Jumping into the pistol-caliber carbine market with a handy 9mm rifle that shares the same lineage as its successful M&P series pistols, S&W's new gun folds at the barrel for easy storage.

The new M&P FPC carbine stems from its family tree, logically using the grip, magazines, and surface controls of the M&P9 M2.0 pistol. The upper half, however, is radically different, sporting a 16-inch barrel inside of a lightweight handguard complete with M-LOK accessory slots. The carbine is both optics and suppressor ready, with a 1/2x28 TPI threaded barrel and a full-length top Picatinny rail for sights or glass. Meanwhile, the side-folding barrel prevents loss of zero.
 

"The team at Smith & Wesson aimed to design a pistol carbine that was compatible with various M&P pistol magazines," explained John Myles, Smith's senior manager of new products. "We exceeded that initial desire by introducing side-folding mechanics that deliver a unique compact feature and allow the user to keep their sight system mounted on the gun both in the folded and extended positions." 
 

The new M&P FPC carbine has an MSRP of $659. This puts it within striking distance of KelTec's existing folding stocked SUB2000 series and is much more affordable than Trailblazer's swing-stocked Pivot rifle.