New PC9 Carbine Review

I fired 220 rounds with zero problems using Glock 33 round mags and Magpul (for Glock) 21 round mags. 4 brands of 115 gr. ammo. Feeds very smoothly. Great trigger. Very little take up and No creep. Not like a standard 10-22 trigger at all. The barrel fits 100% tight. It has a feed assist ramp above the chamber which prevents nose up jambs. The overall design requires very little lubrication. The bolt assembly weighs 23.7 oz. A bit more than an UZI bolt or an AR 9mm bolt + buffer. Also the Ruger thumps your shoulder less than an AR 9mm. When cleaning 95% of the dirt can be removered from the gun without removing the bolt. To remove the bolt requires unscrewing three #10x32 screws and pushing out two pins. The screw retaining the bolt knob must be installed tight or it will start backing out during firing. I had switched the knob to the left side before I went and after firing 220 rounds found the screw had become a little loose. It did not affect the operation of the gun. I am very impressed with this new PC9. Very fun to shoot. Also a no nonsense,dependable, military style carbine.

Nice review and welcome to the forum. I have only got to shoot mine one outing due to the nasty weather here, but it's been 100% reliable with the 8 mags I put through it.

Where did you get yours, Gunman?

FergusonTO35 said:

Where did you get yours, Gunman?

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From KY Gun Company.

Good to hear your PC worked properly with Magpuls's Glock-type magazine. I had read that some of them wouldn't feed properly and that only Glock factory magazines were recommended.

Great review.

Thanks for the excellent review. I've got 2 of the MadPul mags waiting for me at UPS(Midway package) when ever it quits snowing here in Louisiana along I-20. Bob!! :wink:

I've got 3 of the Magpul 21 rounders. They also work in my AR 9mm which has a K. E. Arms lower. I heard they had an early recall and fixed whatever the problem was. I'm waiting for the 27 rounders to come out.

Just got hit with a huge electric bill, no carbine for me until spring.

KY Gun Co sold out in hours. Seems to be popular.

FergusonTO35 said:

Just got hit with a huge electric bill, no carbine for me until spring.

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Yes this tends to be the trend with me as well when saving for something I really want. It's as if some unknown force knows when I have money set back. Then poof!

Glad to hear that it is a good shooter. I expected as much. I was fortunate enough to find one available in stock online and it is currently on the way in a Fedex truck who knows where. I should be able to pick it up Monday. I am truly like a kid awaiting Santa.

From the second I saw the new product notification for this I wanted it. Kind of the same feeling that I got when I first saw a certain girl over 30 years ago. It took me 8 years to get her. It will be inside a month for me to get this...for her. I am anticipating that some day there will be another to keep it company for myself. Until then it will share its magazines with my SR9c.

Having said that, I must say that I have had a Glock on my want list for many years, but something like this comes along and takes priority leaving no money for a Glock. I must decide what magazines I want to use to feed it before buying many more. While I have always heard that the Glock magazine is perhaps the best there is, I do not anticipate any difference in performance with Glock over the Ruger magazines. I did order a 33 round Glock and a 17 round Magpul magazine just so I could test both out if I get some finicky ammo.

Speaking of sharing magazines, I bought a Marlin camp 9 a few years back. I had nothing to share magazines with so I bought another one. I then added a Kel Tec Sub 2000 to the mix. I have personally never come across the old Police Carbine, or would have added it as well. I would sure like for a mag well adapter for the S&W 59 series magazines. As easy as they are to change, I would also like a Springfield XD adapter. Heck, why not a Beretta CX4/PX4 as well. The wish list is endless. I am not even going to say a 45ACP version that takes 1911 mags. (OOPS, just thought out loud again)

Enough rambling, Thanks for the review. I have a feeling that the carbine will be a hungry one, which is fine but I really hope that it is not a picky eater. Reviews so far appear to imply that it will feed anything as long as you have a good magazine.

