Cheapest semi auto defensive carbine

[Xcaliber]

M1 carbine in 9mm:
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/04/25/citadel-m1-carbine-9mm/

 

[Sharpsburg]

If you are patient and diligent, you can get an ak for 500. I had the high point and liked it but the low mag capacity is a major detractor. And the reliability of an ak is unmatched. I have ARs, AKs and a beretta carbine in 9mm. I love them all but would probably trust the ak most.

Not to mention, cheapest ammo of the bunch is ak ammo.

 

[webicknell]

Love my SKS with a 30 rounder....But I still keep a few in their natural state

 

[Wheeler]

How about a Marlin Camp 9?

 

[The Russian]

I think I've narrowed my top 5 choices down.
1. WASR
2. M1 Carbine
3. Hipoint Carbine in 45acp
4. Tantl
5. Bargain basement AR

 

[spencer60]

I think I've narrowed my top 5 choices down.
1. WASR
2. M1 Carbine
3. Hipoint Carbine in 45acp
4. Tantl
5. Bargain basement AR

The Highpoint in 9mm has extended mags available and is super-reliable firearm in a cheap caliber to shoot. There are also lots of good self-defense ammo available. The same in 45ACP would be a little more expensive to shoot, doesn't have the extended mags (that I know of) but would have lots of good self-defense ammo available.

AKs (Tantal or WASR) are going to stay pricy for a while, but ammo is still a good deal for range use. I don't think I'd use that in a house unless I didn't have neighbors or any other reason to worry about over-penetration though. Very limited self-defense ammo selection compared to the others.

M1 Carbine isn't exactly known as a man-stopper round. Range ammo is expensive, and it has a very limited amount of self-defense ammo made for it.

The AR is great, as long as your 'bargain basement' gun is 100% reliable. Ammo will get reasonable again even if it's pricey now, and there's lots of SD ammo available for it. Good for homes where over-penetration is a problem.

 

[Tony2X]

WASR or Tantal.
Ammo is cheap and very effective.

 

[kimberlover]

If you have a G19 already and you aren't in a hurry, you should get a kel-tec sub 2000. smaller and lighter than the hi-point carbine, but if you look hard, you can find a model that will shoot g19 mags. or at the very least it is pretty easy to find one that uses g17 mags and you can still use those in your g19 as well. plus, they fold up, fit in a backpack. I love mine. i have g17 version because i have a 17 and a 26. My father, who is very hard to impress with guns, loves it too. shoots like a dream and is very basic. they were going for 400-450 before all the nonsense started. but Kel-tec keeps turning them out, so prices are bound to come back down. gunshows would be best bet right now i think.

so, portability, low cost, upgradeable with rails and whatnot if you like in the future, low cost ammo, mag commonality with your pistol, easy to get mags for it if you want more and 30 round mags available.

actually gun shows are the worst right now for prices, dealers still think they can charge $800+ for a sub 2 K. THey have been popping up on the forum quite a bit of late and prices are coming back down to where they should be.

 

[jloneill17]

i'd go with the polish tantl over the wasr. what about a Hungarian AMD? have the AMD prices gone up?

 

[TattooedGunner]

The stock on the AMD sucks, isn't super easy to change, and those things are LOUD! I wouldn't want to shoot one of those in a house.