SelfSufficientLiving.com
Member
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2005
- Messages
- 3
I have always been a huge fan of the Ruger MK II. They made a few changes on the MK III and I was wondering how the reliability is.
Experience with the Ruger MK III
- Thread starter SelfSufficientLiving.com
- Start date
- Status
Mastrogiacomo
Member
Everything I've read at the Ruger Forum has been positive. I'll be getting the Mark III6 for my birthday next month. A treat to myself as I already have the Single Six
No personal experience with the Mark III (love my Mark II's) but you may want to read over at http://www.markii.org/forum/
That's a great site for Ruger .22 semi-auto pistol info.
That's a great site for Ruger .22 semi-auto pistol info.
SamlautRanger
member
I have one of the new Mark III hunters. It is very accurate, comfortable to shoot, and looks really nice also. Have had no problems at all with it after about 500 rounds fired through it. Several different types of 22lr ammo. The heavy fluted barrel and fiber optic express sights of the Hunter model make it very accurate. What I aim at, at 35 meters, I hit! I also have an older Mark II Bull Barrel and I love that gun as well. Out of all the guns I own, the Mark 2 and 3 hunter, will probably be the ones I shoot the most.
CajunBass
Member
I've got a 22/45 Mk III. After a couple hundred rounds to break it in, all it does is goes "bang" when I pull the trigger.
EddieCoyle
Member
I have a MKIII512 (blued, with a 5-1/2" bull barrel).
A few years ago, I lost the end of my right index finger in an accident (not shooting related) and stopped shooting for a while. Earlier this year I got my Mass LTC and the first new handgun that I bought was the MKIII. I wanted a .22 so that I could practice (a lot) without breaking the bank. Since April, I've put about 8000 rounds through it. I've basically used this gun to teach myself to shoot left-handed.
During the 8000 rounds, the only problems I've had were two duds (failed to fire) from the same box of CCI ammo. The pistol has never failed to feed or eject a spent cartridge.
The trigger was very good right out of the box. I held off on a trigger job until I could break the pistol in, and I'm glad I did - after a bit of use, the trigger is as good any I've tried. Also, the pistol's accuracy is outstanding.
The only drawback is that it takes a while to figure out how to put the pistol back together after taking it apart for cleaning. The only other automatics that I have are an Auto Ordnance 1911, a 3rd generation Smith, and a Browning BDA. I can strip and re-assemble these in my sleep. The Ruger isn't put together like other autoloaders though. The first few times you take it apart, you really need to follow the assembly instructions in the manual exactly or you'll have a hard time putting the pistol back together.
I bought this pistol new for about $325 and it has been worth every penny.
A few years ago, I lost the end of my right index finger in an accident (not shooting related) and stopped shooting for a while. Earlier this year I got my Mass LTC and the first new handgun that I bought was the MKIII. I wanted a .22 so that I could practice (a lot) without breaking the bank. Since April, I've put about 8000 rounds through it. I've basically used this gun to teach myself to shoot left-handed.
During the 8000 rounds, the only problems I've had were two duds (failed to fire) from the same box of CCI ammo. The pistol has never failed to feed or eject a spent cartridge.
The trigger was very good right out of the box. I held off on a trigger job until I could break the pistol in, and I'm glad I did - after a bit of use, the trigger is as good any I've tried. Also, the pistol's accuracy is outstanding.
The only drawback is that it takes a while to figure out how to put the pistol back together after taking it apart for cleaning. The only other automatics that I have are an Auto Ordnance 1911, a 3rd generation Smith, and a Browning BDA. I can strip and re-assemble these in my sleep. The Ruger isn't put together like other autoloaders though. The first few times you take it apart, you really need to follow the assembly instructions in the manual exactly or you'll have a hard time putting the pistol back together.
I bought this pistol new for about $325 and it has been worth every penny.
Kruzr
Member
When the loaded chamber indicator problem was pointed out to Ruger (you could hit it and set the cartridge off), they stopped production and redesigned it. The new design fixed the problem and made the one piece loaded chamber indicator 3 pieces. We have 2 Mark III rentals and I don't notice any difference in reliability from the Mark II's we had.
I do like the mag release up where it is now but don't think much of the mag. disconnect. It makes it even more of a chore to put it back together. You have to insert the mag each time you want to move the hammer back and forth for reassembly. I'm so used to the Mark II's that I sit there and push it a few times before I remember to put the mag back in, move the hammer, and then remove the mag again. :banghead:
I do like the mag release up where it is now but don't think much of the mag. disconnect. It makes it even more of a chore to put it back together. You have to insert the mag each time you want to move the hammer back and forth for reassembly. I'm so used to the Mark II's that I sit there and push it a few times before I remember to put the mag back in, move the hammer, and then remove the mag again. :banghead:
scott.cr
Member
I have a 22/45 Mk III. Honestly, when I first shot the gun after buying it I wanted my money back. The mag safety caused it not to fire the first time you pull the trigger on a fresh mag. And the spring that holds the bolt stop/release up was missing. That may not necessarily be a design problem, but I find it interesting that my gun had two QC problems right out of the box.
