13 Affordable 9mm Carbine Options (2023).

These 9mm carbines are a great way to test the waters. The idea of a carbine, or rifle that grazes handgun ammunition, is almost the same as America’s love affair for firearms. The system made perfect sense back then. A minor catastrophe, such as a blizzard, could leave a pioneer in serious trouble in the ammunition department. It is impossible to predict when the next wagonload will follow you down the trail. The practicality of pistol-caliber carbines is a hot topic today. Few subjects are as passionately argued about as politics and religion. These carbines can be compared to outfitting a Formula One racer using a moped engine. Others see them as the perfect economical plinker, home-defense option, and survival tool. Each side has its own merits, but you might be curious to learn more about the 9mm Luger. How to Choose the Best 9mm Ammo for Self-Defense7 Most Popular 9mm Pistol Designs of All Time. The problem is that the market is flooded with options, making experimentation expensive. Most cases. If you know where to look, there are still great deals. We found 11 deals, all under $1,000, and they are solid in performance. The cartridge is able to perform well with long guns and gives shooters an idea of the firearm’s potential. The 9mm carbine has a low velocity, high suppressibility, little recoil, and offers more options. The 9mm is also the cheapest handgun ammunition. This means that it won’t cost you a fortune. The unique folding design of the SUB-2000 makes it stand out. The carbine folds neatly into a compact 16-inch package. It is hinged at the fore end of the receiver. It can be deployed in seconds by pushing a button. The SUB-2000, now in its second generation is lighter at just 4 pounds. The gun’s majority is made of fiberglass-filled nylon. Kel-Tec also designed flexibility in the system by offering a variety of magazines compatibility options: Smith & Wesson (SIG Sauer), Beretta, Glock, and Beretta. This system is likely to cover you, regardless of what pistol you have. There are many extras, including ample rail space, fiber optic front sights, sling mounts, and a variety of aftermarket upgrades. MSRP: $578; www.keltecweapons.comRuger PC CarbineDusting off an old concept, Ruger cooked up a real one of its most popular new(ish) firearms with this 9mm carbine. The PC Carbine is a modernized version of the Police Carbine and offers shooters a familiar configuration with some handy tricks. It’s a takedown weapon. This is a great feature for Ruger rifles. The 34-inch long-gun shrinks by almost half by splitting in two just before it reaches the receiver. It weighs in at just 7 pounds and can be carried around in a backpack or similar. Ruger has made the PC Carbine as versatile as possible by including Security 9 and Glock magazine compatibility. Ruger also paid attention to finer details and has added some nice accessories to the PC Carbine. Ruger has made sure that the barrel is fluted and the Dead-Blow action works like a clockwork. The muzzle is also threaded to maximize the caliber’s suppressibility. The stock, a fiberglass-filled nylon, is also on target. It increases the gun’s accuracy potential and provides a rigid platform. MSRP: $779; www.ruger.comTNW aero survival rifle riflePrepping is one area where the pistol-caliber carbbine concept thrives. It’s a solid strategy because it eliminates ammunition concerns between a pistol and a long-gun. TNW has created one of the most versatile tools available for this job. The Aero Survival Rifle doesn’t just function as a 9mm carbine. Quick-change barrels allow the blowback semiauto to be opened to a variety of chamberings including.22LR and.45 ACP. It can also be used with.40 S&W, 10mm, and.357 SIG. This flexibility is important because it has the potential for paying dividends. It measures 16 inches when folded down and is a great insurance policy for any vehicle, whether it’s a truck, boat, or airplane. This is especially true if the rifle is paired with a case TNW made for it. It stows the rifle and a few spare barrels. MSRP: $919; www.tnwfirearms.comPSA Gen 4 AR-9Swimming decidedly against the tide, Palmetto State Armory’s AR-9 doesn’t aim to send your heart, and wallet, into palpitations. The company makes everything in-house. This allows them to control costs and still produce a 9mm carbine of honest-to-God quality. The 16-inch rifle is a great deal for the price. This is in a category that is getting more expensive by the year. It’s a skilled driller that can drill steel at 100 yards, or longer if you push it. This is a rare trait in pistol-caliber carbines. It is also a good date and doesn’t care about what it eats. It also comes with a very nice handguard, which is rife in M-LOK slots and extremely milled to make the