Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Semi automatic and single shot handguns, revolvers and other pistols

Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by Tubs » 03 Jun 2020, 9:50 pm

Is there a club competition that caters for this probably controversial beastie https://ruger.com/products/pcCharger/sp ... 29101.html . My club doesn't permit red dots outside of IPSC so am not sure of it's use case.

Looks like it would be frustrating to use without a stock, however would use of a stock elevate into in the broad definition of a rifle despite its pistol like barrel length and also make it irrelevant in pistol comps?
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by No1Mk3 » 03 Jun 2020, 10:21 pm

G'day Tubs,
Join a club shooting IHMSC, metallic is about the only (practical) use for this style of firearm in Oz, and even then Creedmoor is about the only position it would be comfortable in. After you have the genuine need, then you can take it to the range for practice and giggles! Cheers.
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by Tubs » 04 Jun 2020, 4:05 pm

Thanks mate, any idea which clubs in Sydney do metallic?
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by Bugman » 04 Jun 2020, 4:48 pm

I think the Sydney International Shooting Centre now caters for Metalic Silhouete. Bowral pistol club also has this match on it's books, I believe.
I know of one other that does it but access is very restrictive.
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by Sarco » 04 Jun 2020, 9:48 pm

I would suggest that if you want to shoot Field Pistol MS (the only match you could use it in) your better served spending the $1.9K on something better suited to the match. Eg a Thompson Contender with a 10-3/4 in barrel in 38SPL or 357Mag and get a decent set of silhouette sights for it.

Then you can also get alternate barrels (if allowed under NSW law) in just about any calibre you choose.
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by JSS » 04 Jun 2020, 10:18 pm

They're a gun that a lot of clubs that are run by fudds dislike, so getting a club to give you a letter for one is the thing that makes them a bit tricky to get. The fudds don't like them because people put chassis on the 22 versions and made them look tacticool. Before that was happening they were widely accepted at most clubs.
Now the new 9mm PC version is on it's way here and is causing a stir before it's even arrived.
Border control has approved them so they are allowed in the country and perfectly legal just like the 22 versions are, we will have to wait and see what each state does but i can say that Qld are allowing them because i have an approved pta for one in my hot little hand and am now just waiting for the gun to arrive on our shores.
Tubs if you really want one you'll have to track down a Ruger Charger friendly club to sign off on it, and like others have said silhouette is the comp to say you want to shoot with it.
IMO the fact that the fudds hate them so much is all the more reason to get one.
Goodluck with it.
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by brett1868 » 04 Jun 2020, 11:43 pm

What club are you a member of in Sydney? Ask the secretary if it's a pistol you can use. St Mary's have a sort of Metallic Silhouette competition you can use the PC9 in without any grief at all. I've got 2 on order so hopefully we get them in NSW :)
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by AussieCapitalist » 05 Jun 2020, 6:49 am

You guys remember the WT15 by wedge tail? Its a self loading 223 or 300BLK and classed as a handgun by QLD law due to its length. The jacks hated it and wanted to ban them but the owners that bought them won their court case and got to keep them.I think Wedge tail stopped making them though.

https://shootersdelight.com.au/product/ ... t-10-shot/
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by Tubs » 06 Jun 2020, 11:43 pm

brett1868 wrote:What club are you a member of in Sydney? Ask the secretary if it's a pistol you can use. St Mary's have a sort of Metallic Silhouette competition you can use the PC9 in without any grief at all. I've got 2 on order so hopefully we get them in NSW :)


We are in the Hills. We don't do Silhouette and have no plans to so would probably need to hold a dual club membership with St Mary's SSAA if I was that keen.

To me it is more of a novelty but looks like fun- I am 99.9% confident that some tree hugger left wingnut or social justice warrior will be all over this eventually for obvious reasons though. Will wait until indoor clubs re-open before investigating further.

Cheerios
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by Blr243 » 07 Jun 2020, 6:48 am

Nine mm works in something like a cz for comps. And it might work in an uzi if u are a jamacain gangster , but in the above mentioned form it looks pretty useless Too long to practically function as a handgun and too short to be used as a rifle. I would avoid it
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by CAVEMAN » 07 Jun 2020, 8:41 am

You got to look at the charger and similar coming out of america as what they are, they're firearms for legal loopholes that exist over there.

Like AR pistols, the new charger or countless others. Their marketed at people of a way to get a SBR without having the hassle and price of a real SBR. They put a pistol brace on it and its still a pistol, but in reality its just a SBR.

