14 Best 9mm AR Pistols: Pistol Caliber Carbines

Last Updated February 17th 2024

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Winners at a Glance

Intro

We all know that the best Pistol Caliber Carbines are awesome tools for home defense. A long line of law enforcement & military agencies and more retained the humble 9mm AR pistols and Sub Machine Guns.

That’s because the best Pistol Caliber Carbines are the ideal tactical tool for sweeping buildings. So it’s arguably the best weapon for the home, 9mm isn’t wild. It’s precise, super precise. You can suppress it well, it fits in a compact package and 9mm is available just about anywhere.

300 Blackout has certainly made a play for the 9mm market in recent times and that caliber is starting to take over for the military units and SWAT teams out there thanks to its flexibility. But it’s expensive, it’s new tech and 9mm is pretty much as good in the right circumstances.

So the best Pistol Caliber Carbines are still revered, loved and bought in massive numbers around the world. Which one of the 9mm AR pistols is the one for you though?

1. CZ Scorpion Evo 3

• Price: $999.99+
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Action: Semi automatic
• Barrel: 5 inch
• Total Length: 16 inch
• Weight: 5.7lb

Best Overall

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
3.5/5	4/5	4.5/5	3/5	3.5/5

The CZ Scorpion Evo 3 is a legendary battle pistol, and rightly so. It’s our budget pick by a mile, and the gun reviews online go crazy for it. This is a truck gun, a range plinker and it’s under a lot of beds in this fair nation as a last line of defense.

Honestly if you want an all rounder, then you’ll struggle to beat the trusty CZ.. It has been one of the best Pistol Caliber Carbines since its introduction in 2009.

You can get a CZ Scorpion 9mm pistol caliber carbine in Black, Olive Green, Coyote Tan and several shades of grey.

2. Sig Sauer MPX Copperhead 9mm

• Price: $1,299.99
• Barrel Length: 3.5 inch
• Total: 14.5 inch
• Weight: 4.5lb
• Capacity: 20+1

Best CQB

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
2/5	3/5	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5

The Sig Sauer MPX Copperhead is the best Pistol Caliber Carbine for home defense if you want to spend the money.

That 3.5 inch barrel with the integrated muzzle brake is borderline ridiculous. You can swing it round your house like a concealed carry handgun. Yet Sig has managed to create an accurate weapon that consistently pounds the bullseye out of targets at 100 yards in vaguely competent hands.

In skilled hands, this rear charging compact AR semi-automatic pistol is an absolute titan of a high price, high spec close quarters firefight specialist for home defense. And it is easily one the best pistol caliber carbines on the market.

The PDW brace is different. It’s the new Pivoting Contour Brace (PCB). Essentially it pivots with a patented swivel operating system. Without a pistol brace, this is alsmot a pocket pistol too.

Short Barrel Sig MPX is Brutal

The Copperhead with the Coyote Tan cerakote finish is basically a conceal carry 9mm.

This Coyote Tan cerakote finish miniature weapon of war could be the best gun for defense, plinking at the range and just about everything else.

You get a Monolithic Elite Series upper receiver and an integrated stock knuckle lower receiver sets. Even the chrging handles are chopped down and elegant.

A short stroke gas-piston system means the Copperhead semi auto pistol can cycle through pretty much all grades of 9mm ammunition, from crappy steel right through to high end rippers that could turn this into a truly evil 9mm AR pistol.

There are plenty of choices, but the Sig MPX Copperhead is one of the best Pistol Caliber Carbines in the world.

3. HK SP5

• Price:  $2,999.99
• Barrel Length: 8.86 inch
• Total Length: 17.8 inch
• Weight: 5.1lb

Best of All Time

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
1.5/5	4/5	5/5	3.5/5	5/5

Is this the best SMG for civilians? If not, the best-selling HK SP5 is certainly close. This is the semi-auto street version of the legendary HK MP5 that has gone into battle with Special forces teams all round the world.

Adopted by 40 nations for law enforcement & military duty, this has been a Hall of Famer for decades and is consistently named among the world’s best weapons. If you had to equip a military unit, this would almost certainly be there. Does that make it the best gun? Kinda…

Price and availability are the only things keeping the roller delayed blowback HK off the top spot. It’s easier to get them now than it was, but you can expect to spend about $3,000 and that is a lot of money if the government isn’t paying.