The mag safety is also problematic when stripping the gun, because you have to insert a mag, press trigger, remove mag, pull bolt, etc. And if you forget to remove the mag you're never going to get it apart. And if you don't reassemble properly you have to screw around with the mag and hope you get it in all the way otherwise your gun is stuck in a half-assembled state. These things may seem minor, but wait until you try it. "The air will be blue."
Personally I DIY'ed the mag safety and replaced the hammer and related parts with Mk II parts. They drop in. You could probably simply remove the lever for the mag safety if it bothers you as much as it bothers me.
Mine also had mag followers that would stick in the down position if you loaded 10 rounds into the mags.
Having said all that, the gun is beautifully manufactured. Excellent blued finish. Nice tight-fitting little pistol. Accuracy's okay, but I haven't shot many types of ammo through it. It's a pain to disassemble for cleaning, and even more of a pain to reassemble.
The older guns had a loaded chamber indicator that would cause the round in the chamber to fire if you slammed the gun down on the indicator needle. It has been redesigned. The newer version has a plastic indicator that has a spring so you can't compress it hard enough to fire a cartridge.
The mag safety is also problematic when stripping the gun, because you have to insert a mag, press trigger, remove mag, pull bolt, etc. And if you forget to remove the mag you're never going to get it apart. And if you don't reassemble properly you have to screw around with the mag and hope you get it in all the way otherwise your gun is stuck in a half-assembled state. These things may seem minor, but wait until you try it. "The air will be blue."
Personally I DIY'ed the mag safety and replaced the hammer and related parts with Mk II parts. They drop in. You could probably simply remove the lever for the mag safety if it bothers you as much as it bothers me.
Mine also had mag followers that would stick in the down position if you loaded 10 rounds into the mags.
Having said all that, the gun is beautifully manufactured. Excellent blued finish. Nice tight-fitting little pistol. Accuracy's okay, but I haven't shot many types of ammo through it. It's a pain to disassemble for cleaning, and even more of a pain to reassemble.
The older guns had a loaded chamber indicator that would cause the round in the chamber to fire if you slammed the gun down on the indicator needle. It has been redesigned. The newer version has a plastic indicator that has a spring so you can't compress it hard enough to fire a cartridge.
Horsesense
Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 565
Where can i find a holster for a mark iii hunter?
I had a standard model Mark II for a few years (learned to shoot pistols with it, love it), and stepped up to a Mark III slabside a awhile back, so I can tell what I like/don't like about the difference between the two.
Disassembly was never a problem for me. But the mag disconnect is sort of a hassle. Mostly because when I get home from the range I like to clean all my accessories and mags and store them away before I get to the gun proper.
Most people like the new mag release button location. Only problem is, on the Competition models (or if you buy aftermarket grips), the large thumbrest blocks it. :/ I've adapted to wrapping the middle finger of my right hand around to reach it.
I thought the new tapered bolt ears were neat when i took the gun out of the box, but when I got to the range, not so much. I guess it exposes the very deep serrations much more, and they wear on your fingers fast, until they really hurt. This was never a problem with the regular bolt ears on my MkII.
The loaded chamber indicator is sort of a pain. I don't particularly think it detracts too much from the aesthetics, but one, it's plastic, and two, it makes the receiver tough to clean. It creates two small little crevaces that I have to clean with a q-tip.
All said and done though, I love it.
I pointed her at the X and the very first shot out of her went right to where I wanted it to go. Love ever since.
Disassembly was never a problem for me. But the mag disconnect is sort of a hassle. Mostly because when I get home from the range I like to clean all my accessories and mags and store them away before I get to the gun proper.
Most people like the new mag release button location. Only problem is, on the Competition models (or if you buy aftermarket grips), the large thumbrest blocks it. :/ I've adapted to wrapping the middle finger of my right hand around to reach it.
I thought the new tapered bolt ears were neat when i took the gun out of the box, but when I got to the range, not so much. I guess it exposes the very deep serrations much more, and they wear on your fingers fast, until they really hurt. This was never a problem with the regular bolt ears on my MkII.
The loaded chamber indicator is sort of a pain. I don't particularly think it detracts too much from the aesthetics, but one, it's plastic, and two, it makes the receiver tough to clean. It creates two small little crevaces that I have to clean with a q-tip.
All said and done though, I love it.
I pointed her at the X and the very first shot out of her went right to where I wanted it to go. Love ever since.
