Ruger LC Carbine 10mm Review

The Ruger LC carbine in 10 millimeter. Let’s check it out. 

 

The LC carbine is just a lightweight, very handy little carbine.

Came out in 5.7 by 28 first. Then they introduced the 45 ACP and now the 10 millimeter. A very compact, light little firearm.

And I mean it folds up, makes it a really compact package. 16 and a quarter inch barrel. Blowback action, it’s smooth shooting, really nice trigger.

There’s some really cool things about this small little pistol caliber carbine. They haven’t come out with a nine millimeter, which I’m sure that that will be coming. But takes the Glock mags, all aluminum construction, so it’s really built tough.

And Ruger has been coming out with a number of really unique designs and that’s definitely showing with the LC carbine. And we want to give a big thank you to Ruger for sending the LC carbine in 10 millimeter for this review. All right guys, the LC carbine in 10 millimeter.

What an awesome caliber and to me it just gives you a lot of power. Now this is again the LC carbine, the original PC carbine in nine millimeter. Look more like a traditional type carbine rifle.

It has a polymer stock and of course there’s a lot of upgrades you can make with that. It uses your Glock mags or you can go with the Ruger nine millimeter SR9 mags. A lot of capability.

You can switch out the mag well to suit whatever you’re looking for. With the LC carbine in 45, they came out with the Glock mags. And again, it goes right into the pistol grip.

Now we have the 10 millimeter. Now one of the things they use are the SGW mags. They come with the carbine and the original had a 13 rounder.

This is actually a 28 rounder. I’ll tell you the SGW mags for aftermarket mags, they have worked really well. There’s a number of companies that use these and I’ve been very impressed with them.

They’re a little rougher than some mags, but they definitely give you good reliability. And that’s really the big thing. Now let’s go ahead and make sure the gun’s unloaded.

We have a side charging handle. We’re going to bring back and look and we are empty. Now we’re going to look at this a little bit more in depth in a minute, but this is a heavy mass bolt and it’s actually in two pieces.

And it really makes this a fairly soft shooting blowback firearm, which a lot of times blowback can give you a little bit of extra bump on your shoulder, just the way their recoil system is set up. But it seems like most of the recoil is kind of centered in this middle area and it does add some weight to it. And we’ll look at that.

Now you can use your standard Glock mags, which this is a 10 millimeter 15 rounder. It fits just perfectly. I mean, it just flush fit, makes it nice to be able to carry.

But if you want one of the 10 rounders for the smaller model 29, they do not work. They’re just not long enough. And that’s because the grip is just going to be too short if it did accept this, even with this base pad.

So really, if you’re going to want something a little handier, the 15 rounder works perfectly well. But if you want to have that more capability, you can go with the SGW mags or Glock mags for that matter. Again, this comes in the 5.7 by 28, which is a really fast, small projectile.

And these are again, are NATO approved. They’re great self-defense, really an intermediate cartridge for a carbine or a rifle, but perfect for really the LC carbine. And then we had the 45 that came out in 45 ACP.

So you have your Tommy gun or just that 45 punch to it. And then the new 10 millimeter. This has a lot of ballistic superiority, more like a .357 Magnum.

So you’re going to get a little extra punch, but you have a heavier bullet with the 45. And then again, with the 5.7 screaming out of the end of the barrel. And yet it’s a very small projectile.

It surprised me a little bit that they don’t have it in nine millimeter. We may be seeing that. One thing about the LC carbine, it has a very unique look to it.

Now it is a aluminum receiver. It’s very well machined. And then we have an M-LOK hand guard coming at the top.

So you had this Picatinny rail all the way down. It gives you a lot of real estate. And so we’re just going to kind of take this from the back front.

And we’re going to talk about some of the details. Ruger’s come out with some innovative ideas over the past few years that really kind of changed the game for Ruger. And they’ve been known for their revolvers, their single action, their double action revolvers, and of course the SR9 and all the other different type handguns that they produce.

But most of those are very traditional. This kind of steps out of that. Now we want to start out with the folding stock.

First off is we have a button right here. We can press it and the stock just comes around. It folds next to the receiver and it has a little detent that holds it into place.

It doesn’t shake loose, but it’s real easy to deploy. This is a collapsible stock. So we have our levers right here and we can just bring this out.

And so it gives us that a little bit length of pull. And then we have a rubberized butt pad with QD ports. Now we also have a cheek piece.

And this cheek piece is a little different. We just kind of push this up and then we can pull this out. Now this will actually come off.

