Government Model Ruger MKII

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Slamfire

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I remember when the "Government Model" Ruger came on the market, but never saw a real Government Model till a recent Bullseye Pistol Match. All Guard shooters were there, some using these, and I got to take a couple of pictures of real, genuine, Government Property, Ruger MKII's. I did not take out a tape measure, but these look to be 6.5 inch barrels.

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Based on the precise alignment of the U.S markings, I think these were roll marked at the factory.

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Wish I could do this, one shooter shot this 100-10X in timed fire.

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I thought this might be interesting to those who have never seen, and would not have seen, a US property marked Ruger target 22lr.
 
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Slamfire

Very cool! First one I have ever seen! Great shooting too: would love to add one to the collection.
 
would love to add one to the collection.

I really don't know how you would ever get one. These are Government issue, they are handguns, and they are modern handguns. I think the path of least resistance would be for the Government bureaucracy to send them to Captain Crunch when they are no longer needed, and that is probably going to be their fate.

As an example of the lazy and slothfulness of the bureaucracy: A shooting bud of mine worked on the rebuild lines at Anniston Army Depot. He also did duty as assigned. One job entailed taking rubber pistol grips off the trigger assembly of absolutely brand new M60's, which had been in storage, and tossing the rest of the weapon away. Bud asked why he was doing this, and was told that the National Guard units in Iraqi were still using M60's, their weapons were wearing out, and they needed rubber grips. But Bud asked the question, "why don't we send the National Guard units these new M60's not just the grips?". Well, that took more work. Someone had to take the serial number of the new weapon off one property book and transfer to another property book, and that took time finding the new owner and property book, and the whole process was tedious. So, it was just easier to send the National Guard new grips, instead of new weapons.

Don't think private industry is any better. Unless they are making a profit, they don't care either.
 
I really don't know how you would ever get one. These are Government issue, they are handguns, and they are modern handguns. I think the path of least resistance would be for the Government bureaucracy to send them to Captain Crunch when they are no longer needed, and that is probably going to be their fate.

Never know, might wind up for sale with the CMP, like the 1911's. Everything but full autos seem to end up there, eventually.
 
Never know, might wind up for sale with the CMP, like the 1911's. Everything but full autos seem to end up there, eventually.

It would be great if these Ruger target pistols survived and did make it out to the civilian market. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
 
Speedo66

Never know, might wind up for sale with the CMP, like the 1911's. Everything but full autos seem to end up there, eventually.

That's what I would be hoping for too! Never know, it might happen...
 
There was a Government Target Model (MK678GC) in Stainless Steel that was available for civilians; it had a 6 7/8" slabside barrel. I had one in the early 1990s. It was a beautiful gun, and I later added the light brown wood target grips.

After I got a Kadet Kit for my CZ-85 Combat, I found that the Kadet kit was (surprisingly) just as accurate as the Ruger**. An acquaintance who had bad arthritis in his hands lusted after the Ruge, and I traded with him for a very nice Witness Sport Long Slide (which he found painful to shoot.) I kept the Sport Long Slide for many years..

I still have a MkII with 6" barrel, and the CZ 85 Combat with the Kadet Kit.

**A later comment: please be aware that I seldom shoot at longer distances, and the Kadet Kit might not compare well at 50 yards, etc. -- but I have neither the eyes nor access to a range at which to find out. But, the Kadet Kit was good enough for me, and an acquaintance NEEDED the Ruger and I didn't. :)
 
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I thought this might be interesting to those who have never seen, and would not have seen, a US property marked Ruger target 22lr.

Interesting!

Is that a trigger stop of some sort--inside trigger guards, from
about 6:00 to 8:30?
 
There was a Government Target Model (MK678GC) in Stainless Steel that was available for civilians; it had a 6 7/8" slabside barrel. I had one in the early 1990s. It was a beautiful gun, and I later added the light brown wood target grips.

After I got a Kadet Kit for my CZ-85 Combat, I found that the Kadet kit was (surprisingly) just as accurate as the Ruger. An acquaintance who had bad arthritis in his hands lusted after the Ruge, and I traded with him for a very nice Witness Sport Long Slide (which he found painful to shoot.) I kept the Sport Long Slide for many years..

