Marlin Camp 9 vs. Ruger PC Carbine

[YankeeIronSights]

With the new Ruger PC carbine entering the market, I am considering trading my Marlin Camp 9 to get one of these Glock compatible carbines.

I would like to hear from anyone who has range tested both models to confirm which one is more accurate.

Do you think this is a good trade?


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[makarov]

Unless you are hard up for cash, keep the Marlin and buy the Ruger as well. The Marlin and Ruger are probably about the same in the accuracy department. These guns are more plinkers than target rifles. The Marlin Camp 9 isn't made anymore and is worth keeping. Give the Ruger a few months and the price will come down as well. This thread will probably get moved to the semi auto forum.

[Onward Allusion]

They ain't making the Camp 9 any longer. It's a mediocre rifle, (I know - I had one) but people pay decent money for 'em. Keep the Camp 9.

[dos0711]

The new Ruger PC Carbine is accurate to the point of boring...which is a good thing lol. Keep the Marlin too if you can. Even if they brought it back, it wouldn't be a JM Marlin. Those will never be again.

[Big Shrek]

Camp 9's a great party favor, a BBQ rifle the whole neighborhood can love
Plus, it's not an "Evil Black Rifle"!

Altho one can put a variety of modern-type stocks on 'em...
and use the 33-rd mags...

Still, in it's original configuration, it's a handy tool for a variety of uses.
And the prices folks are paying for them are rising by the year...

So don't trade it off, you'll end up loosing money on the deal.
Gun Bay it if you must sell it...watch the auction go nuts.

And first gen of anything Ruger semi-auto tends to have issues.
Recall Recall Recall. Mark IV recall, LCP recall, 22/45 recall...etc...
Or, it could be about as accurate as a 1st Gen Mini-14

In fact, that's kinda been happening to all the big manufacturers, they
use the first Gen to work out the bugs...Remington R51, anyone?
Caveat Emptor are the words of the day.

[9x19]

Life's too short to own a gun you don't really like.

[rock185]

I don't know if I'll buy one of the new Ruger carbines, but I wouldn't trade in a Camp carbine in any case. I'd go to the trouble of listing it on GunBroker, or similar site. You might net enough to about buy a new Ruger carbine.

I've owned several Camp Carbines since they were introduced. Fun, reliable little guns that have been accurate little plinkers out to a hundred yards or so for me. The Ruger would fill the same role for me. I may buy one, but if so, I'll keep the Camp Carbine too......ymmv

With the incredible popularity of Glocks, I do think the option to use Glock magazines is a big
+ for the Ruger.

PS, I have always been aware of, and enjoyed the fact, that the little Ruger carbines just look like .22 rim-fires, and not anything like EBRs. In fact, my Camp 9 is not black at all

[Geezerbiker]

The Ruger has to be better than the Marlin...

Tony

[drobs]

I expect we will see wood stocks for the Ruger in the next year or 2.

[turtlehead]

I'd tend to keep the Marlin because of the novelty of it. But if I didn't like it I wouldn't hesitate to trade it.

[SamNavy]

I like the Ruger a lot. Wondering how quickly the aftermarket will respond with a stock that accepts a standard AR grip and buffer tube. Also wondering when Ruger will release a pistol version like with the Charger... makes it way easier to attach the aforementioned aftermarket stock and put a pistol brace on it. Poor-mans MP-5?

[SIGSHR]

The Camp Carbine was discontinued in 1999 and is starting to acquire collector's status.
It takes the S&W M659 magazines. They don't fit flush with the magazine housing, but NBD.
The Marlin has a steel receiver if that's a consideration.

[Mobuck]

I have both but myself and the other users in my family like the Ruger better.
IMHO, the only reason for either is ammo and magazine compatibility with your primary handgun.
That said, it doesn't take long for an inexperienced shooter to learn to fire either due to the low recoil and fairly simple controls.
This brings up another dislike of the Marlin--safety location. My left handed Daughter refuses to shoot the Marlin even though the safety is lefty friendly. Says she can't get used to having to put her finger so close to the trigger to release the safety. I don't see it as a problem but different folks have different perspectives.

[fourbore]

I dont have either one, but; if I had a choice, I would pay the 200 or 300 extra the Marlin is bringing and get the Camp 9. The old Micro groove accuracy vs current Ruger quality. Easy decision.

[dos0711]

I have both rifles and I can say that the Ruger is every bit as accurate as the Marlin where the Ruger trumps the Marlin is in the magazine department being that you can use Glock magazines

[Model12Win]

If the Marlin was better, it would still be in production.

