[Cousin Mike]

Hey all!

For a long time now, I've been at somewhat of a plateau as far as my shooting ability is concerned. Inside of 15 yards, I can shoot a 2" group or better with any of my major caliber pistols (and yes, I'm including revolvers when I say pistols, but that's another thread). Once we get out past 15 yards, I'm not so great... and those groups spread out pretty significantly (to about 4-5").

A long time ago, it became evident to me that I needed a .22 for practice. I went to the range yesterday, and did some pretty bad shooting. 3-5" groups @ 15 yards. I was flinching pretty badly, and had no idea when or why this had started to happen. I decided to quit BS'ing, and today I went out and bought myself a Ruger MkII, 4" standard model. No fancy sights, no fluted barrels, just regular irons and the funky German Luger looking barrel on it... It's actually kinda pretty IMO, and I haven't been able to put it down for very long. Anyways, I got it used, so I didn't get a manual or a box or anything with it. No biggie, I got home and looked up the manual on Rugers site, and printed myself off a copy.

Field stripping these things is SERIOUS! WOW... I had no idea or I would have had a beer first... I fought with this thing for what felt like an hour, but in reality it was probably a lot more like 5 minutes. When I got it opened up, I was amazed at how dirty it was - this was single-handedly the dirtiest gun I had ever seen in my life, no exceptions. It looked like someone poured grease and sand in it, and let it dry up and turn solid. There was a red, gummy substance all over the safety and bolt, and some surface rust on the hammer, as well as the bolt and some of the other internals. I didn't remember seeing that at the shop, but oh well.. A toothbrush and some Hoppes is all it needed to look brand new. All of the rust must have been surface rust, or it wasn't rust at all, because there's no pitting anywhere in this gun. This pistol came completely clean with very little effort. Very pleasant surprise. I figure maybe the previous owner bought it, fired it a few times, and sold it without bothering to clean it. I've cycled a few mags of ammo through it manually, and it seems like it would work pretty flawlessly. The chambering/extraction is incredibly smooth, and the firing pin sounds (and feels) good and strong.

I know .22LR pistols are somewhat notorious for being finnicky about ammo, and I know in general, they're not going to be as reliable as a defense gun should be... That's no problem, this is just the first of many .22's I plan on purchasing. But other than how this thing works, is there anything I should know about the Ruger Mk II, or .22 pistols in general? I'm going to the range first thing in the morning, so I'll be sure to post a range report and some more pics, but in the meantime, here's a couple pictures of my first .22 - sorry they suck, but I'm learning. :D

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/5916/ruger2yy1.jpg

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/5002/markiiqi4.jpg


Did I do okay? :)

The gun... not the pictures.

[Dienekes]

Looks like a nice little gun. That Federal American Eagle is the same stuff I buy by the case and works well in the Rugers. I started with a 6" one in 1959. We have a "few" of them in the family, the most recent of which I gave to my daughter-in-law.

The one thing you might want to consider down the line is a drop-in trigger set with hammer and sear. The stock trigger is okay but nothing special. The Volquartsen kit I put in took things to a whole different level. That, plus zeroing the gun, made it into a first class plinker and a joy to use. Probably the most bang for the buck out there.

Not to mention that it will outlast you in the bargain.

[XavierBreath]

Ruger MKII stuff for all your MKII needs! (http://www.1bad69.com/ruger/index.htm)
IMHO, you did good buying a used MKII vs a new MKIII.

[Baldy]

I have that same gun bought about 1978. It has had brick after brick of rounds put through it. It has taught 4 daughters how to shoot and now it is starting on the Grandkids. Yes it is a little bear to clean that frist time. You'll get use to it. I think the price new was about $110. Now that's bang for the buck. Still shoots as good today as it did new. Good luck with yours.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h268/4Baldy/IMG_1345.jpg

[david_the_greek]

I used to have a ruger mkII with the heavier barrel, I think it was the government model. WOW I got a piece. I think I was the only one too. Mine jammed damn near every clip and taking it down was an exercise in self control to say the least. That was just my experience, everyone else seems to have wonderful experiences.

[rection47]

I've only used one Ruger that a friend was borrowing from another friend, this wasn't a very good one either, it was way to oiled and had FTF like ever 3 shots, was the worst, but im pretty sure it was cause the guy didnt know how to clean his weapon, as long as your gun is maintained right it should be great.

[Darkker]

ALL you need to Know: They are entirely too loud for a friggin' .22

[CraigJS]

You can replace the sear with a Volquartsen "Target" sear for about 25.00 shipped, and drop your pull poundage to aprox. 2.25 lbs and it's very crisp.. Not hard to do, and takes only about 15-30 mins. at home. You don't really need the complete kit, unless you want to try bullseye shooting..

