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I get an e-mail pretty much every week from Ruger. Mostly about product announcements and promotional sales. I keep a look out because I'm waiting for them to announce the production a stainless version of the Mark IV Standard with 6" barrel, (not yet, still waiting).
The e-mail I received today highlighted the PC Charger. An interesting firearm. Would accept my Glock magazines. My question is, what is its intended usage? Any opinions about it?
Home defense, plinking?
That seems to be the rationale for the pistol caliber carbines, and some just like the idea of the cut down version.
Personally, I prefer the carbine over the Charger. It compliments my Ruger SR9 very well:
It is intended to separate you from your retirement money
Another toy for plinking, bank robbery, CQB high capacity SBR?(Glock 33 round magazine). I see the suppressor attachment too. Maybe a good home defense weapon. Makes a good movie prop if can go on full auto mode.
It's a low powered carbine, easily taken down, that will share ammo and magazines with either a Ruger or Glock 9mm pistol. You could hunt small game with it, it's good for personal defense and in that role better than a pistol if you have room to maneuver it. I guess it's main mission in life is to plink. I have one and for me, provided I can get components, I can load the 9X19 with a cast bullet for about what .22 LR ammo is going for. Compared to a .22, it hits small game like Thor's hammer, I would imagine (have not even fired mine yet).
The first 9mm carbine that I am aware of, as opposed to an SMG, was the Marlin "Camp Carbine", and it used a pistol magazine, although I forget which one.
I'm curious about your use of the word "charger". Do you mean some sort of magazine loading device like the up-lula ones? Or did autocorrect put that in when you meant "carbine"?
From a purely utilitarian standpoint, it would be hard to justify owning one. But who wants to be like that? That it is fun to shoot and you like it is justification enough.
One of the Ruger .44 Magnum carbines, I am not sure what is still in print now, although I like the M96 lever action, could be a short range deer gun, although I think there in Idaho you would frequently have shots that would be easy with a "regular" rifle in something like .270 or 30-06, that you would have to consider out of range. This could share ammo with various Ruger and other wheelguns. That said, a successful black powder hunter, let alone a bowhunter, would find the .44 Magnum carbine has plenty of range and he could do with less than it provides.
I mean, honestly, if a guy has a 12 gauge, an '06 class bolt action rifle, a .357 or .44 or even .41 Magnum revolver, a .22 rifle and a .22 pistol, (or revolver if you prefer) from a utility standpoint you are covered for North America anyway. Throw in a .375 H&H bolt gun and you are set world wide, there is nothing you can't hunt with these few gats. For personal defense, you could throw in a smaller handgun in 38 or 9mm, particularly for CCW in the summer. But, again, why be like that?
As you have said yourself, we are on about "hobbies and recreation" here, so if a gat is fun, that justifies it right there.
The PC Charger is a new pistol for Ruger with the advantages of the increased capacity previously seen in their PC Carbine. As a pistol it can be carried fully loaded and concealed in a vehicle in jurisdictions that allow such carry for other handguns, whereas such carry is often not allowed for carbines of any caliber. The pistol can also be fitted with a picatinny rail mounted pistol brace for additional stability/utility. I like it, looks like it would make a good streetsweeper if you needed one.
The PC Charger is a new pistol for Ruger with the advantages of the increased capacity previously seen in their PC Carbine. As a pistol it can be carried fully loaded and concealed in a vehicle in jurisdictions that allow such carry for other handguns, whereas such carry is often not allowed for carbines of any caliber.
Okay, thanks for that, I guess I need to check in with the Ruger website more often. I think you nailed the main advantage of it, as a "truck gun" that can be carried loaded legally. Sort of a modern day "mare's leg".
I guess for inside the house self defense, it would be handier than a "real" carbine, but probably easier to hit with than a conventional pistol.
6.5" barrel, and 5lbs - what's the point? There won't be much of a velocity increase over a pistol, and it sure looks quite a bit bulkier and is definitely heavier. Maybe if it had a 10-12" barrel, it'd make more sense. I can think of better things to spend $800 on.
