By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
The Ruger PC9 is a credible design with much to recommend. It proved reliable, accurate enough for most chores, and a fun gun to fire.
For many years the pistol caliber carbine has enjoyed favor among certain shooters. Some do not find the type attractive but perhaps they simply haven’t used the right carbine. In the Old West the .44-40 WCF carbine and revolver combination was popular and today some like to own a .357 Magnum handgun and lever action rifle.
While the practicality of such a combination is evident so are the limitations. My to-go pieces for personal defense have been the .45 ACP pistol and 5.56mm rifle for decades. When hunting I have great respect for the .44 Magnum revolver but my rifle is a .308 for most uses, and occasionally a 7mm Magnum. I have experimented with pistol caliber carbines and enjoyed firing them but never adopted one for serious use. No this has changed.
Ruger’s PC 9 carbine and my changing situation have prompted my interest in the PC 9. I like the rifle and find it useful. Relatively light, reliable and fast handling this is a viable defensive carbine. I won’t convince anyone one way or the other. I prefer a rifle firing a powerful cartridge for most uses, but for many shooters the pistol caliber carbine is ideal. The carbine compliments anyone’s skill level. The carbine is much easier to use well and to get hits with from close range to 100 yards than any handgun. This is an advantage for home owners that do not practice as often as they like or for one reason or the other do not do well with handguns. The 9mm is a powerful number with modest recoil in most handguns. In a carbine the long barrel results in a full powder burn and increased velocity. Recoil is negligible.
Like proven 10/22
Firing from a braced position the author enjoyed good accuracy. Note stack of Glock 9mm magazines.
Ruger’s PC carbine is a straight blowback design. The PC 9 is simple to operate and similar to the proven Ruger 10/22 in handling. The PC carbine is supplied with two magazine adaptors. One takes Ruger magazines in common with the Security 9 and the other takes Glock magazines. Glock magazines are readily available, rugged, reliable and long lasting. The Glock 33 round magazine is a singularly good buy. This magazine gives the personal defense shooter a great reserve of ammunition. The PC carbine and the ammunition it takes are affordable. To change the magazine adaptor between Ruger and Glock magazines simply remove the stock and push the adaptor out then push the other into place. If you deploy a Glock handgun as many of us do the advantages of a carbine that takes Glock magazines are many. Commonality of magazines and using a long gun in the same caliber makes ammunition purchase and practice much easier.
The Ruger is reliable with burner grade ammunition.
The PC 9 is bedded in a stock and forend that are molded of glass filled nylon. This is a traditional rifle not an AR variant. That appeals to many shooters. There is a useful recoil pad. The carbine features palm swells for superior hand fit. Length of pull may be changed by adding buttstock adaptors. To take the rifle down for storage there is a take-down latch in the stock. This latch is actuated and the barrel twisted to one side to disassemble the rifle. The forend provides a section for mounting a light or laser. Sling swivels are molded into the stock. The receiver is aluminum.
The trigger group is similar to the Ruger 10/22. Metal and plastic parts are finished in dark black. The receiver features a 6.5-inch long rail for mounting optical sights. The supplied sights are an aperture rear and protected post front. I like these sights very much. The cross bolt safety is positive in operation. The magazine release is easily manipulated. The PC 9 weights six pounds and ten ounces unloaded. It isn’t light and whippy but handles well and isn’t a burden to carry with a sling. For home defense it is practically the ideal size for a long gun. The rifle comes to the shoulder quickly and the sights offer good hit probability.
A lot of shooting
Firing offhand in rapid fire, the Ruger is afun gun with real authority.
If you enjoy firing the Ruger 10/22 you will like the PC9. This is a fun gun to fire, which adds up to real proficiency. Familiarity is important when the rifle may be used for personal defense. The 9mm Luger is more expensive to fire than the .22 LR, of course, so load selection is important. Burner loads don’t have to be low quality they just have to be affordable. It isn’t difficult to produce inexpensive reliable FMJ ammunition. For this review I loaded Glock 17 9mm magazines with the steel case Wolf Military Classic, Century Hotshot, and the Silver Bear bi-metal cased ammunition. (Cheaperthandirt.com) These are affordable loads but during the firing tests there were no failures to feed, chamber, fire or eject. The inexpensive ammunition exhibited good function, ran clean, and exhibited little to no muzzle flash, a sign of a full powder burn.
Most of the ammunition was fired in rapid fire nailing steel plates from 25 to 50 yards. It wasn’t difficult to put the peep sight on an eight inch plate and keep it ringing. Practical accuracy, including firing at milk jug sized targets at 100 yards, was not only excellent but easy to come by. The rifle handles well, the sights are good, and recoil is modest. After firing the Ruger in several range sessions I find the piece accurate, reliable and fun to shoot.
Absolute Accuracy
If area defense or ridding the ranch of pests and varmints is a goal, accuracy is important. The trigger is tight and crisp and well suited to accurate shooting. The sights are ideal for accuracy work to perhaps 50 yards. A load I feel is among the best suited to 50-yard use in the 9mm is the Black Hills Ammunition 100-grain Honey Badger.
At long range hollowpoint bullets may have lost their ability to expand as velocity is lower. The Honey Badger is a solid copper bullet with sharp cutting flutes in the body. This bullet begins to cut and damage tissue as soon as it strikes the target. The flutes in the nose also stir up fluid dynamic reaction resulting in extensive wound potential. I like this load a lot.
Ruger’s take down option is a good deal for easy storage.
When fired in a carbine with its longer barrel the powder burn is complete and the cartridge develops much greater velocity. Combined with the carbine’s accuracy potential this higher velocity makes for a great improvement over the handgun. Firing both the Honey Badger load and Black Hills 124-grain JHP, I fired several 50-yard groups of two inches for five shots. The 100-grain Honey Badger demonstrated over 1,500 fps velocity. The PC 9 carbine offers excellent performance and is a viable all around defensive carbine.
After a thorough evaluation I find the Ruger PC 9 good kit and an excellent choice for personal defense. The piece is well suited to controlling pests and varmints well past 50 yards. With the proper loads the 9mm should prove effective against coyote, feral dogs and even the big cats. The ability to place an instant second or third shot is good to have. As an all-around, go-anywhere, do-anything defensive firearm the Ruger PC 9 makes the grade. The ability to take Glock magazines and a take-down design are big advantages. While the Ruger PC 9 is a great companion to the 9mm pistol, the carbine has much merit all on its own.
