PC Carbine caliber conversions **Caution theory only**

[Rei40c]

I think Mac from the military arms channel may have figured out how Ruger intends to handle calibers in the PC carbine. Again theory only, nothing confirmed, but very interesting.

From his review of the PC Carbine:
Start watching at 23:45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqFibgF2CKA

What do you guys think? Is this how they are going to do it?

 

[22/45 Fan]

Given the removable bolt face and easily changeable recoil assembly, bolt and magazine wells, the possibility of offering different calibers and other maker's magazine compatibility is quite possible. I don't know if it would tolerate the pressure and intensity (or length) of a full 10 mm but .40 S&W is probably doable and perhaps .45 ACP if the case isn't too big in diameter.

 

[Rei40c]

Given the removable bolt face and easily changeable recoil assembly, bolt and magazine wells, the possibility of offering different calibers and other maker's magazine compatibility is quite possible. I don't know if it would tolerate the pressure and intensity (or length) of a full 10 mm but .40 S&W is probably doable and perhaps .45 ACP if the case isn't too big in diameter.

If they can't make it in 10mm I doubt I'd go through the expense and trouble of converting it to .40 which would be the only other second choice I'd be interested in. Simply because I have a lot of it. It's also interesting to me that 9mm is not printed anywhere on the firearm that I can see which would be unusual for ruger. Normally you see this mark somewhere around the ejection port but it seems to be intentionally missing in this case. Time will tell I suppose, I'm thinking we will probably have a definitive answer from Ruger next week at SHOT.

 

[Pps1980]

The blowback weight is also marked "1" which implies there's a "2" and possibly a "3", etc. coming along.

Jeremy at The Truth About Guns came to the same conclusion in his review:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2018/01/jeremy-s/gun-review-ruger-pc-carbine/

 

[mac66]

Just from a marketing standpoint I would guess that 9 and 40 would be convertible but they may make you buy another carbine for 10 and 45.

But then again, having you buy the carbine for $500 and then $300-400 for a each barrel, bolt, mag well assembly might be the way to go. It's like ARs. You buy an AR, then another upper but then you have to buy another lower to go with it and on and on.

 

[Century Limited]

It makes sense to me that Ruger would design a gun that may be upgradeable to test the market with a single caliber offering that they could add to later. This will allow them to put out the numbers on the current offering while planning for the future on others. If both 45 ACP and 9mm were out today, I'd need to choose which to buy first. It seems a given that sooner or later I would have both. Contrary to what most would want, I would also love to have one in 380ACP.

Why 380? Because I have had my 21 year old daughter hooked on Browning guns since I bought her a BLR 22 when she was around 10. I wanted her first gun to be special and it was something I always wanted for myself but could never justify spending that much money on for myself. Her Browning collection grew and eventually added a 1911-380, which is the perfect size for her small hands. The 380 is an economical round to shoot IF one reloads. I am fortunate enough to have a Dillon 550B, so it reloading not a problem. I just need to be sure to avoid losing my brass. Her first background check was made to purchase a HiPoint 380 carbine. While lots of noses are going high in air while thinking first gun purchase and hi point, I am not a gun snob and give credit where it is due. It is a great carbine and since no other 380 available that I know of, Kudos to hi point. Having said that, I would definitely buy a Ruger if available, but do not foresee that happening.

To each their own, but I have no interest in 40 or 10mm, largely in part because I am not set up for reloading them and the bullets would cost as much as the 45 caliber, which are double the weight and cost of 380 and 9mm. I also already have a few 45ACP guns in the safe. A 45 version with magwell adapter for 1911 and magwell adapter for a larger capacity double stack would be sweet. I am content with using 7 round 1911 mags, but am sure the masses would love volume.

 

[Rei40c]

Why 380? Because I have had my 21 year old daughter hooked on Browning guns since I bought her a BLR 22 when she was around 10. I wanted her first gun to be special and it was something I always wanted for myself but could never justify spending that much money on for myself. Her Browning collection grew and eventually added a 1911-380, which is the perfect size for her small hands. The 380 is an economical round to shoot IF one reloads.

While I'll always call them ugly I'd never begrudge anyone for enjoying a highpoint carbine. In a 16 inch barrel .380 Buffalo bore makes a loading that will push a 90 grain +p JHP to over 1400 feet per second. Even at non +p pressure you can still get a speer gold dot to over 1200 fps. Plus I believe they still come with a lifetime warranty? Being a reloader you could have a lot of fun finding the right round for that carbine.

