Ruger .22 autos

Everything's just about the same, but the frame is polymer on the 22/45.

bobbo said:

Everything's just about the same, but the frame is polymer on the 22/45.

Click to expand...

Yup. Everything but the frame is more or less the same.

I like the Mark II the best. I have 3 I picked up over the years.

Big difference is the frame

Minor difference is the way the bolt latch works, apparently you need to do some fiddling to get a 22/45 bolt latch to disengage when you insert a full mag and pull the bolt back, while that's how the traditional mkIII works

Both have a useless LCI and internal lock, as well as the magazine disconnect, all but the internal lock are easily removed with aftermarket parts or simple removal, those adjustments are about as easy to do with a steel or polymer frame

For more detail than you'd ever want on both designs, rimfirecentral or guntalk-online are a wealth of information

Don't panic when someone tells you either type is "hard to clean" or "impossible to re-assemble" ... they take a bit more skill than a Glock or 1911, but they're hardly impossible. If you've detail stripped a 1911, you can do a mkIII. (skill level similar, not design)

I have a 5.5" bull barrel target gun with a bunch of Volquartsen internals, and the Mrs has a 6.8" taper barrel (that was actually my first gun) with similar tweaks and adjustments. We're able to shoot competitively in local pin matches (not win, that would take actual skill and optics/weights/etc)

Bottom line, buy the one that fits your hand best and prepare for decades of reliable operation

The Ruger MKIII is a fantastic 22 LR pistol. No it's not easy to take apart and put back together the first couple times, but as mentioned it's not all that tough either if you can read and understand directions as they are printed.
I have a MKIII 22/45 RP Target and it has all the safety features from Ruger still on it. I'm not crazy about them being on the pistol, but I never felt I had to remove them either to have a fine shooting reliable pistol.

wait until the LCI interferes with feeding and ejection - putting a device in the path of the brass entering and exiting the chamber is just plain dumb
removing the magazine interlock improves trigger pull significantly - and it simplifies maintenance, and it removed the risk of some idiot stuffing in a full magazine during re-assembly (surprise!)
the internal lock is harmless junk, at least - except that it makes the gun more expensive to make and thus more expensive to buy

The mkIII and mkIII22/45 are great guns. They really are a superb design, they're reliable and durable, they function with most ammo (even cheap bulk), they run dirty, they're amazingly accurate, they're not too terribly expensive.
But some moron lawyers/bureaucrats/politicians stuffed a bunch of worthless junk into the gun - features that have no place in any gun (particularly a target pistol) but get mandated by a few foolish states as "safety features". I wish Ruger would take the KelTec route and just ignore the demands of those places, they'd sell just as many guns elsewhere, look at the inflated price of mkII traditional and 22/45 pistols, they're heavily-used old guns in most cases, and they go for just as much as a brand-new mkIII.

^^^^^^^^^What he said.

Get a used MKII.

For the record, I like my mkIII guns
I just had to tinker with them

I sold my Mark III stainless hunter for a Mark 2 22/45. I like the grip angle much more and how it points. I have the 5.5" target barrel on my 22/45.

Rittmeister

I love my MK.II with its 5.5" bull barrel. This configuration has always given me the best overall feeling, balance, and sight radius when shooting. Possibly add a set of target grips (which can also help offset some of the forward rake of the MK.II grip), and you're all ready to begin doing some target shooting of your own.

The MK III does have more "features" to deal with. On the plus side, it also has removable grip panels. If you have grave concerns about total dis-assembly there are lots of places to go on the internet for help. Your LGS may even give you some help if they are worth a crap. I personally have never had any issues with the loaded chamber indicator causing any issues and my gun has been in the hands of over a hundred students. A little spray cleaner and a old toothbrush cleans it up just fine. Great gun.

http://www.guntalk-online.com/2245detailstripping.htm

I love my 22/45

IMHO, the model with replaceable grips is worth the small premium over the standard integral grip panels.

I will say it's a slippery slope with Rugers... I swapped the hammer bushing (eliminates mag disconnect), Volquartzen sear and trigger, and lastly a HiViz fiber optic front sight.

I would lean towards the 22/45 light I have the 5 1/5 bull it's a hefty gun I'm trying to lose weight LOL

I own 2 models MKll and a 22/45. They have all been good pistols but I prefer the MKll. No real reason just a personal preference. Yes, they are not the easiest pistol to tear down but it is something that teaches you patience and perseverance. Seriously, after the first time I had it down. Get a used MKll.

I have a Mkiii hunter. Love it! I added a Valq trigger, sear and a Clark bushing. The mags drop free and it has a 2 lbs trigger pull. I added a red dot. Great fun at the range!

I own a Standard model and a Mark II Target; wife owns a Mark III Target. We both are very pleased with the guns. Yes it can be a bit of a challenge at first getting the thing back together. But like any skill worth developing it can be done and for the last 40+ years it's been no big deal.

Many years ago, I crafted a specialized tool to aid in pulling out the little lever and aligning the internals for reassembly.

Here it is; it's not patented. I keep it with the screwdrivers, cleaners and lubes, bore brushes and such. The really neat thing is I have to buy new liquids and brushes ever so often but this tool has lasted several generations; wear has been minimal.

Ku4hx,

I have that same tool
Couldn't get by without it.

I love my MKIIs. So nice to spend a couple hours at the range & burn up only about $20 worth of ammo.

When I use a rest, this one is almost wasting ammo. Keeps putting it through the same hole.



And of all my guns, this one is my wife's favorite.



Tuckerdog1

I have a Model 94 and a MKII slabside like tuckerdog1's, I will NEVER part with my MKII...The 94 is a nice plinker, but is nowhere near the MKII's quality or accuracy...I would also say a MKII instead of the MKIII...Just personal preference....

If you do happen to get a Ruger Mklll that exhibits feeding or ignition issues, it IS usually attributed to the loaded chamber indicator.
Send the gun back to Ruger, they have come up with a fix and the gun will return running 100%.
So far I have had zero problems with my 22/45 RST/4

I have the exact model. MKIII 22/45, 5.5" bull barrel, adjustable sights. Gift from my father on my 23rd birthday.

It has the occasional issue of ramming the nose of a round into the base of the feed ramp, splitting the lead nearly in half, or clipping a nice slice off the front. This happens far more often with some brands than others, and only on the first round (the jamming, I can't tell with the slicing!) so I'm willing to attribute it to magazines or ammunition and say that the gun itself has functioned 100%, until I get up the time and gumption to get Ruger to figure it out.

No issues at all with mag disconnect, an internal lock (which I wasn't aware it had), or loaded chamber indicator. Reassembly is a pain, but hardly tough once you're used to it.

I've never heard of this feed problem anywhere else, so I say to grab your wallet, see which one points better for you, and snatch it up.

I had the same problem with one of mine it shaved a little lead but it still functioned reliably It still shot better than I could LOL

I much prefer the luger grip angle to any 1911. BUT, that's a personal thing. I have a Mk2 and love it. It's my squirrel gun. 2x optic on it, 1" at 50 yards accurate with bulk ammo and 100 percent reliable. How can one complain?

Got a MKIII hunter, there are better guns, but they are all pretty much competition guns
BUT
there isn't a .22 out there with more options than a Ruger, the aftermarket parts, the upgrades.... And as for disassembly, it's only HARD IF YOU DO IT WRONG, it's a very complicated puzzle best done with the instruction right infront of you... but as long as you do it step by step....