The Ruger MKIV handguns

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triplebike

triplebike

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If you shoot a lot of 22's, there is simply no finer 22 handgun than the Ruger MKIV's. I have owned quite a few different brands and none are as reliable, as easy to maintain, as accurate to shoot 10's of 1000's of rds without so much as a hiccup than the MKIV's. I need a 22 handgun that is able to just work, to do it's job effortlessly, to feed, fire and extract flawlessly any brand or type of 22 ammo I feed it. To be able to strip it down, clean it thoroughly and put it back together with my eyes closed in a matter of minutes. The MKIV allows that like no other 22 available. Today I purchased my 3rd MKIV, a 22/45 Tactical, which will join my other two, a 22/45 Lite and 22/45 5.5in. I don't even brother looking at other brands any more because none of them is overall as well designed for a very high volume shooter like me.
 
I bought this Mark IV Competition early last spring. I don’t know if it was the ammo I was using or just pi$$poor technique but I couldn’t hit anywhere close to what I was looking at until yesterday. I did change ammo and setup a better rest. I.could not miss, I hit quart bottles at 30 yards, in the 10 ring every time at the same distance. I became.very proud of the gun, a lifetime keeper and heirloom. ucm3hwc92eaz.jpg
 
triplebike said:
If you shoot a lot of 22's, there is simply no finer 22 handgun than the Ruger MKIV's.
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Yes, but..... Some of the lawyer-mandated features, such as the magazine disconnector, have to be undone if you want a decent target trigger pull. It might be a good idea to set aside a store of Mark II internal parts for upgrading (or downgrading?) future Ruger acquisitions.
 
My S&W Victory outshoots my MKIV Hunter any day of the week. It drives me nuts as I much prefer the looks and features of the MKIV and the way it fits my hand.
 
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Mister Coffee said:
@triplebike: Thanks for your post. Threads like these, though they may seem familiar and redundant to the old hands, are useful to people like me who are always trying to sort out the Ruger vs. Browning .22 purchase.

Good luck.
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I owned a Browning, very nice stock trigger and quite accurate, BUT it was ammo sensitive and taking it apart to clean it was a horror show. When I stripped it for a through cleaning, I could not for the life of me get it back together. I took it to a gun smith and he screwed up the reassembly as well. That was my last Browning buckmark. I can remove every part and I mean EVERY single part in my MKIV's and put it back together in no more than 10-15 minutes and I'm about as far from a gunsmith as you can get.
 
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sparkyv said:
My S&W Victory outshoots my MKIV Hunter any day of the week. It drives me nuts as I much prefer the looks and features of the MKIV an the way it fits my hand.
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A good buddy of mine with whom I shoot a lot with has a Victory and it is a very nice 22, but it won't handle cheap bulk ammo, is not nearly as easy to take down. It's an accurate shooter for sure, but it's not any more accurate than my MKIV's and he's shooting federal target and mini mags, while I'm shooting federal bulk and thunderbolts. He is a MARINE VET and knows his way around firearms. A couple of days ago he handed me 500 rds of bulk ammo that the Victory completely chocked on. My MKIV ate it up flawlessly and quite accurately.
 
I can't do it as quickly as you, but disassembly of the Victory is about the same difficulty level as the MKIV, but you will need an Allen key. ;)
Ruger MkIV teardown01.jpg
triplebike said:
I can remove every part and I mean EVERY single part in my MKIV's and put it back together in no more than 10-15 minutes and I'm about as far from a gunsmith as you can get.
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Riomouse911 said:
I don't think it's forged, and certainly not steel, my blued 10" Mk IV is non-magnetic alloy.

Stay safe.
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Its CNC machined from a solid block according to the Ruger website. Perhaps that block is not forged...I knew it was something other than two stamped sheet metal pieces welded together like the earlier gen grip frames are.

It does look like the blue guns have an aluminum grip frame while the stainless get stainless steel grip frames.
 
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ColtPythonElite said:
Its CNC machined from a solid block according to the Ruger website. Perhaps that block is not forged...I knew it was something other than two stamped sheet metal pieces welded together like the earlier gen grip frames are.

It does look like the blue guns have an aluminum grip frame while the stainless get stainless steel grip frames.
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Ya, there isn’t a casting mark from a mold nor the welded seams like on my Standard and Mk II, so you certainly seem right on about the machined grip frame on the blued versions.

When I noticed the frame wasn’t steel I was a bit surprised, but it seems to be holding up very well so I’m overlooking it completely.

Stay safe.
 
