9mm & .45 ACP carbines - Buy or build?

I would say that it would also make sense to have carbines that have magazine compatibility with some of your handguns.

The Beretta CX4 has models that use Beretta 92/96 mags as well as PX4 mags.

Other carbines use Glock magazines.

That means that I would buy as opposed to build. Or you can get 9mm and .45 ACP uppers for your AR)

An AR would probably be the most expensive. Upper, mag block and mags can be expensive. +/-$1000 for a complete 9mm AR. However it is the most versatile. I have been researching this. I am very close to building one. AR15.com has a sub forum that has lots of great info.

Beretta CX4 is a nice carbine. I hear the trigger is not so good, but easily corrected. <$700 I've seen them used around $500.

Kel-tec sub 2000 is a well respected carbine and affordable. <$400

The hipoint is ok, but it lacks hi-cap mags. It also is very affordable. Problably the cheapest. <$300

I wanted a carbine that used the same Glock mags as my Glock 35. Thing is.. my Glock 35 is .357 SIG since I use it all the time with a custom barrel. So that meant custom build. I had Ron Williams build me a DI AR with a 9" barrel as a pistol using a Lone Wolf lower with Glock mags. It works fine right now already but I went the pistol route because my long term plan it to register it as a SBR and put a stock on it. Just haven't gotten ambitious enough to start the paperwork. Never done it before and keep procrastinating!

.357 SIG out of a 9" AR is smoking. You can use the 15 round G31 mags. Or the newer 22 round mags as well. It's DI so very light recoil. Really a sweet little gun but custom doesn't come cheap.

Gregg

ever think of an m1 carbine? I know it isn't caliber compatible, but if you find one that has been well loved (read used) it will come pretty inexpensively.

I have a Beretta Cx4 like mentioned above.
It's a 9mm, but used M9/92fs mags.
Great lil shooter and one of my most fun guns.

With the Cx4, it can be swapped and back again for left or right handed use as well.
Totally convenient!
Most other carbines don't do that.

gotigers said:

An AR would probably be the most expensive. Upper, mag block and mags can be expensive. +/-$1000 for a complete 9mm AR. However it is the most versatile. I have been researching this. I am very close to building one. AR15.com has a sub forum that has lots of great info.

Beretta CX4 is a nice carbine. I hear the trigger is not so good, but easily corrected. <$700 I've seen them used around $500.

Kel-tec sub 2000 is a well respected carbine and affordable. <$400

The hipoint is ok, but it lacks hi-cap mags. It also is very affordable. Problably the cheapest. <$300

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I think that there is a lot of value to the shared mag logic, but it does limit your choices regarding the actual carbine. Another one worth looking at that uses Glock magazines is the JR Rifle (carbine). I believe JR stands for Just Right. It's gotten a few good reviews, but I saw one that was mixed regarding some FTF problems. It is very AR-like.
Since I decided to add a 9mm carbine (and perhaps more in the future), I bought the parts to assemble an AR-compatible upper. That is my next project. But looking back, I'd probably have been better off just buying a 9mm AR upper and build out a lower.
Either way, it's a reasonable argument to factor the efficiency of shared magazines versus the muscle memory value of one carbine/rifle manual of arms to master. Either way, I think there is a lot of practical value to a 9mm (or pistol cal) carbine.
B

Another one worth looking at that uses Glock magazines is the JR Rifle (carbine). I believe JR stands for Just Right. It's gotten a few good reviews, but I saw one that was mixed regarding some FTF problems. It is very AR-like.

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I believe it is the JR .45 ACP carbines are the ones that have had the most problems.

gotigers said:

An AR would probably be the most expensive. Upper, mag block and mags can be expensive. +/-$1000 for a complete 9mm AR. However it is the most versatile. I have been researching this. I am very close to building one. AR15.com has a sub forum that has lots of great info.

Beretta CX4 is a nice carbine. I hear the trigger is not so good, but easily corrected. <$700 I've seen them used around $500.

Kel-tec sub 2000 is a well respected carbine and affordable. <$400

The hipoint is ok, but it lacks hi-cap mags. It also is very affordable. Problably the cheapest. <$300

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This is true about the Cx4.
I installed a Sierra Papa trigger, hammer spring and hammer...as well as a guide rod.
It made the so-so trigger totally SWEET now.
Other than that, there is nothing else to do to the gun except just fix it up with whatever you favorite accessories may happen to be.

That looks like an interesting carbine. Does anyone have any experience with the .45ACP version? My one potential issue with the .45 is that of limited magazine capacity. Does anyone market a mag that holds at least ten rounds? What about converting it to use a different manufacturer's mag, ala Glock?

splithoof said:

That looks like an interesting carbine. Does anyone have any experience with the .45ACP version? My one potential issue with the .45 is that of limited magazine capacity. Does anyone market a mag that holds at least ten rounds? What about converting it to use a different manufacturer's mag, ala Glock?

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I test fired the 45 before I bought the 9mm.
9mm is just cheaper to shoot.
If I remember right, the same company, Sierra Papa does make an extended mag for the 45 now.
It's still not a 30 rounder like the 9mm, but it's higher capacity than the stock mags.
It holds 16 rounds.

http://sierrapapacx4.com/