I’ve been looking at these Sub 2000 in .40S&W for quite some time as a handy carbine to throw in a bag if needed and to have a plinking toy with HD/SD capabilities. After some bargain searching, I took the plunge and bought one for about $450 (included an extra mag). I know that there are dozens of range reports out there on the Sub2K, but I wanted to share some impressions about this firearm – both the good and the bad.
The Good:
1) It’s a very soft shooter, even in .40 +P. This is due to the very large bolt/BCG and stiff recoil spring.
2) Fairly accurate. I zero’d in an Ultimate Arms holograph sight (which I really like on this gun) and was hitting the target with 3” groupings @ 25 yds with an unsupported standing position. The range ventilation was blowing hard and the target wouldn’t stop swinging, so I was pretty happy with this grouping.
3) Didn’t chrono the .40 +P rounds, but I suspect that the extra length of barrel was yielding another 250-300 fps over a 4” pistol barrel. Pretty zippy.
4) I thought the folding capability was a bit gimmicky at first, but I’ve come to appreciate its utility very quickly. I was able to fold the entire carbine and place it in the top of my range bag (see photo). That’s pretty damn handy for carrying and storing/concealing.
5) The Red Lion Precision forend is outstanding, perhaps the best aftermarket modification that can be done for the Sub2K. The stock forend is *okay*, but the RLP forend’s precision aluminum construction blows everything away.
The Bad:
1) Perhaps the worst trigger I’ve ever squeezed. It’s like trying to squish a marshmallow. Way too much trigger creep and very long reset. I’m already researching aftermarket trigger groups for this gun.
2) Poor finish on the plastic. The first 5 rounds all had FTE’s because the plastic wasn’t trimmed back enough on the ejector port. I made a quick adjustment with my pocket knife and didn’t have another FTE after that.
3) Terrible sights, which I removed completely. Although I followed every step online about removing the front sight post, the banding collar on my Sub2K refused to budge. I had to carefully grind out the collar to get enough separation to finally torch it open. Perhaps the most frustrating few hours I’ve had with a gun. I put on the holograph sight as the primary and will mount some cheap 45deg offset irons on the rail as a backup. :banghead:
4) Poor quality on the polymer construction. I over-inserted the extended mag (not by much) and the mag well split. Not a biggie since I had planned to put on an overgrip which would hold the two halves of the well together (they can also be epoxied, too, but this isn’t necessary if the overgrip is on).
Conclusion:
Neat concept and a useful carbine overall, but it’s a bit expensive when considering the poor quality of the construction. If you’re willing to put another $200 into the Sub2K (for the RLP forend, for example), you’ll end up with something you really like. I will keep this firearm near the bedside for a backup HD gun, and it will definitely go into my BOB if I need to head for the hills for some reason. There’s a lot to be said for having ammo common to both rifle and pistol when you’re on the move. I would plan on putting at least 300 rounds downrange during the break-in to see what the gun likes and doesn’t like. My Sub2K ate everything with the exception of the FTE’s from ejector port obstruction which I trimmed back.
Happy shooting!
The Good:
1) It’s a very soft shooter, even in .40 +P. This is due to the very large bolt/BCG and stiff recoil spring.
2) Fairly accurate. I zero’d in an Ultimate Arms holograph sight (which I really like on this gun) and was hitting the target with 3” groupings @ 25 yds with an unsupported standing position. The range ventilation was blowing hard and the target wouldn’t stop swinging, so I was pretty happy with this grouping.
3) Didn’t chrono the .40 +P rounds, but I suspect that the extra length of barrel was yielding another 250-300 fps over a 4” pistol barrel. Pretty zippy.
4) I thought the folding capability was a bit gimmicky at first, but I’ve come to appreciate its utility very quickly. I was able to fold the entire carbine and place it in the top of my range bag (see photo). That’s pretty damn handy for carrying and storing/concealing.
5) The Red Lion Precision forend is outstanding, perhaps the best aftermarket modification that can be done for the Sub2K. The stock forend is *okay*, but the RLP forend’s precision aluminum construction blows everything away.
The Bad:
1) Perhaps the worst trigger I’ve ever squeezed. It’s like trying to squish a marshmallow. Way too much trigger creep and very long reset. I’m already researching aftermarket trigger groups for this gun.
2) Poor finish on the plastic. The first 5 rounds all had FTE’s because the plastic wasn’t trimmed back enough on the ejector port. I made a quick adjustment with my pocket knife and didn’t have another FTE after that.
3) Terrible sights, which I removed completely. Although I followed every step online about removing the front sight post, the banding collar on my Sub2K refused to budge. I had to carefully grind out the collar to get enough separation to finally torch it open. Perhaps the most frustrating few hours I’ve had with a gun. I put on the holograph sight as the primary and will mount some cheap 45deg offset irons on the rail as a backup. :banghead:
4) Poor quality on the polymer construction. I over-inserted the extended mag (not by much) and the mag well split. Not a biggie since I had planned to put on an overgrip which would hold the two halves of the well together (they can also be epoxied, too, but this isn’t necessary if the overgrip is on).
Conclusion:
Neat concept and a useful carbine overall, but it’s a bit expensive when considering the poor quality of the construction. If you’re willing to put another $200 into the Sub2K (for the RLP forend, for example), you’ll end up with something you really like. I will keep this firearm near the bedside for a backup HD gun, and it will definitely go into my BOB if I need to head for the hills for some reason. There’s a lot to be said for having ammo common to both rifle and pistol when you’re on the move. I would plan on putting at least 300 rounds downrange during the break-in to see what the gun likes and doesn’t like. My Sub2K ate everything with the exception of the FTE’s from ejector port obstruction which I trimmed back.
Happy shooting!
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Not that I wear my finest duds on the range, but I've already trashed my favorite Crystal Gale shirt.
. I've had 2 Hipoints and they have been 100% reliable (a few fail to fires, but the primers were bad and wouldnt go bang in my pistols either). For me, the ability to use hi cap mags was a non issue, since the Sub2k couldnt go 10rds without failure anyway.:banghead:
