Best 9mm Carbines Under $400 BUILD – This Gun Hits Like a Tank

9mm carbines have come back in a big way in recent years. Veteran and neophyte shooters appreciate the accuracy, lower costs, and mild report of a pistol-caliber carbine compared to a long gun chambering a proper rifle cartridge. Even with today's inflated ammo prices, the cost difference between 9mm and 5.56 is substantial, and reason enough to nab one of these handy rifles. Unfortunately, the guns themselves still tend to be quite pricey. If you're looking to bang on a budget, though, I've got your back. In this video, we'll be taking a look at three of the very best 9mm carbines you can get for under $400. 3. GeForce GFT PX I have no doubt that plenty of viewers will be worried sick about quality at this price point. Typically, that's with good reason. You can't get something for nothing. However, quality and fine craftsmanship do not always have to come with a substantial price tag, if you're willing to go with something a little simpler. A great example, the GeForce GFT PX. A handsome, sturdy, user-friendly, and accurate single-shot 9mm, this break-action blaster is about as rudimentary as it gets. One round of 9mm at a time. A sturdy and good-looking walnut stock, picatinny rail for mounting a scope or red dot with an integrated iron sight. That's it, really. All exterior metal parts are finished in a tasteful pale bronze cerakote that is good-looking and extremely tough. It's the exact opposite of the rakish tactical guns that are increasingly dominating the sector. That's reason enough to own it for some folks, but there's more to this little gun to recommend it than that. For starters, it is marvelously light and quite handy, with an overall length of just 33 inches. The 16.5-inch barrel has a 1-in-9 twist that can handle any common 9mm projectile. And as seasoned shooters know, that extra barrel gets a 9mm trucking along with substantially more velocity. That makes this light and slender gun a perfect option for a camping rifle, hunting medium game, or in a pinch as a self-defense firearm. You aren't going to set any speed records with it, but if you do your part, it will put a bullet right where you want it. That, at least, is pretty easy, thanks to the crisp and clean trigger that breaks right at 5 pounds, according to my scale. A muzzle that is threaded 1.5x28 allows users to mount silencers or other muzzle devices as desired. The GFT-PX carbine is a throwback to a simpler time, but a welcome one, and it's a great general-purpose firearm for folks who don't need much firepower, for training new shooters, and a lot more. It's a great option all around that comes in well under $400 from most dealers when you can find one, and it's certainly one of the highest quality options in this price category. We've got two more budget 9mm blasters to check out, but before we move on, do me a big favor and hit like and subscribe if you're enjoying the video. Those two clicks help us out immeasurably with the YouTube algorithm, and by subscribing, you'll always get notified when we upload a new video. Thanks so much! Now let's get back to the guns. 2. High Point Firearms 995 Carbine Anybody who has been around the gun scene for any length of time already knew, in their heart, that this gun was bound to make an appearance on this list. High Point Firearms, for good or ill, is absolutely synonymous with the cheapest guns you can get. Detractors will call their products gun-shaped objects. Fans say they are functional and worth the money, despite their clunky appearance. Whatever you might think about their handguns, it is actually their carbines that help to build up their good graces with customers. I don't know that I would carry or shoot one of But I can attest that their 9mm carbines, exemplified in the Model 995 series, are entirely practical, typically reliable, and more than adequate for general-purpose use or home defense. Although there are several dozen different models to choose from, we'll focus on the basic black model. With an overall length of 31 inches and a 16.5-inch barrel, this is another light and handy gun at just six and a quarter pounds unloaded, without accessories. Capacity is 10 rounds, and feeding is accomplished via High Point's own proprietary 10-shot magazines that load through the pistol grip. The use of polymer is extensive throughout, and these guns have a vaguely bulbous profile that isn't particularly attractive. That said, the guns are tough, robust, and surprisingly weather-resistant. The current