rifle featherweight. The best part is that the AR-9 can be used with Glock magazines. This gives you a wide range of aftermarket options. It’s not a great 9mm gun, and it doesn’t have a last round hold-open. What else is new about blowbacks? MSRP: $859.99;BerettaCx4 StormThe Storm’s exterior appeal is that of a bad Buck Rogers remake. If you can overlook its futuristic styling, and the tons of polymer, the Storm is a great carbine. The Storm is simple yet sophisticated at the same time. It is capable of handling home defense, which is a 9mm gunbine. It is agile and accurate. Storm can cause a storm downrange if the 7-pound trigger is properly mastered. Although the gun is more than a decade old, it is forward-looking. This is evident in the magazine’s ambidextrous nature, which extends well beyond the magazine release. The Storm’s symmetrical bolt design allows it to change from right-to-left-handed configuration by simply reversing its ejector, extractor, and operating handle. This is a nice feature for lefties who don’t like hot brass flying around their face. It is compatible with both PX4 magazines and 90 Series mags. There are 92 magazines on hand and they are reliable and reasonably affordable. MSRP: $899; www.beretta.comJRC Takedown Marine The 9mm carbine is nickel plated and has a stainless steel barrel. It’s also available in.40 S&W or.45 ACP. Glitz is irrelevant. The Takedown Marine is a survival/utility vehicle that can withstand abuse. The gun is corrosion-resistant and can withstand the extreme damage that saltwater or moisture can do to unprotected steel. The Marine’s benefits are not limited to high-seas adventures. The nickel plate is also a great way to ensure you always have a working gun in case you need it. It can take Glock magazines so it shouldn’t be a problem keeping it fed. JRC has added some interesting features to make it useful no matter what the situation. These include reversible firing, a manageable weight of 6.5 pounds, top rail for an optic, and a takedown function. The gun is easy to take down and comes in a compact package measuring 16 inches in length. MSRP: Starts At $599; www.justrightcarbines.comHi-Point 995Who hasn’t sauntered into a gun show and caught one of these beauties winking at you? You can bet you did at least try to jingle your pocket money to see if there was enough money to buy one. The 995 is a utility long-gun, and it performs well for that role. The carbine’s simple blowback function gives it the ability to eat through any ammo, despite being a bit rudimentary. The 9mm bullet from a 6.25-pound gun is a kitten in terms of recoil. It can hit center mass at 100 yards if you are familiar with it. The downside of the carbine is that you get what you pay in looks. It is also designed to avoid the 1990s “assault weapon ban”, and comes with a 10-round magazine (although 20-round magazines are also available). MSRP: $315; www.hi-pointfirearms.comFreedom Ordnance FX-9Freedom Ordnance generally doesn’t come to the fore when talking 9mm carbines. It’s a shame considering that the AR-style FX-9 is a regular, jackhammer. The basic blowback outfit is reliable with most ammunition. It is also configured so that if Eugene Stoner has created the carbine, you can run it. However, the 9mm’s accuracy is where the FX-9 really shines. The FX-9 is a 100-yard gun that makes hitting closer targets look like cheating. It’s also a very agile gun. It isn’t the smallest option on the market, weighing in at just 6 pounds. It isn’t the lightest option on the market, at just 6 pounds. The gun has a last-round hold open, which is always nice. It is modular, making it easy to make shorter shots, which is a lot. If you happen to be left-handed, the magazine release is designed for right-handed shooters only and is not ambidextrous. MSRP: $829.99; www.freedomordnance.comThureon Defense Standard CarbineAdmittedly, Thureon Defense’s 9mm carbine almost doesn’t qualify for this list. It pushes the price limit of this article to the limit, making it more expensive than “affordable”. It pushes its head against this article’s price ceiling, making it more expensive than it should be. Mimicking America’s favorite rifle, the 16-inch barreled gun boasts an M4-style telescoping buttstock, AR-style pistol grip and a trigger that uses components bases on those used in ARs.However, its receivers–particularly the upper–is much more blocky and taller than those on an AR. As you might expect, the Standard Carbine is a straightforward blow-back operation, so that there’s no buffer tube on the back. It can graze Glock magazines with ease, so it is easy to keep it fed. It is reliable and can withstand any type of abuse, whether it be hollow point or ball. This makes it a great defensive tool. It also has a left-side charging handle