PC4 vs. 1894P

D

Dave3006

New member
I can't decide which carbine to get. I have a Glock 22 handgun, a M1S90 shotgun, and an M1 Garand. I don't own a carbine and want to fill the gap. Ideally, it would be a gun I could give to my non-shooting wife or son in the event of a riot, or similar societal breakdown. I live in the Los Angeles area and still remember how unequiped I was during the Rodney King festivities.

I found a place that offers the PC4 with the modification to accept Glock magazines. The cost for the gun and modification total is $500. I have plenty of Glock .40 cal magazines. So, the PC4 would be a nice compliment. I have shot the PC9 and it is an easy gun to shoot.

On the other hand, the 1894P would also be easy to shoot with .44 specials and less expensive to purchase the gun. Any way you look at it, it would hit harder than a .40 caliber round. Also, I could use .44 magnums for short range hunting.

So my main question would be, which one could I expect a non-shooter to come up to speed on quickly without confusing them? And which would be a more effective gun? A pistol caliber carbine seems the ideal choice. A non-shooter would miss more easily with a handgun, the shotgun would confuse and have too much recoil, and the Garand is just too much gun.

Any help?

Dave
 
Dave:
Anyone who's noticed my postings on TFL knows that I'll recommend the Marlin every time.
I think my reasoning is sound. While I happen to live in rural Maine, not LA, and the lever gun is common here, I don't think I'm letting regional prejudice effect my opinion.
The Ruger is a POLICE carbine. It's got that 'black gun' aura about it, that naturally attracts anti-gun sentiment and activity when it's owned by civilians with '...no business being responsible for their own safety.' The Marlin, on the other hand, is argueably a 'hunting rifle', hallowed by usage as the quintessential protector of good guys and families, the 'meat gun' that once stood behind every door. Anti-loons would be hard pressed to make a case against the Marlin as 'the gun of choice of drug pushers and gang-bangers'. Legal ownership of your Ruger, on the other hand, may well be revoked at any time...it's so EVIL looking. So much for the PC/political aspects.
But there's a better arguement to make for the .44. You mentioned that your other family members, less skilled than you, may be the users in a hairy situation. A semi-auto with its complex firing drill is no gun to hand a tyro in a fix. The Marlin doesn't need magazines, and is easy to manipulate intuitively under stress. It can be topped up with loose rounds during long engagements without being out of battery. And it's solid wood and steel...durable enough to use as a club when the goblins come through the wall.
And of course there's the ballistic arguement. A .44 beats a .40 Short&Weak in dependable power, penetration, range and accuracy, every time.
I don't see a problem in making a choice.
 
All good points slabsides,but I`d go with the Ruger simply because Dave already has magazines for the Ruger and I`m a big fan of having some commonality of ammo between guns.Economically,.40 is cheaper then .44 and Dave could afford to buy more.
 
I'd go with the PC4 for a few reasons.

1) You already have mags, should you decide to go with the conversion.

2) If you decide not to convert it, you may obtain a 40S&W Ruger handgun some day. In that case, Mags will be interchangeable.

3) 40S&W is less expensive than 44Special.

4) You can't harm a Ruger.
 
...that 'black gun' aura about it, that naturally attracts anti-gun sentiment and activity when it's owned by civilians with '...no business being responsible for their own safety.'
Click to expand...

In L.A., even a flintlock made from tofu is not PC. And, I'm not too sold on buying guns based on the way it is perceived in the eyes of the ignorant.

For your stated needs, I think the PC4 fits the bill. 1) You will have compatible ammo on hand since you own a .40 glock. 2) Muzzle blast will not be as intimidating/deafening for your non-shooter, especially indoors (compared to a .44mag out of a 16" ported barrel).

If I had to pick one of these two guns, I would pick the 1894P for reasons of my own. But that's just me. Buy what fits your needs.
 
I have owned both but for your proposed application I would suggest the Winchester Trapper in 45LC with the Marlin as second choice. You can almost buy two lever actions for the price of one modified Ruger.
 
Go with the Marlin. I have one and love it. It's simple to use, reliable and of proven design, more flexible (i.e. hunting), with incomparably more choices in ammo - from light cowboy action .44 Specials up to 300 gr 44 Mags. For the price savings, you can buy lots of .44 ammo. And, that Glock conversion means it will accept full capacity (>10 rd) magazines, which Bill Ruger feels ordinary citizens like you have no business using or owning (whether you have 'em or not). Especially on his guns.
 
Both guns only fire pistol bullets. A pistol bullet is just a pistol bullet whether the barrel is 5" or 16".

For the same space/mass of either, you can get a M94 16" in .30-30. This is my "car gun." Not the most powerful round in the world but will punch car doors and windows in riot situation. Please note that if you live in a built up area of PRK you may NOT want the extra power (remember Rule 4!).

If neighbors are concern, have you considered 20 ga. self-loading shotgun like Remington 1100 SF? It's just a good, ole huntin' gun giving off no eeevil, baby-killing vibes of that traitor Ruger's rifle.
 
BS!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's compare as close to the same bullet weights we can.

From Winchester's website:

30-30 win - 170 grain Super X Power Point @ 2,200 fps for 1,827 ftlbs/

From my chrono data last weekend from a 16" Winchester 94AE:

.44 magnum (FROM A RIFLE ) - Master 180 grain JHP @ 2,109 fps for 1,787 ftlbs.

Not a lick of power difference there. If penetration is your game, then no 30-30 will penetrate and destroy tissue like a .429 caliber 300 grain hardcast @ 1,550 fps for 1,600 ftlbs.

If you're using it for in home defense, then the .44 hold twice as many rounds as the 30-30 (10 vs 5) and .44 specials can be used which still give very impressive power from a rifle barrel without the blast and over penetration concerns of any 30-30.

Ammo is cheaper for the .44 than the 30-30.

The .44 magnum is simply more versatile. It does more jobs, better than the 30-30.

The only advantage of the 30-30 over the 44 is that you gain about 50 yards in range (100 yards vs. 150 yards) due to the flatter trajectory. Learn to stalk better and that goes away.

Kilgor
 
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