Above: PC - Gunmagwarehouse.com

Pistol Caliber Carbines are some of the most fun you can have with a gun. Typically a short carbine with a brace and chambered in a typical pistol caliber such as 9mm or .45 ACP, the PCC is not only fun to shoot but a great option for a bug out gun, home defense, or even a truck gun. 

With so many PCCs on the market currently, what one to choose?

PCC Vs. Rifle

Before we take a look at the best pistol caliber carbines on the market currently, let’s take a look at why one might choose a PCC vs. a rifle. While rifles certainly have advantages for many reasons, a good 9mm PCC or .45 PCC has advantages as well! Some of the advantages are, but not limited to:

• Some PCC have the ability to use Glock magazines, an advantage for Glock handgun owners
• Chambered in pistol calibers - store less different types of ammo
• Portability
• Maneuverability in tight spaces
• Ability to add attachments same as a rifle to customize the gun

Sold on a PCC yet? Let’s take a look at some of our top pistol caliber carbines for 2022!

Kalashnikov USA KP-9

The Kalashnikov USA KP-9 is based on the Russian Vityaz submachine gun. It is among the best 9mm PCC guns on the market - especially for those familiar with the AK platform. A very soft shooter in terms of recoil - the KP-9 is an easy-to-handle firearm with legendary AK reliability! Plenty of accessories are available to customize the KUSA KP-9 including; ALG Triggers, Zenitco (AK guys will be drooling now) handguard, lights, lasers, braces, binary triggers, etc. The possibilities are endless. If an AK guy went for a 9mm PCC? The KSUSA KP-9 would be it!

The Kalashnikov USA KP-9.

PC: KUSA

CZ Scorpion EVO

From CZ-USA comes a strong offering in the 9mm PCC space - the Scorpion EVO 3. The Scorpion series is also based on the CZ Scorpion submachine gun, same as the KUSA KP-9. The Scorpion EVO 3 can usually be had in the $1k range which makes it a lot of bang for the buck! Integrated Picatinny rails make attaching accessories a breeze for this 9mm PCC and the accessory list is incredibly long as far as Scorpion upgrades go. Another very soft shooting PCC, the Scorpion EVO 3 is a great choice for shooters that love upgrading everything and it is still a very reliable gun, which is why it easily makes our list of top pistol caliber carbines for 2022.

CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1.PC: CZ-USA

B&T APC9 Pro

Enter the Ferrari of the 9mm PCC world - B&T. B&T are a Swiss company that creates the firearm equivalent of Swiss watches. We would be remiss to not add the the B&T APC9 Pro to our list of best top pistol caliber carbines. B&T was founded in 1991 and made a ton of products for H&K before branching out into their own guns. If you’ve ever seen an H&K suppressor, for example, that’s a rebranded B&T. The APC9 Pro is the civilian version of the APC submachine gun and the quality is second to none. In 2019 B&T was awarded the US Army Subcompact Weapon solicitation so don’t be surprised if we start seeing more and more of the APC in US Army hands in the near future!

The APC9 Pro comes handily outfitted with Picatinny and M-Lok attachment points, features three safeties (drop, ambidextrous and trigger), 3 different stock or brace options, and a tri-lug adaptor for quickly attaching suppressors or other muzzle devices. 3 lower receiver options are offered on this 9mm PCC - APC9, Sig Sauer P3320 and Glock. THis means you can choose which magazines we’ll be running and have the gun utilize our favorite magazines! zSide note: versions are also available in 10mm and .45 ACP!

The APC9 Pro is finished flawlessly and a true joy to run. Incredibly accurate, low recoil impulse and a soft shooting platform makes the B&T APC9 Pro 9mm PCC running like a sewing machine. All this Swiss perfection will cost you though - Expect to pay $2400-2500 for the B&T APC9 Pro. Worth it? That’s entirely up to the shooter.

