Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
You wouldn’t think there would be a large market for folding firearms. We are a hundred years apart from the Burgess folding shotgun, and the idea is still around. Not only that, but the concept is absolutely thriving. There are more guns that fold in half now than ever before. Folding guns are typically handy little things that thrive in how compact they can become.
They can be quite handy and versatile. Folding guns tend to be very compact when necessary, and you can store them easily. These guns are excellent trunk and truck guns due to their small size. Some can even be used for concealed carry. We can’t forget to mention the fact that there is something that’s overall pleasing with the design and engineering that goes into these guns. There is a cool factor to these guns.
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Remember how I said they were thriving? Well, let’s take a look at just how well they are thriving in the year 2023.
The KelTec SUB 200
The KelTec SUB 2000 is likely the most famous and most mass-produced folding firearm on the market. It wasn’t the first, but it is the most popular. The KelTec SUB 2000 rose to prominence not only because it folds in half but because it has a rather clever influence. The SUB 2000 utilizes popular pistol magazines from Glock, SIG, CZ, S&W, and many more. It’s also available in 40 S&W and 9mm.
The SUB 2000’s barrel disconnects from the receiver, flips over the top of the gun, and locks onto the stock of the rifle. This turns a 30.5-inch firearm into a 16.25-inch firearm. That’s a massive cut in size, and it makes the firearm insanely compact. It’s easy to store anywhere and completely safe. Breaking apart and putting it back together is very easy to do and doesn’t require much time or effort.
The SUB 200 is in its 2nd generation at this point. It has some nice features, like a three-position stock, an M-lOK handguard, peep sights, and more. We get some snap and recoil from the little gun due to its direct blowback design. It’s snappy. It’s best to think of the SUB 2000 as the direct descendant of the Sten gun, just much safer and foldable.
S&W FPC
Smith and Wesson also produced a folding carbine in the form of the newly introduced FPC. The FPC is also a pistol caliber design, but it only uses S&W M&P magazines. You won’t see any options for Glock or SIG mags here. Another difference is how it folds. Instead of folding over the top, it folds to the side. It still splits at where the barrel meets the receiver but in a different direction.
The gun gets cut in half and shrinks with ease. S&W even includes a rather nice carrying case for the weapon. One of the benefits of this folding design is how easy it is to mount an optic to the gun. You can include just plop one on without any problems. The same goes for lights, lasers, and cup holders if you so choose. Along the side and bottom, we get M-LOK slots for whatever else you need to attach.
The FPC’s stock even has two slots that will allow you to mount a couple of spare magazines. It’s a really well-built system and a well-made gun. It still suffers from the same snappy recoil problem of the SUB 2000 but is also super lightweight and easy to maneuver.
Trailblazer Lifecard – A Short Folding Firearm
While most folding firearms are long guns, there are a few handguns out there that fold, too. One of the most famous is the Trailblazer Lifecard. The Trailblazer Lifecard is a small .22LR or .22 Magnum handgun that can fold to appear to be a very thick credit card. The gun is a single-shot weapon that only looks like a weapon when you’re ready to actually shoot it.
When folded, it just looks like a black card that’s thick and metal. It’s not the most capable firearm, but it’s easily disguised and very easily carried. It has some serious James Bond vibes to it, and it’s very well crafted. Trailblazer puts a lot of effort into the construction of this gun, and it shows.
Mechanically, the Lifecard is a very simple weapon. Once unfolded, the barrel opens after a latch is pulled. The barrel tips upward, and the user can load the gun. Once loaded, the user has to manually cock the striker. After that, it’s ready to go. The weapon unfolds quickly and cannot be folded while it’s cocked and ready.
FoldAR
Clever design is one thing, but clever branding is almost as important. The FoldAR has both in spades. The FoldAR is a folding AR design. It’s clever, and I can appreciate it. The gun itself features a barrel that folds to the left and alongside the receiver. There is also a double-fold design that uses a folding stock from Dead Foot Arms to make it even smaller.
Other than that clever folding barrel and handguard design, the gun is all AR-15. It can use all the typical accessories, including optics, lights, lasers, and all the mags you could ever want. Juries out if it can fold with all types of drums. The FoldAR makes for an ultra-compact semi-auto rifle in an actual rifle caliber.
The biggest downside to the FoldAR is the price. This is a high-end AR that comes with a novel folding mechanism. That can’t be cheap, and it most certainly isn’t. The FoldAR is still all kinds of cool and one of the more creative designs in the AR marketplace.
Axor Arms PAF12
The Axor Arm PAF12 is not exactly a very extraordinary gun. In fact, it’s pretty bog standard for a pump action shotgun. It’s a Turkish design, so it’s also cheap, and cheap can be good. The Axor Arms PAF12 does have one thing going for it! It’s a folding shotgun! A lot of shotguns fold, most double and single barrels, for example.
However, the Axor Arms PAF12 brings a pump action design to the world of folding firearms. The Axor Arms APF12 breaks apart at the receiver and folds downward to create a very powerful but also very compact folding shotgun. Shotguns are versatile, and the Axor Arms PAF12 makes for an excellent all-around tool.
READ MORE: The Axor Arms PAF12GA – Folding Pump Action
Toss it in a bag, throw it in your trunk, and you now have a weapon capable of accomplishing everything from dispatching squirrels to killing deer and bears. The Axor Arms APF12 doesn’t offer you anything super fancy, but it’s reliable enough once you break it in. Just ditch the spring that propels the pump back forward.
Folding Firearm – Standard Manufacturing Switch
Have you ever wanted a switchblade that shoots bullets? Well, Standard Manufacturing has you covered. The Switch is a five-shot micro-sized revolver that folds into its own grip. This creates an ultra-compact package that is safely carried in your pocket and provides you with five rounds of either .22LR or .22 Magnum.
The Switch is a single-action-only design, and it does admittedly lack any sights. It’s a point-and-shoot firearm that’s best described as a belly gun. The Switch is surprisingly easy to shoot for such a small gun. The grip provides more than enough stability to hold onto the gun and, at the very least, point it in the right direction.
The Switch name is very literal. Press a button, and this folding firearm flies out of the handle and into action. The Standard Manufacturing Switch is a great option as a backup gun or even a good option for those needing something very easily concealed and very convenient to carry.
Fold It, Flip It, Shoot It
I told you the world of folding firearms is thriving. There are more now than ever, and the novel design of these guns tends to make them quite popular. A good folding firearm should be useful, compact, and hopefully lightweight. They should also fold with little effort and be quickly and easily put into action. These are my favorite folding firearms, but please feel free to share yours below!
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The information about these guns is really useful for gun lovers like me.
the Trailblazer 9mm Pivot should be in here as well. expensive but high quality. you can keep an optic on it too.