Handgun cartridge carbines: Whaddya got and why?

CraigC said:

For some reason I'm now thinking about a Kriss .45ACP or 10mm.

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You gotta go 10mm man! Kriss even makes 33 round extensions for the Glock 20 magazines it takes.

The one down side is when that caming block goes down to keep the muzzle rise minimal, it also comes back up. It can wack you in the cheek without a firm shoulder weld. I found a neoprene cushion helpful too.

Tons of fun.

I built this AR in .45acp recently with an Echo trigger and running an Osprey suppressor . This is a really fun gun to shoot but other than maybe home defense it’s pretty useless.

The only PCC I have currently is my Ruger PC Carbine, but I'd like to get a Ruger 77/44 at some point. I'd love a lever gun in .44 as well, but the slow 1:38 twist used in most would be a problem for my intended uses.

As for the why, mostly just fun and as suppressor hosts. With a set of carbide dies, it's so easy, cheap and quick to load subsonic pistol cartridges en mass. I could also see the 77/44 being a good short range medium game cartridge if I ever moved somewhere where seeing medium game at short range is a likelihood.

Marlin 1894CS (.357/.38) paired with Ruger GP100 Match Champion
Ruger PCC (9mm) paired Kimber Tactical Pro II

I have 2 Rossi 1892's in 44-40 . Bought them for cowboy shoots and kept them because they are so much fun. They also hunt deer in the swamps.

It weighs more than a Garand but I guess you could call my Thompson 1928 a PCC.

Ironhand

Dave DeLaurant said:

I had a Marlin 9mm Camp Carbine briefly and almost immediately regretted trading it off. I prefer its mostly wood and steel construction over the PC9 -- the main advantage of the Ruger for me is Glock magazine compatibility.

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..why? watch this video

I went down this road, I became interested in PCC's and for all the same reason's, light recoiling, cheap plinking and a useful SD/HD carbine. But after finally getting one I just felt it didn't do anything for me that my Marlin 60 or intermediate rifle caliber carbines couldn't do.
I'm trying to keep my collection to a minimum and the PCC was "extra weight" so I'm trying to off-load it now.

A Ruger PC and a Winchester Trapper in .44 mag. Why is an interestinq question. The Ruger is a gas to shoot, which I guess is justification enough. It doesn't really fill any role. As someone noted above, the little lever-actions in .44 mag. aren't very pleasant to shoot but it's a good-looking little rifle with tons of character so I'll keep it. Plus I paid $250 for it in mint condition so it may eventually prove to be at least a bit of an investment.

Well...

Got the NEGC aperture and higher profile Williams bead front sight installed on the 77/357.


Really like the balance and handling.

Got this as a camp carbine, and for deer and hogs out to ~ 150 yards.

Also leave it w/ the mag loaded at home... for social work.

As I'm not much of a lever guy - It's near perfect.




GR

Rossi 92 chambered in .454 casull. Why? Because it holds 8 rounds and can terminate any bear in the world with extreme prejudice. Plus it shares ammo with my toklat and raging bull.

Ruger PC Carbine here. Got it for the use of Glock magazines. Makes a great training rifle as a step up from .22 and is just plain fun.

Also got it because it fits well in the back compartment of my suv. As a LEO my thought was it matches my off duty 19, fits right next to my emergency plate carrier, and would work in a pinch if responding to a scene from off duty without an AR.

Also plan to add a 357 lever gun to match my growing collection of .38 and .357s.

Ruger PC carbine. I have three pistols chambered in 9mm. So didn't want to switch it up. Fun to shoot cheap ammo. And in a pinch you can hunt with it. But it would have to be very hard times.

I have my first Cowboy Action Shooting rifle, a Winchester 94 Trails End In .357 Magnum. Not the fastest lever gun but the most accurate pistol caliber gun I have ever owned.

I have a Marlin 1894CB in .357 Magnum / .38 Special that I use for CAS. I only have a few hundred rounds through it and it has performed perfectly. I think that Marlin has finally worked out their bugs.

I have a Ruger PC Carbine in 9mm. Probably my very favorite long gun. It’s fun to shoot and accurate.

I have a keltec sub2000 gen 2. Bought it because it was cheap and takes glocks mags. which i always seem to have a pile of.

1892 Winchester takedown and colt bisley in 38-40, whats not to like.

mrmike7189 said:

..why? watch this video

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We had (for this forum) a knock down drag out over the camp 9......I will just say this about them.....some love them, some hate them.....and some think they know something about them but don't.