Kudos to Ruger for not only offering a magazine adapter for another company's magazines, but for including one with the gun. Also for releasing as a takedown with threaded barrel right away instead of adding one feature at a time to try to get one to buy another. My old eyes are sure to appreciate the included sights, but I anticipate my wife wanting an optic. I am glad they are there nonetheless. The integrated picatinny rail is genius as well.

Buds at Lexington had an original PC9 in stock today, $679, one mag, Ghost ring sights, in probably 95% condition. A month ago it would have come home with me and bunked with my other PC9, a lowly police trade-in, scratches, brand, paint and all. Externally probably 80%, inside, easily 95% condition. But the gun stayed at Bud's and I'm saving my cash for a new Glock compatible take down version.

Man, it feels great to type that. A Glock compatible Ruger. My G19 and G17 can hardly wait. Stopped by Ky gun co and neither they nor Bud's had the new Ruger in stock. My son and I will be at Whittakers tomorrow, we'll see what we find there.

Now, if Ruger will make a .22 TCM barrel things could get interesting.
Geoff
Who notes this is a blow back weapon and some of the calibers people claim they want...sigh...

Jeremy at The Trurh about Guns reviewed it and concluded that its designed from the ground up for easy caliber conversion.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2018/01/jeremy-s/gun-review-ruger-pc-carbine/

Caliber conversion is great and will make a good concept better. I certainly hope Ruger makes a "P" series mag adapter available as I have several of those too. Even if they don't, my vintage PC9 will stay happily mated with the "P" series pistols and mags in my collection. My old PC9 has been one of my all time favorite guns and has tenure in my safe.

Straight from the user manual parts list:

RUGER® PC CARBINETM PARTS LIST
Design, prices and specifications subject to change without notice.
SPECIFY MODEL, CALIBER AND SERIAL NO. WHEN ORDERING

if you must specify caliber, more calibers should be coming

I made it to the indoor range today with both my 77/44 and PC carbine. Loved them both, although I wish the magazines were smoother to change on the 77/44. The main thing I learned today is that I had best get started on reloading some ammo....and lots of it. I also confirmed that my eyes are not good enough for the factory 77/44 sights. I planned on scoping it anyway but wanted to take it out once first and try the sights.

I went to the range today with 11 SR9 magazines loaded with a half dozen different handloads of various bullet brands and types. These were Berry's 115gr RN, Berry's 124gr HBFN TP, Xtreme 124gr HP, Rainier 115gr HP, and Frontier 124 RN CMJ. The PC carbine ran flawlessly. I really love the fact that the carbine allows for the charging handle on the left side allowing me to use one of my E&L brass catchers without impeding operation. The brass catcher also served as a stand, allowing rifle to sit upright on shooting table.

I mounted a Bushnell TRS-25 to the far rear of the carbine in hopes of getting a good enough sight picture of the factory sights. While it did allow me to see the sights, it was far from ideal due to where the light sticks up in optic and distracts. The optic and my eyes with astigmatism is not ideal either. I believe I will scope it before I go out tomorrow morning.

Under my current circumstances in which I am just shooting paper at local ranges and saving my brass, this gun is sure to be a favorite. It would be even more fun plinking at cans or steel plates. Ruger hit a home run with this one. No complaints from me, I love it as is. Having said that, I would also like another one, one in 45ACP, additional magwell adapters matching other guns as well (S&W 59, XD,....) Having said that, I took my SR9c to the range as well today but shot all my ammo through the carbine without even taking the pistol out. It IS that fun.

be happy, be safe.

Accuracy?

Century Limited said:

The optic and my eyes with astigmatism is not ideal either. I believe I will scope it before I go out tomorrow morning.

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Good review. Recently a gun store attendant was showing me optics and handed me a red dot powered on to look through telling me how "Sharp" the dot was. It was a 3 MOA dot I believe. He didn't seem to understand why it looked like a fuzzy oval to me no matter how much I explained what an astigmatism was. I think he thought I was saying the dot was defective. I have no doubt it was excellent to his eyes and others.

Would lasik eye surgery correct this condition if I where to get it when looking through optics?