I still have a MkII with 6" barrel, and the CZ 85 Combat with the Kadet Kit.

A Bullseye bud uses this, I don't know the barrel length, but it is over my 5.5"

YaP8Rba.jpg

Bud regularly out shoots me with this. It is stock, except for the grips (Hogue I think) and the Volquartsen trigger. I installed two Volquartsen trigger on my MkII's and the trigger has adjustable take up and over travel and the trigger face is better positioned than the Ruger. Excessive take up of the factory trigger has resulted in a lot of low 6 OC shots as I slap the trigger during TF and Rapid Fire. Excessive over travel creates its own problems. I highly recommend this trigger, but not the Volquartsen sear, if you already have a crisp trigger!

I upset shooters all the time telling them that cheap ammunition will hold the two inch X ring at 50 yards. And it will. The ten ring is four inches at 50 yards. I will trade off 100% function reliability over accuracy every time with a rimfire pistol. While it is bad to have a misfire in Smallbore prone, because you wasted time waiting for the wind to come back, a misfire, a failure to eject, will absolutely ruin your score in Bullseye pistol. Alibi's ruin scores. Better ammunition tends to have better ignition and function reliability, at least according to the Lapua representative, when I talked pistol ammunition. He claimed the pistol ammunition was a little higher in pressure to ensure function, and I am of the opinion, the match pistol ammunition probably has more sensitive priming compound. I see, and have had, more misfires and failures to eject due to weak cartridge ignition than any other source of unreliability. Pistols do not have as robust ignition systems as rifles and they are more sensitive to primer compound sensitivity for function than rifles.

In terms of accuracy, Ruger pistols will hold the ten and X ring all the way out to 50 yards, I am certain the ergonomics and recoil reducing features of this feinwerkbau help in rapid fire

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Probably the same for these Hammerli's

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but if you are not shooting cleans with your Ruger, it ain't because of the inherent accuracy of the pistol.
 
Serial number starting 210= does not show up on the regular Ruger web sight so seems the Govt had their own lot of them. Around 1984-85

https://ruger.com/dataProcess/serialHistory/

I copied this from another forum which was also copied.

This is from another forum:

Shortly after its introduction in January of 1987, The American Rifleman did a report on the Ruger Government Target Model pistol. I found the following from this article:

"Ruger's Mark I and Mark II pistols have been used since the 1950s as .22 rimfire training guns by the U.S. military services.
A current version of the Mark II is replacing earlier service pistols by Ruger and other makers, and Ruger is now offering it for commercial sales.
The Ruger Government Target Model is in most respects identical to the Bull Barrel model, except it has a 6 7/8" barrel instead of the 5 1/2" tube of the older gun...The gun is rollmarked "Government Target Model" behind the ejection port where the military guns are marked "U.S."
The manufacturer states the Government Target Models are targeted using a patented laser sighting device at the factory. Government acceptance standards require that 10 shots must fall inside a 1 1/4" circle when fired from a range of 25 yds., and a test target is packed with each gun. Alsopacked with the pistol is a facsimile government technical manual..."

In October of 1987, Shooting Times author Dick Metcalf reported:

"...In essence, this new gun is a 6 7/8" bull-barrel version of the Mark II Target Model with higher profile adjustable sights...Created to meet U.S. military specifications for match-grade pistols, it has been chosen as the standard target and training handgun of the U.S. Armed Forces, replacing earlier models from Ruger and other manufacturers previously used for those purposes. The new civilian version of the Ruger Government Model (catalog designation 'MK678G') is identical to the military version, except the 'U.S.' stamping over the serial number is not present and the rear right side of the receiver is stamped 'Government Target Model.' From the domestic consumer's point of view, however, the most notable quality of the new gun is its accuracy...
Every Government Model .22 auto that leaves the Ruger plant is first targeted to military accuracy specifications via a special pistol laser sighting device...These specifications require 10 consecutive shots from a machine rest at 25 yards, all of which must fall within or cut the edge of a 1.25 inch bullseye. The target for each gun that's shipped with it is signed by the Ruger employee who tested the gun. That's the minimum required. If the test targets I have seen are any indication, the Government Models being shipped are considerably better.The test target for Shooting Times' review pistol measured less than one inch in extreme spread-10 shots in one ragged hole..."

