You don’t need to build your AR-style rifle around .223 or 5.56, despite the fact that many platforms are. In fact, you don’t even need to center it around a rifle cartridge at all.
There’s a lot of variety out there, and some uppers are chambered in pistol-caliber rounds, such as 9mm. Frankly, these pistol-caliber carbines, also known as PCCs, offer some distinct, unique advantages over rifle-caliber builds. We’ll cover some of these here.
Low Cost
Not of the gun itself – the build won’t be cheap – but of the ammo. While .223 and 5.56 are pretty cheap, they’re usually more expensive than 9mm and other comparable handgun rounds, and it only goes up from there. If you burn a lot of brass, a PCC is one way to keep the lid on the ammo portion of the overall price.
Low Recoil
Again, .223 and 5.56 are pretty low on recoil, but it mostly goes up from there. Even these light-recoiling rifle rounds produce more recoil than many handgun cartridges, again, like 9mm. This makes pistol-caliber carbines perfect for the recoil-sensitive.
Excellent Handling
Many PCCs are lighter and easier-handling than their full-sized rifle counterparts, making them ideal in close-quarters and at close ranges. Since they’re smaller and more compact, they’re more portable and easier to conceal, at least as a general rule, than full-sized rifles as well.
Close Range Performance, Low Risk of Overpenetration
Not just because of their smaller, more compact profile and better handling, but the cartridges with which they’re paired offer a good balance of stopping power and a low risk of overpenetration. For instance, .223, which is a relatively light rifle cartridge, still has a decent BC and is very fast – producing a high risk of overpenetration especially at close ranges. The same is not true for 9mm, especially 9mm defensive rounds, which are unlikely to overpenetrate, especially with hollow point rounds.
Longer Sight Radius Is Superior to a Handgun
Take two platforms, a PCC and a handgun, both chambered in 9mm. The PCC will have a longer sight radius, which means it will be easier to shoot it more accurately, all things considered, despite offering the same firepower as the handgun.
Longer Barrel Offers More Power Even from the Same Cartridge
Actually, to be very specific, a PCC offers slightly better firepower than a handgun, albeit marginally. This is because the longer barrel will give the bullet slightly more time to accelerate before leaving the muzzle, resulting in nominally better FPS and stopping power. It’s not much but it’s still worth calling out.
Still Interested? Check Out the 9mm G9
Thinking a PCC might be the best move for you? You might have other personal reasons in addition to the ones mentioned here; if you’re thinking about building a PCC around 9mm, check out the 9mm G9 at Gibbz Arms; it’s a great place to get started, especially if you want to build a side-charger, regardless of what caliber you ultimately settle on.
