Ruger Police Carbine

Ruger Police Carbine
Ruger PC4
Type Carbine
Place of origin United States
Production history
Designer Ruger
Designed 1996[1]
Manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co.
Produced 1996-2006[1]
Variants PC9, PC4
Specifications
Weight 7 lb (3.2 kg)[2]
Length 34 in (860 mm)[2]
Barrel length 16.24 in (412 mm)[2]
Cartridge 9×19mm, .40 S&W[2]
Action Blowback
Feed system 10 or 15 round P series box magazine[2]
Sights Ghost ring rear, Blade front
Ruger PC Carbine
Ruger PC Carbine
Type Carbine
Place of origin United States
Production history
Designer Ruger
Designed 2017[1]
Manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co.
Unit cost $650[3]
Produced 2017-Present
Specifications
Weight 7 lb (3.2 kg)
Length 34.37 in (873 mm)[4]
Barrel length 16.2 in (410 mm)[5]
Cartridge 9×19mm
Action Blowback
Feed system 10, 17, 33 round Glock or Ruger SR9 box magazines[6]
(Magwell is interchangeable.)
Sights Protected Blade / Adjustable Ghost Ring

The Ruger Pistol Caliber Carbine (PC stands for pistol caliber not "Police") is a semi-automatic blowback pistol-caliber carbine manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co., designed as a companion to Ruger's P-Series centerfire pistols and using the same ammunition and magazines of the P-Series 9 mm Parabellum and .40 S&W caliber pistols.

Both the PC9 (the 9 mm version) and the PC4 (.40 S&W version) are patterned after the highly successful Ruger 10/22 rimfire carbine. It is intended as a shoulder weapon for law enforcement use, although it is available for sale to civilians as well. The intent is that an officer will carry a Ruger P-Series pistol as a sidearm, and keep a Police Carbine available (for example, in the patrol vehicle) as an offensive weapon if needed. Since the Police Carbine has a 16-inch (410 mm) barrel, it provides more stopping power with the same ammunition used by police pistols which often only have 4-inch (100 mm) barrels (see internal ballistics). The Police Carbine also provides additional accuracy and effective range over the pistol.

In 2007, Ruger discontinued production of the Police Carbine citing low demand. More than ten years later on December 29th, 2017, Ruger announced the reinstatement of the Police Carbine with a new upgraded 9 mm takedown model called the Ruger PC Carbine, which has a 16.12-inch (409 mm) threaded barrel and accepts not only the Ruger SR9 pistol magazine, but also magazines from Glock, Ruger American Pistol and the new Ruger Security-9 pistols via interchangeable magazine well adaptor inserts.

Design

The Carbine has some unique design features. The action is a simple blowback design, which requires a fairly massive bolt to handle the pressure of 9mm and .40 S&W. To prevent the gun from being too unbalanced by the large bolt, the bolt consists of two parts; the main body of the bolt is fairly light and located in the receiver, while the other part is just a weight located under the forend of the carbine. These two parts are held together by strong, rigid steel bars. The combined mass serves to hold the breech safely closed during firing, while keeping the center of gravity forward, so the gun handles well.

Another unique feature is the bolt lock. Since blowback guns of these calibers require heavy bolts, the inertia of dropping the gun can cause the bolt to come partially open, rendering the gun unfirable until the bolt is manually closed all the way. To prevent this, the Carbine uses a lock that locks the bolt securely closed so that a fall will not dislodge it. A slight pressure on the trigger or on the bolt handle, however, will disengage the bolt so that it can move for firing or clearing the action.

In addition to caliber, the Carbine also comes with a choice in sights. The standard model uses notch and post sights, while the GR models are equipped with ghost ring sights. The ghost ring sights cost more, but they are generally considered better for defensive purposes, as they allow faster sighting under poor lighting conditions plus a longer sight radius for greater potential accuracy. The Carbine also has Ruger style scope bases built into the receiver, allowing optical sights to be easily and securely mounted.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ruger Product History". Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Peterson, Phillip (2011). Gun Digest Buyer's Guide to Assault Weapons. Gun Digest Books. p. 236. ISBN 9781440226724.
  3. ↑ https://www.ruger.com/products/pcCarbine/models.html
  4. ↑ https://www.ruger.com/products/pcCarbine/models.html
  5. ↑ https://www.ruger.com/products/pcCarbine/models.html
  6. ↑ https://www.ruger.com/products/pcCarbine/models.html

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