Ruger MK II

357smallbore

Any shooters feel the way I do on the MKII?

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Yeah, I reckon there just might be...

i have a mark 2 (bought used) and like it myself but dislike the heel magazine release. since this is my only ruger 22 semi i always wondered what makes it better than the others. i have no mark 1, 3 or 4 to compare it to.

I have the original standard .22 that I bought in 1967 for $43 new. It's still the most accurate .22 pistol I own.

I have several MK II guns. I like the lock open on empty over the MK I guns. I think the fit and finish is better than the MK III guns. I have no problem taking one apart, so I don't need the new fangled push button take down on the latest gen guns.

My favorites are my 10 inchers.

I like the MkII's and earlier well, not so much the III's.

I have a Mark II 22/45, I need to read the instructions to remember how to disassemble since I don't do it frequent enough to remember. The new Mark IV has the quick disassembly feature and I have been thinking if I should sell my Mark II and get the Mark IV!

I won’t ever change mine, I started with a standard 6”. I’ve reassembled so many for friends and people I barely know that I probably should have made it into a business.

357smallbore said:

Any shooters feel the way I do on the MKII?

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No argument from me. I have the same Mark II with the "Government" configuration and it's one of the nicest .22 auto I own in terms of workmanship, finish, reliability and accuracy.

I have two of them. I bought the first one new in 1987, a "standard" model (4.75-inch, tapered barrel and fixed sights.) It shoots so easily I've become bored with it, especially when pretty much restricted to paper-punching. I've never disassembled it for cleaning.

My second is a "Target" model, with the 5.5-inch bull barrel and adjustable sights. Bought it a couple of years ago used, so I don't know the manufacture date. Never have gotten around to shooting it.

Definitely solid handguns.

I have a well-loved stainless Gov't Target MkII, and a NIB 50th blued MkII. Quite nice.

And, if you have the mechanical aptitude to change your oil, and you can read, the MkII hammer strut is simple. You just need to take a moment to understand it.

I've had a 2 and several 4s. The 4 is a far better firearm IMO. Just as accurate and easier to maintain.

I have a blued 5.5 Target and a stainless 6 7/8 Gov't Target MkII. Best triggers ever. My MkIV Hunter's trigger is good, but not as nice as the Gov't Target II. Every MkIII I've ever shot had horrible triggers by comparison to any of mine. Glad I never drank that Koolaid.

I've got over half a dozen Mk II pistols. I love them. I always get comments when I break out the 10" bull barrel.

357smallbore said:

Any shooters feel the way I do on the MKII?

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I've bought each successive Mark as it came out. But I've replaced some of the internals of the Marks III and IV with Mark II parts (mostly to get rid of the magazine disconnectors). That says a lot about the classic nature of the Mark II design. Still, if I had to have only one Ruger .22, it would be a Mark IV with backdating modifications. The latest iteration should be the starting point.

I've been fortunate to have owned at various points Mark I, Mark II's and Mark III. Some were easier to take down than others, some had a few more features than others- but I didn't detect much of a difference between how any of them shot. All were really good. I do think that the Mark IV has more features people like and that is a boon to people getting earlier models used as the prices around here are going down.

I love my MkII Competition Target Model!

I currently have 2. Stainless mkii gov target, and a stainless frame with a paclite threaded upper as a suppressor host. Both with vq internals. Love them. While I want to love the mk4, the ambi safety falls right in a very uncomfortable position for me. And the mk4 pricing is way too high. The mk3 was doomed by all he lawyer crap.

If I couldn't have a mkii, I'd rather have a buckmark.

PS: the only gun better than the stainless government target was the mkii slab side competition target

My Mk II KMK 514, with Cocobolo grips and holster I made for it.

I always thought Ruger got it right when they came out with the MKII. With the exception of the relocated magazine release, the MKIII was an attempt to bend to the wishes of the Socialist People’s Republic of California. The MK IV? No more than an attempt to please that part of the market that had the mechanical aptitude of an Orangutan in heat. They are already selling accuracy upgrade kits for the MKIV along the lines of some of the appliances they market to tighten up AR15s when the uppers no longer fit as tightly with the lowers as they need to ensure optimal accuracy. The MKII is one of my favorite 22 pistols and will go down as one of the best 22 pistols that has ever been produced IMO!

I love my 10” MkII.

greyling22 said:

While I want to love the mk4, the ambi safety falls right in a very uncomfortable position for me. And the mk4 pricing is way too high. The mk3 was doomed by all the lawyer crap.

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1. The Mark IV comes with a little washer that you can substitute for the right-side safety lever. So, if it bothers you, you can easily remove it.
2. All the Ruger Marks have been reasonably priced in relation to what you're getting. The Mark IV is no exception.
3. It's true that the Mark III has many questionable features that were prompted by liability concerns. The bright side is that they can all be removed. The two worst offenders are the loaded-chamber indicator and the magazine disconnect. (In fact, the original loaded-chamber indicator could set off a round if the gun was struck sharply on the left side. Ruger corrected this with a recall, but the better solution is just to replace the indicator with an aftermarket filler piece. As to the magazine disconnect, the substitution of Mark II parts can solve that problem.)

whatnickname said:

The MK IV? No more than an attempt to please that part of the market that had the mechanical aptitude of an Orangutan in heat.

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That's me! Mr. Bad Wrench with banana breath. I've had Ruger .22 autos since they were selling them new for $37.50 retail-and I still hate field-stripping them. Always did and always will.

Field stripping the originals, II and III's is easy. It is the reassembly that is somewhat challenging. My late buddy gave me his in pieces repeatedly to reassemble for him. Same story for his 10" AMT Lightning, ( the pistol that ultimately led to AMT's demise for infringing on Ruger's patent.) It sure was a sweet shooter though.

I've been an accumulator and trader of Ruger semiauto 22LR pistols over the years, but have always found the Mark II to be the most attractive of the series. The Mark IV is definitely easier to takedown for cleaning, and the manual of arms is more consistent with other modern firearm designs, but the heel mag release and no-fuss-no-muss design of the Mark II carried the simplest elegance of the series. I worked up a simple fitting and reaming protocol years ago as part of an action job package I do for Mark Series pistols (pre-Mark IV) to help custom fit the upper receiver to the grip frame, and eliminate any difficulty in take-down.

This was my first Mark Series pistol over 20yrs ago which started the whole snowball rolling. I bought this in my Freshman year of HS after developing a substantial flinch shooting a 44mag Super Blackhawk as my primary handgun at the time. I've carried it hundreds of miles on my hip and harvested thousands of coons and other small game, and has been the platform upon which the foundation of my shooting fundamentals has been built.