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Got to Shoot a Ruger Mk IV Hunter Last Week
May 16, 2020, 07:19 AM
ArtieSGot to Shoot a Ruger Mk IV Hunter Last Week
Very nice pistol! Excellent trigger, great sights, nice balance, good controls (safety could have been a bit more positive, but I am used to 1911 safeties), and very nicely finished.
If I were looking for a .22 LR pistol, I would seriously consider the Mk. IV line.
"I vowed to myself to fight against evil more completely and more wholeheartedly than I ever did before. . . . That’s the only way to pay back part of that vast debt, to live up to and try to fulfill that tremendous obligation."
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May 16, 2020, 07:56 AM
mgriffinAgreed! I have a MK IV Stainless Target and the MK IV Tactical 22/45. Two fantastic .22 pistols. I also added the Volquartsen Accurizing Kit in both and each have about a 2 lb. trigger pull. Very accurate!
May 16, 2020, 10:07 AM
USAFA71I used Ruger MK-IIIs for student use in my CCW classes for years. When I stopped teaching, I traded in a MK-III 22-45 with just over 30,000 rds, and two newer 22-45s with over 15,000 rds each. The only problems were ammo related, and no parts needed replacing. My personal MK-III Hunter as just over 25,000 rds, again with all original parts, and only ammo related failures. I have a S&W 41 that is amazing to shoot, but can be fussy about functioning with certain ammo. Whenever I go to the range to shoot 22LR, the Ruger goes, and the S&W usually stays at home. And the Ruger shoots nearly as good.Unless you need a 22 LR pistol for Bulls-eye competition, for dependability and reliability, hard to do any better than the Ruger MK-XXX series.
A superior pilot is best defined as one who uses his superior judgment to avoid situations requiring the use of his superior skill.
May 16, 2020, 11:09 AM
Modern Day Savagequote:
Originally posted by ArtieS:
Very nice pistol! Excellent trigger, great sights, nice balance, good controls (safety could have been a bit more positive, but I am used to 1911 safeties), and very nicely finished.
If I were looking for a .22 LR pistol, I would seriously consider the Mk. IV line.
I've never handled or shot a MK III, but I think those same attributes apply to the MK I and MK II, as well as the 22/45 line as well.
May 16, 2020, 04:06 PM
DirectDrivequote:
Originally posted by photoman12001:
You can’t go wrong with any Ruger MK. MKIIs are my favorite.
Why Mk II ?
I have a 5-1/2" Bull Barrel that I bought in 1982 and just never loved it.
Maybe it's the teardown procedure ?
May 16, 2020, 04:26 PM
photoman12001quote:
Originally posted by DirectDrive:
quote:
Originally posted by photoman12001:
You can’t go wrong with any Ruger MK. MKIIs are my favorite.
Why Mk II ?
I have a 5-1/2" Bull Barrel that I bought in 1982 and just never loved it.
Maybe it's the teardown procedure ?
The MKII had everything I want, nothing I don't. I never had an issue with the disassembly or hell mag release though, some do. I've detailed stripped most of my MKIIs to install Volquartsen parts without issues. I have one MKIII but put a Tactical Solutions upper on it which got rid of the LCI so it just had the lock on the frame. All my others are MKIIs. I haven't found a reason to move to a MKIV.
May 16, 2020, 04:29 PM
DirectDrivequote:
Originally posted by photoman12001:
quote:
Originally posted by DirectDrive:
quote:
Originally posted by photoman12001:
You can’t go wrong with any Ruger MK. MKIIs are my favorite.
Why Mk II ?
I have a 5-1/2" Bull Barrel that I bought in 1982 and just never loved it.
Maybe it's the teardown procedure ?
The MKII had everything I want, nothing I don't. I never had an issue with the disassembly or hell mag release though, some do. I've detailed stripped most of my MKIIs to install Volquartsen parts without issues. I have one MKIII but put a Tactical Solutions upper on it which got rid of the LCI so it just had the lock on the frame. All my others are MKIIs. I haven't found a reason to move to a MKIV.
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May 18, 2020, 08:55 AM
SCfromNYExcept for the breakdown I love my MKIII Hunter with the 6 1/2" barrel. For the most part it shot all ammo very well with the strange exception that it loved cheap, dirty Remington Thunderbolt but hated Remington Gold.
