Poll: Marlin Camp Carbines, Yea or Nay?

[CountryGent]

So, for a long time now I thought the Marlin Camp Carbines (Camp-9 and Camp-45) were kind of neat. Though they are now long discontinued. I never bought one, but I've flirted with the idea from time to time. Not the least of which because it strikes me as a fun platform to suppress and the .45 ACP model feeds from 1911 magazines; the later of which I have a gazillion of. However, I've seen plenty of negative comments concerning the line on the Interwebz and the going rate these days, frankly, is high considering other pistol caliber offerings, uppers, etc.

Anywho, I just thought I'd toss it out for discussion: do you like the Camp-9 and Camp-45? What experiences have you had with them?

Thanks!

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[WAYNO]

I am a fan of pistol-cartridge carbines. I have some experience with the Marlin version, and I do like them very much. As scarce, is the Ruger PC 9 and PC 40. I very much like them too.

WAYNO

 

[Captain O]

TRW of Vernonia, OR has a better pistol cartridge carbine solution. You can have it in more calibers than you would believe. (The 10mm is the most versatile cartridge they offer in the unit).

 

[Provincial]

I shot one owned by a friend. It was a lot of fun. It was 9mm, and ammo is cheap to reload, especially while .22lr was so hard to find.

 

[Unka-Boo]

If they were still in the $250-300 range, I'd grab one...for what they go for now, you can put together a 9mm AR.

I've shot 'em and like 'em, but not at the current price point.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I'm with Unka-Boo:
"I've shot 'em and like 'em , but not at the current price point."
This is where I'm at.

A friend of mine has one in .45 and its been a great gun for him.
As noted uses 1911 magazines and likes the same ammo his pistol does.
Saw one for sale the other day , $775 was the price.
Seemed a bit much since it was missing the rear sights and had no scope.
Not that I would want a scope on it , but for $775 I'd like the issue rear sight.
Andy

 

[etrain16]

So, for a long time now I thought the Marlin Camp Carbines (Camp-9 and Camp-45) were kind of neat. Though they are now long discontinued. I never bought one, but I've flirted with the idea from time to time. Not the least of which because it strikes me as a fun platform to suppress and the .45 ACP model feeds from 1911 magazines; the later of which I have a gazillion of. However, I've seen plenty of negative comments concerning the line on the Interwebz and the going rate these days, frankly, is high considering other pistol caliber offerings, uppers, etc.

Anywho, I just thought I'd toss it out for discussion: do you like the Camp-9 and Camp-45? What experiences have you had with them?

Thanks!

Never owned or shot one, but it's a gun on my list to buy if availability and $$ happen to intersect at the same time. .45acp would be my preferred caliber.

For now, I've got one of the TNW carbines @Captain O mentioned above on layaway - options to swap between 9mm, .40, .45acp, 10mm, .45acp and a few more coming.

 

[rick49]

I have both. Fun guns.

 

[PDXSparky]

I'm also a fan of pistol caliber carbines. I'd be happy to own a Camp 9 if I could fine one cheap.

 

[CHLChris]

I would love one, except for the issue of magazines. I am just so invested in Glock magazines, that any carbine I get into would really need to take Glock mags. If one was willing to have a 'smith thread it, then the 45 would be the bee's knees, being subsonic. It might even be better than a 300blk sub, except for capacity of the mags.

Oops, we're back to mags again. But aren't the mags the linchpin of every semi-auto rifle?

 

[CountryGent]

Thanks all for the thoughts, notes, etc. It sounds like the general consensus is that they are fun little carbines, but the price point is getting into the "no thanks" zone.

The Ruger Police Carbine was mentioned above. They do look pretty neat. AFAIK, they were only made in 9mm Luger and .40 S&W and feed from P-series pistol mags though. Still, they look interesting, and Ruger generally puts out good products. I'm guessing it was discontinued because by the time it went to market, law enforcement carbines had shifted to the AR platform, but that is just a hunch.

Anywho, thanks again.

 

[orygun]

I almost bought one for $200, probably around 89-90. I really liked it, but didn't have a "use" for it that a 22 couldn't do, so I passed on it. I did get to play with it for a weekend and one stupid little thing still stands out to this day as a downer. There was some little coil spring that was very easy to get out of position and damaged during the disassembly/reassembly part of cleaning. Probably something I did wrong, but another reason I passed. (crap! Now I want to tear one apart again and look!)

 

[clearconscience]

I've shot one years ago and really liked it.
But in todays gun world I would only buy something I could interchange mags with pistols on.
I have a few glocks so I would have to get something that worked off glock mags.

 

[aflineman]

I liked my Camp 9. Fun rifle, but it went down the road for me. I enjoy my .357 lever much more.

