By Jim Dickson | Contributing Writer
Americans have always appreciated firepower in a small package.
The Winchester M1873 Trapper Model was the frontier version with its 14, 15, and 16 inch barrel lengths. In the 21st Century Ruger has brought the concept up to date with their semi-auto LC Carbine in .45 ACP, a round with more knock down power than the old 44-40 of the Model 1873 Winchester.
When I picked up the LC Carbine in .45 ACP at Reeves Ace Hardware in Clayton, Georgia I was told that I was lucky to get one as the demand for this new model was so great.
They should know as their extensive gun department is the best firearms source in Rabun county. Some other people finding out about it let on that they had been trying to get one for themselves. The fact that this was just on loan from Ruger for review didn’t seem to console them much.
This is a fast handling, steady to shoot off hand carbine with the power to kill anything in North America with one shot. It weighs 7 pounds and ½ ounce on my grocery scales. It comes with a folding stock that is adjustable from 12 ½ to 14 ½ inches. In the British Best Quality gun trade where guns are stocked to fit the individual customer those measurements would be appropriate for a small child well under 4 ½ feet tall to a man about 5 foot 8 inches. With the stock fully extended it measures 30 ½ inches long and with the stock folded just 22 ½ inches, making it a very compact package when space is at a premium.
Trigger pulls vary from gun to gun but are crisp at 4.4 to 5.9 pounds on the average. The gun normally groups from 2.4 to 3.2 inches at 25 yards with some guns giving tighter groups. The gun hangs steady and is easy to hit with. The 16-inch barrel lets the .45 ACP cartridge increase velocity to about 1,050 FPS and noticeably reduces the noise of firing compared to a M1911A1 pistol.
The threaded muzzle is covered by a protective cap as it comes already threaded for a suppressor which will reduce the noise even more further protecting your hearing from permanent damage from high decibel noise. The simple blow back action combined with the 7-pound weight of the carbine effectively reduces the recoil to zero. I can’t detect any whatsoever. This is with the .45 ACP cartridge that the U.S. Army stated in a WWII manual has more stopping power than a 30-06. Deer hunters should take note of this and also that most deer are actually shot inside of 100 yards. This is a very viable deer rifle and it’s short barrel can be an asset when hunting in thick cover where a longer barrel may catch in the brush.
Unlike many semi-auto designs that I have seen this one is simple and easy to disassemble and reassemble, a feature of utmost importance that all too often is overlooked. Just take out the disassembly pin and everything comes apart easily. Even more important. It goes back together easily. You won’t be taking this one in a paper bag to a gunsmith and paying him to figure out how to put it back together.
The barrel is protected by a ventilated aluminum shroud with an anodized finish that keeps the hand safely away from the barrel as it heats up during firing. This is a feature much appreciated by anyone experienced in keeping away from the exposed hot barrel of the old BAR squad automatic rifle. Even firing semi-auto, it doesn’t take long for a barrel to get really hot.
There is a Picatinny rail for mounting telescopic, red dot, night vision, or thermal sights. The latter two are very important for those after crop destroying wild hogs, which often wait until after dark to do their crop raiding. Considering how big some of these get I would much prefer this gun to the little 5.56MM AR15’s that many people use.
This would also work quite well on coyotes, another farm problem preying on livestock. There are good adjustable iron sights consisting of a post front sight and a large peep rear sight. These can be folded down for use with other types of sights and they flip back up with the press of a button. There are also M lock attachments for a sling or other accessories.
The cocking handle for the bolt is right where I like it on the left side, but it is ambidextrous. It can also be moved to the other side if you prefer. There is also an ambidextrous safety located in easy reach of the thumb on the grip.
The LC carbine takes Glock .45 magazines and comes with a 13-round example. The magazine loads in the pistol grip.
The Ruger LC Carbine is very ergonomic. It points quickly and accurately, and hangs steady for accurate shooting. Not all guns do, and this is a very important factor in choosing a firearm that is often overlooked. Some guns are so difficult to hit with that I won’t own one, but I love a gun that makers shooting accurately easy. When the shot is important, and you can’t afford to miss, you need every advantage that you can get and it’s not the time to prove that you can hit with anything.
This carbine makes an excellent companion piece to a M1911A1 and an American Derringer .45 ACP back-up pistol. Sometimes only having to deal with one caliber of ammunition is an advantage.
There are many niches where such a compact rifle with a folding stock can prove useful. Guns carried in trucks, boats, or airplanes need to be compact to store in confined spaces and if they are to be deployed quickly as there is very little room there.
Some people want a house rifle, and this suits them well. If you must deal with an outside threat, most people shoot accurately at longer range with a shoulder gun. The hunting opportunities with this gun have already been covered but a lot of trappers and hikers want a compact carbine to carry with them.
Remember, the short barrel Model 1873 Winchesters were called the Trapper model for good reason. This model offers protection against man or beast in a very compact package. For big animals like moose and bear, always use FMJ ammunition as you already have a big enough hole, and you need the penetration. The FMJ .45 ACP cartridge has proved a most reliable manstopper for more than 100 years. Why would you use anything else?
Due to its combination of power in a compact package with a stock that can be adjusted for the smallest user and a total absence of recoil this is also a prime choice for a hunting rifle for women and children. The 7 pound weight is not excessive for them as it adds steadiness in aiming which translates to success in the hunting field.
Shooting the little carbine was just plain fun. Accurate and steady with virtually no recoil, what’s not to like?
I had 240 rounds of ammunition consisting of 100 rounds of Black Hills 230-grain FMJ, 100 rounds of Black Hills 230-grain JHP, and 40 rounds of Steinel Ammunition 230-grain SCHP (solid copper hollow point) for hunting where the game laws mandate an expanding bullet.
Firing the .45 ACP LC carbine was more like shooting a .22 Long Rifle except for the devastation of the .45-caliber bullet. The muzzle heavy rifle locked into the shooter and hung steady for accurate firing. Everyone who shot it liked it. This gun is far superior to a 19th Century .44-40 Winchester lever action and those were a staple of American hunting ever since their introduction taking every type of American game successfully.
This gun can do everything they can do, and do it better. The MSRP is $1009.