Great trigger, super accurate, and fun to shoot.
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May 18, 2020, 10:25 AM
bald1quote:
Originally posted by photoman12001:
You can’t go wrong with any Ruger MK. MKIIs are my favorite.
I don't see many Weigand mounts. 
My 1983 vintage customized Mk678 II with Volquartsen parts I installed. That's a "chopped" PolyChoke vent rib FWIW. It was full length until I opted to add optics with the Weigand mount.
Now that I no longer shoot NRA indoor 22LR matches with it, I've changed the grips back to some nice factory checkered walnut panels. Hunter brand field holster is cut out to accommodate the big RedDot.
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May 18, 2020, 02:49 PM
Rolan_KrapsRuger really hit the ball out of the park with the MK IV. It addressed the one big complaint about the platform... Field Stripping.
I love the "Hunter". It's on my short list. I had one when I was doing a lot of training, but many ladies had issues with the weight. It was the gun I used when I qualified as an NRA Instructor.
Not so with the 22/45 Lite which is what I have now. It is a tack driver and is super light weight to boot.
Photo Feb 04, 11 56 10 AM by
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Rolan Kraps
SASS Regulator
Gainesville, Georgia.
NRA Range Safety Officer
NRA Certified Instructor - Pistol / Personal Protection Inside the Home
May 18, 2020, 08:12 PM
MikeinNCI have 2 22/45s both with the PAC-lite barrels....and I removed the magazine-must-be-in crap...
Love them!
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SigSentryMy MKII 22/45 collection grows. I honestly cannot pass up deals. This appears unfired which will be remedied soon.
May 23, 2020, 05:39 PM
BrowndrakeThe Ruger Mk IV Hunter may very well be my next purchase. I am so glad that Ruger finally addressed the takedown issue, although it shouldn’t have required the heavy competition from the Victory to make it happen. I suppose that is the way the world works though.
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- 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
May 23, 2020, 10:19 PM
jimmy123xIt's a very good looking gun in S.S., however I still like the feel of a Browning buckmark S.S. standard with URX grips.
May 24, 2020, 07:14 AM
19tassI have a stainless Target and also the Tactical model with Tandemkross comp. Both have the Volquartsen trigger jobs, and Vortex Venom red dots sights. They are accurate, fun-to-shoot guns, and extremely easy to maintain.
May 24, 2020, 10:34 AM
SigSentryquote:
Originally posted by Browndrake:
The Ruger Mk IV Hunter may very well be my next purchase. I am so glad that Ruger finally addressed the takedown issue, although it shouldn’t have required the heavy competition from the Victory to make it happen. I suppose that is the way the world works though.
Sturm/Ruger did it to themselves (mag safety). I can take down and put back together the MKII is less than a minute.No tools required.
May 28, 2020, 07:14 PM
LinemanBobI have the Mark IV Competition with a volquartsen trigger and Burris Fast Fire red dot. The trigger is a little bit light but that is not a bad problem. The accuracy is scary. When I miss I know it is ALL me.
May 29, 2020, 09:54 AM
monoblokWell I suppose I'm the dissenter here. I do like the feel of the Hunter, along with any number of variations within the family. Even with my dislike of the difficult disassembly/reassembly of the pre-MkIV guns, it's Ruger factory triggers that have almost always been
the sore spot that kept me from buying one, particularly compared to my Buck Marks and now the sublime Victory series from S&W. The only Rugers that I've shot where I liked the triggers have been ones laced with aftermarket parts that addressed the factory shortcomings. I suppose that I just never came to terms with the notion that to get a decent trigger out of a Ruger, I had to go out and spend even more money when I could have it right out of the box with a Buck Mark.
-MG
May 29, 2020, 11:26 AM
HRKTraded my Mark III for the MK IV lite, The III was a nice pistol, had the VQ trigger, mag safety mod, and was great fun until it came time to strip it down.
As to the MK IV, disassembly easy, check, reassembly, check, suppressor host, Check, trigger that doesn't need $150 worth of VQ parts to be enjoyable, check.
The early MK ruger 22/45 are great guns, but for me the IV is a significant improvement.