On 1-30-91, my brother received the following letter from James Van Ness, Ruger Service Department Manager:

"This is in reference to your letter concerning the difference between the 5 1/2" bull barrel Target Model pistol and the GovernmentModel pistol.
...The basic difference is that we do target the Government Model at 25 yards with CCI Green Tag ammunition to insure it shoots a 1 1/4" group. This is not to say that you might not get the same results with your 5 1/2" bull barrel, but it would not have to in order to meet our manufacturing specifications.
The Government Model also has a heat treated chamber which allows us to hold it to a slightly tighter specification..."

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What target is that and what was the timed amount? It says repair target it is not a B-16 slow yard 25 yard target, maybe it's a B-8c target because that bulls looks pretty big.
 
I am the author of that post and my brother and I are still competing in Bullseye matches with our Government model Ruger pistols. They are every bit as accurate now as they were almost thirty years ago...:thumbup:

I "stole" it from RF central. Thanks!:D
 
What target is that and what was the timed amount? It says repair target it is not a B-16 slow yard 25 yard target, maybe it's a B-8c target because that bulls looks pretty big.


This is the course of fire for a 900 point match.

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NRA PRECISION PISTOL RULES

https://compete.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/RuleBooks/Pistol/pistol-book.pdf


Section 4.0 Targets


4.7 25 yard rapid or timed fire - Exactly the same target as the 50 yard slow fire except that only the 9 and 10 rings are black. Target No. B-8(T) is Tag board, B-8(P) is Paper and B-8(C) is Re-pair Center

4.8 50 yard slow fire Standard American Target - 8, 9 and 10 rings black. Target No. B-6, B-6(T) is Tag board, B-6(P) is Paper and 6(C) is Repair Center

.X ring ......................1.695 inch
10 ring .....................3.36 in
9 ring .......................5.54 in
8 ring .......................8.00 in
7 ring .....................11.00 in
6 ring .....................14.80 in
5 ring .....................19.68 in

At fifty yards, you put up the 50 yard full face target BT6 which is 21" X 24" That costs $26.00 per 100 targets. Since of course, everyone keeps all their rounds in the black, ah hem, theoretically you don't need to put a new full face every ten shots. You staple a repair center, B6C, which is $7.50 per 100 targets, over the center of the full face target. The eight ring is black on the BT6 and B6C target, all ring dimensions are identical to the 25 yard targets. Since everyone one is such a good shot and keeps all their bullets in the black, when you move to 25 yards, you use B8c, the 25 yard repair center, which the eight ring is white. The 25 yard repair center B8C is $7.50 per 100 targets.


You can see how the repair centers are attached to the target

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this is what happens when a good shooter fires a late shot in TF or RF just as the target turns. I don't remember how they scored this, but he did not get a 5 plus a 6, plus a 7, plus an 8, plus a nine, and plus a ten, for the one shot.

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You can look at the targets at National Target Company

https://www.nationaltarget.com/inde...order&osCsid=3b86cbda2aab4aa6eec9ce5d08d3f3eb
 
thanks slamfire for the info, wanted to know so I can try myself at the range to see how I could do.
 
thanks slamfire for the info, wanted to know so I can try myself at the range to see how I could do.

You know, I had to create that 900 round match sequence because I could not find one anywhere. Bullseye leadership has been very poor in describing what they do, and one problem for the new shooters, is finding out the coarse of fire.

If you go to a 2700, you will need a scope. You can see the rig this AMU shooter has:

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His scope is rotated because all shots are on the electronic display. I have found that it is important to check the focus of your spotting scope at the nearest range. I tried a high power scope and it would not focus on the 50 foot indoor range target, and it might not have focused at 25 yards.