 

[Rei40c]

The blowback weight is also marked "1" which implies there's a "2" and possibly a "3", etc. coming along.

Jeremy at The Truth About Guns came to the same conclusion in his review:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2018/01/jeremy-s/gun-review-ruger-pc-carbine/

Good review I'd not seen that before thanks I read it.

But then again, having you buy the carbine for $500 and then $300-400 for a each barrel, bolt, mag well assembly might be the way to go. It's like ARs. You buy an AR, then another upper but then you have to buy another lower to go with it and on and on.

That would explain also the lower than expected starting price many have noticed.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I'll take one in .40, shouldn't be any special trick to get it up to strong .44 Special power level with the longer barrel. Should be able to use the same Glock mag adapter too.

 

[Century Limited]

I look at the contents of my gun safe much as the contents of my toolbox. Different guns for different uses just as different tools for different jobs. Sometimes one works better than another for a certain job, sometimes there may be several that could work, sometimes there are ones that could be used, but shouldn't. Other times there are ones that work so good that you need another. While I may drive a large nail with a lightweight hammer, I opt for a heavier one intended for the job, since I have it.
Many people love the +P and +P+ rounds, and that is great. In all cases concerning myself, am fortunate enough to have another gun that I can use for the next level of power without pushing the smaller gun to its limits. This is easy to achieve when one is simply going to the range and punching paper. I am generally loading as light as I can and still achieve proper gun function and fair accuracy. Since I am admittedly not the best shot, I have not needed to push the envelope to see if I can get a better load, although I realize some like it hot may relate to loads in certain guns. I guess much of this idea for me is due to the fact that my whole family is shooting my loads. I choose to allow as much safety margin as possible. I have not been in position where I had to be on my own with just one gun.

Did I say that my wife thinks that I have ENOUGH guns? I truly did not know that was possible. I got a laugh this morning when I read a post elsewhere that someone asked "If you already have an AR why a Ruger PC 9mm carbine?" and someone replied that the answer is in the question...he already has an AR.

Do you think this explanation will work to convince my wife that I NEED one in each caliber WHEN the come available? thinking positive here. Since I have two kids to hand guns down to when I die, I should have two of each, right?

 

[Rei40c]

I look at the contents of my gun safe much as the contents of my toolbox. Different guns for different uses just as different tools for different jobs. Sometimes one works better than another for a certain job, sometimes there may be several that could work, sometimes there are ones that could be used, but shouldn't. Other times there are ones that work so good that you need another. While I may drive a large nail with a lightweight hammer, I opt for a heavier one intended for the job, since I have it.
Many people love the +P and +P+ rounds, and that is great. In all cases concerning myself, am fortunate enough to have another gun that I can use for the next level of power without pushing the smaller gun to its limits. This is easy to achieve when one is simply going to the range and punching paper. I am generally loading as light as I can and still achieve proper gun function and fair accuracy. Since I am admittedly not the best shot, I have not needed to push the envelope to see if I can get a better load, although I realize some like it hot may relate to loads in certain guns. I guess much of this idea for me is due to the fact that my whole family is shooting my loads. I choose to allow as much safety margin as possible. I have not been in position where I had to be on my own with just one gun.

Did I say that my wife thinks that I have ENOUGH guns? I truly did not know that was possible. I got a laugh this morning when I read a post elsewhere that someone asked "If you already have an AR why a Ruger PC 9mm carbine?" and someone replied that the answer is in the question...he already has an AR.

Do you think this explanation will work to convince my wife that I NEED one in each caliber WHEN the come available? thinking positive here. Since I have two kids to hand guns down to when I die, I should have two of each, right?

lol Well, I know the answer to the wife question at least from my own experience. When you look in your safe you see something wonderful. When they look into your safe they only see lost money that could have gone to them, I mean the "family".

As far as your comments on how you load I'm exactly the same. I see powder charges spoken about on other forums that make me cringe. Way too hot in my opinion. But I'm very new to reloading. I've got the Lyman's 50th addition manual on the way and should be here Monday. I've only done a few rounds so far on a friends press but I'll be buying my own soon. My main decision right now is Lee= cheap or Dillon= better? I think he's tried of me coming over to use his. I'm gathering equipment slowly a piece at a time.

 

[22/45 Fan]

.....I'll be buying my own soon. My main decision right now is Lee= cheap or Dillon= better?

