Mark IV Recall

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Interesting. The symptoms sound similar to those in the Remington 700 safety recall.

I just checked my 2016 Mark IV Target. It doesn't have this problem, but then it's been heavily modified, including having a Volquartsen Mark II sear installed. In the recall, Ruger is proposing to undo these improvements. Therefore, I won't be sending my pistol back to them. It would be nice, though, to have a safety with the little "S" on the white dot.

I always thought the Mark IV sear was unnecessarily complicated.
 
I have a Mark III and I never use the safety. But then I don't carry it around loaded.
 
The 'unintentional discharge' is caused by the safety being placed in a 'halfway' position. Why would anyone put the safety 'halfway'? Other than through stupidity or criminal carelessness, I mean?
 
vthillman said:
The 'unintentional discharge' is caused by the safety being placed in a 'halfway' position. Why would anyone put the safety 'halfway'? Other than through stupidity or criminal carelessness, I mean?

I can understand your frustration, best explanation I can offer is that after careful observation for six decades, I have just recently come to the conclusion that humans are not perfect. This obviously contradicts your observations, I'm not sure how to reconcile this discrepancy.

Why even have a safety in the first place? Why would anyone let the trigger get pulled when they didn't mean to? Other than through stupidity or criminal carelessness, I mean?

Why even have seat belts and airbags and such crap on cars in the first place? Why would anyone get in a wreck when they didn't mean to? Other than through stupidity or criminal carelessness, I mean?
 
It's actually very difficult to put the safety in the intermediate position, since it has a spring-loaded ball detent. That snaps the safety into the "on" or "off" position. You have to really try hard to replicate the condition described by Ruger.

Once again, their lawyers are advising an abundance of caution.

None of this applies to (a) earlier Marks, or (b) Mark IV's which have been modified with target sears, etc. The problem (if you can call it that) seems to be centered in the new and complicated factory Mark IV sear. (I personally removed that from my pistol right off the bat.)
 
After watching Ruger's video on how the accidental discharge can occur , looks like you've have to try to make it happen. Wonder how they found out about it?
 
This is one reason I do not buy new designs until they have been out awhile , you see this so much in the firearm industry .
 
I can understand your frustration, best explanation I can offer is that after careful observation for six decades, I have just recently come to the conclusion that humans are not perfect. This obviously contradicts your observations, I'm not sure how to reconcile this discrepancy.

Why even have a safety in the first place? Why would anyone let the trigger get pulled when they didn't mean to? Other than through stupidity or criminal carelessness, I mean?

Why even have seat belts and airbags and such crap on cars in the first place? Why would anyone get in a wreck when they didn't mean to? Other than through stupidity or criminal carelessness, I mean?

You are clearly a proponent of the Nanny State.
 
Thanks for posting this. I bought a Mark IV not too long ago for my youngest son, and it's subject to the recall.
 
My Mark IV is part of the recall. I have had no problems with mine. Ruger says that they have been able to replicate the problem. I took mine out this morning and was not able to get it to stay between the fire and safety at all. It will be used to teach my boys to shoot a pistol so I'm not taking any chances, soon as my box arrives off it goes. Besides I get a free magazine out of the deal(29.95 dollar value) :D
 
My Mark IV is part of the recall. I have had no problems with mine. Ruger says that they have been able to replicate the problem. I took mine out this morning and was not able to get it to stay between the fire and safety at all. It will be used to teach my boys to shoot a pistol so I'm not taking any chances, soon as my box arrives off it goes. Besides I get a free magazine out of the deal(29.95 dollar value) :D
Check your serial# the ones that have the problem are listed on
Ruger's website.
 
Jack B.

Thanks for the info. Been thinking about getting one.

Yeah, I also appreciate the heads up. I tend to wait before getting a newly released gun, however. I usually wait to see if problems arise, and I also wait for the price to come down.

Best wishes to Ruger. These things happen.
 
There's been a lot of discussion (and confusion) about this on Rimfire Central and other sites. To clear up some of the confusion, here's what we know:

1. Ruger says that the Mark I, II, and III pistols are not affected.
2. Ruger says that the recall involves the replacement of two parts, the sear and the safety.
3. Of these two parts, the only one that is unique to the Mark IV is the sear. The safety is functionally the same as in earlier Marks.
4. We can conclude by this that the Mark IV sear is what's causing the problem. The safety is being replaced because the replacement is marked with an "S" on the white dot (which indicates that the gun is on safe), and this gives a quick external indication that the modification has been made. Otherwise there would be no reason to replace the safety.
5. The Volquartsen Mark IV aftermarket sear is just like the Ruger factory Mark II / III sear, except perhaps that it's machined more carefully.
6. If you have installed a Volquartsen aftermarket sear (or a Ruger factory Mark II / III sear), there is no need to send the gun back to Ruger because you have already done what they are proposing to do (replace the sear with one proven not to cause a problem).

