It’s no secret that we’re staunch proponents of pistol caliber carbines as home defense guns. They make excellent defenders of the domicile, thanks to their capacity, accuracy, and ability to add accessories. That said, they’re not just great for home defense. They work as vehicle guns, personal security firearms, or backpack guns for hiking and camping. We’ve shot and tested quite a few, and these are the best we've found.
 

MILITARY/LE TRUSTED:
H&K SP5 
B&T APC9

FOLDABLE:
Keltec Sub2000 
S&W M&P FPC 

ROLLER-DELAYED ACTION:
Springfield Kuna 
Angstadt Arms MDP-9

BEEFED-UP CALIBERS:
Stribog SP10A3 
B&T GHM45

BUDGET CLONES:
Century Arms AP5 
Century Arms Draco 9S

Military/LE Trusted

While many on this list can claim that they are trusted by militaries and LE agencies all over the world, there are two clear top winners in our minds: one classic and one built for the modern-day fighter. Let’s take a look.
 

H&K SP5

When H&K announced in 2019 that it was bringing a semi-auto version of the vaunted MP5 to the States, there was some interest, to say the least. While you could get a version of the MP5 in the SP5K, you couldn’t get a true replica. Sales were huge when the SP5 finally hit shelves in 2020, and it continues to be a popular PCC for all the reasons it was adopted by militaries and LE agencies the world over.

There is a reason the MP5 was trusted. The platform is intuitive – who doesn’t love the HK slap? – and reliable. There is some debate as to whether the platform is dead in the modern age, but there is no debate about its influence on military operations and pop culture. From “Die Hard” to “Rainbow Six,” the MP5 made its mark away from the danger zones as much as it did in them. 

B&T APC9

The B&T APC9 may not enjoy the same limelight as the MP5, but it has proven plenty capable of doing the dirty work the military needs. Currently, it serves in the Army and Air Force, used by special teams protecting high-value officers and dignitaries. The Swiss company beat a crowded field full of some other great sub-guns to win the small but prestigious award. 

B&T has gone so far as to make commemorative editionsto celebrate this contract, complete with special challenge coin, knife, and case. When you pick up an APC9, you’re picking up quality that is trusted to guard some of the most prominent figures in the military and beyond. 

Foldable

Guns that fold are great for storage and safety. Because the guns we selected here cannot fire while folded, they make great truck or backpack guns. Sure, it’s cool to fire while folded, but the practical applications of that aren’t relevant to most people. Here are a couple of our favorites.
 

Keltec Sub2000

Ask most gun folks to think of a folding PCC, and the Keltec Sub2000 is probably the first that will come to mind. That’s because Florida-based Keltec has been doing it for a long time – since 2001 to be exact. In that time, they’ve made great strides in making the platform as user-friendly as possible. The latest third-generation Sub2000 aims to solve one of the biggest gripes about the first two generations: that you needed to buy special accessories to fold it with the optic on.

Now that the gun folds without having to remove the optic or buy a special accessory, the company has beefed up its caliber offerings to include both 10mm and 5.7x28mm on top of the .40 S&W offered in the previous generations. Each variation takes widely circulated magazines, feeding both the reliability and ease of shopping for the end user.

Smith & Wesson M&P FPC

Smith & Wesson made a big splash in 2023 when it announced its FPC in 9mm. This intuitive gun folds and deploys easily, runs on M&P 2.0 magazines, and stores two extra mags in the stock, giving you loads of ammo at the ready. In true S&W fashion, the company has since released several variants in different colors and calibers. You can now find this gun chambered in .22 LR, 10mm, .40 S&W, and 5.7 NATO in addition to the standard 9mm affair. 

On top of the mags, the FPC also sports many of the M&P 2.0 ergonomics, making it a familiar feel to fans of the brand. We've tested the FPC in 9mm and 10mm and found the all-polymer construction keeps it light and wieldy, making it an ideal gun to stash in a bag or the car. 

Roller-Delayed Action

Anyone who has spent time with PCCs will tell you that some of the smoothest shooters are those with roller-delayed actions. The MP5 built its cult-like following based on this action, and while the SP5 fits here, it’s already been used above. Instead, we’re going to highlight a newcomer to the party along with one that is often overlooked but shouldn’t be.
 

