Ruger PC Carbine, question

Doug Lee · June 19, 2023, 05:12 AM

Hello All,
My daughter has a lightly used Ruger PC Carbine in 9mm.(takedown model)
She and her boyfriend have been shooting both steel and brass cased ammo in this firearm. The complaint is, if you want to clear the firearm, the live round that is in the chamber will not be extract and eject with the manual operation of the bolt, normally they bump it out with a cleaning rod.
Under normal firing operations the firearm functions 100% and the last round hold open keeps the bolt open, as it should.
I did notice that when I insert a live single live round into the chamber, and press on it with my finger tip it will move into the chamber .020 - .030 thousands with a distinct snap/click when it seats in the chamber.
I cleaned the chamber yesterday and tried the insertion test, same results, kind of snaps into place. Then the live round can be extracted using only my fingernails.
Should a live round chamber like this one is doing?
Any thoughts to share will be appreciated!
Doug

**44 AMP** · June 19, 2023, 02:16 PM

IF a live round is not extracted by opening the action, I'd call Ruger and seek repair. I'm not familiar with that particular firearm but leaving an unfired round in the chamber when you open the bolt is NOT normal operation. Something is wrong, and Ruger needs to know about it, so they can determine exactly what, and fix it.

I would suspend use of the gun and call Ruger.

Doug Lee · June 19, 2023, 04:53 PM

Thanks 44 AMP
Understand, I should do that.
Doug
*

Sharkbite · June 19, 2023, 07:50 PM

That is a common problem with shooting steel cased ammo. They use a thin lacquer coating on the case to ease extraction, because steel does not stretch and rebound like brass. Over time this lacquer builds up and causes hard extraction.

Ive seen COUNTLESS examples of this on the range. Literally, a student cant unload their pistol. The slide just wont budge. The gun had been running just fine under the firing process, just cant manually open the gun. Always STEEL CASED ammo being used.

A good cleaning, paying extra attention to the chamber, with a GOOD solvent AND lots of elbow grease will solve the issue.

**44 AMP** · June 19, 2023, 10:15 PM

Quote:

They use a thin lacquer coating on the case to ease extraction, because steel does not stretch and rebound like brass.

I've always heard the lacquer coating on steel cased ammo it to prevent/minimize corrosion (steel RUSTS) and not to aid or ease extraction. And it is a noted fact that a lot of the steel cased ammo (and particularly nearly all the early stuff) that came to the US used a coating that would build up in the chamber and actually CAUSE extraction problems.

Another point worth noting is that while it is by no means a given, shooting steel cased ammo in some firearms has damaged extractors in SOME guns.

The OP should check the extractor hook of the Ruger in question, I'm not going to make any claims about why, as extractors do sometimes break for no known reason (and sometimes for known reasons) but if the extractor hook of that Ruger carbine is broken /damaged that often results in failure to extract unfired round. Often a broken extractor fails to extract fired cases, but some blowback guns (not all, but some) will "blow" the fired case clear of the chamber without a functional extractor. This MIGHT be what is happening with the Ruger carbine in the OP.

Might be a combination of a gunked up chamber and a damaged extractor. Ruger will be able to tell and fix whatever it is.

Doug Lee · June 20, 2023, 04:54 AM

This is what I originally noticed as noted in post #1

I did notice that when I insert a live single live round into the chamber, and press on it with my finger tip it will move into the chamber .020 - .030 thousands with a distinct snap/click when it seats in the chamber.
I cleaned the chamber yesterday and tried the insertion test, same results, kind of snaps into place. Then the live round can be extracted using only my fingernails.
Thanks . . .
Doug
*

Doug Lee · June 20, 2023, 03:26 PM

Hello All,
Cleaned the chamber, and based on some ideas, took some pictures.
1. Marked a round with a Sharpie, you can see the scratch on the bullet, no scratching on the brass case.
2. A shot of the chamber.
(barrel laying on its left side, something is in there at 3 o'clock) it didn't come out with a brass brush.
Thanks,
Doug
*

Doug Lee · June 22, 2023, 04:26 AM

Thanks for all the replies!
Doug
*

Hammerhead · June 24, 2023, 02:04 PM

Sounds like the extractor got chipped from steel case ammo.

Doug Lee · June 25, 2023, 04:05 AM

Hello All,

Soaked it and scrubbed it again, will cycle some ammo thru it later today.
Keep ya posted!

I did take a hard look at the extractor with a magnifying glass, didn't see anything unusual.

... added a statement
the brass cased ammo cycled fine

Thanks
Doug
*

smee78 · July 1, 2023, 06:04 AM

I agree with 44, definitely not normal. I would try chambering brass rounds manually feeding them from the mag and if the rounds are still not coming out by cycling the action by hand then a trip back to Ruger is likely needed. The "distinct snap/click" is worrisome to me.

