Love my Ruger Mark II....until I have to clean it.

nah.. stick with the mark 2. It not like you are going to be out in the field and need to fo a quick field strip. Its a target gun..... a classic one at that. maybe if some space virus comes down and creates some sort of zombie squirrel apocalypse but you can deal with that if it arrives. If you hate breaking down guns for cleaning that much just get one of those ultrasonic cleaners.

Most of the time people hate cleaning pistols like the mk2 its because they have not done it enough. break it down and clean it every day for a week or two and it probably wont bother you. I used to hate doing complete detailed break downs when I was a kid before I realized I needed to treat it like a sport or anything else....repetition. Now its kind of relaxing...I just put some music on and get my hands dirty.

Shooting is just part of the fun. Kind of like car guys that enjoy cleaning and tuning up their babies when they are not cruising the roads.... clearing their heads.....longing for simpler times etc.

Cut bait and get a Mark IV. I did and couldn't be happier. The ability to have 3 different barrels with a nice lower and trigger is very nice. I have a barrel set up for iron sights, one with a red dot on it and a cheap iron sight ranch blaster barrel that I bought from Volquartsen on their takeoff clearance for $25. Changing from one to the other is a matter of seconds.

I shoot suppressed and the fact that I can take my upper off and drop it in a ultrasonic after a dirty day of suppressed shooting is great.

The older Ruger MK series eventually are going to be known for one thing, their PITA takedown procedure. And all of this coming from someone who knows how to do it and can take one down and get it back together.

At first it is a PITA, but once you learn the trick of the dangle up and down (main spring)it is not hard to do,

I kinda collected them over the years. One rainy day I sat down and took one apart and put it together until I figured it out.

The main problem I have is some are so darn tight. The bolt stop pin is difficult to get back up in the hole.

Best 22 Pistol ever. Better than the new and improved versions!

It's perfectly straightforward and I don't know why so many people complain. I've had excellent reliability from my MKII and MKIIIs (after I removed the LCI from the MKIII). I've seen quite a few MKIVs in competiton and every one of them had multiple jams. Not a scientific result but it's enough to scare me away from them. Plus I don't see the need for the "improvements."

every 500-1000 shots you drop some oil in the chamber, and on the bolt. It goes for another 500. Disassembly isnt necessary until something breaks. Really, I haven't taken mine down in 6 years.

mjsdwash said:

every 500-1000 shots you drop some oil in the chamber, and on the bolt. It goes for another 500. Disassembly isnt necessary until something breaks. Really, I haven't taken mine down in 6 years.

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It's a different story when one shoots suppressed, things get dirty.

1KPerDay said:

It's perfectly straightforward and I don't know why so many people complain. I've had excellent reliability from my MKII and MKIIIs (after I removed the LCI from the MKIII). I've seen quite a few MKIVs in competiton and every one of them had multiple jams. Not a scientific result but it's enough to scare me away from them. Plus I don't see the need for the "improvements."

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All the versions after the MII are just not the same.
The M II was the first new gun I ever bought. Still shooting it today.
I did put a VQ trigger in it.

mjsdwash said:

every 500-1000 shots you drop some oil in the chamber, and on the bolt. It goes for another 500. Disassembly isnt necessary until something breaks. Really, I haven't taken mine down in 6 years.

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I literally went 10,000 rounds in my MKIII 22/45 without detail cleaning. I kept it lubed and wiped the fingerprints off and it kept shooting. Zero malfunctions. It was very dirty inside when I finally cleaned it but it was still working. 95% of those were federal champion plated so that may have helped keep it somewhat cleaner than sticky lubed lead pills. I don’t do that anymore but it was pretty amazing IMO

Rule3 said:

All the versions after the MII are just not the same.
The M II was the first new gun I ever bought. Still shooting it today.
I did put a VQ trigger in it.

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Classic beauty. I think the newer stainless magazines aren’t as reliable as the older blued ones either.

you guys must like dirty guns. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

I had trouble disassembling the Ruger Mark series pistols until I saw a youtube video on how to take them apart. After that it was super easy. I prefer the older ones to the new Mark IV and enjoy a hefty discount since they are old technology.

I don't understand why people have a big difficulty with taking apart and putting together a MK I,II, or III. Once you learn the angle of the dangle of the hammer strut you got it licked.