that can really speed up the carbine’s pace. MSRP: $949; www.thureondefense.comPSA AK-V MOE RifleBased on the legendary Vityaz-SN Russian submachine gun, Palmetto State Armory gives AK shooters a 9mm carbine option that should prove very familiar. The PSA AKV MOE Rifle has everything you need, including lever safety, paddle mag release and side charging handles. This rifle is great for AK shooters. It is a rare 9mm carbine that holds a special place in the pantheon. However, the rifle isn’t Kalashnikov through and through. The simple blow-back operation means that some of the features found in the Vityaz are only there for looks. The front sight block is not functional because it doesn’t use gas or piston to cycle. The rifle weighs 7 pounds and is loaded with Magpul furniture including Magpul AK Polymer grip, Black Magpul Polymer Upper/Lower handguard, and Black Magpul Zhukov stock (folding). The AK-V MOE Rifle also comes with a 35-round PSA U9 magazine that is compatible with the CZ Scorpion. This has its good and bad points. The magazines are well-made and easy to find, but they aren’t as common as Glock. The carbine is rated for +P+ 9mm ammo, so you can use it hot if needed. MSRP: $949.99; www.palmettostatearmory.comSmith & Wesson M&P FPCA new addition to this list, released in early 2023, the S&W M&P FPC is not yet proven but it does look very promising.It’s a straight blowback, semi-auto PCC that feeds from double-stack 9mm M&P magazines, has storage for two spare mags in the buttstock and the whole thing can be folded in half where the barrel meets the receiver. The folding mechanism is horizontal so it can be folded without interfering in one’s optics as on Kel-Tec’s folding PCC. The barrel is threaded, and the grips work with M&P pistol palmwswell adaptors. The package includes three magazines and a case that can hold the rifle folded. MSRP: $659; www.smith-wesson.comOn The CuspThe idea of this article is affordable 9mm carbines that you aren’t throwing your money away on. We can’t recommend other entry-level PCCs that are as economical as they might be. There are a few options that go beyond the $1,000 limit we set for this buyer’s guide, but not by much, that are worth mentioning. If you are sold on the idea for a 9mm carbine, and are willing to spend a little more money, these guns qualify as values. Shooters have a lucky choice. The Ohio-based gunmaker has moved from PCC components to complete builds with the affordable and feature rich (for its price) Bantam. The 9mm carbine is a versatile weapon. However, it has the potential to grow. It also features foraged receivers with tensioning screws to ensure tight mate-ups between the upper and lower. This is a great tool for those who can’t live without a little rattle. It’s also compatible with Glock magazines, which is almost a necessity nowadays since Glock calls the tune for 9mm mags. The flash hider, M4 stock and A2 pistol grip aren’t too exciting, but if you’re able to live with standard fair they’re fine. MSRP: $1.049;Colt AR-15-9mm Despite all the turmoil that the company has gone through, including the jettisoning of rifles at one time, Colt still makes a solid long guns. The 9mm Carbine is one example of a pistol-feeding rifle. The pistol-caliber carbine from Colt is a true-to-form AR-15. It’s a joy to use. These are likely to last a lifetime. Colt has been making them for some time, basically modifying existing 5.56 AR-15s in order to fill the role. This is evident in the mag-well blocks. They are pinned to a standard lower and make it compatible with slimmer pistol caliber magazines. The upper has a modified port and large puck-style brass shunt, which pushes any lingering gas away. The original Colt 9mm Carbine’s removable carrying handle is still available in A4 style with Magpul A2 adjustable rear sights. You can adjust the A2 front sight, too. The 16-inch barreled rifle weighs 6.35 pounds unloaded and is as quick as you would expect for a pistol-caliber long gun. Although the blowback’s two stage trigger isn’t very impressive, it is still a better option than a gritty milspec. The furniture, which includes a M4-style handguard, and 6-position stock, is dated and shabby compared to modern-day options. Magazines are a sensitive issue. They are Colt pattern, which is basically an Uzi mag with slightly different locking cuts. They have 32 rounds so they are a lot of fun. MSRP: $1099; colt.comNEXT STEP – Download Your Storm Tactical Printable Target Package62 Printable MOA Targets with Drills – Rifle Ranges in YARDSThis amazing target pack comes from Storm Tactical and contains 62 printable targets for rifle and handgun range usage. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. This is a great option for long-range shooting. Enter your email address below.