2019 Rifle of The Year: Ruger PC Carbine

At the end of every year, Shooting Illustrated staff gathers to consider firearms released in the past year and determine which one is worthy of the title, "Rifle of the Year." To qualify for the award, the rifle or carbine in question must be available to the public, must have been tested and either met or exceeded our testing-and-evaluation protocols and offer a unique value to the American shooting public, whether by innovation, affordability or other stand-out qualifications. For 2019, SI staff chose the Ruger PC Carbine as its Golden Bullseye Rifle of the Year.

Part of the popularity behind the Ruger PC Carbine stems from the overall popularity of the pistol-caliber carbine market. In recent years, firearm enthusiasts have enjoyed the benefits of PCCs, largely due to the ease and affordability with which these platforms can be shot. Ruger enhanced these elements with the launch of its PC Carbine, which is priced affordably and offers a reliable and versatile semi-automatic operating system that can be fed by either Glock or Ruger SR-series pistol magazines.

In his June 2018 Gun Locker review of the Ruger PC Carbine, SI contributor Kevin Creighton noted that the gun is "Easy to shoot, easy to carry and built so it’s easy to run, the Ruger PC Carbine is a great value in a semi-automatic long gun for competition, home defense or personal protection away from the home. Further-more, with an MSRP of $649, it’s also easy on your wallet."

Other unique features of the Ruger PC Carbine include the twist-apart takedown mechanism that allows owners to separate the barrel from the receiver, making for an easily stored and transported package. The gun also ships with a threaded barrel for muzzle devices and sound suppressors, length-of-pull spacers to customize stock fit, adjustable iron sights and a milled-in Picatinny rail atop the receiver for mounting optics.