Ruger PC4
Sturm, Ruger & Co. · Carbine · Discontinued · 1998
Also known as: PC-4, Police Carbine .40
Overview
The Ruger PC4 is a blowback-operated pistol-caliber police carbine chambered in .40 S&W, produced by Sturm, Ruger & Co. from 1998 to 2006. Sharing its layout with the Ruger 10/22 and Mini-14 family, it used an aluminum receiver, a roughly 16.5-inch barrel, ghost-ring sights, and accepted Ruger P-series pistol magazines. Marketed primarily to law enforcement as a companion to Ruger's P-series duty pistols, the PC4 and its 9mm sibling the PC9 offered a magazine-compatible long gun for patrol use.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2920 g (103.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 876 mm (34.49") |
| Barrel Length | 419 mm (16.50") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .40 S&W · primary — also known as .40 Smith & Wesson, 10x22mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Magazine Disconnect
- Features: Ghost Ring Sights, Aluminum Receiver, Uses Ruger P Series Magazines, Police Carbine
Variants
- Ruger PC9 — Caliber Variant
Production
Production years: 1998-2006
Original Police Carbine series; discontinued and later superseded conceptually by the 2017 Ruger PC Carbine takedown design
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 2006
Notes
Standard magazines were Ruger P-series 10-round units (P-series factory magazines of larger capacity exist but the carbine was commonly sold with 10-rounders). The PC4 is the .40 S&W version; the PC9 is the 9mm version. Not to be confused with the later 2017 Ruger PC Carbine (takedown) which uses interchangeable SR-series/Glock magazine wells.
Background
Ruger built the PC4 and PC9 so police departments already issuing Ruger P-series pistols could field a patrol carbine that shared the very same magazines, simplifying logistics in the patrol-rifle era of the late 1990s.