Please keep us posted on what the fix is.

bamaranger · July 5, 2023, 12:28 PM

If brass cased ammo cycles fine, I'd suggest the problem is steel cased ammo...... period. I'd also suspect that Ruger may have a statement in the operators manual stating "brass cased ammo only" and if not, they will advise that if the OP ever contacts them.

Speculation on my part....sure could be wrong.

June 19, 2023, 02:16 PM	#2
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,087	IF a live round is not extracted by opening the action, I'd call Ruger and seek repair. I'm not familiar with that particular firearm but leaving an unfired round in the chamber when you open the bolt is NOT normal operation. Something is wrong, and Ruger needs to know about it, so they can determine exactly what, and fix it. I would suspend use of the gun and call Ruger. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

June 25, 2023, 04:05 AM	#10
Doug Lee Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2013 Location: S.E. Virginia Posts: 104	Follow up Ruger PC carbine Hello All, Soaked it and scrubbed it again, will cycle some ammo thru it later today. Keep ya posted! I did take a hard look at the extractor with a magnifying glass, didn't see anything unusual. ... added a statement the brass cased ammo cycled fine Thanks Doug * Last edited by Doug Lee; June 25, 2023 at 08:17 PM. Reason: additional statement

July 1, 2023, 06:04 AM	#11
smee78 Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,905	I agree with 44, definitely not normal. I would try chambering brass rounds manually feeding them from the mag and if the rounds are still not coming out by cycling the action by hand then a trip back to Ruger is likely needed. The "distinct snap/click" is worrisome to me. Please keep us posted on what the fix is. __________________ We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located, among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't got a clue where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are

July 5, 2023, 12:28 PM	#12
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,109	ammo If brass cased ammo cycles fine, I'd suggest the problem is steel cased ammo...... period. I'd also suspect that Ruger may have a statement in the operators manual stating "brass cased ammo only" and if not, they will advise that if the OP ever contacts them. Speculation on my part....sure could be wrong.

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June 19, 2023, 05:12 AM	#1
Doug Lee Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2013 Location: S.E. Virginia Posts: 104	Ruger PC Carbine, question Hello All, My daughter has a lightly used Ruger PC Carbine in 9mm.(takedown model) She and her boyfriend have been shooting both steel and brass cased ammo in this firearm. The complaint is, if you want to clear the firearm, the live round that is in the chamber will not be extract and eject with the manual operation of the bolt, normally they bump it out with a cleaning rod. Under normal firing operations the firearm functions 100% and the last round hold open keeps the bolt open, as it should. I did notice that when I insert a live single live round into the chamber, and press on it with my finger tip it will move into the chamber .020 - .030 thousands with a distinct snap/click when it seats in the chamber. I cleaned the chamber yesterday and tried the insertion test, same results, kind of snaps into place. Then the live round can be extracted using only my fingernails. Should a live round chamber like this one is doing? Any thoughts to share will be appreciated! Doug

June 19, 2023, 04:53 PM	#3
Doug Lee Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2013 Location: S.E. Virginia Posts: 104	Thanks 44 AMP Understand, I should do that. Doug *

June 19, 2023, 07:50 PM	#4
Sharkbite Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2013 Location: Western slope of Colorado Posts: 3,670	That is a common problem with shooting steel cased ammo. They use a thin lacquer coating on the case to ease extraction, because steel does not stretch and rebound like brass. Over time this lacquer builds up and causes hard extraction. Ive seen COUNTLESS examples of this on the range. Literally, a student cant unload their pistol. The slide just wont budge. The gun had been running just fine under the firing process, just cant manually open the gun. Always STEEL CASED ammo being used. A good cleaning, paying extra attention to the chamber, with a GOOD solvent AND lots of elbow grease will solve the issue.

June 20, 2023, 04:54 AM	#6
Doug Lee Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2013 Location: S.E. Virginia Posts: 104	This is what I originally noticed as noted in post #1 I did notice that when I insert a live single live round into the chamber, and press on it with my finger tip it will move into the chamber .020 - .030 thousands with a distinct snap/click when it seats in the chamber. I cleaned the chamber yesterday and tried the insertion test, same results, kind of snaps into place. Then the live round can be extracted using only my fingernails. Thanks . . . Doug *

June 22, 2023, 04:26 AM	#8
Doug Lee Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2013 Location: S.E. Virginia Posts: 104	Thanks for all the replies! Doug *

June 24, 2023, 02:04 PM	#9
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	Sounds like the extractor got chipped from steel case ammo.