B&T APC9 Pro.PC: B&T

AR-9

If modularity, customization and reliability are what we’re seeking in a PCC - look no further than an AR9. Most shooters are familiar with the AR platform so the muscle memory and familiarity has already been developed with an AR9 PCC. While many companies make off-the-shelf AR9s, another option is to utilize an AR9 build kit! Building an AR9 PCC from a complete AR9 build kit allows the shooter to customize every aspect of the gun to be everything needed in a PCC. An AR9 pistol build kit can have everything from barrels to handguards to triggers to charging handles done exactly to the shooter’s tastes.

When discussing the best pistol caliber carbines in 2022 a high level of emphasis should be placed on the 9mm PCC AR9. The AR platform is incredibly versatile and reliable in addition to adding a certain level of comfortable familiarity for AR platform shooters. An AR9 build kit is also a fun and rewarding project and many quality kits come in well under $1000!

KelTec Sub2000

For a more unique and compact setup then the KelTec Sub2000 is worth a serious look. The Sub2000 actually folds in half for easy portability and storage and has serious options for magazines. S&W M&P, Sig P226, Beretta 92/96 and Glock 17,19,22, & 23 magazines are all options with the Kel-Tec depending on the specific gun. For traveling, home defense, and bug out scenarios - having compatibility between handgun and PCC gun can be very handy! This particular 9mm PCC makes our list of top pistol caliber carbines for not only its folding ability but also its price tag. The KelTec Sub2000 comes in usually around $450-500 - a lot of bang for the buck in the 9mm PCC world! The KelTec also comes chambered in .40 S&W is 9mm isn’t the shooter’s preferred choice.

The KelTec Sub2000 open and folded.PC: KelTec

CMMG Banshee

As far as off the shelf AR-style 9mm PCC go, the Banshee Mk9 from CMMG is certainly one for our top pistol caliber carbines of 2022 list. Featuring CMMG’s patented Radical Delayed Blowback system and many of the usual AR9 parts the Banshee Mk9 packed with great features. The interesting thing about the RDB system on the CMMG PCC is that it is in essence a blowback operated pistol. Pressure from the shot drives the bolt back instead of a piston or gas system like most AR platform guns have. While it is a bit more complicated than this explanation - just know it makes a difference with recoil and better muzzle control.

The rest of this CMMG PCC is fairly similar to your standard AR-platform gun. The Banshee is highly maneuverable and has a decent amount of attachment points with the M-Lok handguard. The CMMG PCC comes in over ten different caliber choices and can accept a wide variety of magazines as well.

CMMG Banshee Mk9 in 9mm.

PC: CMMG

Sig Sauer MPX - K

Never one to be left behind, Sig Sauer offers yet another fantastic firearm for our top pistol caliber carbines of 2002 list with their MPX-K. The MPX-K is an absolutely incredible weapon - it shoots very softly as far as recoil impulse goes, and even though it is subjective, this writer finds it very aesthetically pleasing.

The MPX-K is an incredibly accurate 9mm PCC with great ergonomics and an excellent trigger - this gun comes stock with a Timney trigger from the factory! Plenty of M-Lok and Picatinny are on the MPX-K for attachments as well. AR shooters will find the controls very intuitive as well.

Kriss Vector

One of the more unique PCCs on this list - the Kriss Vector is something incredibly unique! What makes the Kriss Vector so unique is twofold. First, Kriss designed something called the Super V System which is a nonlinear, multilink blowback system that redirects energy down, effectively fighting recoil. The second is an extremely low bore axis to reduce felt recoil even more and reduce muzzle climb. The result is an exceptionally easy pistol caliber carbine to shoot. The Kriss Vector is not only a 9mm PCC - it’s also available in 10mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. The PCC utilizes Glock magazines as well, which is a plus because Glock magazines are plentiful in most places. The cool factor has a price though - usually around $1400-1500.

The Kriss Vector with optional folding brace.

PC: Kriss

Build Your Next PCC with Modulus Arms!

We hope this list of our top pistol caliber carbines of 2022 helped get you started on the right track to finding the perfect 9mm PCC. With so many great options on the market for 9mm PCC guns it can seem daunting - but finding the right gun is worth the hunt! If you're into building we've got just the parts for you to get started on that! We personally prefer to build out guns but if you want something ready to go out of the box our favorite is actually the KP9.