By R.K. ‘Bob’ Campbell | Contributing Editor
I came to own the Ruger PC Charger in a circuitous route.
A friend in a shop convinced me to try the .22 Charger. I was reluctant but gave it a try. I mounted a Riton red dot and headed to the firing range. I was impressed.
I ate up a few banana clips in the first outing with no malfunctions. The pistol has continued to function flawlessly with a wide range of loads. Accuracy is good to excellent and from a solid benchrest firing position the piece is about ninety per cent as accurate as a full size Ruger .22.
I also own a Ruger PC 9mm carbine, which feeds, functions and fires well. When I had the chance to pick up the PC Charger at a fair price, I began to explore the pistol as a home defense piece, as I suffer a bit of arthritis in the shoulder. The 9mm is a joy to fire, but then so is the .223-caliber rifle. This is my home defense firearm, and it is no kludge, the Charger 9mm as set up represents decades of tech crammed into one beast.
The PC Charger 9mm has proven reliable—no surprises there—but it must be properly handled. I am not confused as to its application.
The advantage of the 9mm carbine over a handgun is that the carbine is much easier to handle and shoot well. The handgun in defense use is for fast reactive shooting at conversational distance, although in training I constantly stretch the definition. A quasi pistol like the PC Charger isn’t as easy to use well as the carbine but it is easier to use than the pistol. Recoil is abated to the point that the piece invites recreational use.
The PC Charger is an acceptable truck gun, too. You cannot carry a Mare’s Leg like this one on the belt. In most states there are length limitations on concealed carry, but even so this isn’t something anyone short of the Secret Service would carry underneath a jacket. Most folks complain about a steel frame handgun’s weight!
The PC Charger is short and fast and maneuverable compared to a carbine, making it very useful in a real emergency. The PC Charger takes the same magazines as my carry Glock and the 9mm PC carbine. More capable than a handgun but less heavy than a carbine the PC Charger fits into a desirable niche. I am not saying you have to have one, it is squarely in the middle of things, but it is good to have the option.
Emergency Prep
I worked out a basis for procedure long ago on how my family and I will perform tasks during an emergency. It worked well during Hurricane Helene. There was looting during that emergency; the scum of a country always behaves in that matter, and cons and fakers were out in force. But for the most part folks worked together.
A pistol is light and handy, and a big pistol is better for camp and area defense. The Charger is concealable and I don’t mean under covering garments. In a bag or a compartment in the truck, the PC Charger stores away easily. With the Holosun AEMS Pro I chose for its deployment the Charger is capable of engagement of man-sized targets well past 50 yards.
In one shooting session I took on metal plates at a long 100 yards. The heavy hand of gravity weighed on the 9mm 147 grain loads but the PC Charger gave the eight inch plates a steel kiss more often than not at 100 yards. I added an SB Tactical stabilizing brace after experimenting with firing the Charger with two hands and a sling for stability. Get the brace! A folding brace adds little to the bulk of the pistol, and it comes in handy.
The PC Charger is a blowback operated firearm. You may experience a short cycle if the pistol is not properly stabilized. You cannot simply hold it at arm’s length and fire away. With the brace or firing from a bench rest firing position there were no short cycles. A hand brace on the forend prevents the hand from sliding into the muzzle.
The barrel is 6.5 inches long. You may gain 15 to 35 feet per second velocity over a Glock 17, so this isn’t a firearm that supercharges the 9mm. The PC Charger shoots flat primarily because of an absence of recoil.
The trigger in most PC carbines is useful breaking clean as issued at 5.0 pounds or so. The Charger 9mm features a cross-bolt safety and an easily operated magazine release.
Caution: don’t grasp the Charger around the magazine well, as you will most likely disengage the magazine during a firing drill. Keep the hand on the forend and thrust the hand into the stabilizer. Lights may be mounted on M Lok slots in the forend.
The PC Charger is very fast on target. I fire quickly getting two hits then move to the next target. The standard response to a threat is to get two hits as quickly as possible. I don’t do magazine dumps, since a magazine dump sends ammunition where it isn’t needed and may hit the wrong person. Firing is about control.
The PC Charger’s generous magazine capacity allows the shooter to have a reserve of ammunition when facing a takeover gang or multiple threats. What is the advantage over the pistol? I performed an extensive firing test to confirm the differences. I used my best shooting 9mm in the house, a Glock COA with Radian Ramjet Afterburner and Timney trigger.
The carbine is a Ruger PC 9mm with red dot. I ran ready drills from low ready with each. Fired two shots at 5, 7, 10, 15, and 25 yards. Then hammered ten rounds at 15 yards and finally 25 yard groups.
