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9mm Carbine Help

25K views 21 replies 16 participants last post by  jyo 
#1 ·
So I have this itch to own a 9mm carbine. I already have a few handguns in 9mm, and other calibers of course, but in the long run I would very much like to go 9mm across the board. I simply like 9mm performance, price, and availability.

My first thought when I started looking for a 9mm carbine was, I want one that can take handgun mags. So of course the Keltec Sub2k came to mind. Unfortunately this gun is impossible to find anywhere, and honestly it isn't my favorite design, but I would get one if one was available. So I started looking around for others and found the Just Right Carbine, the Thureon Defense 9mm, the Beretta cx4 storm, and the Hi Point whatever. Out of those only the JR and the Beretta use mags that other popular handguns use, i.e. glock or beretta.

The JR looks like a decent design, but it's a little up there in price at around $600 at the LGS, and I have rarely heard a good review about it (other than Jeff Quinn at Gunblast of course). But it does take any size 9mm glock mag, which is great. The Thureon defense is a nice simple design, but it's hard to find and takes a modified uzi magazine, which is not to my liking. I have no interest in the Beretta cx4 storm, and no interest in the Hi Point. Does anyone know of another good 9mm carbine out there? JG Sales, whom is close by, sells a Finnish m31 suomi submachine gun in 9mm and this gun gets amazing reviews for reliability and it takes 36rd, 50rd, and 71rd(drum) mags, which is nice. Any thoughts or opinions on what to do? This gun won't be for home defense, hunting, or anything like that, it will simply be for camping, plinking, and just generally having fun.
 
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#3 ·
CDNN has Kel Tec Sub 2000 9mm that uses the Glock mags for $299. Just order one and have it shipped to your FFL dealer.
Go to page 12 of the catalog
Download Catalog

I own one myself


and one of these



and one of these too


They are an ugly little pack of rats but oh so fun to shoot and cheap to feed. More toys for me since I have several real battle rifles options but don't sell them short. With the right 9mm ammo the performance out of the 16" barrel is not bad at all. They make a good HD or truck gun option if you so choose.

The Marlin is the best quality overall of these pistol caliber carbine, but the HP 995 and KT Sub 2000 are very reliable and a blast to shoot and all make a decent HD option.
 
#6 ·
Would love to find a marlin camp 9 or a ruger carbine, they simply go for so much now because they are fairly rare. I just learned that Thureon Defense is now producing a Glock version of their nifty AR styled carbine, goes for about $700, might try and save. Would certainly be nice to be able to use my old G17 mags for it.
 
#8 ·
Century has Uzi copies, hard to mount a scope, but easy to SBR and magazines are dirt cheap. I really like the JRC, I'm a lefty and it's very lefty friendly. Oly and Lone Wolf have AR platforms with Glock interfaces, and there are plenty of Colts out there that I've seen lately, the Uzi mag is a good magazine. Someone, I forget who, is making Sten mag ARs, but the Uzi mag is better IMO. You can do a build of an AR with modified or stock Uzi mags and drop the conversion in and out, unlike the Colt with the dedicated lower. Hi Points are ok but lack long term durability and I know of one person who has one suppressed and is convinced the back pressure wore the gun out quick. I have a Camp and a PC9 and the PC is better, but heavier. I work on Kel Tecs for a local PD, and they are very happy with the guns. Theirs are .40 and they don't usually fold them, the keep them in a rifle case in the trunks. They have yet to find a scope mount or laser that they can afford and are happy with.
 
#9 ·
Beretta 9mm Carbine is the only one I'd go for.

Kel-Tec is...well, Kel-Tec.
Hi-Point, I've have one and it blew.
The Marlin & Ruger are out of production.

Others are too unknown for me.

That leaves Beretta in my book.
 
#12 ·
I go to the range or shoot on private property a lot, often two times a week or more is not uncommon, and I have a large collection of firearms to shoot, many of which are relatively high end firearms, but over the past couple years one of the most fun times I had at the range was embarrassing a couple of guys with their Beretta Storm carbines with my $250 HP 995. They bragged on the Storm and made fun of the ugly "cheap" HP, but I was able to out shoot both these guys at metal target plates set a 50,100 and 150 yards, and the HP995 proved to be just as accurate and reliable if not more so than the $750 Beretta. Of course some of it may have been me.......but that's another story.

The 995 is what it is, an inexpensive little straight blow-back plinker, that is ugly and cheap looking but works very well for its intended purposes....informal plinking and as a HD carbine if one so desires. I don't want to go to war with one but you are fairly well armed with the thing.
 