I don’t know why you would want to remove it, but it definitely gives you a very comfortable feel right here on your cheek. It does not raise up though, but it really lines up to get a good sight picture with not only your sights, but also a small red dot. And we were using one of the primary arms, SLX, one of their small little red dots.

I really like their red dots. And for the money, they’re just hard to beat, but they’re great little dots. They show up very well.

And they have the ACSS reticle and they have a small diopter to get that focus right. So I really like their sights. Now we have a polymer pistol grip and actually the polymer comes all the way to the back here.

And this is one solid piece. And when we break it down, you can actually remove this. Really nice texturing on the grip.

And of course it’s Ruger texturing. The magazine well has been flared. And so we have just a bit of a beveling here and it actually allows you to kind of fit your hand very well to the grip when you’re holding onto it.

Now it has more of that straight angle, so it doesn’t have any kind of curves or humps and it gives you more of a natural feel to it. Now we have a safety right here and it’s more like the 1911 style and it is ambidextrous. So great for lefties or for shooting.

Also we have our bolt release here. We also have a bolt release right here. A little bit different configuration, but as we lock it back, it goes forward.

Now you can’t lock the bolt back though with this button. The bolt stop is right here and a bolt release. Mag release, easy to get to.

And with this, it’s not ambidextrous, but you can switch it to the other side. The one thing about switching it to the other side is you have to make sure that you have magazines that have the two cutouts. Just like this smaller mag, it has gen four and above, and that’s what allows you to switch your mag out.

This is a gen three mag, so these will not work if you’re going to switch your mag release, but they will work in the current configuration. And one thing I just wanted to point out was we have our extractor here and it has these steps to where it gives you a little bit of texturing. I’m not really sure what that’s about, but it’s on the 45 as well.

And we do have relief cuts here on this side, but not on the other side. Now we have a 16 and a quarter inch barrel. It is black nitrided.

We have a thread protector right here, and this way we can put on muzzle brakes, flash hiders, and obviously suppressors. And I really like this silicone ring. It just helps retain the thread protector.

But this just gives you a lot of capability. Now, one thing about 10 millimeters, it’s supersonic. And so while the suppressor is going to be great to have on there, it’s not really going to be super effective like it would be on a 45 or some other subsonic ammunition.

Of course, with the forend being M-LOK, just gives you a lot of capability. And then we have the monolithic Picatinny rail all the way down. And the receiver has been CNC machined out of one piece of aluminum bar stock and also the M-LOK hand guard.

So it gives it a very crisp, clean look to it. When it comes to the trigger, it is a blade safety, which has become very common. And of course, you need to have that full pad before you can disengage it.

If not, it keeps it safe in case of inadvertent angled hit to the trigger. Here we have a nice take up right about to here. We hit a wall.

A little bit of stacking, but not much in a nice crisp break. I think I like this trigger better than the 45 that we did. Reset right there.

And man, it comes right to the back of the receiver. So there’s no over-travel. Now we’re going to check the trigger pull weight with our Lyman trigger gauge from Brownells.

Five pounds, 6.7 ounces. Five pounds, 4.5 ounces. Now with the stock fully extended, we’re at 30 and a half inches.

If we bring it in, we’re at 28 inches. And then if we collapse the stock, we’re at 22 and a half inches. A very compact little package.

And this is great for camping. It’s great as a car gun. It’s great just to stow away.

It makes it really a small, nice package. And with that magazine in the pistol grip, it’s just one solid piece that comes down. That just looks cool.

And weight on the LC carbine and 10 millimeter is seven pounds and four ounces. Well guys, here we have the 10 millimeter and then we have the 45 right below it. And honestly, they are almost identical except for the barrel diameter and the bolt system.

But really side by side, you can’t even tell the difference. But one of the big ways to tell is right here on the side of the bolt. It says 10 millimeter auto, of course, 45 auto on the 45.

And at the end of the barrel, it does have 45 auto and 10 millimeter to identify the end of this barrel. Guys, really the power comes with the 10 millimeter, but if you want to use a suppressor, I think the 45 ACP is going to be a little better option. It also comes with an M-LOK QD port.

So we can attach this, attach it to our stock and we can attach a sling. Also, they include a sight adjustment tool for your front sight. And guys, we have just revamped our website at suitsgear.com. There’s a lot of different suit swag over there, patches, t-shirts, but there’s also a lot of my favorite products are there.