Be safe

https://www.volquartsen.com/vc//pages/public/ListItems.jsp?id=19

[Bullseye57]

Here's a link that has most everything you'll need to maintain that Ruger. Ruger maintenance pages (http://www.guntalk-online.com/detailstrip.htm)

Click on the links at the top of the page and there's a wide variety of information at your finger tips. Especially for field stripping. Geared for Mark III's but applies to all models.

Hope this helps.

R,
Bullseye

[bestseller92]

As far as them being too loud, ANY gun, .22 or larger, will deafen you if you shoot it much without ear protection.

[orionengnr]

www.rimfirecentral.com

has some good info as well.

[Cousin Mike]

Thanks for the links, advice and experiences. I did notice that this thing does seem a tad loud for a .22, but it's still 10x quieter than anything else I own... I took my Taurus 608 along to the range, so I didn't notice until I ran outta .357 Mag ammo, and actually got to compare it to the other .22's on the range. Here's a pic of my 608:

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/9293/trs3vf7.jpg

OK...

So I checked out that drop in trigger system for the .22 - At first, it sounded like a good idea. After taking it to the range today, I don't want to change anything about this gun! :)

Here's a little sample of my rangework with it today:

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/2250/mkiibk0.jpg


Once again, forgive my lack of photographic talent. That's 100 rounds I put through that target, shooting at my customary 15 yards. :D

This thing is exactly what I needed. I had to get used to the sights, but after that, it was smooth sailing. This thing is also pretty damn reliable. It didn't seem to like the American Eagle stuff at first, malfunctioning several times with the first magazine... then it did it again on the second mag. Just when I was about to take it out to the RO to see if it needed some smithing, it started to act right... and it didn't give me any problems with any other ammo for the rest of the day. My girlfriend told me later that while I was talking to one of the other shooters, she had several more malfunctions. I picked it up, set up the target in the picture, and put 100 rounds of the problem ammo through the gun without a hitch... I won't even suggest that she was limp wristing the .22, but it seemed to give her more trouble than it did me.

All in all, we probably fired 600 rounds of .22LR alone, and had around 7 or 8 FTF/FTE's of all kinds in the first 250 rounds or so. That's better than I expected. Seems to me like it needed somewhat of a break-in, that's all. After that, there was no more trouble of any kind. Today was one hell of a day at the range. I had a lot of fun, and I think I have a new favorite range toy!

There was a couple that came to the range today. The woman had a funny look on her face from the moment they pulled up... I couldn't figure it out at first, but I didn't really pay her any mind, and my girlfriend and I paid for our lane and started shooting. A while later, they came in, and the woman had a look on her face of pure terror... I was shooting my .22 with my girlfriend when they came in, but there were lots of people on the range and the noise seemed to be terrifying this woman. They were assigned the lane next to us. I can hear her complaining, telling her husband that it's too loud, she's scared and she wants to go home... Dude isn't tryin' to hear it.

I introduce myself, and we strike up a little conversation. I tell him and his wife that I have a .357 Magnum with me, and he tells his wife that means that it's going to be waaay louder than the other guns on the range. She asks to change lanes. The RO says no. They start shooting. His .40 is scaring her to death. The other guns on the range are making her jump and scream. I thought she was just being obnoxious... I'd never seen anyone act like that before.

My girlfriend wants to shoot the .357 Magnum - they had a meeting a while back and the .357 kicked her ass... Now it's time for her revenge. We have some 158gr. SWC's I've never shot before, so I tell her to let me shoot it first and see what the new loads are all about. I give the warning to my lane neighbors that "I'm about to let the big dog off!"

The husband gives me a nod - when we talked earlier I told him I'd let him shoot it, and he really wanted to see what the .357 Mag was all about. The wife, OTOH, her eyes grow to about quarter size. I load up the 608, give another warning, and let off a shot... I hear a scream. I put the gun down and look around. The woman has her face buried in her husbands chest, and she's shaking... I hear whimpering. My girlfriend taps me and says,

"OMG! She's ***** crying!"

I look over... and yes, she's crying... but not just crying, she's crying her ass off... Like, sobbing! I ask if everything's alright, the husband says yes, so I shrug, pick the gun back up and let off another shot... Another scream, and the crying gets louder and more frantic.. Then I realize, she's crying because of my .357!!! I really don't know what to do... This has never happened before, and quite frankly, I can't wrap my mind around what's going on. I mean, it never occured to me that anyone could be THAT afraid of the sound of a gun being fired in such a controlled environment as a shooting range. I would also imagine that if someone WAS in fact that scared of guns, they wouldn't go to a shooting range of all places. The guy was more than patient with his wife, so I can't imagine that he forced her to go... The whole thing was just wierd - I didn't know how to react.

I stop shooting... I go over and talk to them and apologize. The guy tells me not to worry about it, keep shooting - he'll get his wife together. I could tell he was pretty embarassed at the situation. They step outside the range, and I guess he managed to calm her down somewhat. She still looked scared when they came back in, but she wasn't crying. She was still bothered by the gunshots, but she kept her composure.