I got a new MKIII 22/45 about a month ago and I love it. Traded a Sig Mosquito for it and, although I really liked the Sig, I have to admit that the Ruger is a much better gun. It is very accurate and has functioned perfectly through a couple of hundred rounds without a single malfunction. I would not hesitate to buy one if I was you.
Princi
Member
I bought the cheapest MKIII I could find to be a donor gun. I gave the original barrel to a friend to put on his old, quite worn MKII. It didn't work because the loaded chamber indicator and the MKII bolt didn't like each other.
So, we removed the loaded chamber indicator (tapped in on the picnic bench several times to get the pin out), and it worked like a champ. We were concerned about gasses coming out the side, but I held my hand there while he shot it and couldn't feel any gas coming out. (I never claimed to be smart).
Personally, I don't have a problem with the magazine disconnect because I can't see where it adds anything to the trigger pull like the BHP's implementation does.
So, we removed the loaded chamber indicator (tapped in on the picnic bench several times to get the pin out), and it worked like a champ. We were concerned about gasses coming out the side, but I held my hand there while he shot it and couldn't feel any gas coming out. (I never claimed to be smart).
Personally, I don't have a problem with the magazine disconnect because I can't see where it adds anything to the trigger pull like the BHP's implementation does.
M2 Carbine
member
I've had the Ruger Mk I and Mk II since 1962. Great guns, can't wear them out.
I bought a MkIII 22/45.
Until I removed the unnecessary loaded shell indicator the thing wouldn't fire a magazine without jamming.
I also removed the unnecessary magazine "safety".
It runs OK now but I wish I hadn't bought it.
I wouldn't consider buying a Mk III as long as new and good used Mk II pistols can be found.
QwikKotaTx
Member
I love mine except when its time to re-assemble it. They call it a lawyered up gun and while I detest the loaded chamber indicator the changes to mag release are nice. I don't ever use the built in lock but its pretty unobtrusive. If I could shop all over again I would look for the same gun in a Mark II, but I am not selling the Mark III. I have added the Hogue grips with thumb rest, no trimming required.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i13/qwikkota/Ruger.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i13/qwikkota/Ruger.jpg
floydster
Member
It helps if you have a degree in Mechanical engineering for field stripping and re-assembly. But still you may have to stand on your head to get it right.
Floydster
Floydster
rxraptor02
Member
I have MKIII hunter. I picked up a holster from my local shop. It was marked for the MKII and MKIII's It also has a pouch that will fit two extra mags. it also has a retention straps and can be used either on the right or left side.
The name on the holster is QUEST. That is all I know.
The name on the holster is QUEST. That is all I know.
mjrodney
Member
Over 12,500 rounds through my own Mark III Slabside Target model and I couldn't be happier.
During those occasional times when I find myself "in the zone" and my trigger finger leaves my body, that trigger is straight from Nirvana.
My bride owns two 22/45 Mark III's (one scoped, one open sights) and she is happy as well.
During those occasional times when I find myself "in the zone" and my trigger finger leaves my body, that trigger is straight from Nirvana.
My bride owns two 22/45 Mark III's (one scoped, one open sights) and she is happy as well.
Ske1etor
Member
Purchased a 5" 22/45 a while back for like $240 and besides being a bit of a pain to field strip and reassemble, it has been absolutely perfect. Two failures to fire that were caused by extremely old remington bulk pack ammo and everything else has been perfect. Over 2,000 rounds through it and I can put a one inch group standing at 25 yards with my el-cheapo tasco red-dot...
QwikKotaTx
Member
It helps if you have a degree in Mechanical engineering for field stripping and re-assembly. But still you may have to stand on your head to get it right.
Floydster
Lol. Ga Tech BSME 2001
Maybe I'll try to do it upside down next time. Me, not the pistol.
Floydster
Lol. Ga Tech BSME 2001
Maybe I'll try to do it upside down next time. Me, not the pistol.
KBintheSLC
Member
It is great... chews up any and all ammo I throw at it. Now if I can get my 10/22 do the same...
This will help...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UVvIMAk64LM
I would recommend the Ruger MK series to anyone looking for a really good pistol for a really decent price. I love mine.
Here's another video that I found to really help explain reassembly. It shows what needs to be done with the hammer that most other videos just doesn't quite get across imo. After a few times it does become second in nature.
Here's another video that I found to really help explain reassembly. It shows what needs to be done with the hammer that most other videos just doesn't quite get across imo. After a few times it does become second in nature.
greener
Member
Haven't tried that. Did something much more difficult, read the instructions.
A little later I found thishttp://www.guntalk-online.com/fsprocedures.htm.
Mine has been about this far apart:
And it went back together
Maybe you just need some training in chemistry.
My MKIII's have been very reliable and free of any problems not related to ammo. No difference between the way my MKIII's and MKII's shoot. I don't look at the LCI. Since I don't plan to shoot target pistols without mags, I've never bothered to fix the mag disconnect.
- Status
