I was just looking over the current crop of carbines chambered in pistol calibers. Just about everything from 9mm through 45LC.
Many good, dependable, and accurate choices out there.
My question is, What do you really gain or lose with a carbine over a handgun?
According to Ballistics by the Inch, there really isn't much difference in velocity and energy with the addition of several inches of barrel for most of the handgun cartridges. The exceptions being the magnum cartridges loaded with slower burning powders(357mag, 44mag, and in some cases, the 45LC.
At most the non magnum cartridges gain 200fps or less. Most often, less.
All you gain is a weapon with better aiming systems and less felt recoil. This ignores the fun factor of course.
You don't really gain effective range because velocity is the first thing you lose with a pistol boolit. You do get(normally) enough better accuracy that you can extend your accurate range to beyond the practical limits of the cartridge.
With the magnum cartridges, you gain quite a bit of velocity due to the extra barrel length. This makes the carbines effective beyond the range of the same cartridge in a handgun. The better accuracy allows this extra effective range to be put to good use.
I realize there are people out there who can shoot a handgun equally as well at distance as they can a carbine. Most people are not in this group. I know that I certainly am not in it.
The magnum cartridge carbines, at least, give you a good practical extension to the effective range of the cartridge over a handgun.
Other than the fun factor and the easily handled carbine length rifles, what is the point to a pistol cartridge in a carbine when you essentially gain nothing but some extra weight to carry around?