Ruger Mk IV: Any Good?

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It is this generation's Mark IV plus the fact that it is so easy to field strip and clean. I first wanted the S&W Victory but didn't like the way it fits my hand. It would have been a good contender before because of the ease of taking out the barrel. But, Ruger Mark IV came out and there is no looking back.

On the Mark IV Target, I spent my money with Tandemkross for the rails and halo charging ring. Then I ordered a bunch of magazines. Then I ordered McFadden Ultimate Clip loader to take care of my bulk ammo. Then I got the Tandemkross extractor which made a whole lot of difference. You know what's gonna be next then? Volquartsen Accurizing kit for trigger nirvana.

I forgot to say that I just had my Ruger 22/45 Lite picked up today. Then the story goes on and on.

One more thing. I stay away from Winchester M22. I got them cheap at Wally world and stacked up. They are such a disaster that I gave most of the remaining inventory to strangers in the range just to get rid of it.
 
I bought my MK1 one new in 1976, its been great, but I thinking about getting a MK4 because I like the bolt hold open on last shot, mag release, and ease of maintenance features. hdbiker
 
valor1 said:
I forgot to say that I just had my Ruger 22/45 Lite picked up today. Then the story goes on and on.
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Did you get rid on the 22/45? Was it a MK III era 22/45? I have a MK II era 22/45 that I like a lot. I am interested in one of the new MK IV's though, and maybe a 22/45.
 
Pilot said:
Did you get rid on the 22/45? Was it a MK III era 22/45? I have a MK II era 22/45 that I like a lot. I am interested in one of the new MK IV's though, and maybe a 22/45.
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I only have the Mark IV target and the Mark IV 22/45 lite right now. My Mark III was disposed years ago for difficulty in disassembling and some recurring failures to load and extract.
 
valor1 said:
I only have the Mark IV target and the Mark IV 22/45 lite right now. My Mark III was disposed years ago for difficulty in disassembling and some recurring failures to load and extract.
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There's no way. Remember, as some bright fellow once said the mark IV is a solution in search of a problem.
 
The difficulty of disassembling and reassembling the MK I, II, III guns is greatly exaggerated. Sure, if you don't know what you are doing it can be tough. However, once you learn the angle of the dangle of the hammer strut and it's relationship to the mainspring, you have it licked.
 
ColtPythonElite said:
The difficulty of disassembling and reassembling the MK I, II, III guns is greatly exaggerated. Sure, if you don't know what you are doing it can be tough. However, once you learn the angle of the dangle of the hammer strut and it's relationship to the mainspring, you have it licked.
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Some may be exaggerating. In my case, I probably know what I'm doing since I did the "disassembling" many times over and I always resort to using a rubber mallet to tap the receiver in. I find it inconvenient. If for example you have a Glock, you know how easy it is to field strip. Or should we say a Beretta 92F. I went back to the Ruger specifically the Mark IV because of the one button you need to field strip the pistol. It's not exaggerated and just plain easier.

Learning the angle and dangle is easily learned especially if you do it many times and you do it personally with your own gun and not somebody else's.
 
I agree new MKs were tight. If you take them apart enough, the mallet becomes unneeded. I can yank the receiver off the grip frame on all of mine. I can seat them back home with a gentle push of the muzzle on a bench.
 
The argument over whether the quick take down is needed or not is pretty much over, IMO. The MKIV is here and its predecessors have been discontinued.

I'm not saying the predecessors aren't fine guns, because they are, but Ruger has moved on.
 
jeepnik said:
To steal part of a quote from a bright fellow, the MK II, MKIII and MKIV are "solutions in search of a problem".
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Some bright fellows often get it right, but you may want to steal a quote with which more could agree.

Seems to me that most major gun makers building .22s semi-autos were trying to solve the same problem Ruger was trying to solve: a reliable and accurate .22 that was easy to maintain and still be reasonably priced. Firms that are still trying include S&W, Colt, Browning, and Beretta. The solutions offered by many of the OTHER big-name gunmakers were (or are) cheaply-made knock-offs wearing the factory rollmark but being made by a company (German Sports Guns) known for its pellet guns and big-gun imitations. Some of those guns seem CHEAP, and a few seem to be problem guns.

