• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

RECOMMENDATION ON RUGER 22 CAL. ???

J

JohnnyC

NES Member
Joined
May 1, 2010
Messages
305
Likes
17
Location
Mass.
Feedback: 16 / 0 / 0
I am looking to purchase a new Ruger 22 cal. and wanted to know which model you would recommend and why? I really like the looks of the Mark III Hunter. This will be for target practive, and to introduce my daughter and wife to shooting. Thank you.
 
I have the Mark III Target with the 6 7/8" tapered barrel. It's a bit lighter than the bull barrel and has the 3-post sights instead of the Hi-Viz. It's got the nice, light trigger as well. We've taken a lot of new shooters out and introduced them to the sport with the Target model...If you're ever in the area of HSC, you're welcome to try it.
 
I have the 5.5" MkIII target, with bull barrel. It is fairly well balanced, and a great shooter. The weight of the barrel really helps keep the muzzle down (for all that .22 flips, anyway). Mine's blue, but if you preferred stainless that'd work.

If weight is a concern, you could consider one of the shorter barrel 22/45s.

The hunter does look great, I like the fluting on the barrel. I went with the target model due to availability and price.

I'm not sure how much more complex the MkIIIs are versus the MkIIs. I plan on removing the mag disconnect on mine, which will help a lot (involves a 5 dollar part and a detail strip).

Good luck on your purchase!
 
1. Government Model; a/k/a "slabside." The one that's issued to the service academy shooters.

2. 22/45, if you have - or plan to get - a 1911, because the controls and grip angle are the same.
 
I have found that the bull barrel is a pretty heavy gun for the new female shooters I have introduced to shooting with it. I think the 22/45 is a choice, and as Scrivener said it is a good practice pistol for a later 1911 upgrade.
 
I have the Mark III Hunter Bull Barrel and the CT laser grip...it is a tac driver I can hit small targets easily at 50 yards ( without using the laser). It can be a pain to tear down. Mine is currently with Ruger for a nagging fail to eject problem however Ruger is fixing it free of charge.
 
After reading the horror stories, I expected tear down of the Mk III to be a lot more difficult than it was.

Clearly this isn't a pistol you'd want in any kind of combat situation where quick cleaning / repairs might be an issue, but if you have 20 minutes, some surface... and a small rubber mallet... it's not too bad.
 
JasonG said:
After reading the horror stories, I expected tear down of the Mk III to be a lot more difficult than it was.

Clearly this isn't a pistol you'd want in any kind of combat situation where quick cleaning / repairs might be an issue, but if you have 20 minutes, some surface... and a small rubber mallet... it's not too bad.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%. I have the MK III and was a little worried come first cleaning based on what I heard and read. It wasn't too bad. I used a small piece of wood instead of a rubber mallet out of convenience and it worked fine. Once you do it yourself and see how it all fits back together it is fairly straight forward.
 
JasonG said:
After reading the horror stories, I expected tear down of the Mk III to be a lot more difficult than it was.

Clearly this isn't a pistol you'd want in any kind of combat situation where quick cleaning / repairs might be an issue, but if you have 20 minutes, some surface... and a small rubber mallet... it's not too bad.
Click to expand...

It's not really hard, it just involves a ton of steps, and if you miss one you'll be pounding your head against the wall (or, with that handy rubber mallet). After a few times it becomes easier.
 
JasonG said:
After reading the horror stories, I expected tear down of the Mk III to be a lot more difficult than it was.

Clearly this isn't a pistol you'd want in any kind of combat situation where quick cleaning / repairs might be an issue, but if you have 20 minutes, some surface... and a small rubber mallet... it's not too bad.
Click to expand...

Just as clearly, it was never intended for use in any kind of combat situation. The original was a general purpose plinker, with a target version also available. That is still the basic premise, just with a few more variants with their respective bells and whistles.

I rarely do a full tear-down on mine. A toothpick cleans the wax/lead build-up from around the breechface and simply removing the bolt gets access to most of what you need access to. If you want to be fancy, pull the grips, blast the frame with brake cleaner, wipe down and re-lube and replace the bolt.
 
I've had a great time with my 22/45 Hunter, fluted barrel. It's more accurate than I am, no jams, and it seems to eat anything that I put through it.
Once you find the right You Tube video, you'll be able to reassemble it in 30 seconds. --Cleaning it is another issue!
 