[fourbore]

The Marlin was discontinued before the black rambo stuff caught fire. If reintroduced and tactical dressed (even with Remington quality) I think it would sell.

Not to disqualify myself from the recent rambo fever, I am seriously thin king about a sub2000. And NOT to say that is better than either, just my preference in that space.

[Mobuck]

Talking about a 9x19 carbine and pinpoint accuracy in the same sentence seems odd. Both Ruger and Marlin are adequately accurate with any ammo I've tried. Getting 6-8" groups at 100 yards is "good enough" when dealing with open sights and 1' of drop.

[9x19]

The Marlin's biggest weakness was the plastic they used for the trigger housing. It was not very resistant to cleaning solvents. Gun Scrubber would melt it.

If it were to be reintroduced, that would be the first change needed. I never had a moment's trouble from my Marlins or Rugers but have since moved on to the AR platform. It meets my wants/needs better than any other PCC I've owned, including the KelTec, Beretta and Just Right Carbine.

Nice to have options, though.

[YankeeIronSights]

Thanks for your feedback. After reading your suggestions, I decided to keep my Marlin Camp 9. Yesterday, I bought a Ruger PC carbine. I plan to post the range report soon.


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[Big Shrek]

Originally Posted by Model12Win

If the Marlin was better, it would still be in production.

Not quite.
Bill Clinton's AWB of 1994 killed the Camp series, & a lot of other guns that held over 10-rds per mag as well.
When it sunsetted in 2004, the WORLD opened up to shooters again.

The BEST thing about the AWB is that an enterprising fellow could buy TONS of grandfathered
high capacity pistols & rifles cheaply, store 'em underground, and wait for the ban to subside.
The AWB made new rifles, pistols, and shotguns that held over 10 rds illegal.
The used ones were grandfathered, but few wanted to have the extra heat that committing
a crime with a hi-cap brought with it...whether grandfathered or not.
Judges were handing out longer sentences for crimes committed with Hi Caps...even though
there wasn't anything in the AWB Law that warranted it, & that was something the crooks did pay attention to...

Some folks made a BUNDLE on selling previously banned firearms after the ban expired...
And then all the major MFR's went back to making hicaps, and we're where we are now.


Unfortunately Someone Else is in control of Marlin right now, and only about half
of their biz decisions have been sound. They need a crazed genius to revamp the best of Marlin's past.

The Camp 9, 45, & 922M should be redone to modern furniture and reissued,
but instead of just utilizing S&W mags, they should do what Keltec did and
use S&W, SIG, AND Glock mags. The 922M should use Keltec 30-rd mags.

A modern Slide action, along with a cowboy-style slide action, needs to be in the lineup.
Multiple calibers...rimfire and centerfire.

And that's just the warm-up

[fourbore]

Originally Posted by Mobuck
Talking about a 9x19 carbine and pinpoint accuracy in the same sentence seems odd. Both Ruger and Marlin are adequately accurate with any ammo I've tried. Getting 6-8" groups at 100 yards is "good enough" when dealing with open sights and 1' of drop.

I appreciate this post. I been perusing you tube and re-read several threads on sub2000 and ruger pc 9. Not a single sheet of paper at 50 yards with the gun fired from rest.

Now the OP is promising a range report. I hope for more than a functional test. Well, be that as it may, good input from Mobuck.

My previous comment on micro groove, on hold, pending more input.

[gc70]

Originally Posted by fourbore

I been perusing you tube and re-read several threads on sub2000 and ruger pc 9. Not a single sheet of paper at 50 yards with the gun fired from rest.

From a Gunblast review of the Ruger carbine:

While the mechanical sights on this PC Carbine work very well, for accuracy testing, I mounted a Leupold Mark 6 target scope, to evaluate the accuracy potential of the rifle. The PC Carbine has a section of Picatinny rail integral with the top of the receiver, so mounting the Leupold was quick and easy. I fired five-shot groups at fifty yards for accuracy, and the PC Carbine shot much better than expected. Every group fired, with every type of ammo tested, grouped five shots into less than one inch, every time.

The targets are shown beginning at 2:00 and 9:40 in the review's video.

[fourbore]

Damn, an inch at 50 yards is good. I did not search enough. Well, that and I split my efforts among several rifles. I am going rethink the sub2000.

Or maybe get the sub and figure on the Ruger after they had a year to debug the design. Did some one say get both? Or was that another thread?

I am going to go read that review right now.

Thanks

[Model12Win]

I like the idea of a .45 carbine that takes M1911A1 magazines. But I know many don't.