The husband gets her to try shooting his different guns... He had various automatics, and a revolver for her, but everything is too loud... everything kicks too hard... everything scares her. I'm watching this, and I call the guy over, and ask him what he's got her shooting... It's a .38Spl. I look at my girlfriend, with that "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" look, and she nods... We load up the Mark II, and I ask the man if he'd like to let his wife try our .22 on for size. He says yes, and gives me this beautiful Colt 1991A1 to play with while he shows his wife the ropes with our new .22.... I put his gun aside, and watch - interested in how his wife will take to the .22LR.

She gives the Ruger a shot, and lets out a scream... but this one was a different kind of scream.. The happy kind. :) She gets a huge smile on her face, and asks if she hit the target... The husband confirms, and she takes a few more shots. She starts screaming, and jumping up & down with excitement in the fact that she's hitting the target now! And she likes "this little gun"... The husband coaches her some more, giving her advice on aiming, among other things. She's taking his advice well, and nailing her targets with a huge smile on her face! I've seen enough. I pick up his .45, and try it on for size... That Colt was amazing.

Just about the time I empty the magazine, he comes over to give me the .22 back, and has this smile on his face that has "Thank you," written all over it. I give him back his .45, and his wife thanks us for letting her use the Ruger.

"No problem! You want to take a few more shots with it?" I ask.

No... She wants to try the bigger stuff now!!! :evil:

Isn't this cool... Her husband pulls a S&W something-or-other in .40 out of his bag... She starts to shoot it, and now she's hitting her target with the .40 as well! Just letting her shoot a couple mags of .22 took her from sobbing like a baby at the sound of my gun, to blasting away at a target with her husband's big caliber auto's. Her husband and I talked for a long time, shot eachother's guns, etc. He was very thankful... I felt like I had just done something good.. My girlfriend has a smile on her face... Another buddy of mine shows up at the range, and I'm off to visit with him.. My girlfriend is happy because she has our new .22 all to herself. I got invited to join a competition shooting team by my buddy at the range. I got myself a new book about shooting that he recommended as well on how to improve my shooting... It's the one in the pictures - The Pistol Shooter's Treasury - and it looks like I'll be reading it for a while. Anyone else read this book? It's older than I am, so I'm sure someone's seen it around. Just thumbing through it is overwhelming... There's a lot more information here than I expected.

One hell of a day today at the range.. I'm sorry this is so long, but so much happened in those few hours I was at the range today that it would take pages and pages worth of stuff to talk about it all in detail, and I didn't know how to leave the story about the lady crying out of the whole thing. Also, I guess my Ruger saved the day, so that was pretty cool, and I look forward to seeing that couple at the range again soon. I'm also looking forward to joining up my buddies pistol shooting team... My girlfriend mastering my .357 Magnum is definitely great, but this Ruger is the king of the day.

I love this gun. It's accurate. It's reliable. And damn - it's just fun!!! I'll never understand how I lived so long without one of these, but I'm glad I have one. I also noticed that my buddy who shoots competition has a Ruger MkII as well, which makes me wonder... What's up with the MK III's?

Anyway, thanks again you guys for the links and info... I'll be sure to check everything out again and get back to you guys. I just wanted to post this range report - I'm really excited about my new .22, and I can't remember the last time I had this much fun at the range... even without all the dramatic stuff, this gun is just plain fun to shoot, and just practicing with it drastically improved my shooting with my .357 Magnum.

I'll end this with another sample of my bad photography.

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/7526/mkii2je0.jpg

Thanks for reading!

[Sheldon]

Great read. THAT is about the best reason I can see for owning a .22 rimfire pistol. I can't see how he could have taken her to the range without one. Good job!!!

The Ruger MKII was my first pistol purchase. Now I have 4 of them, one for every member of the family. Once you learn to take them down and get back together, it ain't a big deal. The aftermarket extractors by Volquartsen and Clark help with better ejection.

[Deles136]

Mine works fine but, NO hollow points !

[longeyes]

Best story I've read since Jesus & Lazarus.

By the way, who told you that you were a mediocre shot because you do 4" groups at 15 yards?

Personally, I won't own a gun--any gun--that makes me sweat to clean it.

[edwardyoung]

Everybody needs a Ruger MkII.

[Stevie-Ray]

Bought my first Ruger back in 1979. RST-6, Mark I. It's had many bricks through it over the decades. Liked it enough to buy a Mark II KMK-512 in the eighties. Both have been pretty much flawless, shooting about every type of .22LR out there, including Stingers and Yellow Jackets.

[TimboKhan]

sigh.... "bad photography"... I can't take a picture to save my life. I would show you a sample, but I am still trying to figure out how to reduce the file size from the current 2.2mb to the required 244.7kb...