I am using a Minox 50 W, an extremely compact spotting scope, and I use the lowest setting, which is 16X.
product_page_md_50_a_2.jpg


You don't have to buy a box, a spotting scope on a cheap Walmart tripod will work. No one cares if you shoot three times with a 22lr, in fact the NRA has a category for that. Most of the shooters want to shoot their 45 ACP as soon as possible, so most shooters break out their 1911's for the Centerfire and the 45 phase. I just recently learned you can shoot a Colt SAA in 45LC, because the 45 stage is not limited to 45 ACP and 1911's. The cartridge just has to be 45.

I will say, Bullseye is the most difficult shooting sport I have tried. Fifty yards is a long way with a pistol and shooting offhand, only supporting the pistol with one hand, is extremely difficult. First time out, you will be missing the 50 yard target and the 25 yard targets. I am a good rifle shooter but I eat humble pie every Bullseye match, after four years I have gone from abysmal to mediocre.

You know, sometimes it is great to be awful again. I have no expectations of glory, no pressure about placing at the top, and all I can do is improve. I am having fun. It has helped my offhand rifle. I am not afraid of the wobble, nor am I getting exhausted trying to hold till the wobble goes away. Which it won't. Holding too long just makes it worse. Just concentrate on the trigger and it will be in the black somewhere.
 
I will say, Bullseye is the most difficult shooting sport I have tried. Fifty yards is a long way with a pistol and shooting offhand, only supporting the pistol with one hand, is extremely difficult.


I agree and I would add that us old timers were using open sights only during the "golden era" of Bullseye shooting; a time when gun makers focused on making pistols designed to compete in target matches. Custom-made, accurized and Colt "National Match" and "Gold Cup" factory-made 1911 autos; Smith & Wesson "Masterpiece" and Colt "Officers" revolver models (both rimfire and center-fire); an entire line-up of High Standard .22 autos; the Smith & Wesson Models 41 and 52 pistols and target versions of the Colt Woodsman and Ruger Mark .22 auto pistols, were all developed to accommodate Bullseye competition.

For those who might think Slamfire is exaggerating the difficulty Bullseye competition poses, imagine shooting at a target fifty yards in the distance, holding the pistol in one hand and relying on using iron sights (as it used to be and, for me, still is); squeezing the trigger while the winds off Lake Erie are buffeting your sight picture.

There may well be more difficult shooting disciplines than Bullseye but, as one who has shot competitively in trap leagues and service rifle meets and has competed in all sorts of "tactical" style shooting, including the use of handgun, shotgun and rifle; in my experience and opinion, there aren't very many.
 
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<i>this is what happens when a good shooter fires a late shot in TF or RF just as the target turns</i>

The range master at my club told me he would score a shot made on a turning target before full stop at the lowest scoring ring cut by the bullet.
(I suspect. though, it would be totally discounted as being out of time.)
 
I have a 6 7/8" Mk II Government Target Model, but it's not a U.S. Property marked gun it's a civilian model. To help my aging eyes a bit I painted the undercut front blade white, and then blaze orange, with Testors model paint. I added the Ruger thumbrest grips after I bought it, these make the gun sit very nicely in my hand.

I certainly can't shoot anywhere near as well as that target posted earlier! That shooter is amazing :thumbup:.

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Stay safe.
 
I bought a Government Target Model when they first came out. Great pistol...came with a target that was an 8 shot hole with the 2 remaining shots just outside the hole.
I shot metallic falling plates for 8 years with it so many thousands of rounds through it...always ran great.
 
The High Master class shooters in Precision Pistol (Bullseye) are the top scoring shooters and something to see. Try shooting some Bullseye targets to get an idea.

The spotting scope helps learning, call your shots, in slow fire, plus see sight adjustment needed.

The Ruger 5 1/2" target model could be using in the ISSF International Competitions , but i kept the longer barrel 6 7/8" one.
Good to have a back up in 22 lr & 45 acp, encase one goes down. Sold my hardball 1911.

Built pistol case in the 60s. Doesn't see much use now. BullseyeBox.jpg E.jpg
 
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