The Glock COA is very good but was outclassed the Ruger Charger. The primary advantage was seen at 25 yards. The Charger was neck and neck with the carbine with no real difference between the carbine and the Charger. The Charger was faster but then I have a very good red dot sight on the Charger. In a 25-yard accuracy drill, the Charger and the carbine cut ragged one hole groups from a rest.
The next drill left the pistol behind. I fired the Charger against the carbine at 50 yards. This dust up had the Charger struggling- but it was a very effective firearm. Back to for who it is for and for what it is for, this is a formidable firearm.
A huge part of the equation is a superior optic. I added the Holosun AEMS Pro enclosed emitter red dot sight. This optic features a dual reticle system with either a single 2 moa dot or a 6.5 circle, or a combination of both. I used the combination reticle in all drills. Both speed and accuracy were excellent. The window is a generous 1.1 by .87 in. This optic features a forward facing sensor with automatic brightness controls and flash covers for each lens. This is a service grade optic that adds a great deal to the Charger’s effectiveness.
Next I carefully proofed the Charger with the Dead Air Mojave 45 suppressor. Here are the specifications:
Length: 8.6 in. A section screws off to reduce the Mojave 45 to 6.8 in.
It features Titanium construction with a Black Finish. The MSRP is $1099.
Remember Linda?
During the filming of Terminator 2 actress Linda Hamilton suffered permanent hearing loss when ‘squib loads’ were fired without her hearing protection in place, which she forgot. Could have happened to anyone.
There are many examples of hearing loss you need only travel to the range or gun shop and observe shooters yelling at each other. Imagine a full power round or two bring fired off in your hallway or bedroom. While survival is foremost we wish to survive with our senses intact.
The Mojave 45 was tested with the American Eagle 150-grain Suppressor load. Results were excellent. After testing the set up thoroughly, I selected a defensive loading. You must use a 147-grain loading for maximum benefit of the suppressor. In this case the Federal HST offers a good balance of expansion and penetration. It is among a few loads that perform well in this application. I won’t argue that the .223 offers superior wound ballistics, but the 9mm works for me at the ranges I encounter. Economy and re-supply are excellent with this caliber.
After months of experimentation, I find the Ruger PC Charger an excellent home defense and truck gun. It performs beyond expectation. For my needs, the PC Charger is a better choice than the PC carbine. The handgun is carried concealed and the PC Charger is at home ready. I practice its deployment. While 1.5 seconds to a center hit at ten yards with a concealed carry handgun is a good standard, in home defense, 10 to 12 seconds from “make ready” to firing is reasonable. After all, I have an overfed over spoiled four legged alarm system I constantly maintain.
I keep the piece chamber empty with a 27 round Magpul magazine in place. That’s security. I am no longer in any danger of dying young. I don’t stick my hand under a rock where a snake may be, I don’t cross the road without a proper signal, and I am always properly armed. (To paraphrase Heinlein) The PDW is a big part of the battery and my safety precautions.
Takedown: Lock the bolt of the triple checked unloaded firearm to the rear. Remove the magazine. Depress the magazine release and twist the barrel to separate the forend and barrel from the handgun. Two bolts are removed to remove the action from the stock. You may depress the magazine release to remove the magazine well.
The PC is issued with a Ruger magazine well compatible with Ruger magazines. I prefer the Glock set up based on availability. The PC carbine or PC Charger is a reliable and easy to maintain firearm and a useful piece for many chores.
Ammunition performance
Federal’s 150 grain American Eagle is a great training load. A subsonic load is needed for suppressor performance. Here are my figures obtained with ballistic gelatin. 147 grain loads from Speer and Federal definitely perform well. I had a limited supply of some loads and could not perform a thorough test in pistol carbine and PDW applications. .
Federal 147 grain HST +P
Glock 19 1050 fps
Ruger PC Charger 1090 fps
Ruger PC Carbine 1130 fps
With a concern for the load breaking the sound barrier I tested the Federal 147 grain HST
Glock 19 970 fps
Ruger PC Charger 984 fps
Ruger PC Carbine 1080 fps
Gelatin penetration in Clear Ballistics
16 inches and expansion to .67 inches.
This is ideal performance. No difference between the two firearms. In the carbine, penetration was just short of 18 inches and expansion .69. This load is a winner.
Ruger PC Charger 9mm Specifications
Overall length 16.5 in.
Barrel length 6.5 in.
½ – 28 threads on barrel
Sights None, mounting rail
Finish Type III Hard Coat Anodized
Weight 5.2 lbs.
MSRP $919. 00
