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Ruger PC-9

56panhead56panhead Member Posts: 25 ✭✭
edited January 2002 in General Discussion
A couple of weeks ago, someone on the forum, maybe RugerNiner, asked whether the PC-9 was worth getting to go with Ruger 9mm pistols. I recently stuck an inexpensive scope (Bushnell Sportview) on mine and took it to the range to see if I would like it any better with the scope.

My recommendation to anyone considering buying one is don't. It is accurate enough at 100 yds for me (I'm not a very good shot), but I just couldn't get used to the trigger pull -- the opposite of light and smooth. Not only does that make the gun not as much fun to shoot, but I felt it tended to spoil my aim.

I'm going to take back one thing I said about it a while back: It is not as difficult to disassemble for routine cleaning as I originally thought. After you do it a couple of times, it isn't that hard.

I orgininally got it as a house gun. It would be OK in that scenario I suppose. So I'm putting it away and probably won't use it much anymore except in an emergency. It's a shame, because with a sexy stock (I like Dragunov style) and a better trigger, it might be a nice gun. As it is, I'm sorry I spent my money on it. I should have gotten a second Marlin Camp 9 or even an AK-type rifle instead, and saved some money to boot.
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  • 56panhead56panhead Member Posts: 25 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I need feed back on the Ruger PC-9 9mm. Should it be my next gun? That way my mags from my P-85 will fit. Both 15 & 30 round.
    R.J.H.
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  • Gordian BladeGordian Blade Member Posts: 1,202 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Wow, here's one I can finally answer, even though I'm far from an expert! I hope you'll forgive my rather lengthy answer, but I have a number of things I want to say about it and I decided I'd err on the side of more info rather than less. These are all the opinions of someone who is far from an expert, so consider them accordingly.The PC-9 is a strange beast. You might say it's between a pistol and a rifle. It's shorter than most rifles (that's why they call it a carbine) and it fires pistol ammo. I bought mine as a "house gun" because (a) I didn't have a pistol permit yet; (b) I figured when I did get a pistol, I could get a Ruger 9mm and interchange the mags; (c) I wanted something my wife would be comfortable using if she had to. If you want a rifle for plinking, this isn't really it, because 9mm ammo is too expensive for plinking. If you want a rifle for hunting, this isn't really it, because 9mm is not as powerful and accurate as you would need at long range. And of course you can't carry it around with you. So this is primarily a home-defense weapon.As far as the good things about it, I found that my wife could indeed operate it accurately and effectively, easily hitting every shot near the bullseye at 25 yds with iron sights out of the box, from benchrest. Off the shoulder, she easily hit every shot within a couple of inches of the bullseye. I did about the same, by the way. Neither of us is very experienced. I've tried Wolf and American Eagle FMJ ammo for target practice with no problems at all. I got some Hornady JHP ammo to use for the real deal (hopefully never). So from that perspective, I consider that the PC-9 meets my needs.What are the good points of the PC-9? It's rugged, the mags are interchangeable with Ruger 9mm pistols, it handles +P+ ammo, it gives you a little more accuracy and velocity than a pistol, recoil (feel) is low, and it's compact for easy storage. Someone that I know only through the net told me that you can rapidly fire a lot of rounds with hi-cap mags without a significant loss of accuracy; I can't verify that.What are the bad points? The trigger pull is a little strange, at least for me. You need to pull it way back to fire. I suppose that's a safety feature. It's rather hard to find. I had to get one through Gun Broker and my local FFL holder agreed to accept it only because he couldn't get one for me. The way it's constructed, with the factory stock an integral part of the design, it's difficult for an after-market company to make a replacement stock. You're pretty much stuck with a "plain Jane" looking rifle.I think the PC-9 would look a lot sharper if you installed a black scope on it. If you're interested in looks.Another gun shop I went to couldn't get me a PC-9, but they suggested a Marlin Camp Carbine as an alternative. They just happened to have a Marlin Camp 9N (nickel and stainless steel), so I got that in addition to the PC-9. ("A fool and his money ...") For whatever reasons, the Marlin Camp Carbines were never very popular (compared to other Marlin rifles) and they have been discontinued. You can still find them used. I'll mention a few things as points of comparison with a PC-9.The Marlin Camp has a wooden stock and looks more like a "real" sporting rifle. It uses S&W compatible mags. I actually enjoy shooting it more than the PC-9, probably because I like the trigger pull better. It draws comments at the range, because it's rare to see one, especially the "N" (nickel) version.The one negative that I see versus the PC-9 is that the Marlin's breech doesn't lock when it fires, so you get more crud in the action and need to clean it carefully. You can fire a lot more rounds through a PC-9 before needing to clean it. The good news is that it's faster and easier to take the Camp Carbine apart for cleaning than the PC-9.I hope this has been useful to you.
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  • CZ75IDAHOCZ75IDAHO Member Posts: 5 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have one.Ghost Ring model with a tac-lite Ruger tac-sling and 30 round mag. It's pretty cool looking and got some reallooks at the range.Women shooters took to it right away..ease of handling and low recoil..i do agree about the trigger.The Burris 4x was a great scope on it.same for the simmons red-dot.100% reliable with all loads i've used,even the ***** Win-clean crap. I never shoot it anymore.it sits in my safe. Once used it as a house gun..and have no idea what it's worth with the mags and box.manual ruger rings, ect.leaving out the 100 virgin rounds ofHirtenberger,of course How much are you seeing the NIB ones for in your area? I would have preferred it over my issued Mini-14 back when i carried an issued P89 on duty..or even with the SIG and CZ75Nowdays i have no use for police guns..perse.I have a couple of tricked out Mini-14sthat serve for sporting and defensive roles.The PC9 house gun has been replaced with theMossberg and CZ40B.I have more pics if you want to see them.You really can't go wrong with a Ruger. http://come.to/id-rugers
    CZIMPLY THE BEST!www.czforum.com
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