4. Freedom Ordnance FX-9 9mm Luger

• Price: $694.99
• Barrel: 4.5 inch
• Weight: 4.5lb

Best Budget Pistol Caliber Carbine

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
5/5	3.5/5	4/5	5/5	2/5

The Freedom Ordnance FX-9 9mm Luger might not have the history of the HK, but it has still become a modern day icon and one of the most popular 9mm choices in America.

Inevitably the rear charging handle FX-9 9mm Luger takes the double stack Glock magazines. And it looks like there’s a suppressor up front, but it isn’t really. That faux suppressor muzzle device is really about the look, rather than performance.

The barrel is clearly on the small size and that makes this a real contender for concealment. There’s a consistency, a purity of purpose, that puts the Freedom Ordnance FX-9 9mm Carbine right at the top of this list. Especially at this price and weight.

5. Battle Arms Development XIPHOS 9P

• Price: $1,529.99
• Barrel: 8 inch
• Total: 26 inch
• Weight: 5.5lb

Classic Tactical Pistol

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
2/5	4/5	4/5	3.5/5	4/5

This supplier makes some of the sexiest AR-15 pistol and AR15 rifles on the market these days. So it’s no surprise that it has a blowback AR-style 9mm pistol that might just take your breath away.

Depending on which end you’re looking down at the time, normally…

The 7075-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum lower receiver on this semi auto pistol is machined from billet, in-house. BAD has a free float rail system, with the signature notch cut in the Picatinny rail. That joins forces with a proprietary lightweight buffer tube and other goodies to create one of the best Pistol Caliber Carbines with a classic AR pistol layout and longer barrel.

There’s a full size 9mm rifle, too, which we love almost as much as these compact tactical CQB guns & gear.

9mm AR-15 Pistol Build Tech

An extended magazine release, Teflon coated trigger and tool-less breakdown thanks to enhanced takedown pins all mark the BAD out as good. The SBA3 brace is fairly standard, but we know it works, and it’s the same with the Mil Spec muzzle device.

Even with an 8 inch barrel, it’s still lighter than many here, too. So it’s a lightweight in the true sense, one of the best 9mm AR pistols on sale and a damned fine addition to gun safes across the land.

You can sometimes find gun deals, too, and even better prices.

6. Angstadt Arms UDP-9

• Price: $1,342.99
• Barrel: 6 inch
• Total Length: 22 inch
• Weight: 5.9lb

Hugely Popular Pistol

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
2/5	4/5	4/5	4/5	3/5

Angstadt has built an outsized reputation in short order in this niche, and a lot of people prefer this to the better known options thanks to the super light recoil, lightweight construction and reliability.

As more and more of us have Glocks in the house, the ability to use the Glock magazines in an AR-style pistol is a big deal. I mean a lot of guns on this list do the same, to be fair, it’s not the actual USP.

Receiver sets machined from billet aluminum, the low recoil blowback system, near fetishistic attention to detail and the compact tactical nature of the carbine length gas system UDP-9 pistol are the real selling points.

Things like the flared magwell that help reload that fraction faster help as well.

In short the Angstadt Arms UDP-9 pistol is a winner.

7. B&T APC9 Pro SD

• Price: $3,247.99
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Barrel: 5.7 inch
• Pistol Length: 21.6 inch
• Weight: 6.4lb

The B&T APC9 Pro is Swiss engineering that has found its way into the hands of crack military and law enforcement units round the world. Even the US Army has put the full auto version on its extensive list.

B&T make exceedingly good, exceedingly expensive firearms, and we love most of them. The APC Pro is even more expensive than the HK, which we didn’t even think was possible. So you’ve really got to want one, but if you do then we respect your commitment to the bit.

The B&T APC9 Pro can’t reaistically be worth that much money. But one USP is thart the upper receiver is the serialized portion, so you can buy different lowers and switch calibers from 9mm ammo, 10mm ammo & 45 ACP ammo. So it’s super modular and you can fit a pistol brace or run it as a concealed carry under your jacket.

8. Foxtrot Mike Products FM-9

• Price: $638.99
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Barrel: 5 inch
• Pistol Length: 27 inch
• Weight: 6.4lb

Great CQB

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
4/5	3.5/5	4/5	5/5	3/5

Foxtrot Mike Products are a relative newcomer, but it has made a big impression with high value and feature rich ARs. The stubby AR-9 is no exception.