I think we as consumers here fall for them because similarly we can do some things in some locations that emulate a SBR. But honestly there not what we identify as a "pistol" but they do manage to jump through the hoops and make it in.
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by AussieCapitalist » 07 Jun 2020, 1:09 pm

Whats QLD law, 100mm for a revolver and 120mm for self loading?
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by linkoln » 13 Jun 2020, 8:07 pm

Unfortunately it all comes back to that brilliant inclusion of appearance laws in the NFA. If it looks militaristic then it must be a military firearm. I've seen people say in interviews that the lever action adler is a "weapon of war"
If something fits the description of a pistol then that pistol should be allowed to be used in any competition it's calibre and configuration allow it.
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline

Post by Blr243 » 13 Jun 2020, 8:27 pm

The weapon of war statement from an anti in relation to an Adler lever action is a joke ,,,,If I ever have to go to war I hope our government chooses not to equip me with a clunky jamming 50 m gun with 5 shells in the mag
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by yoshie » 15 Jun 2020, 1:50 pm

If it had iron sights it could be used in centerfire match. Its no different to Walther GSP or Hammerli 280 in size.
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by johnboy357 » 20 Aug 2020, 8:42 pm

Yoshie - when did you last see a Walther GSP or Hammerli 280 that was 16.5 inches long and weighed 5.2 lbs?

Just received an email from Horsley Park Gun shop to say that the NSW Firearms Registry has canned them in that state and I would expect other states to follow suit shortly. As far as Metallic Silhouette goes the only matches they can be used in [if you follow the match rules ] would be the 200m matches under the IHMSA rules. You would have to get a set of open sights fitted for unlimited. Fit a scope and you could shoot Unlimited any sight or Unlimited standing but I have yet to see any 9mm that can take out a ram at 200m. At 5.2 lbs they are overweight for both the field pistol[100m ] matches.
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by jon_fox » 10 Oct 2020, 10:18 pm

Has anybody in Vic that has one?

I have ordered on from Clever Firearms, But my PTA got send back to me ...it need to provided a require a genuine need to purchase?

My genuine reason would be competing IHMSC for Field pistol metallic silhouette, and centrefire class 3 open division in IPSC ?
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by Macross » 12 Oct 2020, 7:43 am

I shot one of these yesterday at our club with a brace on it. In Qld they are issuing PTA's without issues from what i am hearing. Have seen several people with them at club over the last few weeks. Great little setup with a nice red dot, brace and switched over to Glock mags. After having a play with one im tempted to grab one myself. Also talk of a few clubs setting up a specific comp for them both here in Brissy and on the gold coast.
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by rc42 » 12 Oct 2020, 8:55 am

The Ruger PC Charger would certainly be a fun range toy but seems like a poor choice for the few competitions that could justify a genuine reason for it. 200m metallic silhouette just isn't suited to 9mm and shooters with Thompson Contender pistols in calibers like 300 Whisper are going to dominate.

It's not a gun that I'd ever want, except for the short term "I want one of these" feeling that I get after trying any new gun at the range,
However, the laws in some states preventing licensed shooter from accessing it are ridiculous, concealable 9mm pistols are OK but make it bigger and suddenly it's not!

It's almost like the police have a belief that a shooter with a 'rifle' style firearm is dangerous with rapid fire as they will be able to hit their targets but a shooter with a pistol wouldn't be able to hit anything if it's more than about 5 yards away so are much less of a concern even if they can hide that pistol as they walk.
I wonder if their once a year visits to the range for practice and to destroy the target frames have influenced that sort of thinking.
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by yoshie » 12 Oct 2020, 5:42 pm

If Ruger comes out with a 44 magnum charger I'm going to be all over that like a fat kid on a cupcake
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Re: Ruger PC Charger - legal but borderline?

Post by Macross » 14 Oct 2020, 9:03 am

rc42 wrote:It's almost like the police have a belief that a shooter with a 'rifle' style firearm is dangerous with rapid fire as they will be able to hit their targets but a shooter with a pistol wouldn't be able to hit anything if it's more than about 5 yards away so are much less of a concern even if they can hide that pistol as they walk.
I wonder if their once a year visits to the range for practice and to destroy the target frames have influenced that sort of thinking.


We had a guy at a recent comp that carries for his job.... Lets just say he managed to hit the target..... of the person in the next bay over. Literally shot the other persons target. Poor old mate was having a terrible time of it and also managed to send his target spinning around after hitting the target holder as well. God help anyone standing in the vicinity if he ever has to draw his weapon at work.
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