Woodshop Wednesday Custom PPSH Stock for Ruger PC Carbine

A ton of PCC weapons have hit the market over the past few years and that’s a good thing. I like having lots of options and competition drives companies to make cool guns at reasonable prices. One of the PCC rifles that caught my attention right away was the Ruger PC Carbine. Meanwhile, one of my favorite WWII guns is the PPSH-41, often referred to as the “Papasha”. The PPSH has since become an iconic gun of its time. I could talk all day about this legendary gun, but today is about the Ruger PC Carbine. I know it’s not a PPSH, but it sure does have something about it that says, “I want to be a PPSH.”

As soon as I saw the PC Carbine, I thought it would be fun to make it look a little more like the WWII relic. Today’s guns are mostly plastic and polymer. That’s fine, but I wanted a good wooden stock for this one. Once I picked up the PC Carbine, I started my search for a wooden stock but couldn’t find one. I checked all my go-to places and was surprised no one made a wooden stock for such a popular rifle. I finally found one company that made a stock, and it was exactly what I was looking for. Woodshop Wednesday makes a dark walnut stock for the Ruger that looks surprisingly like a PPSH stock. The result is even better than I expected with top-notch quality. Let’s look at how the Ruger and Woodshop Wednesday Custom stock pair together.

Ruger PC Carbine

It’s no secret I’m a huge AR-15 fan. I like to build, modify, and upgrade them. However, there’s something about that classic, old-school look that makes you want something more traditional. To me, the Ruger PC has that traditional look with a modern touch. You can swap out the magazine well for Glock magazines, which is another appealing feature of the Carbine. The charging handle and magazine release can be switched to either side, so it works great for left and right-handed shooters.

Ruger offers several versions of the PC Carbine to choose from (25 to be exact), so you can find one that you like. Of course, I opted for the 19115 model with an M-LOK handguard and ghost ring sight. If you want modern, they offer one with an AR-15 style adjustable stock as well. I covered the process of field stripping the PC Carbine and switching out the mag well in another article. If you haven’t done this before, it’s not hard.

Custom Walnut Stock by Woodshop Wednesday

If you haven’t heard of this company before, it’s because they’re a small, family-owned business in Massachusetts. The stocks are made from locally sourced wood and finished by hand. When I placed my online order, they offered a Classic and Sportsman stock in multiple finishes. Wood types range from Sapele Mahogany to Curly Walnut with many more options. They also offer a variety of sling mounts and an extended mag release for the PC Carbine.

When I ordered mine, the turnaround time was just under two weeks. That’s not bad for a hand-crafted stock. It arrived in a soft, heavy-duty fleece bag to protect the stock’s finish. The bag is also large enough to continue using for storage and transport once the stock is on the rifle. Woodshop Wednesday uses Birchwood Casey’s Tur-Oil after a process of hand-shaping and wet-sanding. This stock only works with Glock magazines, but that’s what most people use in the PC Carbine anyway.

Installing the Woodshop Wednesday Classic Stock

Stock installation is fairly simple but does require a little more work than a basic field strip. This is mainly because the magazine release must be removed from the Ruger stock. However, for the first part, it’s the same process as a field strip, which I covered in a past article. You must remove the barrel assembly by pushing on the release lever and rotating clockwise. The bolt needs to be locked in the rear position for this. Once the barrel assembly is off, unscrew the two locking screws on the bottom of the stock.

Those screws are the only thing holding it onto the receiver. At this point, the receiver will pull out of the stock. Next, push in on the magazine release and pull the magazine well out of the stock. The last step is to remove the magazine catch/release. A small Allen wrench is needed for the screw on the magazine release button. Take the screw out and remove all the parts from the stock. You are now ready to install the new Classic stock. Start by locating the extended magazine release that comes with the Classic stock.

The extended magazine release overcomes the greater thickness of the wood stock compared to Ruger’s polymer stock. If you want the magazine release to be on the left side, this if the time to switch it. Once the magazine release catch/release is in, insert the magazine well. It should lock into place once inserted fully. Place the receiver in the new stock and use the two locking screws from the Ruger stock to secure it. Make sure you don’t over-tighten the locking screws as they do not need as much torque as the Ruger stock.

On the Range With the Ruger PC and the Classic Stock

Woodshop Wednesday provides a booklet that explains the installation process and the required torque for their stock. Once the barrel assembly is back on, you’re ready to take it to the range for a spin. Note: make sure the bolt is locked to the rear of the gun before placing the barrel assembly back on. I took several magazines to the range with me for testing, but the one I was most excited to use was the Magpul D-50 GL9 PCC drum.

Because of the style, a drum only makes sense with this gun. The wood stock is a little heavier than Ruger’s synthetic stock, but this helped even more with recoil. I fired all 50 rounds from the drum without any issues and then loaded it up for a second one. Global Ordnance provided 9mm FMJ ammunition for the range review, so I was able to put several drums through it. I also used 15, 17, and 33-round Glock mags without any issues.

A sling mount was installed on the stock when I ordered it. I ordered a Magpul QD attachment from GunMag Warehouse for the M-LOK rail so I can use a sling with the Ruger PC. After shooting, it took me a while to leave because several people wanted to see the gun. Most were surprised to see it was a Ruger PC Carbine, so I was pleased with the transformation the walnut stock made to the gun. Even though I’m an AR-15 fan, this gun has become one of my favorite rifles.

Is the stock worth the money?

At $350-$400, this isn’t a cheap stock. But you also get what you pay for. After seeing this stock’s quality, I would say it’s a great price. If someone wants a cheap and reliable PCC, the Ruger PC Carbine is a great option and retails in the $650 range. The Classic stock brings that total up to around 1K, but that isn’t bad for a nice-looking rifle. It’s not a look for everyone; but if you like that PPSH style, this is a fun project to do.

Check out Woodshop Wednesday and see what they have in a Ruger PC stock that stands out to you. If you decide this look is for you, be sure to pick up some P-Mag drums and a few other 9mm Glock mags for some fun on the range. This would also make a great home defense rifle and it will definitely be a conversation starter with your friends.