Pistol caliber carbines certainly are a divisive category of firearms. On one side of the fence you have their proponents who cherish them for a myriad of different (and valid) reasons, and on the opposing side you have the bunch who question their very existence. In this video we talk a little bit about why owning a PCC might be a good idea for many people.

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Transcript …

– [Narrator] Pistol caliber carbines tend to be a pretty divisive category of firearms.

You have their proponents who advocate their proliferation for a number of reasons which I’ll get in to in a minute.

But on the other side of the fence, you have the people who denounce their existence, declaring that their, insert semi-automatic rifle here, is superior in every respect.

While a rifle is generally a better choice for a combat scenario, pistol caliber carbines fill many niches outside of a clash.

Historically, pistol caliber carbines like the Luger and C96 carbines were issued to artillery crewmen.

We call the longer Pistole 08 the artillery Luger for a reason.

And one of these equipped with a stock and a snail drum, offered a whole lot of lead slinging capability in a compact package should the enemy overrun their position.

Remembering that when this was doctrinally relevant, the submachine gun hadn’t been invented yet.

When the German MP 18 quite literally stormed on to the scene followed by the American Thompson, and a slew of other first-generation submachine guns.

People began to realize the benefit of a small, rapid fire gun holding 30 or more rounds over a long, slow, albeit exponentially more powerful rifle.

Pistol caliber long guns would remain a military and police staple from the 19 teens until, well now really.

And while their use is subsiding, they still remain in inventory around the world for a myriad of reasons.

The advantages of a modern long gun over a hand gun are increased velocity, capacity, and above all accuracy.

Peep sights, a long sight radius, and a shoulder stock all work in tandem to turn the same round in your pistol in to a much more accurately dispensed projectile.

As a bonus, said long gun may also utilize the same magazine as your pistol, which makes it easy to grab mags from the same pouch.

As a patrol firearm that is more substantial than a sidearm this makes quite a lot of sense.

Having a standard ammunition type for your primary and secondary is a huge bonus.

But that probably isn’t enough to offset the benefit of a rifle or shotgun over a pistol caliber carbine, at least in my mind.

However in a competition environment, like a 2-Gun match this is fantastic.

The reason I actually bought my Cx4 was so I could use my Beretta 92 in tandem with it.

Having one magazine pouch and drawing mags from the same area for both pieces to get a better time.

I certainly wasn’t the only one doing this either.

Next up, pistol caliber carbines fire affordable ammunition.

Long gun training can get expensive quick.

And a 1000 round case of 9mm can be had for less than $200.

When it comes to developing your shooting skill-set, there’s no substitute for range time.

And a pistol caliber carbine can result in some pretty damn cost-effective time out on the range.

Also, pistol caliber carbines are great for teaching new shooters to handle a long gun.

Often times they are small and compact.

So for a younger person they might fit quite well.

The recoil the generate is very low, and also the report is much less significant than a rifle cracking off 5.56.

Because of these factors I put pistol caliber carbines in the hands of some of my younger cousins, as a bridge between rimfire rifles and center fire stuff.

To the kid it brings them a huge smile to their face, because they feel like Rambo shooting a slick looking modern 9mm long gun.

And neither the recoil nor the noise level instills any kind of fear.

But lastly, what about using one as a defensive tool? I know this is where things get hazy, because most folks are going to advocate keeping a rifle, pistol or shotgun in the home in case a person with nefarious intentions decides to invite themselves in.

Well a handgun certainly offers a lot of maneuverability that a longer firearm doesn’t.

Shotgun offers a higher hit probability with a low likeliness of over-penetration.

And a rifle offers a lot of power, and to many a lot of familiarity.

But what about a pistol caliber long gun? Well this may sound a bit silly, and be outright dismissed by a lot of people, but I’ve always thought that for many they may be a damn good choice.

You get the capacity of a rifle, most of the maneuverability of a handgun with a short model.

And the ability to make followup shots without deafening yourself or having a muzzle flash blind you.

Cracking off a rifle in a dark enclosed area with no ear-pro generally leaves you pretty disoriented.

And while a pistol caliber long gun isn’t quiet by any means the effect isn’t as bad.

Also a pistol bullet is less likely to make its way out of your home or in to a room where it might not be invited.

Light weight and controllability are also positives for more frail people out there too.

Now I’m not saying that pistol caliber carbines are the one true choice for home defense, but I do believe they offer some advantages that should be considered.

If you keep a shotgun and are comfortable with it, keep it up.

Same goes for those who keep a rifle or pistols for the same purpose.

But the humble PCC is an often overlooked alternative that offers many advantages.

As a bonus, most aren’t going to break the bank.

Auction sites like Proxibid can net the buyer a new or gently used Scorpion Evo, Cx4, Marlin Camp Carbine and so on, for well under $1000 and if you decide after a while that it isn’t your thing, you can always sell it for what you have in it.

So I think that these guns still very much have a place.

New examples such as the Evo, SIG MPX and of course MP5 clones are selling like crazy.

So obviously the public is interested, and with 3-Gun Nation’s pistol caliber carbine clash, you can now train with your gun in a safe and competitive environment.

Which I personally think is great.

Special thank you to Ventura Munitions for helping us out with the ammunition in our videos, and a special thank you to you for watching.

We hope to see you next time.