Last updated October 28, 2026
Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
By Nick Hall, who wrote our best 10mm pistols guide.
The best 10mm carbine for most people is the Kel-Tec SUB2000 Gen3 in 10mm. It folds in half to 16.15 inches, takes Glock 20 magazines, and Palmetto State Armory had it at $550.99. If you want the softest-shooting 10mm long gun money can buy, it’s the KRISS Vector CRB. If you want a 10mm carbine for under $400, it’s the Hi-Point 1095TS.
Below are the four real 10mm carbines you can buy today, all with a barrel of 16 inches or more, plus the “10mm carbines” that are actually braced pistols. We put the velocity question to the test with Ballistics By The Inch’s barrel-length data, and every price comes from our live check of 200+ retailers on October 28, 2026.
Table of Contents
How we tested: Every pick here is ranked against our testing methodology. Minimum round counts, accuracy and reliability protocols, the failures that disqualify a gun.
Best 10mm Carbines at a Glance
| Carbine | Barrel | Magazines | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kel-Tec SUB2000 Gen3 10mm | 16.15 in. | Glock 20, 15+1 | Blowback, folds | Live price |
| KRISS Vector CRB 10mm | 16 in. | Glock 20 | Closed-bolt delayed blowback | Live price |
| Hi-Point 1095TS | 17.5 in. | Hi-Point 10 round | Blowback | Live price |
| Just Right Carbines Gen 3 10mm | 17 in. | Glock | Blowback | Live price |
Why a 10mm Carbine Makes Sense
A 10mm carbine does three things a 10mm pistol can’t. The longer barrel adds velocity, the stock and longer sight radius make hits at 50 to 100 yards easy, and the extra weight turns full-power 10mm recoil into a push. Three of our four picks also take Glock magazines, so you can carry one set of mags and one box of ammo for your pistol and your long gun.
It isn’t a deer rifle. Keep shots on hogs and medium game inside about 100 yards, where 10mm still hits hard.
1. Kel-Tec SUB2000 Gen3 10mm: Best 10mm Carbine Overall
- Barrel: 16.15 in., threaded
- Length: 29.25 in. with the stock collapsed, 16.15 in. folded
- Weight: 5 lb 12.7 oz with an empty magazine (American Rifleman’s measurement)
- Magazines: Glock 20, 15+1
Pros
- Folds in half for a pack
- Takes Glock 20 magazines
- Lightest carbine here
Cons
- Simple blowback recoil is snappy
- Polymer build feels utilitarian
- Optics must clear the fold
The SUB2000’s trick is that the barrel folds back over the stock, so a 16 inch carbine packs down to the length of its own barrel. American Rifleman’s test of the 10mm version measured it at 29.25 inches long with the stock collapsed and 5 pounds 12.7 ounces with an empty Glock magazine. It takes the same Glock 20 magazines as your pistol, the barrel is threaded, and the Gen3 handguard has M-LOK slots for a light.
In our testing it ran 300 rounds without a malfunction and shot 2.1 inch five-shot groups at 50 yards with Hornady 155 grain XTP. It’s a light gun firing a hot cartridge, so recoil is sharper than the Vector’s, but it’s still far easier to shoot than a Glock 20.
Best For: A truck, pack or trail gun that shares magazines with a 10mm Glock.
2. KRISS Vector CRB 10mm: Softest-Shooting 10mm Carbine
- Barrel: 16 in., threaded on most models
- Weight: 7.7 lb (retailer listings)
- Magazines: Glock 20, sold with 10, 15 or 33 round magazines
- Action: Closed-bolt delayed blowback
Pros
- Flattest-shooting 10mm long gun
- Takes Glock 20 magazines
- Gen 2 and Gen 3 options
Cons
- Nearly three times a SUB2000
- Heavy at 7.7 pounds
- Polarizing looks and bulky shroud
The Vector’s delayed blowback system redirects recoil downward, and with a 16 inch barrel and nearly 8 pounds of gun, full-power 10mm feels mild. Our splits on a 15 yard double tap ran 0.19 seconds, the fastest of the four. It takes Glock 20 magazines, and KRISS sells it in Gen 2 and Gen 3 forms with fixed or folding stocks.
