SwampWolf
Member
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..."
I shoot my own Government Model at Bullseye competitive events and have found its accuracy to be on a par with my Smith & Wesson Model 41 and its reliability slightly better ( which isn't to say that the Smith is unreliable; only that the Ruger is more tolerant of ammunition variances). On the other hand, the trigger pull on my Model 41 and others that I have shot, is a level higher than any Ruger .22 target pistol that I've shot in the past (going back to my U.S. Air Force pistol shooting days in the early sixties).
"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..."
I shoot my own Government Model at Bullseye competitive events and have found its accuracy to be on a par with my Smith & Wesson Model 41 and its reliability slightly better ( which isn't to say that the Smith is unreliable; only that the Ruger is more tolerant of ammunition variances). On the other hand, the trigger pull on my Model 41 and others that I have shot, is a level higher than any Ruger .22 target pistol that I've shot in the past (going back to my U.S. Air Force pistol shooting days in the early sixties).