We also have the suits deals where we find all kinds of deals and offer those to you guys at some of the best prices. Another thing that we do is a lot of the videos that were taken down by YouTube, which we call our contraband or ban videos and all that’s over on suitsgear.com. So check it out. Big thank you to Fiocchi for sponsoring our ammo, all made in the USA.

One of the biggest suppliers of ammunition in the country. Also Lula loaders. We love Lula loaders.

Mag Lula is just awesome. One thing we’re doing, we’re using some standard Glock mags. These are the model 20 mags.

And also we have some SGM mags, which come with the gun. The SGM mags work really well. We’ve had a lot of experience with it.

So we’re going to try both. Well guys, the Ruger LC carbine, it’s been a big hit. Nine millimeter and then 45, now 10 millimeter.

This gives you the power and I love it. I mean, this thing is just decked out. And then of course you can just fold that stock around, makes it really nice and compact.

Grip houses the magazine. It comes with one of the SGW magazines and gives you a lot of capacity, but you can use your standard Glock model 20 mags. We’ve got our flip up sights, which gives you that backup sight, but we’re using one of the primary arms, SLX little red dots, which are great.

Side charging handle. And it’s just a smooth shooting gun and 10 millimeter just gives you a little extra power. I mean, honestly guys, I mean, it does give you a little punch, but very suitable.

Threaded barrel. We’re going to try out a suppressor on here as well, but even this little grip underneath, if you want to put something up under there, a little hand stop, you can do it. But I’ve really been impressed with Ruger over the past couple of years.

They brought out some really innovative type firearms and the LC carbine is definitely one of them. And then 10 millimeter, I mean, again, you’ve got the power. It just tracks right on target.

It just goes for it, man. This is just a great little gun. Again, I’m a big fan of the 9. I was a fan of the 45.

Now I think my pick is the 10. Now for disassembly, we’re going to drop our magazine. Check to make sure the gun is empty, and it is.

I’ll take a block, and right here is our pin. Just push the pin through. It is retained on the other side.

Next, take the grip and just pull it back. And then you can lift out from the back, and then it comes out the front. Next, bring back your bolt and then just reach in and pull out the back part of your bolt.

And then you just release the charging handle. And this is the first part. This is a two-piece heavy mass bolt system.

Next, take a screwdriver and get behind your buffer and push it in and compress the spring, and then just lift it up. And then just pull that right out. Next, bring your bolt all the way back, and we want it to hit the back of the receiver, and then we can pull it out.

And so there are keys, and you can see they’re lined up, and this locks this into place in the receiver. Well, here, guys, are the two-piece bolt. And again, this is heavy mass.

It’s been black nitrided. And you can see that this U-shape, you actually lock the other one inside. I think if they had just one piece, this would be very difficult to disassemble.

So it makes it a lot easier, and it’s a solid lockup. Here we have our firing pin, and then, of course, we have our bolt face right here. We’re not going to remove anything because it’s just this one solid piece.

And here you can see where the recoil guide rod goes into, and this is just adding that weight. Now, here is the fire control group. This is what’s considered the firearm, and we have our internal hammer here, and of course, really, striker fire components that are around it, but this is hammer fired.

But this is considered the firearm. We have a QD port here at the back of the frame. The buffer is going to give you a little cushioning when this spring comes back, but just a good solid steel spring.

And then with the barrel, it’s been black nitrided, and it’s an alloy steel. You can see that the feed ramp actually is at the top, which is very unusual. But as the rounds come up, they rest against that top, and it just allows them to guide into the chamber.

And then you have your bolt system that runs the top of the receiver. So it actually runs over the barrel, which is a very unique design, but it will encapsulate the barrel once you put the bolt back in. But most of the mass is above the barrel.

And guys, just for kicks, we’re going to weigh the bolt. The bolt is 36.38 ounces. And guys, that’s all you need to do to field strip.

To be honest, it’s pretty simple. So first thing we’re going to do is to take the front part of our bolt, and we’re going to look for that U-shape, and it goes toward the back of the receiver. So go ahead and just drop it into place.

And as you move it through, you’ll notice that it does contain the barrel, but most of the weight again is at the top. Then we’re going to take our recoil spring again, and there’s a track that runs right here, and that recoil spring and guide rod run right into it. Then just push it up, and then we can just pop that buffer back down.

So as we bring back our bolt, we’re going to lay the second part of the bolt in that U-notch. It just locks down, and it fits in there, and then slowly release your bolt. Now with a pistol grip, you’ll notice these little wings on either side.

