Ruger PC Carbine

[DesertTortoise]

I mean no disrespect in my reply because the TACCOM left side button works GREAT! However, coming from an AR platform the RH side lever would be more natural for [ME].

I believe they are going to ship the button and the lever together going forward. Early buyers can get caught up by contacting them

[TRUBL]

you don't even have to contact us........we are going to mail out a lever and a screw to all that have previously purchased the mag release.

 

Going forward.....and starting like 4/5/18 ship dates........all TACCOM Ruger Mag release systems will come with the button and the trigger finger release......you get to decide which way you wanna run it.

 

Tim

[old558]

On 3/23/2018 at 12:40 PM, DesertTortoise said:

Initial review of the Ruger PCC and the TACCOM upgrades.

I bought this as an entry into PCC, mostly for steel challenge and the occasional USPSA match. I can't compare to an AR 9mm since I've not used one. I'm mostly comparing to my 10/22 since they are so similar.

The gun is about 1.5 lbs heavier than my Ruger 10/22 which has a TACSOL barrel and hogue stock. There is some weight further forward but most of it feels like it sits on the bolt right above the firing hand. The gun balances around the magwell.

The takedown is only usful to our sport for cleaning, but I wish it wasn't there. I think it adds weight and an unneeded point of failure. For example the first time I shot it during steel challenge the barrel came unlocked during my first two strings. I had tightened the lockring using the instruction manual, but apparently not enough. On recoil the locking tab was disengaging and my support hand grip was twisting the barrel assemby off. This was quickly fixed by tightening the locking ring until it takes some real pressure to install/remove (only 2-3 more "clicks")

The iron sights are very adequate, but if I was using them I would want a front fiber optic (which is not available at this time).

The stock has rail slots forward on the foreend where I put a hand stop. A little bit forward for my preference, but you could also put a laser there.

The comb looks like it might be replaceable, but it is not. It sits in between where you would want it for the very low irons or even a low mounted red dot. I added a stick on 1/4 in cheeck riser. If using a AR height red dot you'll need to build up the comb area to match.

The little things they did like using the same sized Allen bolts for take down, and captured bolts to attach stock and receiver are nice touches. It is easier to strip and reassemble than a 10/22. Not as easy as an AR obviously. But who cleans their guns ?

The built in rail on the receiver is also a nice touch.

I havent decided yet about the TACCOM replacement butt pad. The stock pad is very nice but does tend to stick to clothing when you shoulder / ddismount the gun (which is fixed by the aftermarket pad). I'll probably swap the stock one back and forth to see what I prefer. The stock does have a good range of adjustment through the included spacers.

The trigger is actually pretty good for a stock gun. It pulls at about 4.5 pounds. It could benefit from an over travel stop. I'm waiting for someone to post instructions on what 10/22 parts will work to improve the trigger. It is way better than a stock AR trigger, but that is a low bar.

The magazine release is a little disappointing. I wish a genius at Ruger had figured out how to release with the firing hand, but it's not the end of the world. The TACCOM replacement part (seen in video posted above) is an excellent compromise. It is an extended drilled and tapped release with a large plastic button. This drops the magazines very well with a slap from the palm of the support hand. The button is not so large that it will release the magazine on a loaded table start, which shows the thought that went into this upgrade.

I'm using glock magazines and have had no problem at all with 17, 33, and 48 round mags. I highly recommend the TACCOM magwell for this gun. It makes the opening huge and doesn't hang up at all without any blending.

The ability to move the charging handle to the left side is great, but could be better. The stock charging handle is a bit short, and there is no relief cut into the left side of the stock which makes it seem even shorter. I don't have hands on the TACCOM replacement yet but I'll order it soon.

Recoil in this gun is... different. The feel has much more of a push I think due to the cycling of the heavy bolt. I initially compared bulk 115 to my 147gr production load and the 115 was hands down better. The 147 felt like there was the recoil of firing and then the recoil of the bolt moving with a delay in between.

The threaded muzzle let me install a muzzle brake. Adding a muzzle brake made both of those loads better and dramatically changed the 147s to be preferable over the federal bulk 115s. I also shot a friend's 135 PCC specific handload which was better still. The chamber is on the short side, but it is not prohibitively short like some do it yourself AR 9s suffer from. Im sure I can find a great load for this gun.

The only similar carbine I can compare it to is my 10/22. When I shot them at a steel challenge side by side I was 8 seconds (~12÷) slower over 7 stages with the PCC. The fact that I did shoot 3 of those stages faster with the PCC tells me that once I get over the learning curve they will be about the same for me.

All in all if it's running pretty close to a 10/22 race gun, I think that's a pretty good good performance.

The only must do upgrade for steel challenge is the muzzle brake. The magazine release and magwell also are probably a must for USPSA. The charging handle will be nice to have. Trigger upgrades will be appreciated as they come out over time.

Hope that info is helpful to you guys.

Thanks for the info very helpfull

[old558]

Thanks everyone for the info on these as I am very interested.