Buy a Dillon!!! For every reloader who tells me how great their Lee is, I know a dozen who have given up fighting their Lee and bought a Dillon.

Yes, the initial cost is higher but it's less than buying a Lee and then buying a Dillon to replace it after months or years of frustration.

Lee's single stage and turret presses used as single stages are fine but their progressives are mostly problems.

 

[Century Limited]

As far as your comments on how you load I'm exactly the same. I see powder charges spoken about on other forums that make me cringe. Way too hot in my opinion. But I'm very new to reloading. I've got the Lyman's 50th addition manual on the way and should be here Monday. I've only done a few rounds so far on a friends press but I'll be buying my own soon. My main decision right now is Lee= cheap or Dillon= better? I think he's tried of me coming over to use his. I'm gathering equipment slowly a piece at a time.

I have been reloading a few years but still consider myself new as well as most of my loads are nearer starting level than max. I started off by buying a RCBS Summit single stage press. I chose this one because I have limited space and simply screwed it to a board and set it on kitchen table to reload. I bought all kinds of quick change bushings, etc. Finally one day I up and bought a used Dillon 550B to the amazement of the folks at the Dillon store 10 minutes from my house. They had seen me in there many times drooling over their equipment. I held off simply due to space limitation in my house. When I started reloading 380, I ended up taking a slice out of my thumb a couple times on the Summit press as the small cases left little room to hold bullet and I carelessly let gravity take over and drop top of presetting thumb in between. While it is a good learning experience and does not hurt to have the single stage, if I had to do it over I would have just started with the Dillon. Even with several stages going at once, it is easy to be careful and safely load straight walled cartridges. I say this only bottlenecked ones can be more difficult to visually monitor the powder charge. When doing those, I really wish I had the 650 with the added station for powder check die. When using a powder that meters nicely, I feel comfortable quickly producing lots of rounds very well suitable for my style of shooting. I am a plinker and not a bench rest precision shooter.

If you buy Dillon and later decide to sell, you will likely get most if not all your money back. I watch for used and it seems to sell for about 85% or more cost of new, many times I see used Dillon stuff on ebay sell for more than what one could buy it for from Dillon even with shipping. There is also a guy on ebay as will as a place in Mesa that sell adapters to convert it to single stage if you wish.

FWIW, I originally got into reloading shortly after I bought a Browning B92 in 44 mag for my daughter since I could not find one in 357. With factory 44 Special loads being much easier on the shoulder but way overpriced, I immediately saw the NEED to start reloading. Same goes for 380ACP, which costs as much as 45ACP off the shelf but can be reloaded for less than half when buy components in bulk. I also shoot my 45 Colts much more as well. Be forewarned that once you start reloading you do not save any money, you just shoot twice as much.

 

[rangerbob]

The caliber is marked on the barrel below the rear sight. Another indicator of caliber changes by a barrel swap. Where else would one mark the caliber on an interchangable barrel firearm, but on the barrel, near the chamber. Why else would Ruger make quick change bolt faces and interchangeable bolt weights and magazine inserts and the takedown feature. We can only hope!Bob!! :mrgreen:

 

[FergusonTO35]

I don't load enough to take advantage of a Dillon, but I can't help staring at their ads for some reason....

 

[Rei40c]

I don't load enough to take advantage of a Dillon, but I can't help staring at their ads for some reason....

Same I tend to overdo things and want the best of everything. That's not an economical way to go about life I've found. Leaning towards the Lee

 

[22/45 Fan]

I don't load enough to take advantage of a Dillon, but I can't help staring at their ads for some reason....

If you load very limited numbers of rounds, say for a centerfire rifle, then a good quality single stage (or a turret press so the dies don't have to be changed for each step) can be very satisfactory. You do need patients.

However, the first time you want to reload 100 or more of the same load and don't want to spend all weekend doing it, the value of a progressive becomes glaringly obvious.

I have a Dillon 650 and load both 9 mm and .38 Specials, usually in lots of 500 to 1000 rounds at a time. Loading this many rounds on a single stage is just not practical.

I also have a Redding turret press that I load .223 Rem., .357 Mag and occasionally .380 ACP on since I load those in much more limited runs.

 

[Century Limited]

Straight from page 43 of user manual:

SPECIFY MODEL, CALIBER AND SERIAL NO. WHEN ORDERING

Since one must specify caliber.....complete rifles obviously in works, not sure about conversions only. Since I have a wife and two kids, I think that I will need 4 complete rifles before even considering just a conversion anyway. Well,at least two.