[TimboKhan]

hmm... I think I have it figured out now. You will notice that this is a group shot of all my pistols, and you will notice 2 MkII's, which proves I love them. Also, please note: My pictures suck.

[XavierBreath]

That fellow no doubt dragged his wife to the range. A much better plan for her would have been shooting on private land at fun, reactionary targets. With a .22 pistol, of course. Frankly, I'm amazed this worked out as well as it did, it sounds like she had some mental problems. He should have taken her home as soon as she began sobbing. She should have left as soon as he did not.

You have, however, learned why I over and over recommend a Ruger MKII to new shooters who want to learn marksmanship, and even to old shooters who still cannot hit squat in larger calibers. The little shooters are great fun, and fantastic learning tools. I, in fact, am a collector of .22 pistols and revolvers, simply because they are so much fun!

Here are a couple of my MKIIs.

http://www.bayourovers.com/BullseyeRugers.jpg

http://www.bayourovers.com/plinkers.jpg

Why the MKII over the MKIII? Every mechanical device reaches a zenith in design over time. At that point, if you take away a feature, or add a feature, the result diminishes the functionality of the design. The zenith for the Ruger .22 auto pistol was the MKII.

Also, MKIIs should not be considered broken in until they digest a brick or two of ammo. That's about 1000 rounds total.

Use very little to no oil. Lubricate with powdered graphite. Run a boresnake through the barrel after shooting. If the trigger starts to feel gritty, spray some gun scrubber or brake cleaner on the exposed trigger arts underneath the feedramp to clean, and let dry. Then squirt a bit of dry lube or graphite on the same area. The need to totally disassemble a Ruger for cleaning is minimal, and should only be done to modify or really get after the lockwork. The key is to not lube with oil. Oil mixes with the burnt powder residue to form problems.

[Redneck with a 40]

I have a Ruger 22/45 and I really enjoy it, its fun to shoot 100 rounds at the range and only spend $2.:D Mine has not yet reached the 1000 round break in point, but its pretty reliable anyway. I have experienced at least on FTF and a couple FTE's during my range time. The 22 is inherently unreliable in an auto pistol anyway, so I'm not overly concerned. Everyone here seems to like the Federal American Eagle ammo, I have a lukewarm opinion about this ammo. My Ruger seems to feed and fire this stuff inconsistently. I've had much better luck with Winchester Super X in the 40 grain copper plated.

[longeyes]

Okay, I'm interested but have heard too many disassembly/reassembly horror stories. How well can you clean this badboy by dunking it?

[Cousin Mike]

It's not too hard longeyes, really.. You just can't be a dummy like me, and think you've got it while only reading half the directions. There's a lot of

"Flip it this way, then pull the trigger.... insert this part here.... Then, flip it over this way, and pull the trigger again. Then fiddle with this part, and slide this peice in."

...type stuff, and as long as you read the directions while you do it step by step, it's not that bad. It's definitely more complicated than your average autoloader though. IIRC, you're a Glock person, so it'll obviously be a little more difficult than stripping one of those... But it's not any harder than field stripping a 1911 IMHO, just different.

Ruger has all the manuals on their site in PDF format if you'd like to check it out. It looks more complicated than it is.

That fellow no doubt dragged his wife to the range. A much better plan for her would have been shooting on private land at fun, reactionary targets. With a .22 pistol, of course. Frankly, I'm amazed this worked out as well as it did, it sounds like she had some mental problems. He should have taken her home as soon as she began sobbing. She should have left as soon as he did not.


You know, this has come up between my girlfriend and I quite a bit since yesterday, and you know what, Xavier? I'd have to agree with you. At first it was just wierd. Like, "This isn't really happening, is it?"... type of weird. After seriously thinking of all the unhappy women I've seen at the range with their husbands / boyfriends, I can honestly say I've never witnessed anything like I saw yesterday, and I hope I never do again. I didn't say it because I didn't want to sound like a heartless jerk, but seeing that whole thing really made me angry at both of them... Her for being so friggin' mental about it all, and him for bringing her to the range in the first place.

I took my cousin to the range once. She's a pretty athletic girl, always has been... And she had wanted to go shooting with me and my girlfriend since the first time she saw one of my guns. At the time, the tamest things I had were a couple of .45's and a 9mm. She handled the 9mm just fine, but the first shot from the .45 made her cry a little. The thing is, the crying was different. My cousin was crying tears, but laughing almost hysterically and smiling at the same time - one of those weird things us guys can't do. She was more overwhelmed than scared. She set the .45 down, took a couple of deep breaths, laughed at herself and picked it back up and started shooting. She really enjoyed herself, but technically she cried a tear or two. She called them "tears of joy" :D

This guys wife, I can't imagine what was wrong. One girl I took shooting a couple of years ago was actually shot when she was a little girl - her brother had a ND and she was hit in the ankle. She was terrified of guns, and rightfully so. Once she shot one, the fear went away immediately - so if SHE could go into a shooting range and get over her fear???