ColtPythonElite said:

I don't understand why people have a big difficulty with taking apart and putting together a MK I,II, or III. Once you learn the angle of the dangle of the hammer strut you got it licked.

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That's the trick!

When you have the receiver stud/hammer spring assy out of frame, look at the hammer strut and the cross pin that can catch it & hang it up. After that, reassembly's a piece o' pie.

No problem here, once you understand how it operates, it's fairly easy.

I have never cleaned my Ruger Standard (Mark I) since I bought it new in 1967. It still functions without a hitch. I don't shoot competition so I don't put that many rounds through it in a year. I shoot rabbits, squirrels, and vermin with it when they are available.

When it jams or doesn't chamber, then I'll look at You tube and see how to do it.

I’ve got 2 KMK 512s that I bought in the early to mid 80s. Never had them apart and they function flawlessly.

You know, all else being equal, I would buy a MKIV over any other MK series too….

but where does one get a stainless MKIV target for $250 OTD?

I sure couldn’t find one at that price so I bought a stainless MKII Target and learned how to deal with the takedown.

I don't buy guns that aren't easy to strip down, but then I was spoiled because my first gun was a SIG P229. You could always go with a Buckmark.

earlthegoat2 said:

You know, all else being equal, I would buy a MKIV over any other MK series too….

but where does one get a stainless MKIV target for $250 OTD?

I sure couldn’t find one at that price so I bought a stainless MKII Target and learned how to deal with the takedown.

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Valid point, but it’s even more than that. Where does one get a stainless MKIV threaded anywhere currently. I have family that have been on lists and looking everywhere for a year for one. They get bought up fast and are very hard to get. I only see them on gunbroker for $$$. A local gun dealer friend has a request in for as many MKIV’s as he can get and they get bought up immediately by customers on his list.

Certainly the older MK’s are great shooters, but those that have shot mine have either replaced their MKI - III or are attempting to when production can get caught up. The 22/45 versions are easy to find here and there it’s the stainless MKIV’s that are difficult.

A $250 MK II stainless would be very hard to pass up even for me, you got a great deal on that.

valnar said:

I don't buy guns that aren't easy to strip down, but then I was spoiled because my first gun was a SIG P229. You could always go with a Buckmark.

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Certainly when there’s an option of equal quality in my experiences that is as easy as it gets.

Better quality when comparing the MKIII’s with their LCI that needs to get removed for the pistol to be reliable. Not a huge deal an easy fix but a hassle nonetheless less.

The spring assist magazine drop is a welcome addition to the MKIV’s, magazines come shooting out of the bottom now.

To me the MKIV is a superior design that will bear itself out over time. I truly believe eventually the previous MK series while great guns will be remembered for experiences at the gun table getting cleaned more than the firing line.

I have an old standard model Ruger (MK1?). I just do the best I can to clean it without taking it apart. This involves brake parts cleaner and compressed air, along with a cleaning rod and q tips.

BreechFace said:

The spring assist magazine drop is a welcome addition to the MKIV’s, magazines come shooting out of the bottom now.

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they had to add the spring assist because of the MKIV’s stupid and annoying magazine disconnect safety that prevents drop free mags. Another thing that needs to be removed from the MKIII as well but when it’s gone mags fly out AND you don’t have to insert an empty mag to hammer down for matches or dis/reassembly. Far from a welcome addition.

1KPerDay said:

they had to add the spring assist because of the MKIV’s stupid and annoying magazine disconnect safety that prevents drop free mags. Another thing that needs to be removed from the MKIII as well but when it’s gone mags fly out AND you don’t have to insert an empty mag to hammer down for matches or dis/reassembly. Far from a welcome addition.

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Welcome addition for me. So don't know what to tell you. Glad you like your MKIII's.

All the previous MK series have a well established reputation the good and the not so good.

I have a Mk2 that I think had little previous use. It was a hassle to strip and clean. First trick, if the stop pin that holds the thing together does not want to pull out - use a brass punch to get it out. Second trick, find the burr, or rough spot that has developed on that pin, just look for the wear marks on it and stone it off smooth. check the holes that it goes through too, and smooth off any burrs or rouch spots that will grab. It can still be a bit of a trick to get that pin to pop out and pop back in, but - it is 90% easier with it cleaed up a little bit. Once that pin isn't overly binding, and you've stripped and cleaned it few time, it is not difficult to strip and clean at all.