Foxtrot-Mike FM9 - The Ultimate 9mm AR

Pistol-caliber carbines, also known as pseudo-sub-guns like the Foxtrot-Mike FM9, have been on the rise in the US commercial market over the last few years - and that’s a good thing. While they lack the range and energy of a rifle-caliber carbine, they are (usually) cheaper to shoot, have low recoil, and have considerably less flash and concussion on shorter barrels compared to SBRs. They make for great training tools, and also make an excellent choice for a home defense firearm or “truck gun”.

But, what is a PCC? Classifying certain firearms can often be like trying to determine the genus or species of some extinct creatures - as they share certain common traits with one another, but can also be quite different in many ways. I consider PCCs to essentially be a firearm that meets two criteria: 1) They fire a (typically) straight-wall semi-auto pistol cartridge, and 2) they have a fore-end and some type of stock or (for NFA reasons in the US commercial market) a pistol-brace. Thus, certain firearms which aren’t exactly pistols - like the MAC10 or Tech-9 - wouldn’t fall into the PCC category. Inversely, some exceptions can be made, such as the FN P90 or H&K MP7, both of which could be considered PCCs that fire unique high-velocity cartridges that are pistol caliber in size but have shouldered casings.

Foxtrot-Mike FM9

PCCs are nothing new, really. Many older lever gun carbines which fire cartridges also used in revolvers could arguably be considered the first PCCs. Then we have the venerable Thompson submachine gun in 45 ACP. Then came the German MP40, American grease gun, and British Sten - all World War 2-era sub guns. Then sub-guns like the H&K MP5 and the Israeli Uzi made their appearance in the latter half of the 20th century, and these then evolved into weapons like the P90 and MP7.