Your thoughts on PCCs (pistol-caliber carbines)

Meeks36 said:

Love my Ruger PC9. Its my go-to home defense. Also rides with me on long journeys. Hi points are ugly but work. Thinking about picking one up in 10mm when everything dies down.

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For the price the carbine they make is quite amazing. When they first hit they looked a lot like the rifles in the original Planet Of the Apes and were around $150. I thought they had to be junk. Then I got to shoot a couple of them. Shockingly they just worked. Main down side was the proprietary mags but they were so cheap I almost bought one a few times just for the hell of it. Now they come looking a LOT better and of course priced higher but still cheap for what you get.Many video's of people buying some to try to destroy them finding they can't. Impressive customer service from the people who make them too.

Your thoughts on PCCs (pistol-caliber carbines)

They’re fun

kidneyboy said:

My pistol caliber carbines are all lever actions and there are pistol(s) and/or revolvers to go with each one.

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Ditto. .357 and .44's.

I am split on PCC. A lever action in a typical revolver cartridge might be very useful for me in the hunting world down the road. In a semi-auto AR wannabe? I have no real interest.

Elkins45 said:

I shot my 9mm AR today. In a rather snarky moment I came up with a bad marketing slogan for PCCs.

“Pistol caliber carbines: combining the weight of a rifle with the marginal effectiveness of a handgun.”

Given that I own a few I’m clearly not opposed to them, but other than as range toys and maybe as home defense guns they don’t seem like a must-have class of firearm. When compared objectively to rifles and handguns they really do combine many of their disadvantages .

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I have to say that having picked up my second PCC (first in .357, second in .45 Colt), I can't argue with you. I enjoy shooting them both and accept them for what they are, but it strikes me that both struggle to approach ye olde .30-30 in power, range and general usefulness from a rifle standpoint. Granted, the .44 Mag does a little better.

Although it is a great plinker, I used to think my .357 was going to be somewhat more useful that it actually turned out to be. Still one of my favorites...

On the other side of the coin - I have always been more of a rifle person, and I can easily make hits at 40 yards with a PCC that I would hard-pressed to achieve with a handgun.


I have always liked the concept of one caliber to feed two guns, so that's another point for the PCC in my book. But in some ways I would say you are better off with a true rifle or shotgun and a .22 sidearm for maximum versatility. Or even a centerfire pistol if .22 is not your thing.

I have 2 9mm AR’s. One is a carbine length, and the other is a pistol. Both are a lot of fun to shoot, and very accurate. I also have a Mech Tech carbine in 10mm, with an STI bottom, it’s also fun to shoot just a lot more recoil, than the 9’s.

I'd like one in a few different cartridges. Don't need, but on in .357 and one in 9mm is on the list. It is just more things that shoot cartridges I already use, so - like having at least a few things that can fire each cartridge. Also, think they would be fun for range toys and target shooting/practice.

I have 4-all Marlins. My Marlin Camp Carbine 9 takes the same magazines as my S&W M659, the 45 takes M1911 magazines. I have pre-safety lock M1894s in .357 and .44 Magnum and handguns to go with them. I would use good Specials for home defense, as an Old Soldier I know the most important thing is not to dispatch an enemy but to take them out of the fight. The Marlin 1894 in .41 Magnum is extremely rare but Henry lists a .41.

A PCC with the right ammo and a short barrel would be a good home defense gun IMO, low concussion and recoil compared to an ar with better shootability and capacity than a pistol.

I have a Hi-Point 9mm installed in a High Tower Armory chassis, and even though the trigger is awful, it's fun to shoot. And surprisingly, fairly accurate as well.

My Ruger 9mm PCC with a SIG red dot is 1" or less at 50 yards; inside my home, that will be just fine and dandy.

I love my original Ruger PC9. Pretty much a big 10/22 and shares mags with my P89 pistol.

My Miroku 1892 Carbine Button Mag in .45 Colt is also pretty cool.

kidneyboy said:

My pistol caliber carbines are all lever actions and there are pistol(s) and/or revolvers to go with each one.

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+1
I had a 9mm pcc and did not keep it long. Didn't find it very satisfying, it just didn't make me love it. A lever gun for every caliber you have a revolver in I am totally down with. I have a 20" round barrel Marlin 1894 in 44 magnum right now. Hoping Ruger produces an 18" octagon barrel in 41 magnum when they start producing 1894s. Then of course I'll need to get a 16" Winchester 1892 in 357 to finish the trifecta

wiscoaster said:

I have a Hi-Point 9mm installed in a High Tower Armory chassis, and even though the trigger is awful, it's fun to shoot. And surprisingly, fairly accurate as well.

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That will be my next rifle purchase when things calm down. Love hi points. Simple, ugly, and they work. Plus there warranty is great. Even if you break it they will fix it.

I've had my HK USC for several years and like it a lot as an HD gun, but it is limited to 10 round factory mags or 20 round Promags. I have one promag that actually works 100%, I treat it like a gold bar. These are extremely accurate out to 50 yards.

I bought a Ruger PC Carbine a while back and love it, mine has a 500 lumen Surefire G2 and a green laser zero'd at 15 yards, I also added a linear compensator and it really does make a difference with muzzle blast indoors. Mine had the Mlok handguard from the factory so adding gadgets is pretty simple. I had a Sig Romeo5 on it but have moved that to my AR15 RCP (rifle caliber pistol-I just made that up I think) and have a Romeo7 arriving for it tomorrow. I've been practicing with it at a local 25 yard indoor range the past few weeks and it's getting to be pretty fast and accurate, certainly at 10 and 25 yards I'm much faster and more accurate than with any of my pistols. I actually like the standard stock also, I've got 4 AR's but this still feels better to me. The only downside for an AR user is the manual of arms is different, but I keep a 27 round Magpul magazine loaded with 147 gr. Bonded Golden Sabers so hope that fast reloading won't be needed in a home defense situation.



And the 10.5" AR pistol, just finished building this last weekend so have only had it to the range for one day. Even with the linear comp on it's still much louder than the PCC indoors, although the muzzle blast is less than a 16" AR with a flash hider on it.


The AR pistol and the Ruger PCC are almost exactly the same weight of 7 pounds 4 ounces (about 2 oz. difference on my scales) with a loaded magazine by the way, although the Ruger is more muzzle heavy. My standard AR Carbine is a M&P Sport II modified with a drop in 13" handguard, linear comp, Surefire G2 light and Strikefire II red dot, it weighs almost 1 1/2 pounds more than either of these. I'll keep practicing with both but right now either one is completely acceptable as a home defense gun to me.