 

[Alexx1401]

Thanks all for the thoughts, notes, etc. It sounds like the general consensus is that they are fun little carbines, but the price point is getting into the "no thanks" zone.

The Ruger Police Carbine was mentioned above. They do look pretty neat. AFAIK, they were only made in 9mm Luger and .40 S&W and feed from P-series pistol mags though. Still, they look interesting, and Ruger generally puts out good products. I'm guessing it was discontinued because by the time it went to market, law enforcement carbines had shifted to the AR platform, but that is just a hunch.

Anywho, thanks again.

I for the life of me can't understand why they get the price they do today. They were a great little rifle. Now if something breaks not sure what it would be like to get parts. As mentioned for the price they for now there are other options being made. I LOVE PCC's, now have 5 of them I like them so much. The Ruger was I have to guess just pulled from the market too soon. They also command a price that is surprising.
If you want a PCC you can go with the low end High Points which work GREAT, main downside is the proprietary mags, to the higher end AR's that take Glock mags. These are VERY nice. I am a BIG fan of the Kel-Tec's which can be had to take either Glock mags in one version or several different hand gun mags in another version. Then the TNW's The TNW's have edged out the KT's for me. The way they can be converted to all the calibers, take optics and still make a small package has me in love with them.

 

[CamoDeafie]

They're a cool gun, don't get me wrong...... I love PCCs. BUT.......... short of the Hi Point offerings; there is literally no reason to fork over the same money that you can now save for a decent 5.56 AR nowadays.

Saw a Camp 9 at the gun show in Albany today....within spitting distance of the money for most of the AR15s there, and more money than the AM-15 Anderson AR15; slightly less money than the Beretta CX-4 Storm that's NIB, and more money than one of the used ones I spotted today.

Heck, it was also within $50 of the TRW 40SW ASR that I saw as well. I don't know if any of the members here are vendors there, so I'm not going to post the price and make fun of it. There however was a cool deal on a Hi Point 995 carbine dressed up in the ATI Beretta look-alike stock, but I don't need more guns at the moment..... went there for a very particular thing in mind, hoping to find a good deal on something more like the Rossi 62SA or the newer Taurus version..... can't justify the money for all the others, and can't quite be trusting of the Norinco pump 22 version

 

[jbett98]

I'll say one thing about the Hi-Point rifles, they are really accurate and the 100% free replacement parts warranty can't be beat.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I'll say one thing about the Hi-Point rifles, they are really accurate and the 100% free replacement parts warranty can't be beat.

I know. I own one and dad owns the other in addition to my ar15

 

[Alexx1401]

They're a cool gun, don't get me wrong...... I love PCCs. BUT.......... short of the Hi Point offerings; there is literally no reason to fork over the same money that you can now save for a decent 5.56 AR nowadays.

Saw a Camp 9 at the gun show in Albany today....within spitting distance of the money for most of the AR15s there, and more money than the AM-15 Anderson AR15; slightly less money than the Beretta CX-4 Storm that's NIB, and more money than one of the used ones I spotted today.

Heck, it was also within $50 of the TRW 40SW ASR that I saw as well. I don't know if any of the members here are vendors there, so I'm not going to post the price and make fun of it. There however was a cool deal on a Hi Point 995 carbine dressed up in the ATI Beretta look-alike stock, but I don't need more guns at the moment..... went there for a very particular thing in mind, hoping to find a good deal on something more like the Rossi 62SA or the newer Taurus version..... can't justify the money for all the others, and can't quite be trusting of the Norinco pump 22 version

I am a BIG fan of the AR's, But I am one of the reasons the PCC's are so popular. For one there is no place "easy" near me to shoot anything larger than hand gun caliber. The first PCC I bought (KT S2K) was to try one for both indoor range and home defense. I liked it so much my favorite "house shotgun" became a safe queen and the other 2 were sold off. Wife did not like the recoil so I bought another in 9mm. I already had a Mech-Tech upper for my 1911's that was and is a ton of fun too. As eyes started to age I wanted optics. I found a way to make one work on the KT's but did not like it much. Then came the TNW ASR. Fell in love again. GREAT for home defense and a TON of cheap fun. I no longer even own an AR. Last one went when I moved back up here and during the "great ban" someone was willing to pay so much I let him have it. Since it was a PITA to drive to shoot it it had become a safe queen. I did want an AR that would take Glock mags and use pistol calibers but the TNW won me over with the way I can make one any of several calibers. There is a reason these things sell so well. I must not be alone.

 

[Alexx1401]

I know. I own one and dad owns the other in addition to my ar15

Back when these first hit and were around $150 I came real close to buying one several times just for the hell of it. Every time I shot one I wanted one. Even at the price they go for now they are a GREAT little rifle. If they had built them to take Glock mags they would sell many times the number of them they do.