What are pistol-caliber rifles all about?

[Dibbs]

Started a long time ago, one cartridge fit both the rifle and pistol. Forward to NOW, when
a carbine and pistol share the same mag. C'mon, how cool is that?

Both the 44Mag, and the 9mm Carbine hunt well in dense forest or short brush. Take the 1894,
throw some .44 cal ratshot in the revolver, and you're ready for those rattlers that pop up in dense brush.

 

[Elkins45]

If you want to send 100 rounds of centerfire ammo downrange to get some rifle practice you either shoot surplus, pistol caliber, or break out the debit card. Plus, ever fire 100 rounds of full-power ammo in a hunting rifle? It can be pretty abusive.

I just shoot mine for fun.

 

[Labguy47]

They’ve been around a really long time! The platform is a proven effective means to provide food, animal hides for warmth or lodging (think tee-pee), and when called upon a pretty good trench sweeper (grease gun or tommy gun). Even the Russians had the same idea with that PPpSh, or the Germans Mk-40. Even the H&K mp-5 is considered a modern military variant. I guess what I’m trying to say is putting lead on target in CQB is easier with a shorter weapon platform.

 

[BigSteve57]

Interchangeability is the obvious draw for rifle/handgun combos.
OP seems to be satisfied with the response but I'd like to chime in with my one handgun-rifle tale plus, with it, a bit of subtext.
I too caught the handgun/rifle ammo bug a while back (I'm very impressionable).
My go to self defense pistol a while back was a Beretta 92FS.
So I thought that it would be a great idea to get a Beretta CX4 Storm to go with it.
The rifle had good home defense ergonomics, recoil etc... according to the pundits and even took the same magazines as the 92FS.
What could be better I wondered? So I bought one.
Then I took it apart and felt I had to make the Sierra Papa upgrades before I'd use it for a rifle on which to possibly bet my life.
It now sits in its case and it is occasionally used as a trunk gun.
A combat shotgun replaced the CX4 in our home defense lineup.

 

[Snidely70431]

Some of my favorite rifles were chambered for pistol cartridges. Low recoil in a rifle, for one thing. In Louisiana, a 50 yard shot anywhere but a powerline or oil pipeline is a rarity.

 

[BigBlue 94]

I've got three.

Ones a 32-20 1873 Winchester with a 30" (or 32" vant remember) full octagon bbl.

The others are rugers. One a box magazine 96/44 lever gun and the other is the Deerfield carbine. Both in 44mag. Both are fun to shoot. The semi auto Deerfield is a hot, other than only having a 4 round magazine. It will shoot a special, but wont cycle the action. They are short, compact, and lightweight.

As for the hunting aspect, here in the windy plains we use the .243 win as our deer rifle. The bullet is less affected by the crosswinds we can get. The heavy slow 44mag likes to move a bit more.

 

[mrmike7189]

Interchangeability is the obvious draw for rifle/handgun combos.
OP seems to be satisfied with the response but I'd like to chime in with my one handgun-rifle tale plus, with it, a bit of subtext.
I too caught the handgun/rifle ammo bug a while back (I'm very impressionable).
My go to self defense pistol a while back was a Beretta 92FS.
So I thought that it would be a great idea to get a Beretta CX4 Storm to go with it.
The rifle had good home defense ergonomics, recoil etc... according to the pundits and even took the same magazines as the 92FS.
What could be better I wondered? So I bought one.
Then I took it apart and felt I had to make the Sierra Papa upgrades before I'd use it for a rifle on which to possibly bet my life.
It now sits in its case and it is occasionally used as a trunk gun.
A combat shotgun replaced the CX4 in our home defense lineup.

I've heard great things about the sierra papa upgrades. I went with the Marlin Camp9 Carbine and got some excellent parts from Power Custom.
www.powercustom.com. They make parts for many rifles.

 

[BigSteve57]

I've heard great things about the sierra papa upgrades. I went with the Marlin Camp9 Carbine and got some excellent parts from Power Custom.
www.powercustom.com. They make parts for many rifles.

Interesting website. I bookmarked it. Thanks.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Interesting website. I bookmarked it. Thanks.

You can also get their stuff through MidwayUSA and probably Brownells.

 

[Jeff Burgess]

The freaking range don’t allow pistol caliber rifles in the rifle range and they don’t allow rifles of any caliber on the pistol range nor do they allow rifle caliber pistols on either range. So I have to stay where they are. Did I lose ya let ? LOL

 

[mrmike7189]

The freaking range don’t allow pistol caliber rifles in the rifle range and they don’t allow rifles of any caliber on the pistol range nor do they allow rifle caliber pistols on either range. So I have to stay where they are. Did I lose ya let ? LOL

I've owned PCC's for over ten years and I have been allowed onto every rifle range I've visited. (My 9mm can shoot out to 100 yards just like any other rifle).
I have also been to many pistol ranges and never had a problem. (It's a pistol caliber)
I call B.S. on that post!

 

[Jeff Burgess]

I've owned PCC's for over ten years and I have been allowed onto every rifle range I've visited. (My 9mm can shoot out to 100 yards just like any other rifle).
I have also been to many pistol ranges and never had a problem. (It's a pistol caiber)
I call B.S. on that post!

Call it all you want but that’s the CMP rules at Talladega marksmanship Park. Can’t shoot anything bigger then a 338 either.

 

[mrmike7189]

I think that is sad! If the Ruger PCC"s keep flying off the shelves at the rate they are currently, the Talladega Park is going to get a lot of complaints from the new PCC 9mm shooters!

 

[FL-NC]

For one thing, they are fun. A 9mm AR 15 is about the funnest (and hungriest) gun I have ever fired. It was a familiar platform, was "friendly" to handgun steel at handgun ranges, worked well with things designed for any other AR like rails, optics, lights, etc., and would have been an ideal HD type weapon. It was like holding the M4 but firing a MP5.

 

[CraigC]

The freaking range don’t allow pistol caliber rifles in the rifle range and they don’t allow rifles of any caliber on the pistol range nor do they allow rifle caliber pistols on either range. So I have to stay where they are. Did I lose ya let ? LOL

That is weird. I've never been to a rifle range that didn't allow handguns, as long as you were hitting the backstop. Or a handgun range that didn't allow rimfire rifles and PCC's.

 

[Robert]

You are not allowed to fire handguns on the rifle ranges at our range. You can, however, shoot rifles on the 50y pistol range.