generation of these guns has iron sights that can be removed and stowed to allow uninterrupted use of optics mounted via a receiver-top Picatinny rail. The handguard has a rail on the bottom for mounting a vertical foregrip or flashlight, and you've got another rail mounted just below the barrel up front, which is a great place to put a light with a remote switch. The fixed stock has a decent rubberized cheek pad and an integrated buffer to tame the surprisingly snappy recoil. This is a basic blowback gun that has a huge, chunky bolt carrier. You'll get quite a jolt when you pull the trigger. The magazine release is located for easy actuation with the shooting hand thumb, and the gun does lock open on the last round fire. If you need more firepower, 20 round magazines are available. Make no mistake, the gun feels a little clunky in operation. The trigger is mushy and spongy as wet biscuit batter, and the plastic parts feel decidedly cheap. That said, if you do your part, the gun isn't a horrible shooter and At closer self-defense ranges, that won't be a problem at all. Whatever variant of the 995 you're after, the final tally will ring up well under $400. Best of all for some budget-conscious shooters, High Point Firearms guarantees all of their guns with a no-questions-asked lifetime warranty, whether it is accidental damage or simple wear and tear from a hard-use schedule. High Point will tune up your gun or give you a new one, no questions asked. That's something we can all appreciate. Number 1. Kel-Tec Sub 2000 Gen 3 The last bargain-basement 9mm carbine on our list is also one of the best, and it's been around for a good long time now. Kel-Tec's Sub 2000 is currently on its third generation, and despite a smattering of upgrades that shooters have been clamoring for, and a slowly climbing MSRP, it's still possible to snag one of these right at $400. For those shooters who are brand new to the game, or who have been living in a cave for the past decade or so, the Sub 2000 is a folding 9mm carbine. The gun splits in half and folds upward right at the breech, with the barrel and handguard assembly stowing parallel along the stock. This makes the Sub 2000 a truly compact package. Just a hair over 16 inches when folded, and 31.5 inches when unfolded and ready to fire with the stock extended. As a camping or backpacking gun, or just-in-case defense gun that's easy to stash anywhere, it doesn't get any better than this. But the Sub 2000 is no cheap trick. These are surprisingly robust, reliable, and durable little guns. Feeding from any standard Glock 19 or 17 magazine, you'll have plenty of ammo on tap. The magazine release is situated right under the shooting hand thumb, just like you'd expect on a pistol, and a generous crossbolt safety is similarly located for fast and easy operation. By far the biggest and most welcome change on the Gen 3 carbine is the rotating handguard and optics rail. Unlike its predecessors, you can now mount any optic you want on the picatinny rail over the barrel, and still fold the gun up. That's because the entire assembly rotates 90 degrees for stowage. Formerly, you had to stick with iron sights only, or figure something out with a return to zero quick detachable mount if you wanted to rock an optic on your Sub 2000. The handguard also features M-LOK slots all over for on-demand mounting of any other accessories desired. As expected, this is another straight blowback action. But uniquely, the charging handle is mounted on the receiver extension at six o'clock. It takes a bit of getting used to to cycle it quickly, but it does keep the overall profile of the carbine quite slim. Unloaded, the gun weighs just four and a quarter pounds, making it one of the lightest 9mm PCCs you can get, regardless of price. As a plinker, traveler's companion, or a dedicated backup plan gun, it's hard to do better than the current Sub 2000. And that's why it gets my nod for the very best 9mm carbine you can get under $400. Today we learned you've still got options for 9mm carbine action, even if you're on a strict budget. With offerings from GeForce, HiPoint, and Kel-Tac, you'll be all set. Let me know what you think about the Sub 2000. Is that the obvious way to go for a cheap 9mm carbine, or does one of the other options on our list catch your eye? Before you go, make sure to hit like, subscribe, and the notification bell, so you don't miss out on any of our upcoming videos here on All About Survival. Thanks so much for watching, stay safe out there, and I'll see you in the next one.