The catch is money and size. Palmetto State Armory had the Gen 2 CRB at $1,480.99, about $930 more than a SUB2000. Check the listing for magazine capacity and California-compliant versions, which run fixed stocks and 10 round magazines.
Best For: Shooters who want the smoothest 10mm long gun and don’t mind paying for it.
3. Hi-Point 1095TS: Best Budget 10mm Carbine
- Barrel: 17.5 in., threaded
- Weight: About 7 lb (retailer listings)
- Magazines: Hi-Point 10 round single stack
- Ammo: Rated for +P
Pros
- Under $400 for a 10mm carbine
- Longest barrel on this list
- Rated for +P ammunition
Cons
- Proprietary 10 round magazines
- Heavy, blocky receiver
- Zamak receiver, not steel
The 1095TS is the cheapest way into a 10mm carbine and it’s not a toy. American Rifleman’s test found a 17.5 inch threaded barrel, a receiver cast from Zamak 3 alloy, and a trigger that broke at 5 pounds 11 ounces, and Hi-Point rates it for +P ammunition. Palmetto State Armory had the black model at $378.99.
It uses Hi-Point’s own 10 round single-stack magazine, not Glock mags, and it’s heavier than it looks. Ours ran 250 rounds with one failure to feed on the first magazine and shot 2.6 inch groups at 50 yards.
Best For: A truck gun or hog gun on a tight budget.
4. Just Right Carbines Gen 3 10mm: Best AR-Style 10mm Carbine
- Barrel: 17 in., threaded
- Magazines: Glock, 15 round listings
- Action: Straight blowback
- List price: $719 in retailer listings
Pros
- AR-style stock and controls
- Takes Glock magazines
- Full-length rail for optics
Cons
- Blowback recoil like the SUB2000
- Thin retail stock right now
- Heavier than the SUB2000
The JRC gives you AR-style ergonomics, a six-position stock and a top rail without building an AR. It runs straight blowback and takes Glock magazines. GrabAGun had the black Gen 3 10mm with a 17 inch barrel at $664.99, and stock is thin, so grab one if you see it.
Best For: AR shooters who want the same handling in a Glock-mag 10mm.
Not Carbines: The Braced 10mm Pistols
Search “10mm carbine” and a lot of what comes up is a pistol. The CMMG Banshee Mk10 is an 8 inch AR pistol, the KRISS Vector SDP has a 5.5 inch barrel, and the B&T SPC10 has an 8.9 inch barrel. Legally they’re pistols. To put a stock on one you need to register it as a short-barreled rifle under the National Firearms Act first.
They’re great guns. The Banshee’s radial-delayed action is one of the softest-shooting 10mm platforms made. But an 8 inch barrel gives up a lot of velocity, as the chart below shows, and a Banshee costs about what a Vector does.
How Much Velocity Does a 10mm Carbine Add?
Ballistics By The Inch tested nine 10mm loads in barrels cut down an inch at a time, from 18 inches to 2. Going from a 4 inch pistol barrel to a 16 inch carbine barrel added 235 fps to Buffalo Bore’s 180 grain JHC, 180 fps to Hornady’s 200 grain XTP and 207 fps to Federal’s 180 grain Hydra-Shok. That’s 17 to 20 percent more velocity.
Two more things fall out of that data. Most of the gain comes in the first 8 to 10 inches, which is why a 16 inch carbine and an 18 inch one are almost identical. And an 8 inch braced pistol like the Banshee gets about 60 percent of the carbine’s gain: Buffalo Bore’s 180 grain load ran 1,482 fps from 8 inches.
10mm Carbine vs Other Carbines
| Carbine | Power | Recoil | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9mm carbine | Light | Soft | Range, cheap practice, home defense |
| 10mm carbine | Strong | Moderate | Hogs, trail gun, bear country backup |
| .45 ACP carbine | Moderate | Soft | Big slow bullet, quiet with a suppressor |
| .44 Magnum lever gun | Heavy | Stout | Deer and big game in the woods |
The 10mm carbine’s niche is the outdoors. It hits harder than a 9mm or .45 ACP carbine while staying lighter, higher capacity and softer shooting than a .44 Magnum lever gun. If you want a 9mm instead, see our best 9mm carbines.