Well, let's just say this woman had to have had more than just 'noise issues.'

Either that, or like I said, she was just being incredibly obnoxious and dramatic just for the sake of doing it. Unfortunately, that wouldn't surprise me very much either. Looking back to that look on her face when they pulled up, it's obvious in hindsight that she had no business being there in the first place. Either way, I'm glad my girlfriend is a masochist who likes .357 Magnums. If I were that guy, I might be considering a divorce right about now... lol.

Irreconcileable differences :D

[XavierBreath]

How well can you clean this badboy by dunking it?The lower will likely clean right well by dunking.

The bolt and associated firing pin/spring parts, however will be more difficult, and you would have to dunk them too. They will be attached to the lower.
I have never used a gun dunk product. If it leaves an oily residue behind like many other solvents do, it would be bad juju in my book.

Why? The number one cause of failures to fire in a Ruger auto pistol is an over oiled bolt/firing pin. The oil attracts the gunpowder residue, and together they form a glop that will eventually impede the firing pin. This is why I recommend a dry lube or powdered graphite in the Ruger auto pistols.

Here's a favorite Ruger MKII of mine. I bought it for next to nothing because it would not fire. It had been over oiled, and the bolt was crudded up. A disassembly, cleaning and reassembly, and it purrs like a kitten. It has had no further failures of any type, for years. I later swapped out the trigger and grips.

http://www.bayourovers.com/tackleboxruger.jpg

He should have taken her home as soon as she began sobbing. She should have left as soon as he did not. Mike, I might ammend this statement, actually. How about:
He should have taken her home as soon as she began sobbing. She should have left as soon as he did not. If it were me, I would have skeedaddled myself. Hysterical freaky folks and firearms are a dangerous mix!

[Cousin Mike]

I think that if I should ever be unlucky enough to come across a situation like that again, I'll probably just go ahead and take your advice, and leave myself, or just go outside and shoot the breeze with the range officers until the hysterical person leaves.

Also, I have to ask you, X... WHERE did you get those wooden grips with the medallions?! I saw a pair of plain wood grips yesterday, no medallion, for $30-something and I couldn't quite force myself to pay that. I really like the checkered grips also, but the one with the ported barrel and the super huge target grip (I don't know what that's called) is a work of art if I must say so myself!

And where does one purchase this powdered graphite substance?! I've never heard of such a thing! :D Cool info going around on this thread - I guess owning a .22 really is a whole different ball game! I'm loving every minute of the learning process though. It's also nice to have a gun I don't have to put grease and oil in every week.

TimboKhan: Hey buddy, I happen to think you take some pretty good pics! You've also got some pretty guns there. I don't know what it is about a Ruger with Hogue finger-grips on it, but it makes me feel fuzzy or something inside. :p I'd never shot a Ruger until recently - now I see why people are so fanatic about them! I shot the P90. What model is that you got there? Those Mark II's are a pair of beauties as well... Now it's official. I need one of these in stainless. :D

[XavierBreath]

Mike,
The grips were purchased from Letts Custom Grips (http://www.lettgrips.com/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchant.mv+Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=LG&Category_Code=MK2). They were not cheap, but my wife figured as much as I love the Ruger MKII, I deserve a pair of nice grips rather than the plastic ones I had. They were a very nice Xmas present. The skip checkered pair are Herretts purchased on clearance from CDNN (http://www.cdnninvestments.com/index.html) last year. It looks like CDNN has some nice cocobolo grips for $30 (http://www.cdnninvestments.com/mkfacochgrne.html) right now.

One of the difficult things to do is get past the "it's just a .22" thinking. You are going to be shooting this pistol a lot. If you want attractive grips on it, buy them. It's not just a .22 pistol, it is the pistol you will end up shooting above all others. Treat yourself.

Powdered graphite can be found at most harware stores in the lock area. It is used for lubricating lock tumblers among other things. A touch goes a long long way. Dry lube is available at most gun dealers.

[longeyes]

IIRC, you're a Glock person, so it'll obviously be a little more difficult than stripping one of those... But it's not any harder than field stripping a 1911 IMHO, just different.

Glocks and 1911s mainly. Whatever anyone wants to say about a Glock, it is a joy to maintain. Now and then a 1911 will resist my will and produce a cold sweat but that's pretty rare now. Dealing with the Mk II actually sounds manageable and may, as a spiritual exercise, be a fine test of patience. I've never actually tried dunking any gun to clean it but I see the oily residue problem.

