Smith & Wesson is a smart company. After all, how else would they have been around as long as they have (founded in 1852)? No company sticks around for 170 years unless they make a product that people like and want to buy and continue to put out new products that people want to buy.

And make no mistake, Smith & Wesson has had another winner with their M&P Shield Plus pistols. People rave about the trigger and love the higher capacity that puts it in the capacity range of things like Springfield Armory’s Hellcat pistols.

So, it makes a sort of sense for Smith & Wesson to take that popular grip (or, at least, that shape) and put it into something a little bigger: a pistol caliber carbine. Adam Borisenko gives us details:

Smith & Wesson has just thrown its hat into the [pistol caliber cargine] ring as well with the announcement of the M&P FPC. The new carbine is chambered for 9mm, accepts double-stack M&P pistol magazines and can be folded in half for compact storage or transport.

Borisenko also notes that this new carbine, the M&P FPC, is 30″ when unfolded (16″ folded), has a Picatinny rail, a 1/2×28 threaded muzzle, and storage for two magazines in the buttstock.

Oh, and the MSRP is $659, which is not far off from the introductory MSRP of the Shield Plus pistol.

If you have a good, solid pistol, you may be asking yourself if a carbine is something that you would even need, and it’s a great question.

There are some firearms trainers that argue that a carbine is a better choice for home defense over a pistol, but like so many other considerations, you’ll need to take those things into consideration in making your choice about the next firearm to purchase.

Regardless, if you’re in the market for something a bit bigger than a pistol for your next buy, the M&P FPC may be one to consider.