I got a 22/45 target. Very fun to shoot! I took mine down before shooting it. It was a little difficult, but with the help of a youtube video, it was much easier to understand how to get it back together. Now I can take it down and put it back together in a few minutes. I think it would have been a little easier if it was broken in first. I think they are very nice pistols though mine really only likes the federal bulk packs and cci. Hope this helps.
 
Ended up getting the Mark III Hunter with the shorter 4.5 inch fluted barrel. Took it out tonight and was very pleased. Fun to shoot, very accurate, and a great looking piece. Thank you all for your input !!!
 
Another vote for the Ruger .22/45 since I'm an 1911 shooter as well. The older MkII series has a better stock trigger. Advantage of the MKIII is that they are tapped for base which they supply with the pistol now if you want to mount a red dot type scope.
 
What is your favorite ammo? I bought a brick of Winchester 40grain Dynapoint and have had terrible results. A jam or misfeed every 10 rounds... Will be tring Federal 36grain later today.
 
I've got the Mk III Hunter as well. That thing only shoots bull's eyes. Like others have mentioned yes they are a pain to reassemble. If you want to get one check out these guys.

https://www.volquartsen.com/category/11-mkiii-conversions/6-mkiii

They make some great after market parts.


But if you are just looking for a plinker\target gun and not a match gun then you'll be paying too much in time and money with the Ruger. Get a Sig Mosquito or a Whalter P22. The reverse 2 tone Mosquito is just a great looking gun. And since it strips like your typical semi-auto, you'll have less headaches and get more training out of it. Did I mention it looks awesome?
Note that if you go with the Sig I'd suggest using Mini Mags.
 
Last edited:
JohnnyC said:
What is your favorite ammo? I bought a brick of Winchester 40grain Dynapoint and have had terrible results. A jam or misfeed every 10 rounds... Will be tring Federal 36grain later today.
Click to expand...

Crap promo ammo. Get some better stuff; at least use the T22 Winchester. Better yet, get the CCI or Aquila ammo; you'll like the results. Heck, my Rugers were happy with the Blazer .22 LR.
 
Well, Federal worked flawlessly... But onto the major news story: Tonight I disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled my Mark III, from owner reports a task I was not looking forward to. In all it took me almost two hours. What a pain, and what a job. Hopefully next time will take me much less.
Now time to clean my PM9, which should take a few minutes at best !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Why is it that when someone on this forum asks about getting a .22, the semi auto is always the first and most often recommended ? (by 99 to one, it seems like)

Doesn't anyone under the age of 50 ever think of a revolver? Has anyone under the age of 50 even shot a revolver?

If you don't, you should.

Young people !!!!! Listen to me !!!! Listen to the wisdom of the aged !

There are other things in this world than semi autos, both handguns and rifles !

Get a Ruger Single Six for a first gun. Then get a S&W Model 17 or 617 for your next and last gun...well maybe not your last, as you will want more revolvers, but you'll never get a better .22 than a S&W revolver.

They are easy to clean. They are not ammo selective. If they don't go bang when you pull the trigger it's because the ammo won't go bang, it's not the gun's fault. There's nothing to jam. They're beautiful. They're classic. They're accurate.

Go into a gun shop and ask to see a .22. The cases are full of Ruger Mk 1,2,3's, Walther P22's, and Mosquitos and there are far fewer revolvers. Why? People keep their revolvers because they shoot !

You don't get rid of something because it's good and you like it.

Get a freaking revolver !

Rant over. Old man, out.
 
Pilgrim said:
Why is it that when someone on this forum asks about getting a .22, the semi auto is always the first and most often recommended ? (by 99 to one, it seems like)

Doesn't anyone under the age of 50 ever think of a revolver? Has anyone under the age of 50 even shot a revolver?
Click to expand...

Hey, Dennis, I have both a Mark II AND a 617!!

Oh... wait. "under the age of 50"... I turned 50 last Thursday.

Never mind.

That said, I also have a bolt action .22 rifle and at some point a lever action is on my lust list. I'm thinkin' a Henry...
 

Similar threads

Letters of recommendation?
2
Replies
46
Views
1K
42!
42!
50 Cal Brass
Replies
3
Views
217
MassPete
MassPete
Thompson Center 45 cal. Value and interest
Replies
8
Views
248
Asaltweapon
Asaltweapon
Nevada Supreme Court Upholds Ban on So-Called ‘Ghost Guns’
Replies
4
Views
191
Dennis in MA
Dennis in MA
a .22 lr question
Replies
8
Views
256
Asaltweapon
Asaltweapon
Back
Top Bottom