[sx2gl35]

I've got all of Tim's go-fast parts on it, but not the comp since I'm in NY...waiting on the lever.  Completely a different gun, especially with the Volq. trigger parts.  I have removed the ghost ring sights in favor of using a Venom.  I need to plug the 5 holes remaining in the barrel with Positive Stop Screws from Brownells, but I don't know the thread size.  I tried a 6-40 and it went in a few threads and stopped; so it may be a 6-44 or 6-48.  Can anyone with a thread guage give me the correct size please.  (I have an inquiry in to Ruger, but that may take a few days.) 

 

 

 

[igolfat8]

What holes in the barrel are you referring to? If its the sight holes, aren't these blind holes and not through holes into the bore? Blind holes really don't need to be plugged IMO.

[dmshozer1]

11 hours ago, sx2gl35 said:

I've got all of Tim's go-fast parts on it, but not the comp since I'm in NY...waiting on the lever.  Completely a different gun, especially with the Volq. trigger parts.  I have removed the ghost ring sights in favor of using a Venom.  I need to plug the 5 holes remaining in the barrel with Positive Stop Screws from Brownells, but I don't know the thread size.  I tried a 6-40 and it went in a few threads and stopped; so it may be a 6-44 or 6-48.  Can anyone with a thread guage give me the correct size please.  (I have an inquiry in to Ruger, but that may take a few days.) 

 

 

 

If the holes do go through the barrel they might act as a hidden comp!

Just kidding!

[sx2gl35]

When you remove the ghost rings you expose three threaded holes, two of which held the rear sight; and there are also two more under the front sight post.   Since I no longer need the ghost ring sights and want to preserve the threading needed to reattach them, I want to plug them to preserve them.   (The holes do not go into the rifling.)  There is a dedicated hardware item to do this very thing and it's available from Brownells; they are called: Positive Stop Screws and come in 6-40 and 6-48 threads.   I had hoped someone (a Ruger enthusiast) would know real quick like, but not.   I have since learned that 6-48 might be the one, but that needs confirmation.   I have ordered the 6-48 PSS's and will confirm when they get here.   Thanks to all!

[Steve RA]

If two holes hold the rear sight and two holes hold the front sight, what does the 5th hole do ??

[igolfat8]

It keeps the others company 

[sx2gl35]

^ Exactly; a third threaded hole for future use.   They are on half-inch centers perhaps to take a picatinny rail...

 

The Venom is installed.   Snap it up from a low ready and you're looking at the dot in the center of the window; which is about 13/16" off the picatinny.   Great cheek weld too.   I like the Venom a lot.

 

[ShanePennington]

Picked up one of these for some steel challenge, maybe even USPSA in the future. For the price you can’t beat it. Plus it seems TACCOM is churning out aftermarket products regularly. The only con that I have is the cheek weld height after an optic is added. The height is perfect for the factory irons, but needs to be raised for the rail mounted optic like others have stated. Overall a great gun. I might use it for hog hunting too!

[ekraus]

I have some observations on the Taccom Ruger PC Carbine parts. I got the Release Button, Funnel and Charge Handle last night. Took less then 10 minutes to put all 3 on the gun. The Funnel works as intended it angles the mag in quite easily. The Charge handle is much bigger than the stock one. Now for the Mag Button and the trigger finger release lever. Well I couldn't get the trigger finger release lever

to work at all. The lever is about 3" long and when you press it all of the force is on the rear of the release button causing it to bind. I didn't even try to make it work. As far as the button

its as fast as it looks like in the video but it got me into trouble 2 times last night at a match. All you have to do is brush it and the mag is gone. So it will take some getting used to.

But if anyone has gotten the trigger finger release lever to work I sure would like to know how.

[TRUBL]

1 hour ago, ekraus said:

I have some observations on the Taccom Ruger PC Carbine parts. I got the Release Button, Funnel and Charge Handle last night. Took less then 10 minutes to put all 3 on the gun. The Funnel works as intended it angles the mag in quite easily. The Charge handle is much bigger than the stock one. Now for the Mag Button and the trigger finger release lever. Well I couldn't get the trigger finger release lever

to work at all. The lever is about 3" long and when you press it all of the force is on the rear of the release button causing it to bind. I didn't even try to make it work. As far as the button

its as fast as it looks like in the video but it got me into trouble 2 times last night at a match. All you have to do is brush it and the mag is gone. So it will take some getting used to.

But if anyone has gotten the trigger finger release lever to work I sure would like to know how.

Can you call me today about the trigger finger release.......this is the first one so lets see it we can walk you thru it.

Tim

[Hi-Power Jack]

No disrespect intended, just an honest question :

 

For the same money, you can buy an AR-15 .223.  (I know that you can

spend $4,000 for an AR, but you can find one for around $700).

 

I don't understand why anyone would want to buy a similar gun in 9mm,

instead of a .223, for the same price ?

 

The 9mm has no where near the stopping power, or trajectory, or

the range of a .223.  Useless for coyotes ?

 

And, I've been reading for the past year or two about all the

work going into getting one to run properly ...   WHY ?

 

(I can understand that a few people might want one if they shoot

a 9mm pistol).   BUT, I can't understand that there are thousands

of people forming a PCC league to shoot these things - why not just

use a .223 ?