[RustyFN]

Mike congrats on the Ruger. I messed up and bought the Mark III.:D All kidding aside I think they are a great gun. I had heard all of the horror stories about taking them apart and putting them back together and you are right, it wasn't as hard as the directions looked. I have tried a lot of different ammo and use the Federal bulk pack because it shoots as good as anything else but cheaper. The only ammo I had issues with was Rem Golden Bullets. XavierBreath thanks for the cleaning tips, I will have to try these. Again congrats and enjoy.
Rusty

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=45023&stc=1&d=1158527771
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=42558&stc=1&d=1153588015

[bubbygator]

I'm on my 3rd Mark-II. I had sold each of the previous 2 because I got bored with hitting everything at which I shot. I'm older now & can use all the help I can get - - I'm looking forward to once more becoming bored with my accuracy with a Mark-II.

Hint: don't sell your first one!

[TimboKhan]

Thanks for the compliment, but they are pretty bad. At least it's in focus! Anyway, that is a P90. I love it.

[nero45acp]

I'd love to find a NIB MKII 4 3/4" stainless standard (KMK-4), anyone here have an idea who may have any left?



nero(should've got one when they were easy to be had....):(

[notjohndavid]

I'm about to purchase a Mark III Hunter. I see some comments that Ruger messed up the design with the Mark III. What did they mess up?

I like the magazine release being moved. The safety features they added don't bother me at all either. So, aside form these things what did they mess up?

I've never had as much fun shooting as I have with these Rugers.

Oh btw, I'm new. Hi, I'm Dave.

[Nematocyst]

Poor notjohndavid asked a question for his very first THR post, and no one answered. That was months ago. Hope he's still around...:uhoh: If so, welcome to THR, dude. We usually answer newby questions better than that. Sorry we dropped the ball on that one.

Anyway, I found this thread in archives while searching for info on this pistol, so I thought I'd revive the thread from the dead (hey, look I'm a poet) because some troublemakers have gotten me interested in Mark II and III. :banghead:

Yes, I've started looking. I'm sure I won't really buy one :rolleyes: , but am just curious.
{Must stop wanting more guns...must stop wanting more guns...}

So, what's this talk about faulty design issues with the Mark III Hunter?

Any word?

And Cousin Mike, how's that Mark II treating you?

Nem

[Simon Yu]

The Hunter model comes with fiber optic sights installed, but the screw holding in the front sight tends to be dirty and isn't thread locked. So if you don't want the sight to jump during a shooting session, you either have to have a screw driver on hand to retighten it or take some time to clean off the screw and threads and apply thread locker (ie, Loc-Tite). I've got a little thread in this section describing that bit and I'm waiting for some Break Free to really get into the metal and clean it while typing this.

Other issues I know of are issues some people have with the Mark III in general.

Yes, it can be a big pain to field strip. The tolerances are TIGHT when the gun is new, like they use trained gorillas during factory assembly. I had to use a rubber mallet and a chopstick as a makeshift pin punch during my first few disassemblies. After a few times of doing that, it's loosened up a bit and I don't need tools as much.

It's REASSEMBLY that can be the real nightmare though. The manual seems to either gloss over some details that can be important, or it's another case where tolerances are tighter when new and require a few extra steps to make everything fit together properly. Having links to internet guides with pictures can be invaluable. A good one has been linked to in this thread already.

The magazine disconnect feature is something that rubs people the wrong way. It's also a part of why assembly and reassembly are a pain. You need an empty magazine in the gun at certain points and need to have no magazine in during others.

There also are other things like how both buttons you push and switches you move up and down are rounded studs that some people feel is unintuitive, but I'm not sure if that's unique to the Mark III.

There could be other issues of course. I've only had mine for about 4 or 5 months as my first gun so I don't have as much experience as others, but I do know that I love mine and people at the range who have one or know a relative that does have expressed similar sentiments. But I'll freely admit that I've hit borderline depression at times trying to figure out why I couldn't get the mainspring to sit properly again during reassembly only to find out that I forgot to insert the mag again or some such. Until you get the hang of it, reassembly can easily make you cry and you have to know when to take a break and look stuff up online.

[CajunBass]

I've got both a Mk II, and a MK III. It seems the two big differences in the two are the loaded chamber indicator, and the magazine disconnect. Personally they're not an issue to me. I not only don't mind them, I've found the loaded chamber indicator helpful at the range a couple of times when the bolt failed to pick up a round from the magazine. A glance at the LCI showed that right away.

I can understand why some people don't like the idea of a magazine disconnect on a combat pistol, but I've never seen it as an issue on a target 22 pistol. If i hadn't read about it, I wouldn't even know it was there.

They're both great little pistols. I think we'll go to the range today.

Oh, and the first time I took my wife to the range, I made the mistake of giving her a little Tarus 85 snubbie revolver. She hated the gun. She said it kicked too hard even with wadcutter loads. At the time I didn't have a 22 pistol, so we went out and got one, a Ruger Single Six. She loved it. We've now got four 22 pistols, and she shoots all my 9mm's too. She wants a 1911 next.

