The pistol caliber carbine (PCC) market is smoking hot and continues to be one of the biggest growth segments in the industry. One of the biggest attractions of the PCC segment is to shoot more and spend less. 9mm ammo is priced at about a third the cost of .223 rounds. The other attraction is the potential to feed your PPC with the same magazine as your favorite handgun.
Ruger took a big bold step forward with the Ruger PC Carbine 9mm rifle based on an upsized version of the simple, but proven, 10/22 Takedown design. Similar to the 10/22 models, Ruger offers the PC Carbine in a PC Charger 9mm pistol version as well. However, it is fed with either Ruger SR 9mm or Glock 9mm magazines.
Carbine Origins
Many younger shooters will not remember that from 1996 until 2006 Ruger had a PCC called the Police Carbine which shared Ruger P-Series magazines with a few (then current) Ruger pistol models. It was not a huge success, even though it was also based on the 10/22 design like the new PCC and PC Charger. Most customers felt that the wide adoption of the original Police Carbine waned because it was exclusively married to Ruger P-Series magazines.
This time around, Ruger changed that primary limitation and left the magazine compatibility wide open with a swappable insert-based magazine adapter that offers both Ruger SR and Glock 9mm magazines out of the box. We are all hoping (expecting) Ruger or other aftermarket manufacturers to start offering additional magazine adapters. Something beyond the included SR and Glock adapters and the not included, but optional, Ruger American magazine adapter. This capability leaves the Ruger PC models open to support a myriad of other pistol magazine platforms.
Ruger PC Charger
At first glance, the Ruger PC Charger 9mm seems simple. However, simplicity is a bit deceptive. Ruger has built an incredibly flexible, easy-shooting platform. Operation is based on a simple blowback operation which feels like a one-ton bolt-carrier. Its heft does contribute significantly to the overall weight. The benefit of the simple design is that it is highly reliable and simple to maintain. The simplicity also allows an elegantly simple, user-configurable, left or right charging handle position.
Another unique feature is the takedown barrel design shared on the Rifle and Charger models, which deliver several options beyond just a short, packable package. What I do like is that Ruger and potentially other aftermarket manufacturers could offer different barrel lengths like what has happened with the 10/22 TD models.
With a bolt swap, potentially different caliber options are possible as well. Pulling the barrel on the PC Charger does not shorten it a lot, but it did offer a lot of length reduction when I tested leaving a suppressor attached. The takedown system really is a great design with a load of inherent flexibility.
The other notable design flexibility is around the polymer chassis supporting the billet aluminum receiver. This already opened a lot of aftermarket options for the Ruger PCC Rifle including the chassis from Midwest Industries and CROM. We can only hope there will be some options for the Charger version as well. Additional features of the Ruger PC Charger include all the above noted, threaded barrel, M-Lok compatible handguard, AR compatible pistol grip for customization, and an included handstop.
The PC Charger features a flexible 1913 rear mount for SIG MPX fixed- and folding-style braces. One of the hidden flexibility attributes of the Ruger PC Charger is that as a pistol it can legally be converted to a rifle and back to a pistol again, similar to TC Contenders or AR-15 pistols, this is not something the Rifle version can do without the required ATF paperwork.
Drawbacks
So, with all this flexibility and design greatness noted, what’s not to love about the Ruger PC Charger? The PC Charger shares some of the awkward controls of the 10/22 Charger that don’t line up with AR-type controls. The safety position works well and is familiar, but the ambi-configurable magazine release is a bit of a reach. It is best configured for support hand operation.
The bolt carrier is heavy and drives the weight up to 5.2 pounds, which is over a pound heavier than the 4-inch SIG MPX and nearly a pound heavier than most AR format 9mm PCCs that include braces. Add a SB-Tactical brace, and the PC Charger’s weight tips over 6 pounds — into the weight of many AR rifles. On the flip side, you could purchase three Ruger $750 PC Charger for the price of an MPX and deliver wildly improved reliability over typical AR PCC formats. The simplicity does allow it to gobble up just about any ammo you throw at it.
The Ruger PC Charger 9mm is extremely reliable with either Ruger SR or Glock magazines. Glock ambi-compatible magazines are recommended, otherwise the configuration will get locked into the left-side magazine release. Some non-ambi mags may have last-round hold-open issues.
The accuracy is also good. I found that a bit of magnification or a flip-over trippler to support a red dot can deliver some quite impressive groups. Add a brace, and the groups get even smaller.
Specifications
Model number: 29100
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Handguard: M-Lok attachment slots
Capacity: 17 rounds
Weight: 5.2 pounds
Barrel length: 6.5 inches
Overall length: 16.5 inches
Stock option: Takedown
Sights: None
Barrel feature: Threaded
Thread pattern: 1/2″-28
Barrel Material: Alloy steel
Barrel finish: Blued
Grooves: 6
Receiver material: Aluminum Alloy
Receiver finish: Type III Hard-Coat Anodized
Twist: 1:10″ RH
Conclusion
Why buy the Ruger PC Charger? The ammo is cheaper to shoot. With a nice red dot and brace, the Charger moves from a bit unwieldy into a fast-shooting, fast-handling pistol that can be fed with your Ruger or Glock magazines. For the minimalist, or those that want to share magazines between guns, the Ruger and Glock magazine compatibility is a huge deal.
As a suppressor host, it is an absolute blast to shoot. The biggest attractions for the Ruger are the price, reliability, brutish simplicity, ambi-control flexibility, and platform flexibility, which will hopefully deliver a lot of future options and customization. This is a good, solid PC pistol option with some unique capabilities that are guaranteed to be wildly more popular than the original design.
Are you a pistol caliber carbine (PCC) fan? How does the Ruger PC Charger compare? Do the interchangeable magazine adapters make a difference to you? Share your answers in the comment section.
Shown configured with the Glock magazine adapter installed and a 33-round Glock magazine. 
The Ruger PC Charger 9mm delivers the perfect size for take-down carry. WIth the folding adapter, the unit is compact but easily deployable. The PC Charger 9mm delivered easy 1-inch 25-yard groups. The PC Charger 9mm accepts both Ruger SR and Glock Magazines with the included adapters. 
The complete folded and take-down package is small or compact to fit in the smallest bags and spaces.
Have owned one for about 6 months and never had any issues or problems. The controls take getting use to , but it’s easy to use and quite effective.
Breaking it down is easy, has is cleaning and storing it for transport.
No complaints at all.
It’s an awesome gun . My backpack gun all day! You can change parts cheap and loaded it up with 100 rounds with glock drum and never failed Paid more for shells than the gun because it’s fun and low maintenance!
How does this qualify as a p c c with only a 6.5 inch barrel? And how can you get 1 inch groups at 25 yards with a short barrel. Whoever did this must be an expert. The regular guy shouldn’t expect this, right?
Is ruger gonna bring back 44 mag carbine also I heard they own hand r there single shot shot guns were a staple in American
I’ve had one for over a year and love it. Extremely reliable and fun to shoot. Very accurate and I use all my Glock magazines. Ruger hits a grand slam with this one.