This is the middle of the litter and you can opt for a 3 inch barrel or 7 inch barrel, depending on your needs for your best budget 9mm Carbine.

With better optics then you should get to the outer reaches of your driveway at least with a Foxtrot Mike FM-9. More with laser sights or a good optic. Close up you can shoulder it comfortably and move it round your home. Or really cold looking fields…

Easily Controlled Chaos

So what separates the Foxtrot Mike FM-9 from the herd? Attention to detail, for a start, with receiver sets machined from billet aluminum. In this price range, that’s impressive.

All that work and it’s tailored to the humble double stack Glock magazine. That makes it a versatile gun, a great 9mm in its own right and a Preppers favorite.

9. Ruger PC Carbine

• Price: $729.99
• Barrel: 6.5 inch
• OAL: 16.5 inch
• Weight: 5.2lb

Cheap and Fun

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
3.5/5	3/5	3/5	3/5	2.5/5

The Ruger PC Carbine is compact, reasonably cheap and takes both Ruger and Glock mags in separate magwells.

Unlike some others on the list, you get that big brand quality guarantee. It might not be as spectacular or eye catching as some of the riskier propositions. But you do get big company quality control and mass production techniques that tend to be dependable with the Ruger PC Carbine.

The Ruger PC Carbine is just a safer bet than some of the wilder options, despite its wilfully edgy look and features list. That includes two magwells, one for Ruger SR-9 magazines and one for Glock mags. Beat that for magazine compatibility.

With a monolithic receiver, you can choose to run a pistol brace, or not.

10. CMMG Banshee 300 MKGS

• Price: $1,377.99
• Barrel: 5 inch
• Total: 18.9 inch
• Weight: 4.6lb

Interesting, But Expensive

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
1.5/5	3/5	3/5	3/5	3/5

The best-selling CMMG Banshee Series 9mm Carbine is an absolute smash hit and is some people’s pick for the Pistol Caliber Carbine of the year.

Mostly it depends how you feel about the radial delayed blowback system that was hailed as a step forward. If you like it, then this is for you. If not, if you think radial delayed blowback is some newfandangled thing for the kids, then that’s OK too.

Frankly it hasn’t turned out to be the gamechanger we hoped for. It’s just a good gun with a direct impingement gas system. But we all need those, right?

This Banshee MKGS 9mm Luger is finished in Burnt Bronze Cerakote, but you can choose from almost any color, including matte black Cerakote that goes with the polymer grips.

A Range of Popular Calibers for CMMG Banshee Series

You can also choose from a mind-blowing number of calibers for your sort of CMMG Banshee civiliant Sub Machine Gun, including armor piercing 5.7x28mm rounds. Because why not? And there’s an AAC Blackout Banshee, which features on our favorite AAC Blackout handguns list.

The high quality CMMG Banshee Mk4 MKGS 9mm Luger is the shortest barrel in an extensive CMMG line-up that encompasses pretty much all the best AR-15 pistol calibers. It works pretty well concealed, if you need that much firepower under your jacket. And inevitably it takes Glock style magazines.

It’s also a great gun at the range and for personal defense. Others seriously think this is the best gun here.

Now the brace regs have resulted in the monolithic CMMG Dissent Mk4 launching and that is a real budget rival to the Sig MPX Copperhead.

11. KRISS Vector Gen 2 SDP Enhanced

• Price: $1,689.00
• Barrel: 6.5 inch
• Total Length: 18.5 inch
• Weight: 7.28lb

Top Movie Gun

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
1.5/5	2/5	3/5	3/5	3/5

The KRISS Vector Gen 2 is a damned sight better than the first gen and it really is living up to the ambitions of a design team that set out to break new ground.

It is fast turning into a dream gun and this 9mm Carbine with a folding stock has already achieved celebrity status in Hollywood.

This was the centerpiece of Cable’s futuristic firearm in Deadpool 2, while the aggressive styling means it’s a regular in blockbuster movies.

Now the anti recoil system isn’t quite as good as we hoped for, but it is getting better, the trigger pull is exceptional and you can choose a variety of caliber pistol calibers and also a choice of barrel lengths.

12. Palmetto State Armory Gen 4

• Price: $524.99
• Barrel: 4 inch
• Weight: 6.4lb

Price	Accuracy	Reliability	Size	Prestige
1.5/5	3/5	3/5	3/5	3/5

Palmetto State Armory is a specialist. It produces cheap guns that have developed a ferociously loyal customer base and the hardest thing in the world to achieve: repeat business.