[RemingtonFreak870]

The Mk II and Mk III are pretty much the same aside from the safety features. Honestly the new features do not bother me on my Mk III Target. I have found the LCI useful a few times, not as a safety feature, but just to see if I had a round in the chamber while out shooting. Also the key lock safety doesnt bother me, in fact I kind of like it. I don't have to use it and I might someday if I am on a camping trip with children or something. Of course you must observe all the same safety rules, but this is a little more peace of mind if you want it. And the thing that doesn't let you shoot without a clip hasn't bother ed me as of yet. I don't feel it is any better a gun than the Mk II nor do I feel it is inferior. It is also kind of neat, my grandfather has a Mk I, My dad has a Mk II and I have the Mk III. Kind of neat to have one for each generation, after shooting mine my dad said he liked it more than his MK II. That was based on he barrel, but he didn't notice the new safety features when he shot it. I figure if a person who owned a Mk II their whole life didn't immediately notice it, it couldn't be all that different.

[Nematocyst]

I went to the gunshop today to take a first look at the Mark III's. I tried several.

The Standard had the best balance, not to mention the best price tag ($249 for a 4", which seemed a good size for a field gun). It felt very nice.

Of course, the bull barrel and the hunter felt very substantial, and I really like the fiber optic sights on the hunter.

I also tried out a couple of 22/45's, but I liked the angle on the Mark III's better.

It'll be a while before I get one, but I am interested.

I mentioned that I had been told that disassembly/reassembly was a bear. Before I even finished the statement, the salesperson was showing me a neat little kit for $55 (store price; on line for $45) called a Majestic Arms Speed Strip kit (http://www.majesticarms.com/ruger22.html) that one can install to make that stripping process "easy" he claims. Said that he owns one, and it was a nightmare to field strip until he installed the kit. Much easier now. "Piece of cake", he called it.

He also said the kits were different for Mark III than for Mark I/II, so heads up.

Nem

[XavierBreath]

Reassembly of the Ruger becomes a "piece of cake" when you learn the proper procedure (sometimes by trial and error, but it's easier if you follow the instructions explicitly).

The pin replacement kits are an unnecessary complication to the pistol to accomodate the owner's shortcomings.

Here's a link telling the correct way (http://www.1bad69.com/ruger/field_strip.htm). No special parts needed. Buy $55 worth of ammo instead.

[Nematocyst]

XB, the title reads "MKII".

Will those work for MKIII as well?

Thanks.

[Baphomet]

Here's a link telling the correct way. No special parts needed. Buy $55 worth of ammo instead.

Agreed. And yes, those steps will work with the MKIII as well (plus a few additional magazine insertions).

The CRITICAL step is Step 11 in the Reassembly procedure: getting the hammer ALL the way forward so the hammer-strut falls behind the cross pin as shown in the pics. The manual fails to explain this detail which results in no end of headaches and frustration for the new MK owner. Once you know the hammer may need a nudge to get it to fall forward, and the correct position of the hammer-strut, you're positively golden, and reassembling your MK will be no problem.

[foghornl]

I have a MK II....way up on the "Fun Gun" list. Yes, take-apart & put-together can be a real bear for the first few times, but it gets easier after you do that some, and the tolerances {'fit', if you prefer} loosen up a bit.

Oldest brother has a "Standard Model" I think it was called, with the 9-shot magazines, that he bought in 1967 or so. Says he could still sit on his front porch and write his name on the neighboors front doorknob with that gun.
:D :D :D :D


Not really, or that said action should even be tried...he was making the point that the little Ruger is still plenty accurate, almost 40 years later.

[57Coastie]

A super thread for this new owner of a MKIII. Last week my nostalgia after using a MKI many, many years ago as 1/3 of 2700 events overcame my reluctance to enlarge an already too large armory. (An oxymoron??) THR is so much help for me so long as I stay away from political matters.:)

In this so helpful thread XavierBreath says,
Lubricate with powdered graphite.
I live way out in the boondocks, and do most of my shopping via the Internet, but shipping eats me up buying small items like graphite lubricant. Any advice for me on whether the spray cans of graphite sold by auto parts shops for lubricating keyholes should be OK for this? It is readily available here on the beach where the combination of salt air and dust from beach sand is bad news for locks.

'Preciate it.

Jim

[XavierBreath]

I use a 3 ounce "puff bottle" of powdered graphite originally intended to lubricate locks. It was handed down to me by my father. He died in 1964. It was originally made by a company named "The Joseph Dixon Crucible Co". Use it sparingly. ;)

[57Coastie]

Will do, XB. Thanx much.

Jim

[Cousin Mike]

Well, there's not much to update, actually. This thing is becoming a quick favorite of ours, Nem! It's like the energizer bunny... I have chilled out though, on how much I clean it. I basically haven't cleaned it since the last time I posted in this thread. :D Maybe it's about time.

