Oldie but a goodie...Ruger Mk I

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I was looking through the Indiana Gun Owners forum for sale ads and saw this Ruger offered for sale. Mk I 99% condition in original box...$225. I immediately sent a PM hoping I was first (ad had only been posted for about 15 minutes or so) and indeed I was. Picked it up last night in a face to face sale and was very happy to see it was as described. In fact I am not sure it was shot past the factory test firing, owner said it had been just sitting in his safe for many years. Some quick research shows it to be 1979 production and a quick visit to Midway online got 5 more magazines on the way. Tomorrow I will head out to the range with half a dozen brands of ammo for some testing...I hope it will like the Federal Auto Match, all my other 22's do.

I have been shooting a Browning Buckmark for years now, I had forgotten just how nice these old Rugers fell in the hand. Solid, chunky, well balanced...the deep cutout under the bolt really sets the gun firmly in the web of the hand. The fixed sights are robust and very easy to use with the undercut front sight really looking good in the rear sight. I am considering a Tactical Solutions Pac-Lite threaded upper so I can use this as with a can as well. If the fixed sights won't shoot to POA I may add a Ruger or Micro adjustable rear if I can find one.

rugermki.jpg
 
Nice find! That federal match you're using seems to be a very consistent performer for me. I shoot ever so slightly tighter groups with cci (except past 35 yards, then the cci groups much tighter for me), but for the money I just run that very same federal match you have pictured. I try not to switch back and forth as the POI seems to shift between the two brands pretty significantly for me.
 
Nice Ruger! My 1976 Mark I Target loves Federal, even the value pack, so I think yours will do fine with Federal.

Also, is that marked as a Mark I? I thought all Mark I's were the target version with adjustable sights while the ones without the adjustable rear sight were called the Standard Model. I know this changed with the Mark IIs and maybe even earlier with the 1979 models.

Your later model Ruger can use Mark II and Mark III magazines while earlier ones (I believe 1972 and earlier) may not. The new mags hold one extra round so nice to use instead of Mark I mags. They still don't hold the bolt back on the last shot but you can find special followers that jam the bolt so it doesn't fall on the last shot, if that matters to you.
 
Mark I's can use a MKII magazine but I don't think the MKIII's will work.
A lot of the MKII trigger mods will work in a MKI also.
And MKII grips will fit if you fill in the gap so the pins don't fall out (or refit MKII parts in the receiver.)
BTW - my old MKI eats anything I feed it.
 
Nice Standard Model. I absolutely love mine from 1958. It has been quite a few years since I bought mags for it, but in the back of my mind I am thinking that a MkII mag works once you reverse the button.
 
I have a LNIB '72 MKI (Standard?) that my uncle gave me - looks just like yours. FYI, the mags you ordered are a PITA to use. Hard to insert ; the plastic floor plate doesn't work well........you'll see what I'm talking about when you get 'em.
 
Sistema1927 said:
Nice Standard Model. I absolutely love mine from 1958. It has been quite a few years since I bought mags for it, but in the back of my mind I am thinking that a MkII mag works once you reverse the button.
Click to expand...
True the older Rugers have the magazine button on the opposite side. I think around 1972 the button was flipped to the current side.
 
wow6599 said:
I have a LNIB '72 MKI (Standard?) that my uncle gave me - looks just like yours. FYI, the mags you ordered are a PITA to use. Hard to insert ; the plastic floor plate doesn't work well........you'll see what I'm talking about when you get 'em.
Click to expand...
I've noticed that plastic floor plate often is warped slightly, catching on the magazine release on the Mark I and II so you have to fumble around with it. Annoying.
 
Will a Tactical Solutions Pac-Lite upper fit on the Mk I frame? Last time I inquired ( years ago) they advised against attempting the fit. Time goes by, and more people experiment, so now maybe they have a workaround. Has anyone had success with Pac-Lite upper & the Mk I?

Kerf
 
I've got one that Dad bought new in 65. An absolute joy to shoot. Don't clean it with breakfree. I got some on the grip and it melted a spot. :(
 
According to Tactical Solutions the Pac-Lite should work fine on it but if it shoots well with the fixed sights I may not mess with it, I can always use the Buckmark with a threaded Trail-Lite barrel and save a hundred bucks.
 
Nice score. A Ruger MK I was the first gun I ever owned. I inherited it from a relative who passed on. It's retired to the safe now, but I've got lots of good memories of that gun.
 
I made it to the range but managed to leave my glasses at home...without them I cannot focus on the front sight. But even with everything somewhat blurry the Ruger managed a 3 inch group at 25 with five of nine rounds going into about 1 1/2 inches. I know it will do better when I can actually see the front sight so I am pleased with the accuracy. I also hit our hanging steel at 100 yards 7 out of 9 rounds using a rest. Seems to be shooting to POA just fine. Trigger will benefit from a light stoning but function was 100% through about 75 rounds.
 
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