Springfield Kuna

Springfield Armory burst onto the roller-delayed scene in a big way in April with the release of the Kuna. With all the buzz, we had a hard time keeping these in stock the first couple of weeks. The Kuna has fantastic features built in, from best-in-class iron sights and QD sling attachment points to ambi controls, not to mention a great price point.

Of course, one could also argue that this could be included in the Military/LE category since it surfaced in large regard due to it winning a contract with the Sao Paulo Military Police. While it may not have the long-running pedigree of some of the other guns on this list, it’s making a splash already.

Angstadt Arms MDP-9 Gen 2

Angstadt Arms has made a name for itself in the roller-delayed game, and the MDP-9 continues to be a darling of the class. This gun comes in as perhaps the shortest of them all at just 14 inches overall. Angstadt Arms packed in plenty of features, with a short-throw safety lever, plenty of thoughtfully placed QD sling points, and perhaps the best mag release in the game, to name a few.

Despite its small stature, this gun proved incredibly accurate and just wanted to hang on target due to that action. Add all of that to the reliability of the gun, and you have yourself a winner for anyone looking to have a CQB-type of gun.

Beefed-Up Calibers

It’s true that most PCCs are chambered in 9mm, but that doesn’t mean that some of the other calibers can’t have a little fun sometimes. We’ve already discussed how the KelTec Sub2000 has a handful of chamberings, but the list doesn’t stop there. A few others chambered in big boy calibers have piqued our interest in the past few years.
 

Grand Power Stribog SP10A3

The Grand Power Stribog has long been a gun that folks would turn to if they wanted a budget roller-delayed gun. “Budget” doesn’t mean bad, though. With features like an ambi mag release, ambi safety, and three included magazines, there is reason the gun is so well liked. Grand Power is no stranger to the platform or larger calibers, also producing a .45 ACP variant.

The roller-delayed action tames recoil considerably while keeping the gun glued to the target. Plenty of Pic rail on top and M-LOK on the handguard give you room to add accessories. This one is another handy truck or backpack gun.

B&T GHM45

We couldn’t do a beefed-up caliber section and not include the Lord’s Caliber. John Moses Browning’s crowning achievement for handgun calibers, the .45 ACP, comes to us in the form of the B&T GHM45. The GHM45 combines a lot of the standout features of the APC9 platform, including ambi controls and a tri-lug muzzle device, with a larger caliber. 

The combo of .45 ACP and B&T is magical, especially if you add a B&T suppressor. Because .45 is naturally subsonic, it makes a cool shooting experience paired with a larger PCC like the GHM45. B&T is a leader in firearms for LE and military use, but the company also supplies several suppressors to the same markets. The whole package feels purpose-built and ready for anything.
 

Budget Clones

We get it, some of the guns listed here are quite expensive, and it’s tough to scrounge up the cash for a real HK sometimes. That’s where budget clones come in. The MP5 clone is ubiquitous in this category when you’re looking to knock $1,000 off the price tag, but don’t sleep on the other clone here, either.
 

Century Arms AP5-M

If you want that “Rainbow Six” feel, without having to pay Tier 1 prices, perhaps the Century Arms AP5-M would be right for you. It features many of the same stylings and functionality of the SP5K PDW – at a fraction of the price. While you can’t technically say you’re doing an HK slap, no one at the range will be any the wiser.

Whether you’re feeling Hollywood or looking for a serious self-defense tool, the AP5-M has proven it’s more than capable of getting the job done. We loved how reliable it was, how much fun it was to shoot, and how it was surprisingly accurate. Don’t sleep on the Century Arms import just because it’s not made in Germany.

Century Arms Draco 9S

For the last pick we decided to throw in a wild card, also imported by Century Arms. The Draco 9S is the only pick on this list that mimics the AK-47 in controls and style. While functionally very different, the Draco 9S ran like a champ. This 9mm AK lookalike made our range day a lot of fun without the pain or decibel levels of shooting a real AK.

The Draco 9S can get the job done to defend the domicile, but it’s also just fun to shoot at the range. There’s nothing wrong with that, either. Most guns on this list are pleasant to shoot and make it easy to land accurate shots on target. Who doesn’t love shooting out the heart of a target?