After owning a MKIII, I'm jealous of the MKIV owners when it comes to reassembly. Having to hold it at a specific angle, shake it and then dip it in holy water in order to get all the parts back together was just nuts. That said, it sure was fun to shoot if you could get everything back in the right place.
 
bluebanana said:
I love my Mark IV target but my S&W 41 is a better shooter.
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Considering that I can purchase all three of my 22/45 MKIV's for about the same price as the 41, it should be a better shooter. Question is it 3 times a better shooter, no way. Can it run on cheap bulk ammo, I don't think so. Is it easier to maintain, nope. It also weighs over a pound more than any of my 22/45 MKIV's. BUT it is the one of the finest, most accurate 22's out of the box there is. I have shot the 41 and it does shoot very, very nice.
 
i only have a mark 2 which is accurate but up to now the heel magazine release is an irritant for me. i bought it used and would not part with it. but why is it that mark 2s are always brought up when mark 3 s and 4s are discussed. is it just the magazine disconnect and the loaded chamber indicator in the 3 ?
 
roval said:
i only have a mark 2 which is accurate but up to now the heel magazine release is an irritant for me. i bought it used and would not part with it. but why is it that mark 2s are always brought up when mark 3 s and 4s are discussed. is it just the magazine disconnect and the loaded chamber indicator in the 3 ?
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I don’t understand the seemingly dislike for the Mark III either. Over the years I’ve owned every version of the Standard pistol. The loaded chamber indicator does not bother me a bit and I’d be hard pressed to tell you it actually has a mag disconnect, I’ve never had occasion to find out. This Mark III With Bushnell TRS25 red dot is my porch gun. It’s way more accurate than I am. It’s done everything I’ve ever asked of it. It’s another lifetime keeper. DSC02239-zps0981a34d.jpg
 
My only criticism of the mk4 rugers is: why weren't they released decades earlier?

When I bought my mk3 competition years ago it was intended to be my 22 pistol for life, now I keep looking at mk4s thinking that id like to have one , they are enough different to justify purchase. So maybe a mk4 will be my life long 22 pistol---- until the mk5 comes out!
Dang it!
Anyway, it's pretty clear to me that as there are mk haters, they're misinformed or lying to thenselves, these guns are excellent.
 
DDDWho said:
I don’t understand the seemingly dislike for the Mark III either. Over the years I’ve owned every version of the Standard pistol. The loaded chamber indicator does not bother me a bit and I’d be hard pressed to tell you it actually has a mag disconnect, I’ve never had occasion to find out. This Mark III With Bushnell TRS25 red dot is my porch gun. It’s way more accurate than I am. It’s done everything I’ve ever asked of it. It’s another lifetime keeper. View attachment 936381
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I've had my MkIII 22/45 for a dozen years and I agree with you that it's a fine 22LR handgun. Makes me look like a much better pistol shot than I really am. Just wish it wasn't such a pain to reassemble after a thorough cleaning.
 
roval said:
i only have a mark 2 which is accurate but up to now the heel magazine release is an irritant for me. i bought it used and would not part with it. but why is it that mark 2s are always brought up when mark 3 s and 4s are discussed. is it just the magazine disconnect and the loaded chamber indicator in the 3 ?
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It's the cumulative lawyer-mandated changes in the Marks III and IV. Each iteration of the series, after the Mark II, has some improvements but also some steps backward. Fortunately, old parts will generally fit in new guns. I have the whole series. My process in getting the Marks III and IV ready to use involved substituting Mark II and aftermarket parts.
 
I have a MKIII hunter which I like a lot. I The only thing I would get over the MKIII is a Volquartsen which is based on the MKIV. I have owned lots of 22 pistols Ruger, High Standard, S&W (including a 41), Browning, Beretta, Walther etc. Some shot better but none were any more reliable and I like the Ruger the most. The S&W 41 and some of the High Standards were very finecky about what ammo they would feed but my Ruger eats anything and is nearly as accurate. It is the only 22 pistol I still own. I just read that the frame is Stainless so that is good. I doubt if it is forged though but, perhaps that would cut down on machining.

22sA-M.jpg
 
I still have yet to see a 22 pistol with a better combination of accuracy and stone cold eat-anything reliability than a Ruger Mk II. They're about the best 22 you could ask for... as long as you never disassemble it.
 
For those who like the Mark IV (I do), Volquartsen occasionally sells uppers on clearance. I have a 22/45 Lite that I can now turn into a 22/45 Target when I want. Cost me the princely sum of $80, including shipping and transfer.

ETA: Just for the record, that was $80 for the bare bones upper without sights.
 
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Spats McGee said:
For those who like the Mark IV (I do), Volquartsen occasionally sells uppers on clearance.
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This is well and good, but the upper is not the source of the problems in the Mark IV. It's the internal parts (contained within the grip frame) that have to be reworked in order to have a decent target gun.

The other thing to note is that the upper is the serialized "gun" requiring FFL transfer. You can swap grip frames freely.
 
Rugged, Reliable Firearms. I think that's the Ruger moto. I chose the 22/45 Lite for my .22 pistol because it had the most aftermarket parts available. Generally just fine for most of us want from a .22. If I had to do it over again I would have stuck with the Buckmark, though.

As I've noted elsewhere there's always a nit with Ruger. Both of my 22/45s require different tools to adjust windage and elevation. And then don't get me started on the MK III and MK IV magazine differences. I solved mine by cutting a slot in the back of my guns, rather than modifying all my mags.
 
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