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First Look: Ruger LC Carbine 5.7x28mm



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RUGER LC CARBINE, THE POOR MAN’S MP7?

NEW from Ruger, the LC Carbine is the next step in their line of 5.7x28mm firearms. A lightweight carbine with a 16.25” barrel but an overall length of only 28”-30” makes for an extremely compact package.

Weighing only 5.7lbs, this carbine is feature-rich, including a folding adjustable stock, rapid deployment sights, full-length 1913 Picatinny rail, M-LOK on the handguard, and a 1/2”-28 threaded barrel.

The heart of this carbine is the bolt-over-barrel 2-piece bolt design allowing for a more compact weapon while maintaining enough mass in the bolt for the fixed barrel blow back design.

Ruger LC Carbine two-piece bolt

Fire control group is identical to the Ruger 5.7 pistol and uses the same ergonomics with a 1911-style manual safety. This also means the LC Carbine shares magazines with the Ruger 5.7, giving some much-appreciated cross-compatibility. 

Iain Harrison got to give the Ruger LC Carbine a little test drive and found the trigger to be a “long mushy pull with indeterminate break point, long, indistinct reset, and all the overtravel you could ever want.”

While it might not be a precision marksman's weapon, the telescoping bolt and compact design are practically begging to be SBR’d into an even smaller format. 

Ruger will be offering the LC Carbine in 3 models to start, but they are effectively the same. The main model is full-featured and comes with one 20-round magazine, the second model has a fixed stock and a 10-round magazine, and the last model is full-featured but comes with a 10-round magazine. If you’re in a more restricted state, hopefully, one of these models will be for you.

SPECS:

  • Capacity: 20+1
  • Weight: 5.7 lb.
  • Overall Length: 28.70″ – 30.60″
  • Length of Pull: 12.50″ – 14.50″
  • Twist: 1:9″ RH
  • Barrel Length: 16.25″
  • Barrel Feature: Fluted, Black Nitride
  • Thread Pattern: 1/2″-28
  • Receiver Material: Aluminum Alloy
  • Stock: Folding, Adjustable
  • Length of Pull: 12.50″ – 14.50″
  • Sights: Adjustable Ruger Rapid Deploy
  • Receiver Finish: Type III Hard-Coat Anodized
  • Suggested Retail: $979.00

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