Thureon Carbines

By Home Defense Gun Staffer Bob

Thureon Carbines

At one time or another every gun buyer considers the pistol caliber carbine. A rifle is easier to shoot, probably offers a little bump in muzzle energy with the longer barrel and should give a noticeable increase in accuracy. We all like the idea, but then we start shopping around and get a little discouraged. The modern pistol caliber carbine is oftentimes just an afterthought for gun companies. A lot of different outfits offer them but they all have a look and feel that tells you they’re simply a side gig, a product to fill out the line. Maybe the best carbine to buy is from a company that only makes carbines?

Down at the SHOT Show this year I ran across a small outfit from New Holstein, Wisconsin that just makes carbines. Thureon Defense isn’t what you’d call a fortune five hundred company, my guess would be that they only employ about ten people and their “factory” probably looks more like a shop but they make a very well-thought-out pistol caliber carbine. In terms of design the Thureon carbines aren’t much of a departure from some of the carbines that have been around for years. The little rifle shares a lot of design features of the old “grease gun” or the more recently produced closed bolt “Thompsons” currently on the market.

While Thureon probably didn’t get too many patents to build their gun the difference is in the manufacturing standards. The Thureons I was able to strip down at the SHOT Show were completely free of the burrs and shoddy machining often associated with the pistol caliber carbine. The actions on them worked very slick without the hiccups you’d normally feel in a blowback-operated rifle. Somebody takes the time to do hand work on Thureon carbines before they go out the door and you don’t see that much anymore.

Thureon’s sole focus is building pistol caliber carbines and this shows when you flip through their catalog. The carbine is usually a one model gun but Thureon offers five different models of their gun that can all be equipped with varying accessories to match the various likes and dislikes of the buyer. Different barrel lengths, stocks, handguards and calibers along with interesting accessories like integrated pop-up peep sights are all options with Thureon. If you’re interested in short barreled guns or select fire models that require a Federal Tax Stamp, Thureon can build you those as well. There’s even a pistol model available if you don’t care for the idea of any butt stock at all.

Naturally, one of the options that draws a person to buying a pistol caliber carbine is interchangeability of magazines. We want our new carbine to take the same clips our favorite sidearm does. Normally this means that you buy the carbine that takes magazines for your chosen pistol, with Thureon you probably won’t have this hang up. With Thureon you can order your carbine in a model that accepts Glock, Springfield, Colt or even Uzi magazines depending on your choice. If one of those doesn’t suit your fancy my bet would be that Thureon will drum up something special for you for a little extra money.

What personally perked my interest in the Thureon carbines is the chamberings they’re offered in. The world is full of pistol caliber carbines chambered for 45 Auto, 9mm and 40 S&W, to the point that it’s hard to generate much excitement for them. To the best of my knowledge Thureon is the only company that will currently sell you a carbine in 10mm Auto or 357 Sig. These two cartridges simply cry out for a carbine platform. The velocity and muzzle energy increase offered by a sixteen inch barrel opens up a world of possibilities here. Chambered for 10mm the Thureon carbine will not only make a handy self-defense tool that accepts Glock mags, but will serve as a fairly useful deer rifle.

Carrying one in bear country stoked up with some 200gr FMJ’s probably isn’t a bad idea, either. The 357 Sig chambering should also allow for an increase in velocity and energy, finally allowing you to milk every last fps out of the tiny little necked case. This increase might put the carbine in the running as a deer gun, but what I would be most interested in would be using it as a varminter. A prairie dog town or a trap line would be a great spot to sneak in a little practice with this number so you’re on your game when the bad guys come to call.

I haven’t purchased a Thureon carbine yet, but that’s really only because I’m having a hard time picking between 10mm and 357 Sig. A well-made gun like the Thureon will change the way you think about pistol caliber carbines. If you can find one to check out at your local gun store it’s well worth taking a look at. Just be careful — handling these neat little guns can lead to impulse buying.

Photo credits – Thureon Defense