 

Again, I'm not trying to provoke or instigate - just trying to understand

where this whole PCC thing comes from ???

[v1911]

Their just fun to shoot. And isn’t that why we shoot? To enjoy ourselves?

[Hi-Power Jack]

Are they more fun than a  .223 ?

[TRUBL]

20 minutes ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

No disrespect intended, just an honest question :

 

For the same money, you can buy an AR-15 .223.  (I know that you can

spend $4,000 for an AR, but you can find one for around $700).

 

I don't understand why anyone would want to buy a similar gun in 9mm,

instead of a .223, for the same price ?

 

The 9mm has no where near the stopping power, or trajectory, or

the range of a .223.  Useless for coyotes ?

 

And, I've been reading for the past year or two about all the

work going into getting one to run properly ...   WHY ?

 

(I can understand that a few people might want one if they shoot

a 9mm pistol).   BUT, I can't understand that there are thousands

of people forming a PCC league to shoot these things - why not just

use a .223 ?

 

Again, I'm not trying to provoke or instigate - just trying to understand

where this whole PCC thing comes from ???

ohhhhhhhhh.....you are trying to justify this........

well, you can't.....so don't try....it's just fun and something to do. 

and we probably all have bunches of AR's in different calibers anyways

 

Tim

[Sarge]

I have a 5.56 AR but honestly believe in a real world shit hit the fan environment a 9mm would be plenty. Most zombie encounters that can’t be avoided happen within 15-20 yards.

  And cheaper all the way around

[DesertTortoise]

  But if anyone has gotten the trigger finger release lever to work I sure would like to know how.

 

I got a little frustrated with it then I saw it needs to be rotated "down" to get the right leverage. It does have a spongy feel that isn't there the button version, but I vastly prefer the lever. In the future this may be a candidate for a metal part?  

It works well with all of my large and small mags. 

 

[mention=9129]Tim[/mention] I think a picture in the printed instructions may be helpful since works vs doesn't work is a few degrees of clockwise rotation. (It does seem to stay put once you get it there though) or works to the effect of, with the 1/2 inch Phillips screw tightened, rotate the lever counter clockwise untill it hits the stop position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DesertTortoise]

No disrespect intended, just an honest question :
 
I don't understand why anyone would want to buy a similar gun in 9mm,
instead of a .223, for the same price ?
 

Can you shoot steel at 15 yards with a 5.56 and get invited back?

PCC only makes sense for competitions to me, I don't know why other people buy them. I'm glad their money supports my interest though

[Tampa-XD45]

47 minutes ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

No disrespect intended, just an honest question :

 

For the same money, you can buy an AR-15 .223.  (I know that you can

spend $4,000 for an AR, but you can find one for around $700).

 

I don't understand why anyone would want to buy a similar gun in 9mm,

instead of a .223, for the same price ?

 

The 9mm has no where near the stopping power, or trajectory, or

the range of a .223.  Useless for coyotes ?

 

And, I've been reading for the past year or two about all the

work going into getting one to run properly ...   WHY ?

 

(I can understand that a few people might want one if they shoot

a 9mm pistol).   BUT, I can't understand that there are thousands

of people forming a PCC league to shoot these things - why not just

use a .223 ?

 

Again, I'm not trying to provoke or instigate - just trying to understand

where this whole PCC thing comes from ???

Many ranges don't have bays long enough to host 223 stages. 

PCC is a lot cheaper.

Shooting 556 at a steel plate 8 yards away is not cool.

Pasting 22 caliber holes at night is a pain compared to 9mm holes.

Shoot 100 rounds of 223/556 near walls & barricades, then shoot 100 rounds of 9mm on the same stage and let your ears decide which is more fun.

My AR9 PCC build cost less than $700 compared to the $1300 for my Stag 3G.

Shoot a PCC match and I bet you'll be hooked.

[igolfat8]

4 minutes ago, Tampa-XD45 said:

 

PCC is a lot cheaper.

 

 

(The Ruger) is cheaper to purchase AND it’s cheaper to shoot 9mm, even if you reload both calibers.

[ekraus]

41 minutes ago, DesertTortoise said:

I got a little frustrated with it then I saw it needs to be rotated "down" to get the right leverage. It does have a spongy feel that isn't there the button version, but I vastly prefer the lever. In the future this may be a candidate for a metal part?  

It works well with all of my large and small mags. 

 

[mention=9129]Tim[/mention] I think a picture in the printed instructions may be helpful since works vs doesn't work is a few degrees of clockwise rotation. (It does seem to stay put once you get it there though) or works to the effect of, with the 1/2 inch Phillips screw tightened, rotate the lever counter clockwise untill it hits the stop position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rotated down? Are you saying press down on the top and in? You cant loosen the screw and rotate the lever down without removing the detent on the back of the lever. I agree with it being metal. The plastic flexes when pressed.

[matteekay]

1 hour ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

BUT, I can't understand that there are thousands

of people forming a PCC league to shoot these things

 

This is an incorrect statement based on all of my recent USPSA matches, lol.