First, every new shooter I take to the range gets a nice tutoring on the .22 first. Also, recently I started trying to get better at distance shooting... 50-75 feet and such... The MkII has been the perfect compliment to my new hobby, and has been an excellent teacher. With my Sig 220 (.45ACP), Beretta Cougar (my one and only 9mm) or any of my revolvers (.38/.357's), I can black out the x-ring at 50" one handed.

Before I bought the Ruger, I couldn't do that (reliably) at 10 yards.

[Vern Humphrey]

I've owned both MK Is and MK IIs. In my humble opinion, the stripping process is the Ruger's great weakness -- because lots of people don't properly maintain their pistols out of distaste for the process -- and people who don't maintain their guns don't strip them often enough to remember how they did it last time. If they were easier to strip, they'd be better maintained by the average shooter and would have an even better reputation.

That said, another Ruger "problem" is trigger backlash. A trigger should stop moving when the sear releases. I find you can improve your Ruger simply by blocking the rearward movement of the trigger. One way is to strip the gun, drill and tap a hole in the center of the trigger blade, and insert a set screw. A little fiddling will give you the proper depth, and a little filing will get it flush with the blade -- then use nail polish on the threads to hold it in place.

Another even simpler trick is to use Mole Foam <tm> -- you buy it in the Dr. Scholl's foot medication center at any drug store. Stick a small piece to the frame behind the trigger and see your shooting improve.:D

[Nematocyst]

I can black out the x-ring at 50" one handed.Hmm. <Does math. 50" = 4' 2">

Gee, Cuz, I'm not that impressed.
I can get that kind of groups with my 642 even at 75"!

:neener:

Vern, interesting idea with the molefoam.

[Milkmaster]

The ruger Mk pistols are bullet proof as far as I am concerned. I have owned three over the years. Lost the first one in a divorce. The second was stolen. The third is in my gun safe. Excellent pistol for teaching, cheap to shoot, for me easy to clean, and easy to assemble once you learn how. All I have owned have been the fully steel models with 6" barrels. I cannot speak to the newer models with composite bodies. Hardly ever do I have a jam unless it is with a hollow point or something out of the ordinary. Mine even will work with the "rat shot" rounds I tried once a while back. That weapon should be like a right of passage for anyone going to something larger in a semi-auto later on.

[orionengnr]

1. 22LR ammo is cheap. Good thing, because you will be using a bunch of it.
2. Rimfires are said to be ammo-sensitive, but my MkII eats everything so far.
3. Those little red HKS plastic mag-loader-helpers are worth much more than the $3-4 they sell for.
4. Original Ruger mags are $20-25 each, but having several is good. My MkII came with what was probably the original mag, and suffered various FTFs. Two fresh mags solved those problems.
5. A MkII will make you a better shooter (I think you have discovered that already).
6. A MkII is the ultimate teaching tool (seems that you have figured that one out, too).
7. Some really nice grips are available at www.kelleyarms.com. Drop-downs for individual makers/models. I got a beautiful set of rosewoods for about $25.
8. www.rimfirecentral.com is a pretty good resource; there may be others.
9. Yeah, I've only done the dis/re-assembly once, and it is a bit of a be-yotch. However, I've read a lot of people saying that .22s do not require cleaning after every session. It's a hard habit to break, but aside from a quick external wipedown, it just goes back in the safe 'til next time. I generally put 100 rounds through it each range session, so going 500 between cleanings? We'll give it a try.
10. I note that several people have more than one. I catch myself eyeing the new stainless 5" bull barrel MKIIIs and hoping to find a used stainless MkII.

Did you know that Crimson Trace makes a laser for the MkII/III? Saw it yesterday at the gun show. "Only" $199... :rolleyes:

[Cousin Mike]

Hmm. <Does math. 50" = 4' 2">

Gee, Cuz, I'm not that impressed.

:o

Durn... One can only wonder how many times I've done that recently... I guess that would only be moderatetly embarrasing if I weren't a carpenter by trade. :rolleyes:

Sorry... meant 50'.

The 25 yard game is one I'm not good enough to play yet... but I'll get there someday (soon I hope)! :D

This Glock I bought for concealed-carry isn't helping either, but that's a whole other thread that I think I'll start here soon.

orionengnr: Great list, sir... All very true as well.

I wish I could buy grips for mine, but at the moment, my girlfriend and I are "sharing" this one, and she's a lefty... So If I put on a thumbrest grip, like I want to, one of us is screwed. :p I guess that's just an excuse to buy 2 more... One for me, and one for her, so we can buy thumbrest grips for our personal Mk IIs, and get some nice regular grips for the one we share.

Damnit... everytime I get an idea on this forum, it costs me money! :D