If asked, Ruger will deny this last part (after all, they listen to their lawyers), but it's the truth.
 
The people who design and test things will normally run them properly and despite their best attempts to anticipate what the 'unwashed masses' might do to them...they often fail. Case in point was my Taurus 850 snubbie. Worked as you'd expect for me with absolutely no issues. Let a female coworker shoot it and she kept tying it up! Hard to believe, but once I saw what she was doing (milking the trigger between shots) I was able to duplicate it. Never in a million years would I have thought to do that to a revolver....and correction only took a wee bit of clearancing inside on the hand to prevent it from ever happening again.

I'd have to think that any manufacturer about to release products to the masses must do it with some anticipation that unknown problems will be created by people unfamiliar and untrained who might try things that no professional would ever even contemplate. Such is life.:) And in this case with Ruger they'll 'dummy-proof' it more and hopefully the pistol will have a long and successful run.
 
There's been a lot of discussion (and confusion) about this on Rimfire Central and other sites. To clear up some of the confusion, here's what we know:

1. Ruger says that the Mark I, II, and III pistols are not affected.
2. Ruger says that the recall involves the replacement of two parts, the sear and the safety.
3. Of these two parts, the only one that is unique to the Mark IV is the sear. The safety is functionally the same as in earlier Marks.
4. We can conclude by this that the Mark IV sear is what's causing the problem. The safety is being replaced because the replacement is marked with an "S" on the white dot (which indicates that the gun is on safe), and this gives a quick external indication that the modification has been made. Otherwise there would be no reason to replace the safety.
5. The Volquartsen Mark IV aftermarket sear is just like the Ruger factory Mark II / III sear, except perhaps that it's machined more carefully.
6. If you have installed a Volquartsen aftermarket sear (or a Ruger factory Mark II / III sear), there is no need to send the gun back to Ruger because you have already done what they are proposing to do (replace the sear with one proven not to cause a problem).

If asked, Ruger will deny this last part (after all, they listen to their lawyers), but it's the truth.

Thanks for the heads up, (#6).
I've already installed a Volquartsen Trigger in my Mark IV.
A free magazine is not worth the time it takes to disassemble, ship, return ship and reassemble my Volquartsen trigger.
I tested my Mark IV, it does not fire when I followed the procedure described in the video.
 
Thanks for the heads up, (#6).
I've already installed a Volquartsen Trigger in my Mark IV.
A free magazine is not worth the time it takes to disassemble, ship, return ship and reassemble my Volquartsen trigger.
I tested my Mark IV, it does not fire when I followed the procedure described in the video.

Makes sense, Bo, long as you don't sell/trade the gun. That could cause confusion down the line somewhere.
 
Makes sense, Bo, long as you don't sell/trade the gun. That could cause confusion down the line somewhere.
Where's the confusion? A Mark IV with an accurizing kit installed should sell at a premium. This is something that would be touted to the buyer instead of being hidden. (Save the original parts in a little bag along with the gun.)
 
Makes sense, Bo, long as you don't sell/trade the gun. That could cause confusion down the line somewhere.

How could it cause confusion? His won't have the "s" in the white dot, therefore it hasn't been retrofitted. Seems pretty simple to me.

irearms That Have Been Retrofitted Already
find-s.jpg
Mark IV™ and 22/45™ pistols retrofitted with the updated safety mechanism are easily identified by the letter "S" in the white safety dot that is visible when the safety is engaged.
 
Interesting. The symptoms sound similar to those in the Remington 700 safety recall.

I just checked my 2016 Mark IV Target. It doesn't have this problem, but then it's been heavily modified, including having a Volquartsen Mark II sear installed. In the recall, Ruger is proposing to undo these improvements. Therefore, I won't be sending my pistol back to them. It would be nice, though, to have a safety with the little "S" on the white dot.

I always thought the Mark IV sear was unnecessarily complicated.

Actually I have two fellow range officers that have 3 guns affected by the recall. Both have experienced the symptoms Ruger mentions in the recall both before and after they installed Volquartsen parts. Ruger will not send the parts to repair this issue. They have to remove all the Volquartsen innards they installed and reinstall the stock Ruger parts. Send the guns in and upon return, hope the VQ parts will reinstall and function correctly (at this point VQ will not guarantee this to be so).
ser #'s that start with 401 or WBR are in question. Anything that starts with 50 are ok.
 
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