The new Ruger PC Charger pistol is one unique firearm.
Ruger just introduced a new firearm that is sure to turn the heads of gun owners everywhere in the months to come. While pistol caliber carbine rifles have been taking off in recent years with guns like the PC Carbine, now Ruger is introducing the PC Charger, a pistol version with features you might be used to finding on AR-style platforms.
Ruger is making the new PC Charger, technically a 9mm pistol, in two different variations in order to fit within regulations for states with more firearms restrictions. Both versions are chambered in 9mm Luger and have a barrel length of 6.50 inches and an overall length of just 16.50 inches. We think the idea here is to appeal to the home defense market. This is a much more compact firearm than the standard AR and the handgun ammo choice is going to be much cheaper to shoot on the range than most rifle platforms.
For shooting accessories, visit walmart.com.
The Charger features a cold hammer-forged and threaded barrel made of alloy steel with a 1:10 right hand twist. The CNC-machined receiver and handguards features a Type III hard-coat. The receiver and and rear of the firearm have picatinny rails for mounting a variety of accessories including a brace for more accuracy. Most of Ruger's promotional material shows these guns mounted with a red dot, which is likely to be the optic of choice for a gun like this.
This is a takedown-style firearm and Ruger said the gun's design makes disassembly fast simply by locking the bolt back and hitting a lever. You can then twist off the barrel and forend hand grip. Meanwhile, the dead blow action is designed to reduce recoil and muzzle rise by shortening the bolt travel.
To help with accuracy on such a short firearm, the AR pistol grips have an ergonomic design and the handstop features a CNC-milled factory handguard. Speaking of that handguard, it offers M-Lok attachment slots. It seems like the company is taking a lot of features from the Ruger PC Carbine here in making the whole package ambidextrous. The charging handle and magazine release are reversible to left-handed for southpaw shooters. The company says they used components from their ever-popular 10/22 line of rimfire guns for the Charger, something we're sure many people will be pleased with.
We should talk about the pistol magazines here because the mag well is probably going to be the biggest selling point of this firearm. The gun includes an interchangeable magazine well The standard will take SR-Series Ruger mags. The additional magazine well will accept ones from Glock. Yes, you read that correctly! It's weird, but we also think it's a nice touch, especially if you already own several double-stack Glock magazines. Speaking of mags, the biggest difference between the standard and compliant models is capacity. The standard has a 17-round capacity while the compliant is limited to a 10-round magazine.
Right now, the MSRP for this gun is $799 according to Ruger, but we're betting you'll be able to find it for cheaper than that. It's a very interesting design. The weight is only 5.2 pounds, but it seems a little long to be used as a pistol without sacrificing accuracy. It'll be interesting to see if people previously interested in an AR-style platform find this more appealing. We'll have to wait and see how it does, but it does look like a ton of fun at the range!
For shooting accessories, visit walmart.com.
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NEXT: A LOOK AT THE NEW RUGER HAWKEYE LONG RANGE HUNTER RIFLE
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