It's a low powered carbine, easily taken down, that will share ammo and magazines with either a Ruger or Glock 9mm pistol. You could hunt small game with it, it's good for personal defense and in that role better than a pistol if you have room to maneuver it. I guess it's main mission in life is to plink. I have one and for me, provided I can get components, I can load the 9X19 with a cast bullet for about what .22 LR ammo is going for. Compared to a .22, it hits small game like Thor's hammer, I would imagine (have not even fired mine yet).
The first 9mm carbine that I am aware of, as opposed to an SMG, was the Marlin "Camp Carbine", and it used a pistol magazine, although I forget which one.
I'm curious about your use of the word "charger". Do you mean some sort of magazine loading device like the up-lula ones? Or did autocorrect put that in when you meant "carbine"?
From a purely utilitarian standpoint, it would be hard to justify owning one. But who wants to be like that? That it is fun to shoot and you like it is justification enough.
One of the Ruger .44 Magnum carbines, I am not sure what is still in print now, although I like the M96 lever action, could be a short range deer gun, although I think there in Idaho you would frequently have shots that would be easy with a "regular" rifle in something like .270 or 30-06, that you would have to consider out of range. This could share ammo with various Ruger and other wheelguns. That said, a successful black powder hunter, let alone a bowhunter, would find the .44 Magnum carbine has plenty of range and he could do with less than it provides.
I mean, honestly, if a guy has a 12 gauge, an '06 class bolt action rifle, a .357 or .44 or even .41 Magnum revolver, a .22 rifle and a .22 pistol, (or revolver if you prefer) from a utility standpoint you are covered for North America anyway. Throw in a .375 H&H bolt gun and you are set world wide, there is nothing you can't hunt with these few gats. For personal defense, you could throw in a smaller handgun in 38 or 9mm, particularly for CCW in the summer. But, again, why be like that?
As you have said yourself, we are on about "hobbies and recreation" here, so if a gat is fun, that justifies it right there.
The “chargers” in the Ruger lineup are pistols, not carbines.
Add a pistol brace, and this could be useful. Without it, don’t bother. It’s an ungainly, hard to shoot well, pistol.
And as a FYI, the Camp Carbine uses S&W 59 series magazines.
The “chargers” in the Ruger lineup are pistols, not carbines.
Add a pistol brace, and this could be useful. Without it, don’t bother. It’s an ungainly, hard to shoot well, pistol.
And as a FYI, the Camp Carbine uses S&W 59 series magazines.
They brought these out without letting me know in advance, dammit, it makes it harder for me to hold my head up as a "real gun guy" when they do that. I thought the word "charger" was a typo or an artifact of autocorrect.
That said, this "charger" to me is neither fish nor fowl. It's not as handy as a pistol, no way in Hell are you going to carry it except with some sort of sling, like a carbine. Unless you are 7' tall and built like a linebacker, forget about concealing it. At the same time it does not offer the increased velocity, and decreased report, and longer sight radius of the "real" carbine.
That said, I have not even handled one in a gun store, much less shot one, if I shoot one, it might just well win me over.
I do like my PC carbine. I like it just as it came out of the box, with ghost ring peep sight on the barrel, where takedown will not even have a chance to change zero. It is big and heavy for a 9mm, and it won't hit that much harder than a pistol, really. Easier to shoot accurately, sure, a bit more velocity, of course, not quite as loud, because physics. But it's about the same size and weight as a 30-30 carbine, which hits WAY harder.
I like the Mare's Leg comparison. Have several Henrys, but not a Mare's Leg. Probably a decent saddle gun on the range and in the brush, but otherwise, it sounds like it is just for Steve McQueen wannabes, ("Wanted: Dead or Alive").
Since there are not any of these in the stores, it's easy enough to say I'll pass on it. Already have a 9mm folding rifle, (Kel-Tec Sub 2000), that accepts my Glock mags.
Thanks for the input. Was curious about them, as they are brand new.
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