While pistol-caliber carbines may not be the most well-known category of firearms, they are among the most versatile guns you can buy. Let's break down what you need to know about PCCs and discuss some of our favorite options at every price point.
 

What Is a Pistol-Caliber Carbine?

A PCC is a firearm that occupies the space between handguns and more full-powered rifles. Shorter than a traditional rifle and longer than a pistol, these carbines are compact and chambered in pistol calibers – most often 9mm, .45 ACP, and .40 S&W.
 

Why Buy a PCC?

PCCs make excellent home defense guns, thanks to their capacity, accuracy, and ability to add accessories. Their compact nature makes them stand out as vehicle guns, personal security firearms, or backpack guns for hiking and camping.

PCCs are also great for introducing new shooters to firearms. The gentle recoil of pistol cartridges in a carbine-length platform can ease beginners into shooting, allowing them to work on basic skills without the distraction of heavy-recoiling rounds. From there, stepping up to larger calibers and other firearms seems much less daunting.

And yes, you can even hunt with a PCC in situations where low recoil, rapid follow-up shots, and maneuverability are bonuses.

We’ve shot and tested quite a few, and these are the best we've found.
 

PCC Buyer’s Guide

Budget Picks:
Hi-Point 995TS 
Century Arms WASR-M 
GForce Jawbone 

Mid-Tier Picks:
Henry Homesteader
Ruger PC Carbine 
Smith & Wesson FPC 
KelTec Sub2000 

High-End Picks ($1,000-$2,000):
CZ Scorpion 
Grand Power Stribog SP10A3
Springfield Armory Kuna 
SIG Sauer MPX 

Premium Picks ($2,000+):
H&K SP5
Angstadt Arms MDP-9 
B&T APC9 

Budget Picks

Hi-Point 995TS 

Hi-Point's 995TS is a basic black carbine with bare-bones features, but it is a solid shooter that tested well next to carbines many times its price. The 995TS shot accurately and reliably at 50 yards on even sub-5-inch targets with just iron sights in some rough shooting situations. We've been impressed with the performance and long-term reliability, and for the price, have no qualms about banging it around. Plus, you can always improve the ergonomics with aftermarket additions.
 

Century Arms WASR-M

The Century Arms WASR-M is an AK-style carbine that feeds from 9mm Glock magazines, making it extra handy for survival or home-defense situations. Especially in a stressful situation, you’ll be much more likely to hit your target with a rifle than with a pistol. If you own or carry a Glock handgun, you can immediately swap over magazines, helping stack the deck in your favor. 
 

GForce Jawbone

Feeding off common Glock-pattern magazines and coming in at a very budget-friendly price point, the GForce Jawbone is an AR-like platform sporting a stabilizing brace. We recently had this gun out on the range for some fun suppressed testing, and this little package has been very reliable for us in testing. It features ambidextrous controls, a threaded barrel, and a slot for a spare magazine in the pistol grip. 

Mid-Tier Picks
 

Henry Homesteader

From the lever-gun powerhouse Henry comes a semi-auto PCC built for defending your home and ranch. The Henry Homesteader is offered with versatile magazine feeding systems, with options for Glock, SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, as well as Henry’s proprietary mags. That makes it easy to set up this 9mm long gun to share mags with your favorite EDC pistol. The barrel is threaded at 1/2x28, so you can easily add a suppressor for even more pleasant shooting.
 

Ruger PC Carbine

The Ruger PC Carbine will feel familiar to owners of a Ruger 10/22 carbine, as the trigger components are the same. The PC Carbine features ambidextrous, reversible controls, including the charging handle, which is simply threaded into place and can be quickly changed from right to left. Takedown models are available for easy transport and storage, and the PC Carbine uses interchangeable magwells for Glock or Ruger mags.
 

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. 
 

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.

High-End Picks ($1,000-$2,000)
 

CZ Scorpion

We're big fans of CZ here at Guns.com, and the 9mm Scorpion is one of our favorites for things like home defense. This 9mm PCC can be had in various sizes, including options with folding stocks. Its improved modern ergonomics, proven reliability, and customizability make it a great pick for tactical, home defense, and competition purposes. It uses a simple but reliable blowback action, and there are tons of aftermarket parts and accessories to support your custom needs and desires.
 

Grand Power Stribog SP10A3

The Grand Power Stribog has long been a gun that folks turned 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.
 

Springfield Armory Kuna

Springfield Armory burst onto the roller-delayed scene in a big way in April 2025 with the release of the Kuna. With all the buzz, we had a hard time keeping these in stock during 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.

While it may not have the long-running pedigree of some of the other guns on this list, it’s making a splash already.
 

SIG Sauer MPX

SIG Sauer's very compact 9mm MPX platform is a ready-made PDW for self-defense and professional needs. The extra-small Copperhead model features a 3.5-inch barrel, integrated muzzle brake, and short-stroke gas-piston action. SIG even submitted this little PDW to compete as a replacement for the legendary HK MP5 for U.S. Army security team missions. Magazine options for this little 9mm range from a compact 20-rounder to SIG's more generous 35-rounders, with 50-round drum mags also available in the aftermarket space.

Premium Picks ($2,000+)

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. 

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.
 

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 editions to 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.