The Annoyed Man wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:37 pmMy primary personal defense weapons are my pistols and AR-15s, so I’m not coming at having a PCC from exactly that perspective...although I think they can be a valid self defense option. For me, the attractions of a PCC are manifold:LeonCarr wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2019 3:00 pm I honesty don't know why people waste their time and money on PCCs.
Unless your range forbids shooting 5.56 Carbines (many indoor ranges allow them now), there is no advantage to them when a 5.56 with about three times the effective range is the same size as a PCC.
Just my .02,
LeonCarr
1. They’re just plain fun to shoot, and much cheaper to shoot than an AR. 1,000 rounds of bulk 5.56 is going to cost you in the vicinity of $300. OTH, 1,000 rounds of bulk 9mm will cost you about $75 less than that....give or take.
2. Both my old Kel-tec Sub-2000 and my current Ruger PC9 use the same magazines as my 9mm Glock pistols, so there’s no extra cost for a suite of dedicated magazines. It will accept my G26, G19, G17, and 33-round "funstick" magazines.
3. A Sub-2000 folded up will fit fully concealed in the laptop pocket in my messenger bag. My Ruger PC9 is a take-down that fits in a smallish backpack that doesn’t shout "GUN!!!!". In either case, the weapon packs down an inconspicuous manner, making discreet carry of a long gun, or concealing it inside a vehicle, that much easier.
4. Magazine compatibility aside, there’s something to be said for a long gun chambered is the same caliber as one's sidearm—and there’s a long firearms tradition of exactly that. How many forum members here have revolvers and lever action rifles both chambered in .357 magnum, or both chambered in .44 magnum .... or .22LR, for that matter? Granted, both of the magnum handgun cartridges are more powerful cartridges that perform very well in carbine and longer barrels, but they aren’t the only ones that do that. A 124 grain 9mm is good for roughly an additional 200 FPS from a 16" carbine barrel than it gets from a 4" handgun barrel. That additional 200 FPS is nothing to sneeze at. It puts into the same power range as a .357 magnum fired from some revolvers.....which means that in extremis, you could hunt with it if you had to.
If I had to choose one or the other—an AR versus a PCC—I’d pick the AR. But I don’t have to choose, and I have the luxury of owning both. And although it wouldn’t be MY first choice for a self defense long gun, I can see how it could make sense for someone else.
But mostly, it’s just fun to shoot.
Another reason to own a PCC is for training your kids. Less recoil and as TAM mentioned ammo is cheaper. I started my daughter out on a S&W 22lr M&P, stepped up to the S&W 380 EZ, and Now she shoots a M&P 9mm. I did the same with rifles stepped her up from 22lr to 9mm to 223\556. She’s 19 now and a better shot than I was at that age.