Ruger MkIII

We own a Ruger Standard Model, a Mark II and a Mark III Target. They all perform admirably but as to which is the best I really can't say. The Mark III has the most bells and whistles but the Standard is just as accurate and reliable. For that matter so is the Mark II.

"Best" is very subjective and depends on what features you want or need. I don't think you'll go wrong with any of the current models.

I have a dealer that sell all firearms at discount prices Our 2 rugers are 3 years old so prices would not be current but I am very happy with both ours. My wifes is a 4" 22/45 version , mine is the older style thin barrel 6" . I did add a 2lb trigger kit to it. It is as good as a great old colt huntman 6" we have too. My wife is happy with hers too. Almost as good as the colt but less picky about ammo. I like the MKII and III do to the all metal construction. Not a fan of the 22/45 version. Ain't no best. Buy what you like, all the same inside.

IMHO, Mk III is the best bang for the buck.

All of my handguns are now Ruger.

IMHO, Mk III is the best bang for the buck.

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Seein as they (Ruger) felt that mag disconnect safety was of utmost importance, and no more MkIIs, I'll agree.

Yep.
Just as good as the MkIs & IIs.
The IIs had the slide lock improvement.
The IIIs, no advantage & no disadvantage, except that mag disconnect.

My opinion is that the MK II was the high water mark for the Ruger MK series pistol. It has the ten round magazine capacity, last shot bolt hold open, and heal mag release (I think that is a plus).

There is nothing wrong with the MK I, which I'd prefer over the MK III. The MK III has the unnecessary loaded chamber indicator (LCI), magazine disconnect, and internal lock. The good news is you can remove the LCI, and mag disconnect with a few, available parts, and it is not that hard to do.

If you can find a MK II for around the same price as a MK III get it, but they are getting a premium in good condition due to the above changes. If you can't find a MK II, get a MK III and do the changes if they bother you, if not, just shoot it.

I think the removal of the mag disconnect is almost necessary on the MKIII, if only for the additional ease of disassembly. The LCI I've heard can gunk up the chamber face and cause jams so I took it out and plugged the slot, but I don't know if that was really needed.

I never liked the 22/45 because of the polymer frame, but now after owning one for a year next to my MKII Target I actually prefer the weight savings as well as the grip angle to the standard. You really can't go wrong with either though.

I think the Ruger Mark pistols are the best pistol for the money. Not just the best 22, but the best pistol. They're accurate, they're reliable, and they're releativly inexpensive, especially on the used market which is the only way I buy them. I've probably owned at least a half dozen of them over the years. Maybe more. I buy them, shoot them for a while, trade/sell them, then buy another.

I've owned all three versions (plus a 22/45). I don't think there is a dimes worth of practical difference in them. Right now, I've got a MK II, and a Mk III. The magazine disconnect and the loaded chamber indicator on the Mark III don't bother me one way or the other. Nor do the "improvements" to the Mark II. They're just different. That's all.

Just get one.

Every trip to the range with my mkiii 22/45 I always get several that don't go bang. I'm pretty sure it's somehow related to the mag disconnect because the trigger feels disengaged. Once I remove the round in chamber and re-rack it's fine for a while but ultimately does it again a few mags later. I think maybe the mag sometimes isn't tight enough and slips down a bit. Not sure. For this reason I can't say I've been thrilled with mine. Might sell it and get a 1911 type 22lr.

MK pistols will last a lifetime. If you do need parts, they are readily available from Ruger, inexpensive, and easily replaceable. The guns generally are very accurate and usually eat any ammo.

I've got a MK3. By far the most reliable rimfire pistol I've ever seen.

10k trouble free rounds through it. I love my MK3. They're durable, reliable, and fairly priced pistols.

My shooting buddy had a bad experience with his. We tended to believe the loaded chamber indicator was at fault. My Govt. Model II has been fine. Maybe he just got a bad one.

What was the shooting buddy's bad experience?

Every trip to the range with my mkiii 22/45 I always get several that don't go bang. I'm pretty sure it's somehow related to the mag disconnect because the trigger feels disengaged. Once I remove the round in chamber and re-rack it's fine for a while but ultimately does it again a few mags later. I think maybe the mag sometimes isn't tight enough and slips down a bit. Not sure. For this reason I can't say I've been thrilled with mine. Might sell it and get a 1911 type 22lr.

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Mine does that as well but only with one type of ammo, Win Super X. The primer strike looks ok however so I'm more inclined to call it an ammo problem than with the gun. Does yours fail to fire with multiple kinds of ammo?

I have a MkIII 22/45,with thousands and thousands of rounds through it. Likewise for my shooting buddy. I took out the mag disconnects and they only got more enjoyable to shoot, not to mention easier to take down and reassemble. Can't say we've shot every type of ammo, but only have had problems with Aquila Super Max rounds. Lots of FTE's. We think it's because the cases are longer than any other LR we've compared them to.

Great little guns, and with the pricing on them great values.

I love my MKIII although it's more VQ parts than Ruger anymore. The LCI can give you malfunctions if you let it get incredibly dirty. It can also be easily removed and replaced with a filler piece. When I teach people to shoot pistols, this is the gun I start them with.



If you do get a MKIII, you will want to install a BAM or Sam Lam bushing and remove the magazine disconnect safety. This is the most common modification to MKIII's. Also replacing the extractor with a VQ or other 'exact edge' piece is a good reliability modification.

My MKIII handles pretty much every type of ammo except those horrid Golden bullets. Shoots Federal Automatch well, and anything SV it shoots with very good accuracy.

I am building a new pistol for my wife; it will have a VQ MKIII target frame and Pac-lite upper. No Ruger parts at all (except mags)!

yeah they are damn nice guns. You can usually find them used for like 200 bucks or so. They greatly benefit from the volquartsen trigger kit, as well as taking a couple of the safety features out. You can't really go wrong though, since the stock gun is one of the best 22 handguns on the market.

I have a Mark III 22/45, and its been great. Highly recommended.

Barrel taper and length doesn't really matter for accuracy, it's more of what you prefer aesthetically. As for target sights, yes, well worth it.

Absolutely get adjustable sights.

Can't go wrong with any Mark's. My dad's old Mark-I will still outshoot his Mark II's and 22/45. My personal favorite is the 22/45. Points right where I need it to every time. The other Mark grip angles has always been a little off for me. Still, I'm happy to shoot'em all!

Mark II all the way! I have one, and with the red dot I can hit my 100 yard gong offhand almost every time.

Just don't use the bolt stop as a slide release to snap the bolt. It is soft steel, and will get mishapen. I mucked up mine, not knowing that you're always supposed to slingshot the bolt after inserting the fresh mag. I was able to recontour it with a file rather than replace it.