Ruger aficionados: Will a Ruger 22/45 MK III frame/grip fit on a MK II 22/45 barrel assy?

timbo

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I have a 22/45 MK II and would like to put a frame on it that I can install 1911 grips on it. I can't do that on my MK II but it looks like I might be able to fit the MK III frame on my MK II. Has anyone done this before?
 
So you've obtained a 22/45 Mk III grip frame,
even though both the 22/45 Mk II and 22/45 Mk III grip frames
are marked "part must be factory-fitted"?
I thought that meant Ruger wouldn't sell you a spare.
In this case, Ruger allegedly tunes the barrel/receiver to fit the frame's forward hook,
so the comment is legit.

...

Or did you already buy an aftermarket frame?
$459 on sale marked down from $510 for grips and tidbits, but no barrel/receiver?

I paid $359.00+tax-2%cash discount for our Mk III 22/45 Target in Dec'13.
A replaceable-grip equivalent Mk IV 22/45 has an MSRP of $499.
 
So you've obtained a 22/45 Mk III grip frame,
even though both the 22/45 Mk II and 22/45 Mk III grip frames
are marked "part must be factory-fitted"?
I thought that meant Ruger wouldn't sell you a spare.
In this case, Ruger allegedly tunes the barrel/receiver to fit the frame's forward hook,
so the comment is legit.

...

Or did you already buy an aftermarket frame?
$459 on sale marked down from $510 for grips and tidbits, but no barrel/receiver?

I paid $359.00+tax-2%cash discount for our Mk III 22/45 Target in Dec'13.
A replaceable-grip equivalent Mk IV 22/45 has an MSRP of $499.
Ruger, even if they had them, wouldn't sell a frame to a run of the mill plebe. There are sites that sell non-serialized parts for these firearms and there are other sites that talk about whether these will fit (or not) but there is some conflicting information as to whether they are interchangeable. According to what I can glean from the information I've found thus far, the "fitting" involves filing a peen (or adding one) on the breech end of the barrel.

I need to do some more research on this. I've not bought anything yet.

The OEM frames available used are about 1/3rd to 1/2 the price of the Volquartsen frame and OEM is what I'm really looking for.
 
Stupid question time:
What is the difference between the Mk II and Mk III frames, such that you can't put the 1911 grips on the former?

Which leads to:
Is it easier to modify the grips to fit your existing frame?
 
Stupid question time:
What is the difference between the Mk II and Mk III frames, such that you can't put the 1911 grips on the former?

Which leads to:
Is it easier to modify the grips to fit your existing frame?

The MkII had a completely molded grip, whereas most MkIIIs had normal 1911 grip panels and could accept aftermarket 1911 grips. But to throw another wrench in there, early MkIIIs had molded grips that were different than MkII.

MkII
BE300602-21BA-454A-8994-7C31A0433587.jpeg

Early MkIII
A4891F3F-0C00-4C55-8D3B-BB0A1724C0DC.jpeg

Later MkIII
0A813B92-1E36-4C55-80E9-2F9B9DEF6AF4.jpeg
 
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I just found a web shrine for Ruger Mk pistol grip frames.

Well, OP may know all about it. But the page was New To Me.

There's also a (pre-Mk IV, and possibly incomplete) feature comparison post
on Guntalk-Online.

Stupid question time:
What is the difference between the Mk II and Mk III frames, such that you can't put the 1911 grips on the former?
The gun he owns looks something like this.
(The barrel may be one of as many as three(?) different styles):
191009202509-1.png

If we Zoom And Enhance, the monolithic plastic grip frame looks like this:
Ruger-22-45-MK2b.jpg

This bears no resemblance to the Mk III 22/45 models
whose frames...
Weight-Ruger-22-45-MK3.JPG

...feature replaceable grips...
Ruger-22-45-MK3-2.JPG


Which leads to:
Is it easier to modify the grips to fit your existing frame?
I may have read of one guy who dremeled out the grips
except for a pair of spars supporting threaded sockets
that can have 1911-dimensioned grips screwed to them.

That ranks right up there with the sick bastard cough Bob/WA2T cough
who liked the rugged aesthetic of the Yaesu FC-30 autotuner...
413eprfadAL._AC_.jpg

...(
all the charm of those faux military radio/cassette boom boxes...
81sZVMCsYZL._AC_SX425_.jpg

...that used to be all the rage for playing disco music at the beach
)...
but disliked the fact that the flaccid Yaesu could only tune across a 3:1 SWR range.

So he bought an LDG AT-897 autotuner (10:1 SWR range)...
US45tuner.jpg

...and stuck the guts into the FC-30 enclosure by hacksawing off the last ⅝" of the PC board...
IMG_1887.JPG
...yielding the Scary Frankenstein FC-897 Autotuner.
@drgrant @one-eyed Jack @Len-2A Training @VetteGirlMA

@timbo, don't be like That Guy.
 
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😆 Hey, there are two of us on this forum who’ve done it. I never would have done it if Ruger weren’t such douche bags and would just sell me a later MkIII grip.
(Ironically creating an after-market for Volquartsen;
but let that go).

The non-removable panel grip was just way too thin. It felt horrible in the hand.
Our Mk III 22/45 shares the extreme cheesitude.
18345-DEFAULT-l.jpg

But when I was lead to realize I wasn't getting a GSG 1911 in .22LR,
and found out that FS had Ruger 22/45's in stock, with target bull barrel no less,
I didn't screw around asking if bull barrel models with removable grips were a thing.
I snapped up that bad boy like a dog finding bacon under the table.

Sadly, I bought the Ruger because everyone raved about it when I was fairly to personal guns, regardless of the grip. What a stupid mistake. I should have just bought a Buckmark. I also made the mistake of trusting everyone who said I absolutely had to have a 10/22. Yeah, that’s long since gone from my safe.
One only now wonders if anyone sells wrap-around rubber grips
for the monolithic plastic frame models. Hell, if they make them at all,
they probably make them with molded-in finger grooves, for great bullseyeness...
 
1644606226973.png

This is the one I have except the barrel is stainless. Because I didn't really care for the shape of the original grip/frame I had a friend of mine put the frame in a mill and mill the grip part of the frame flat. He did a great job and I was able to put a Pachmeyer grip around the frame. It's "OK" but still not what I was hoping for. I'll take pics of it sometime and put them here on the thread. This the Pachmayer grip:

1644606622852.png
 
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I just wish the Volquartsen didn’t cost more than the gun is worth. I’m not going to drop that kind of money on a gun that I kind of get angry at now. The only reason I don’t sell it is because of that modded grip and resale would be in the dirt. The Volquartsen trigger in it was worthwhile though.
This is one reason I'm looking for a used frame, preferably a MK II in case I eventually want to sell it but they are getting scarce . I do like the 22/45 MK Series concept. It’s more accurate than I am but those MK II grips... :confused:
 
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OK...pics with Pachmayer grips:
 

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If you shop around ( Ebay, gunbroker, etc) , you can usually find used MK II/III grip frames. I've bought several MK II/III and Iv frames and have done the grip milling mod myself on at least one. I have also modified some 1911 grips to fit that milled grip although both have been long traded off.
 
I’ll have to look more frequently I guess because I’ve never seen them for sale.
Admittedly, the MK IV frames have dried up a bit in the last year. I still see MK II and III are still around if your diligent. Picked up a MK III 22/45 frame last year for a Volquartsen Scorpion build I was hot on at the time. Just set up search's on either site and wait for them to notify you.
 
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