The MK-series Ruger .22s, prior to the MKIV, were difficult to reassemble after a field strip, but since .22s seem to require less frequent and less intense cleaning than center-fire guns, it wasn't a big problems; some folks just don't bother cleaning their .22 very often, regardless of the manufacturer.. That said, the Ruger MK1-III reassembly process after take-down is one that can be mastered pretty quickly, if you 1) read the manual, or 2) have a friend who has learned the "secret handshake" or, 3) have access to You Tube.

The MKIV seems to have addressed the ease-of-reassembly issue and also represents -- as I learned after an earlier response (and a review of parts diagrams, etc) -- more than a minor upgrade of the existing models. It still looks and feels the same in the hand, but is a subtly but substantially upgraded weapon.

Ruger MK-series .22 semi-auto accuracy has always been good, and with after-market parts (Volquartsen) could often be made much better than the competition. I would expect this to be the case with the MKIV, as well.
 
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Guys I got my Mark IV and let me say right here, it is a SWEET shooter guys:

20170508_193945-1.jpg


20170508_175844.jpg


Fired 300 rounds of CCI Mini-Mag 40 grain round nose with 0 failures or stoppages of any kind. Trigger is nice and pretty crisp, don't think I'll change a thing about it at least not for a while. Before hitting the range I cleaned it and disassembly took all of 5 seconds. I am so happy with this new gun, could not believe how well it shot and how much fun I was having out on the range.

I am now so glad I decided to get this pistol, looking forward to lots more shooting!!! :D
 
SWEET!

Now go visit tandemkross.com or rimfiresports.com and shout "TAKE MY MONEY."
 
Got a stainless steel Mark IV Target about a month ago. Glad to see the LCI gone as it was about as aesthetic as broken finger and kept me from ever picking up a Mark III. The Mark IV is great, functions well and is quite accurate. Might get another for my son so he will stop shooting mine.
 
I have a Ruger Mark IV (the Target model, as pictured in the OP) as well as all the others in the series: the Mark I, II, and III.

These are good guns. The big problem with the Mark IV (as a target pistol) is the heavy and rough trigger pull. The main causes for this are the magazine disconnector, and the nub on the trigger that raises the magazine as the trigger is pulled. (That last one is a new -- and dubious -- feature on the Mark IV.)

For serious target use, you should probably replace the trigger, sear, and hammer, and discard the magazine disconnector parts. I'm using a Clark trigger, a Volquartsen sear, and a Mark II hammer. (There's a lot of backwards compatibility in the Mark IV, although, because of the way the frame is made -- machined instead of stamped and welded -- the rounded inside front corners of the trigger opening have to be squared off with a needle file to get the Clark trigger to fit.)
 
congrats, cooldill. glad to see the mkIV is as accurate and as trouble-free as its predecessors. now i want one!

murf
 
I'll add an update to my post about the Mk IV. I ordered the Volquartson trigger kit from Rimfire Sports and installed it late Friday afternoon. I had time to only function test it and it is well worth the money. The trigger is at 2 1/2# now as Volquartson states it will be and it is adjusted to eliminate the long take-up and over-travel. I'll be sitting out high winds until the middle of the week before I can take it to the range. I've shot it enough before the trigger overhaul to know that it's capable of good accuracy. Now to see just how good without fighting the trigger.
 
ColtPythonElite

I believe he's already mailed it back to Ruger for a correction.
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I couldn't find any mention by Cooldill in this thread or the other one he started about the best mags and ammo for a Mk.IV about sending his new gun back to Ruger. What problem was he having with it?
 
ColtPythonElite

Never mind, I found it under the "Shaving bullets-Ruger Mk.IV" thread.
 
and ruger makes good on all their guns. still accurate shooting the shaved bullets from seeing cooldill's target. we'll see.

murf
 
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