200g RNFP make 1100fps and they shoot...

[GhostHawk]

If you don't reload, this would be one to consider.

Seems like a fair amount of gun for 450$.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x370/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/m/cmr30-right.jpg

https://palmettostatearmory.com/kel-tec-rifle-cmr-30-22wmr-black.html

[popper]

I missed blowback carbine. That would have to be 40. Hunting pistol cal is 10 for power. I have a 10" BO pistol I can use 100-185 gr in, with pistol powder so very cheap to shoot and fun.

[Chad5005]

ill keep my little ruger 44 mag carbine and para ordnance 45acp

[RangerDan]

I have a High Point carbine in 45 ACP. I was given 3000 empty case for a 45 so that seemed like the likely candidate to shoot them in and it is a blast to shoot.

[glockfan]

40 S&W for me.

firstly it's the caliber by excellence in the shooting sport standard class,then i also believes that it is the caliber packing the most stopping power ,yet displaying a recoil which isn't as sharp as 10mm or 45 , in fast action . i aslo have a boolit that shoot very accurately out of my glocks and CZ.couldn't ask for more,i simply love the 40 both for competitions and defence applications..

[GregLaROCHE]

For years I had .44 mag pistols and a Marlin lever action. I now have neither, but have been thinking about picking up another lever action. They’re just so much fun to shoot. However this time I may go for .357. An older traditional cal might be fun too, but the cost of ammo is usually higher.

[Shingle]

I went with 9mm glock mag AR. It's cheap to shoot,brass for free,and mags interchange with my pistols.

[GhostHawk]

Had the son in law out shooting single shot .44mag Handi rifles last weekend. He had a blast, low noise, low recoil, just a little thump to let you know it went. Big thump on the far end. And it was stacking them up nicely.

I don't have a favorite, I like all the pistol calibers in carbines, single shot rifles, you name it. They all fun.

[Larry Gibson]

45 ACP for me.

I have the M98 Rhineland conversion for the carbine.....A Contender barrel for a SS......A M1917 revolver, SAA with ACP cylinder ans 3 M1911s...... All that works for me......

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[W.R.Buchanan]

I'm still waiting for the Ruger PCC to be released in .40 S&W It will probably be put on hold until the sales of the 9MM version cool down.

They know we want it. Until then I have my S2K.

Randy

[Ramson222]

Marlin camp9 was my favorite. High velocity from the long barrel and ability to load slower powders. Was great fun with a red dot and powder coated lee bullets.

I sold it a few years back after the plastic magwell broke. Took me 6 months to find a replacement. I would buy one in a split second, if it had a metal magwell.

The Ruger looks fantastic but over priced to me.