#13 ·
I have a Ruger PC9 which uses the same magazines as my P89.
My PC9 was a police trade-in and had seen very little use. It is a bit heavy and there is a lack of aftermarket parts available (if that's what you want) but is ultra reliable in my experience.
I tried out a number of other 9mm carbines (Beretta, Kel-Tek, Marlin, AR, Uzi) before I bought the PC9, the deciding factor for me was magazine compatibility with the P89 I already owned. I saw no real problems with any of the other carbines except the Hi-Point having a very limited magazine capacity. Fit and finish vary widely between the different makers and depending on the intended use one may fit better than another, but all will do the job.

Just my 2-bits worth.

P.S. My wife decided she likes the PC9 better than the shotgun, so it became our house gun.
 
#14 ·
I just bought the 4095TS. the 40 cal version of the 995. I did alot of research on the gun and seems like resellers can't keep'em in stock. the only bad thing i heard was they are ugly, but who cares. I got a HP-C( a while ago and its a great little gun for the price. Have fun with whatever you get and don't let some of these guys influence your decision to much. Ask some of the guys that have these in the store because chances are theyt have shot most of them.
 
#15 ·
I've shot all of the above except for the JRC, although I fondled and played with it a lot. The range where I work rents a Colt and a couple Hi Point carbines. The Colt is filthy, disgustingly caked with dirt, carbon, crud, and garbage. We are now past the point of cleaning it and just squirt in CLP when it starts to jam. It has a stock 32 round converted Uzi mag and a pair of 20 round USA Magazines modified to fit it. Except that the bolt stop broke, the gun continues to run despite massive abuse and neglect. The Hi Points lack long term durability and reliability. They are popular rentals, especially the ones with all the rails, but we sell them after a while as rentals and replace them. I have a customer who insists on doing amature work on his Oly AR, and was running it with an ancient NFML Glock mag, but once I put in a new mag and did some real work it runs fine. My Uzi is a 320, and when I got to dealing with 922r, It would only cost $30 more to SBR it than it would to play BS parts count games to comply with some dumb law that should be defunct. We have a MAC 10 in 9mm, too, and I'm looking for an M11 for myself. Again a dumb law that makes a $300 gun worth $3000. Those arent bad play toys and are still pretty affordable investments. Look at one for a range toy that can only increase in value.

Next project is going to involve playing with Sten parts kits, I'm going to make a S&W 76 lookalike from a Sten kit, semi SBR, just need the free time. Those are fun to do too, and a lot more challenge than an AR build.
 
#18 ·
Let me say, I like pistol caliber carbines. I have .375 levers, Ruger PC9. Marlin Camp 45, Kel tec 40 as and yes the Hi-Point 995. If you set them all on the table at the range and let the older kids and teenagers have their choice--the 995 is picked up first. I don't have much more money in the Ruger, Marlin, Kel Tec and Hi-Point that I bought or traded for used than a new Baretta would cost.

Yes it is ugly, but we have probably 7500 rounds through it and one FTF--it was a bad primer. With a cheap red dot the kids love to ring steel and the adults seem to always shoot it. The second choice is usually the Kel Tec. All the old guys like me pick up the Marlin or the Ruger as they are more "traditional". I am a shooter and would like the Baretta, but money talks and it is expensive. I think you buy what you can afford, shoot what you like and remember what the old cowboy said.
Opinions are like a**holes, everybody has one, but some folks like to share theirs more than I want to see and hear.
 
#19 ·
Planning on getting the Sub 2000 as we are not allowed to carry here in Canada, but it is considered a non-restricted firearm, so I can pack it around while travelling. I have the CX-storm in .40cal, an excellent gun but not small or light. The High-point carbine would be good, but up here considered a rifle and restricted to 5 rounds, so it's pointless. The folding ability of the Kel-tec is a major advantage over the other designs for me, although I freely admit it's not the most robust gun in the world. Up here the cost is $600 for one (plus 12% tax)
 
#20 ·
Thanks for some of the suggestions! I have been doing more research and have found a few more options that look good, such as the Feather RAV 9, very nifty, breaks down, takes glock mags, and looks to be of good quality. It may be though that I just buy a Hi Point 995 and do some modifying and call it good. By all reports the Hi Point Carbine line seems to be of good quality for the low cost.
 
#22 ·
I must say, I find my "plain jane" Marlin Camp 9 very reliable and surprisingly accurate---10-12-15 rd mags are readily available and the gun shoots very well. Mine was bought used and already fitted with a cheapie red dot scope and sling---ready to go!
 
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