The Captain’s Journal – by Herschel Smith
Rifle Shooter has a piece up comparing and contrasting pistol caliber carbines.
James Tarr compares the Colt AR6951, Rock River Arms LAR-9, Lone Wolf Distributors G-9 and JR Carbine. He finds pros and cons with each, but to me Colt is dead until they move to a free state. The JR Carbine had forend components come loose under recoil. Of course, this is fatal in my opinion.
I would select the RRA carbine for lack of any other test, but that’s probably because I have a RRA 5.56 mm rifle and like it. I have two carbines (5.56 mm AR-15 and M1 Carbine), but no pistol caliber carbine. I have shot a Colt fully automatic carbine.
At the present I’m not convinced enough in the utility of a pistol caliber carbine to spend a great deal of money on one. I can see the utility of a SBR in pistol caliber in the AR platform so that one could attach a tactical light and reflex sight for close quarters home defense, but this can also be accomplished with hand guns. My have polymer frame semi-automatics and perhaps the best CQB weapon ever invented by mankind, a S&W .357 magnum revolver.
Why do I need a pistol caliber carbine? Perhaps for my wife to shoot to avoid any recoil? What would other aspects of utility be for the pistol caliber carbine? Readers can weigh in on this question.
UPDATE: I should have added that I do not and will not have a SBR because I will never register a firearm with the ATF.
http://www.captainsjournal.com/2013/04/02/pistol-caliber-carbines/
Unfortunately, if the SBR were the only feature that required registration, I wouldn’t have an SBR either. Having a carbine which fed pistol ammo would only be an advantage for not having to carry two types of ammo.
Sorry but i disagree about the pistol caliber.Although it’s not good for distance it is accurate up to 200 yds depending on the weapon.I have a lever gun in .45 lc that is very accurate and is a lot cheaper than a semi.These are good in tight quarters and reliable.They can be cycled very fast with some practice and if you carry a .45 lc pistol you only have to carry one kind of ammo.You can get them in just about all pistol calibers.With every body now wanting AR style guns the levers should be easier to get and for a lot less.