Back in my post #63 I mentioned one handgun cartridge carbine I had but not the why. I found the little 44 magnum rifle really ideal for hunting whitetail deer in West Virginia. The areas I hunted, around Webster Springs, the deer I took were in the 50 to 100 yard range and most inside 50 yards. I also carried a revolver, a S&W Model 29. So the ideal cartridge for me was the Remington 44 Magnum and I have had a Ruger 44 Carbine since I was a kid. Pictured below is my little 44 Carbine atop a 444 Marlin which I also liked in West Virginia but the 444 Marlin is hardly a handgun cartridge. Both rifles are short and handy making for good rifles in the areas I hunted at the ranges involved. While I haven't hunted in several years I just can't seem to part with those rifles or really any of my hunting rifles. So there is the "why".



Ron

TIMC said:

I built this AR in .45acp recently with an Echo trigger and running an Osprey suppressor . This is a really fun gun to shoot but other than maybe home defense it’s pretty useless.
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Can you share more about this? I would love a 45 AR but i dont want to spend 1300 on one.

Reloadron said:

Back in my post #63 I mentioned one handgun cartridge carbine I had but not the why. I found the little 44 magnum rifle really ideal for hunting whitetail deer in West Virginia. The areas I hunted, around Webster Springs, the deer I took were in the 50 to 100 yard range and most inside 50 yards. I also carried a revolver, a S&W Model 29. So the ideal cartridge for me was the Remington 44 Magnum and I have had a Ruger 44 Carbine since I was a kid. Pictured below is my little 44 Carbine atop a 444 Marlin which I also liked in West Virginia but the 444 Marlin is hardly a handgun cartridge. Both rifles are short and handy making for good rifles in the areas I hunted at the ranges involved. While I haven't hunted in several years I just can't seem to part with those rifles or really any of my hunting rifles. So there is the "why".

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Ron

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Not a real big ruger fan, and really not a 10/22 fan but I would love to find one of the over grown 10/22's in 44.....memory fades, but deer stalker or deer hunter something like that on the early one before someone (Ithaca?) went after them for the name being already used....would love to find an early one so marked.....just a cool item.

Read somewhere they are hard on themselves....as an actual owner for a while....any insight into that claim....I read it is a little like the buffer in a 60, just a wear item that needs to go.....then I read it will just pound itself to death on hotter loads (normal mag loads not soft special type loads).

All ears.

If Ruger made a semi-auto pistol and carbine in 38SUPER...

I have 2 PCC's. The first is my Marlin 1894c in .357mag, I bought it specifically to hunt deer as Ohio has restrictions on only allowing straight walled cartridges. I apologize to those that might consider this NSFW, it's the only picture I could find.



The second is a High Point in 9mm, I just bought it for a fun range gun. What I really wanted was a CZ Scorpion, but I couldn't justify the price so I went with the $200 option instead. I just upgraded it to the High Tower bullpup kit this week and it does not disappoint!



Honorable mention to my M1 Carbine. I don't consider it a PCC (and neither does my gun range) but some people do. I've wanted one for years for no reason other than I think think they're cool little guns. As luck would have it I married a woman who's father had one, and when I tried to buy it off him he decided to give it to me instead. I think it's going to see plenty of use though, my daughter is ready to step up from .22's and claims AR's kick (I think it's just the noise she doesn't like). This mild, light gun seems like the perfect next step for her. She's shot my 1894 loaded with .38's, but I can tell the lever action just doesn't sing to her the way semi's do.

fpgt72 said:

Not a real big ruger fan, and really not a 10/22 fan but I would love to find one of the over grown 10/22's in 44.....memory fades, but deer stalker or deer hunter something like that on the early one before someone (Ithaca?) went after them for the name being already used....would love to find an early one so marked.....just a cool item.

Read somewhere they are hard on themselves....as an actual owner for a while....any insight into that claim....I read it is a little like the buffer in a 60, just a wear item that needs to go.....then I read it will just pound itself to death on hotter loads (normal mag loads not soft special type loads).

All ears.

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Pretty much it. Ruger released the rifler in 1961 as the Deerstalker but Ithaca Gun had the moniker so by 1962 the name was changed to simply Model 44. The originals are hard to find and command a premium. The last Model 44 I saw was in the $600 range. The rifles function best with 44 magnum full loads and I never used heavier than a 240 grain bullet. Yes, with the recoil and considering the gun is actually gas operated you would think they hammer themselves pretty good but actually I never had a problem with one. I like them for their size and weight. Just a nice quick handling little gun and actually the Ruger 10/22 came along after the Model 44 but only by a few years.

Ron

I enjoy my Marlin 1894 (in 44 Magnum) range toy immensely. Loaded with 200 grain LRN & 8 grains of Win 231 it is deadly accurate at 50 yards & very acceptable at 100 yards. It has very light recoil & it doubles quite well as a HD weapon. At the range after I finish with my pistol(s) & my 22 LR rifle I always give the little Marlin a go.