Just like the Ruger PC9 mentioned earlier, many of the modern PCC platforms feed from removable semi-automatic pistol magazines. There's little in the way of complex parts, gas tubes or pistons to worry about failing and the guns are often easier to clean and lubricate. The force of the cartridge case being pushed backwards by expanding gases cycles the bolt. The bolt assembly is held in place by its own weight and the recoil spring. Many semi-automatic 9 mm PCC platforms use blowback-operated actions, which are among the simplest and most reliable designs available. One of the more unusual options (if you can find one) is the Kel-Tec Sub 2000 which folds in half for easy storage. The Beretta Cx4 Storm and Kriss USA Vector Gen II CRB are both in-house designs while the Chiappa Firearms M1-9 is a modern variation of the WWII-era M1 carbine. The Hi-Point Firearms carbine line-up is one of the least expensive with a surprising number of features for what you pay. If the AR-15 is not your cup of tea, there are plenty of other designs to enjoy. The receivers, barrels and controls are unique but the removable grips and six-position adjustable shoulder stocks can be swapped out for popular after-market AR-15 upgrades. Some models, including the Just Right Carbine and the caliber convertible TNW Firearms Aero Survival Rifle are built around proprietary actions that accept AR accessories. 223/5.56 lowers fitted with magazine adapters. The 9 mm AR models tend to come in two varieties, those with dedicated 9 mm only lower receivers and those that use standard. If you enjoy working with the AR-15 type carbines, several 9 mms are available from reputable manufacturers including the ATI Milsport, SIG Sauer MPX 9 and the Wilson Combat AR9. I still hear folks talk about how much they love their Marlin Camp 9 even though the gun has been out of production since 1999. The 9 mm PCC may be enjoying a new level of popularity today but it's been manufactured by several companies for quite some time. This is not the case with pistol-caliber carbines. Some types of firearms are only available in limited configurations which in turn can make it a challenge to find a good fit for some shooters. Here are eight reasons why 9 mm PCCs are a good choice for home defense as well as general shooting. And this year in particular, pistol-caliber carbines (PCC) chambered in 9 mm have enjoyed a surge in sales not seen before. Defensive 9 mm pistols of all shapes and sizes have moved to the center of the defensive limelight. It's a bias that's stuck to 9 mms of all sizes like glue, even the carbines. This gun store conversation took place in the late 1990s when the 9 mm and all of its platforms were still wrestling with the reputation of being weak defensive options. In a perfect dead-pan voice he said, “Yes, and when the ammunition runs out it will make an excellent club.” In other words, after 15 rounds of “wimpy” 9 mm hollow points fired through a 16" barrel harmlessly bounced off the home invader, like so much confetti, my poor wife would be forced to swing for the bleachers. I was looking for a low-recoil defensive option for my wife to use. I explained why I was interested in this particular model. As if I had asked an English butler to pass me a dead mouse, he slowly reached for the rifle and with forced professionalism dropped it into my hands. His face took on a subtle, but noticeable, look of distain. I strolled into a local gun shop and asked the college kid behind the counter to hand me a PC9 carbine off the rack for closer inspection. The carbine had the added benifit of using the same magazines as a Ruger 9 mm pistol we owned at the time, making for an ideal home-defense pairing. I thought my wife would be able to manage the recoil at the practice range so that it could be kept on hand as a home-defense gun. It was lightweight, compact and easy to operate. If not for the magazine well designed to accept Ruger P series pistol magazines, the blowback operated PC9 could be mistaken for a 10/22. At the time, Ruger was still making the now discontinued PC9 Police Carbine chambered in 9 mm. I started researching low-recoil defensive options that she could use (if you've ever wondered why I write about this topic as often as I do, now you know). Although she has healed over the years (the pain has never completely left her), it was a long time before she could participate in any shooting sports, let alone fire guns with stiff levels of felt recoil. Our car was totaled and my wife suffered serious soft tissue damage to her neck and shoulder. Just before our first wedding anniversary, my wife and I were rear-ended at high speed while making a right-hand turn.
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