These are steel, and they’re going to go into these slots. So you want to go ahead and line that up with the upper half of the receiver, and it just kind of fits down into it, making sure that back is also set. And then we can just move forward and lock this into place.

Next, we can go ahead and just push our pin in, reenter our magazine, test for function, and we’re back in business. Now keeping your firearms maintained and cleaned is vital. Otis makes some of the best cleaning equipment out there.

They make a number of different kits that are dedicated for different rifles, pistols. They also have Shooter’s Choice, which makes excellent CLP and bore solvent and different cleaning materials. The Ripcord is one of their signatures, and there’s a whole system based around it.

They are suppliers to the US military. And so here we have our tactical kit. It’s a very compact little pouch, and you have everything you need to keep your firearm cleaned in the field.

But then also they have larger kits with the steel rods and with Ripcords, and they make a number, in fact, probably the most I’ve ever seen. And then of course they have tools as well. So check out Otis Technologies, highly recommended, and we want to thank Otis for being a sponsor of the channel.

Now the Ruger LC carbine, 10 millimeter, retail price is $1,049. Of course, go to your local gun shop. Market price is typically less.

So what are some pros and cons? First off, we have 10 millimeter. That is a huge pro in itself. And we’re getting the extended magazines, and you can use your standard Glock magazines.

So this gives you just a lot of capability, especially if you’re running any kind of Glock handgun. But even if you’re not, the Glock mags are very reasonable. And with SGM, these are very reasonable and yet very reliable magazines.

And honestly, Ruger would not have chosen SGM if they weren’t. The fit and finish is absolutely beautiful. And again, 10 millimeter, I mean, that’s giving you a lot of power.

Now with that, with the 5.7 by 28 and the 45, we’ve had a good track record. And so this has been a proven design. Both of the 5.7 and the 45 were just uber reliable.

And so is the 10 millimeter. It’s a very compact package. Of course, you can bring this around.

You can change this out if you want. But then again, you have a very short, compact little firearm. The stock is very well done.

And of course it is adjustable out. And of course your cheek piece, you can adjust this. Grip’s very nicely textured.

The fit and finish again is just top notch. I mean, the anodized finish on here is just beautiful. And you have the M-lock with the rapid deployment sights.

And I like the way it clicks down. You can change out your charging handle and it really has complete ambidextrous features. Even though the mag release, you’re going to have to switch it, but it does give you, again, great for left-handed shooters, even if you’re shooting at weak side.

Threaded barrel, great for suppressors, but also if you want to attach a muzzle device. And of course it gives you a lot of real estate on the top to be able to really mount whatever optics, lasers, whatever you want to. You do get some accessories and of course your M-lock QD mount.

And that way you can attach it to the stock in here and it gives you sling options. And you have your sight tool. So a lot of pros.

What are the cons? First off, it retails for over a thousand dollars. So you have to decide, is that something that you want to spend? The one thing I will say is you pay for what you get. And with this kind of technology and just the really compact size, N10 millimeter, 45 ACP, 5.7 by 28, gives us a lot of options that way.

If you want to go with something cheaper, the PC carbine, those run about 750. So that gives you a much cheaper option. But if you want the better calibers and that heavy mass bolt system, again, it does ride over the barrel.

It gives you a totally different feel to it. But it’s still coming in at seven pounds and four ounces. So it’s fairly heavy and yet it’s very compact.

Safety features abound all through this thing. If that is a concern, that is really going to give you a lot of peace of mind. But overall, it’s very accurate.

I mean, we’ve proven that with the 10, the 45, and the 5.7. I mean, it’s just a tac driver. And while it doesn’t go into that pistol type PDW firearm, this is a full rifle with a collapsible stock that makes this a very small package. So overall, it’s just great to see Ruger bringing out some really innovative firearms in some great calibers.

Well, guys, the Ruger LC carbine’s been a huge success. And now they’ve got it in 10 millimeter. You had that ballistic power that just kind of bumps it up to make an excellent hunting option, but also for self-defense.

And of course, with that really compact size, you can fold that around. A lot of different features that are on here that you can add. Lights, lasers, optics, suppressor on the threaded barrel.

Of course, last but not least, it does take those Glock mags, which makes this kind of universal. And again, a big thank you to Ruger for sending the LC carbine in 10 millimeter for this review.

 

Be strong, be of good courage. God bless America. Long live the Republic.

 

-Don