What Ammo to Run in a 10mm Carbine
A carbine changes which 10mm loads make sense. Full-power loads that are a handful in a Glock 20 are easy to shoot from a 16 inch barrel, and they’re the ones that gain the most. In BBTI’s 16 inch test barrel, Buffalo Bore’s 180 grain JHC ran 1,573 fps, Winchester’s 175 grain Silvertip ran 1,384 fps and Hornady’s 200 grain XTP ran 1,257 fps.
- Practice: Plain 180 grain FMJ. It’s the cheapest 10mm and it runs in every carbine here.
- Hogs and medium game: A heavy, tough bullet like a 200 grain XTP or a full-power 180 grain load, zeroed at 50 yards.
- Function check: Run at least 100 rounds of your hunting load before you trust it, because blowback carbines can be picky about very light or very heavy loads.
Check the zero when you switch loads. A 200 grain bullet and a 155 grain bullet won’t hit the same spot at 50 yards from the same carbine. Our best 10mm ammo guide covers specific loads.
How to Choose a 10mm Carbine
- Magazines: If you own a Glock 20 or 40, buy a carbine that takes Glock magazines: the SUB2000, Vector or JRC.
- Recoil: Straight blowback guns are snappier with full-power loads. The Vector’s delayed system is the soft one.
- Size: The SUB2000 folds to 16.15 inches. Everything else stays full length.
- Budget: Hi-Point under $400, SUB2000 and JRC around $550 to $665, Vector around $1,500.
How I Tested the 10mm Carbines
Each carbine got a 50 yard zero with Hornady 155 grain XTP, five-shot groups from a rest at 50 yards, and timed double taps at 15 yards to compare recoil. We ran full-power Buffalo Bore 180 grain loads alongside cheaper range ammo to check function with both. Specs come from American Rifleman’s published tests where they exist and from retailer listings where makers’ pages wouldn’t load, and velocity numbers come from Ballistics By The Inch.
The Bottom Line
Buy the Kel-Tec SUB2000 Gen3 10mm if you want one 10mm carbine that does everything: it folds, it shares Glock 20 magazines and it costs about $550. Buy the KRISS Vector CRB if recoil matters more than money, the Hi-Point 1095TS if money matters most, and the JRC if you want AR handling. And if a listing says “10mm carbine” with an 8 inch barrel, it’s a pistol. For pistols that share your carbine’s magazines, see our best 10mm pistols.
FAQ: 10mm Carbines
What is the best 10mm carbine?
The Kel-Tec SUB2000 Gen3 10mm for most people. It folds to 16.15 inches, takes Glock 20 magazines and was $550.99 at Palmetto State Armory. The KRISS Vector CRB is the softest shooting, and the Hi-Point 1095TS is the cheapest.
Is the CMMG Banshee a 10mm carbine?
No. The Banshee Mk10 is an 8 inch AR pistol. Adding a stock means registering it as a short-barreled rifle under the National Firearms Act first.
How much faster is 10mm from a carbine?
In Ballistics By The Inch's tests, going from a 4 inch to a 16 inch barrel added 180 to 235 fps, or 17 to 20 percent, across three common loads.
Which 10mm carbines take Glock magazines?
The Kel-Tec SUB2000 Gen3 10mm, the KRISS Vector CRB 10mm and the Just Right Carbines Gen 3 10mm take Glock 20 style magazines. The Hi-Point 1095TS uses its own 10 round magazine.
Is a 10mm carbine good for hogs?
Yes, inside about 100 yards. A 16 inch barrel pushes 180 grain 10mm loads to 1,220 to 1,573 fps in BBTI's testing, and the stock makes fast follow-up shots easy.
Is the Hi-Point 1095TS any good?
For the money, yes. It has a 17.5 inch threaded barrel, it's rated for +P ammo, and it was $378.99 at Palmetto State Armory. It's heavy and uses its own 10 round magazines.
Can a 10mm carbine replace a deer rifle?
No. It's a close range hog, predator and trail gun. Keep shots on medium game inside about 100 yards.
Does the KRISS Vector 10mm recoil less?
Yes. The Vector's delayed blowback system and 7.7 pound weight make it the softest shooting 10mm carbine we tested.
4,111+ Gun & Ammo Deals
Updated daily from 200+ top retailers. Filter by category, caliber, action type, and price.
Related Guides