Seriously, Palmetto State Armory customers tend to have an arsenal of Palmetto State Aromry firearms. Probably 2 or 3 separate build kits of parts.

That has allowed the company to produce new guns like the Palmetto State Armory Dagger, a striker fired 9mm ammo handgun. Palmetto State Armory has also ventured into larger calibers, like 308 Win, and PCCs.

Palmetto State Armory will also sell you complete rifles and kits for DIY projects. Look out for BLEM PSA products, which come with small blemishes and big discounts.

Check the other Palmetto State Armory PSA products out here.

13. Wilson Combat AR9

• Price: $1, 969
• Barrel: 8.3
• Weight: 5lb

Wilson Combat has been on a tear of late with relatively affordable AR rifles and pistols that still hold true to the company principles.

Affordable is a fluid term, we know, and around $2,000 is a lot of money. But it’s less than the HK and this might just be a better personal defense weapon. Or at least it’s close enough…

Billet receivers, match grade barrels that are either 8.3 or 11.3 inches, depending on your preference, a Shockwave brace and the legendary starburst pistol grips are all spectacular.

The company wanted to set new standard for reliability, as well as accuracy, and believes it has done that. We just know the AR9 is one of the finest 9mm pistols or short-barreled rifles on sale. And we also know we can’t find one to sell you, which is why it’s down here…

14. Aero Precision EPC-9

• Price: $700.00+
• Barrel: 5.5-8.3 inch
• Weight: 4.6-5.5lb

Aero Precision gets lots of great reviews. but the company has taken a step away from selling complete firearms. You can buy a complete lower receiver and complete upper. Screw them topgether in a minute and you’ve got a complete pistol, so it’s kind of weird that the company doesn’t do that anymore. But I’m sure it has its reasons.

The simple takeaway is that you can buy an Aero Precision EPC-9 upper with the barrel and handguard combo you want, before slapping it on your lower receiver. Then you’re good to go with one of the best Pistol Caliber Carbine pistols, according to the reviews.

Some other reviewers claim its the best pistol, but I just don’t see that. It doesn’t stand out in any one area, it’s just a solid all rounder.

Want a Large Caliber AR pistol?

A 9mm AR pistol has emerged as the favorite defensive tool if you’ve got other people at home, and an extreme concealed carry pistol. But you might want an AR pistol with a bit of added kick, and we can help you there too.

That’s when you get into the Daniel Defense and Patriot Ordnance Factory firearms that we love so much.

You’ll be surprised by what’s out there. Radical Firearms, Palmetto State Armory, Springfield Armory, Smith & Wesson M&P, a Midnight Bronze Cerakote finish Rock River Arms and Ruger are all waiting to give you a cheap AR-15 pistol that works. Well the Smith & Wesson is hard to find, but it’s there…

They’ll also sell you gas blocks or accessories, upper parts, lower parts, complete uppers and a charging handle.

Radical Firearms hasn’t quite done the same good work in the 9mm sector yet. One day. they could be the low budget champion here as well, depending on the daily deals.

Polymer pistols and rifles like the ATI Omni Maxx have also started to make a major impression. That’s because they’re not just cheap. Plastic is also much lighter than machined aluminum.

What About Black Powder Rifles, Pistols?

Black powder rifles & pistols really don’t belong in this conversation, but apparently, Google thinks they do. That’s literally the only reason this black powder is here.

I mean I’m not even sure how these old world guns relate to cutting edge PCCs, and yet here we are…

FAQ

1. Is a Pistol Caliber Carbine legal?

Now the ATF recently tried to reclassify any pistol with a brace as an SBR that required a tax stamp and registration. That hasn’t gone down so well with the Supreme Court and that whole drama is playing out as we speak. For now, in any State with specific Assault Weapons legislation, youre OK with a Pistol Caliber Carbine or a more powerful rifle caliber AR-15 pistol sending rifle rounds.

But keep an eye out for any further rulings, as you don’t want to fall foul of ever changing legislation.

2. What is a bolt hold open feature?

A Pistol Caliber Carbine with a bolt hold-open capability usually has a mechanism that raises a bolt stop to restrain the bolt after the last round is spent. It makes it easier to reload and some simply prefer the visual and audible cues to reach for the next Glock mags that you geta iwth a bolt hold open system.