Ruger MK IV
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The Ruger Standard Model is a rimfire
semi-automatic pistol A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actuall ...
introduced in 1949 as the first product manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co., and was the founding member of a product line of
.22 Long Rifle The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smo ...
cartridge Cartridge may refer to: Objects * Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition * ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device * Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators Other uses * Cartridge (surname), a ...
handgun A handgun is a short- barrelled gun, typically a firearm, that is designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun (i.e. rifle, shotgun or machine gun, etc.), which needs to be held by both hands and also braced ...
s, including its later iterations: the MK II, MK III, and MK IV. It is marketed as an inexpensive
.22 caliber .22 caliber, or 5.6 mm caliber, refers to a common firearms bore diameter of 0.22 inch (5.6 mm). Cartridges in this caliber include the very widely used .22 Long Rifle and .223 Remington / 5.56×45mm NATO. .22 inch is also a popular ...
rimfire intended for casual
sport Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
and
target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...
shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can ...
, and
plinking Plinking refers to informal target shooting done for pleasure, typically at non-standard targets such as tin cans, logs, bottles, or any other homemade or naturally occurring target. Practice In contrast to shooting done at established targe ...
. Designed by company founder
William B. Ruger William Batterman Ruger (June 21, 1916 â€“ July 6, 2002) was an American firearms designer and entrepreneur, who partnered with Alexander McCormick Sturm to establish Sturm, Ruger & Co., Sturm, Ruger & Company in 1949. Their first product was ...
, the Standard model and its offspring went on to become the most accepted and successful .22 caliber semi-automatic pistols ever produced.Quinn, Boge
"Ruger 50th Anniversary .22"
Gunblast Web site. Accessed January 8, 2009.
Metcalf, Dick

About.com Web site. Accessed January 13, 2009.


Development

Sometime in the years following
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
firearm designer and entrepreneur Bill Ruger acquired a pair of World War II
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
Nambu pistol are a series of semi-automatic pistols produced by the Japanese company Koishikawa Arsenal, later known as the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal.Hogg, Ian, ''Pistols of the World 4th Edition'' (2004) p. 191. The series has three variants, the Type A, the ...
s from a returning
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, which he successfully duplicated in his garage. Using the Nambu's silhouette and bolt system, Ruger produced his first prototype, but lacked the
venture capital Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which ha ...
necessary to fund its introduction. When his affluent friend and potential financial backer Alex Sturm was shown the 1949
prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
Ruger had created, he was impressed by its sleek traditional aesthetic and its slight resemblance to the classic nostalgia-evoking German
Luger P08 pistol The Pistole Parabellum—or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just Luger or Luger P08 is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The Luger was produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 ...
. Realizing that prospective buyers would share his sentiment, Sturm quickly signed on board with an initial investment of $50,000 and the two teamed up to create what was to become an iconic American firearms manufacturing company, Sturm, Ruger & Co. Ruger's new product was simply christened the "Standard" model. Intended as a low-cost
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and
sport Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
ing product for outdoor,
hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
and firearms
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, Ruger pioneered a number of simple and innovative manufacturing techniques used in the production of the new pistol, including using
piano wire Piano wire, or "music wire", is a specialized type of wire made for use in piano strings but also in other applications as springs. It is made from tempered high-carbon steel, also known as spring steel, which replaced iron as the material st ...
coiled springs in the lockwork in lieu of the flat springs most manufacturers were using at the time, and forming the receivers from two stamped sheet metal halves welded together. These practices worked well with a firearm which needed to handle only .22 rimfire pressures, and the cost savings it produced allowed Sturm and Ruger to radically undersell the competition which still used older and more expensive manufacturing techniques. Financier Sturm, an amateur
heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...
aficionado, made his own contribution in the form of the company's
trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...
"Red Eagle"
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emblem, which was featured as a medallion on the left grip panel. A favorable review published in the ''
American Rifleman ''American Rifleman'' is a United States-based monthly shooting and firearms interest publication, owned by the National Rifle Association (NRA). It is the 33rd-most-widely-distributed consumer magazine and the NRA's primary magazine. The magaz ...
'' magazine penned by the notable firearms authority
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Julian S. Hatcher Julian Sommerville Hatcher (June 26, 1888 – December 4, 1963), was a U.S. Army major general, noted firearms expert and author of the early twentieth century. He is credited with several technical books and articles relating to military ...
, coupled with a subdued advertisement printed in the same magazine resulted in a great deal of interest from the public. The suggested retail price for the new pistol was a reasonable and very competitive $37.50 US. Checks from would-be purchasers soon rolled in, but as Ruger was firmly entrenched in the "old school" of financial responsibility, none were cashed until pistols actually shipped, setting a standard for "in the black" operation which would serve the company well in the future. In a few months the
seed money Seed money, sometimes known as seed funding or seed capital, is a form of securities offering in which an investor invests capital in a startup company in exchange for an equity stake or convertible note stake in the company. The term ''seed'' su ...
was all spent, but by then the first 100 Standard pistols had been built and distributed to the initial purchasers. From the time of its introduction in the fall of 1949, the new pistol was a success, and though it faced competition from the beginning, it soon dominated a large share of the rimfire pistol market segment. Unfortunately Alex Sturm did not survive to see the corporation's ultimate success, suffering an untimely demise from
viral hepatitis Viral hepatitis is liver inflammation due to a viral infection. It may present in acute form as a recent infection with relatively rapid onset, or in chronic form. The most common causes of viral hepatitis are the five unrelated hepatotropic v ...
in November 1951. In memorial and as a mark of respect and bereavement, Ruger ordered the background of Sturm's eagle emblem changed from red to black on future production models of the popular and successful firearm they produced and marketed together. The Standard model was under constant production in basically the same form for the next 33 years, but the new corporation expanded the basic Standard
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into a product line of pistols over time by the introduction of a number of variant models. These took the form of offering additional barrel lengths and configurations, creating versions optimized for target shooting, and adding the finish option of
stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
. The line was also refined with three mechanical "MK" series upgrades, the Mk II, Mk III and Mk IV, in 1982, 2004 and 2016 The MK II added a slide stop that held the slide open on the last round, and also was available in
stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
. The MK II was available in a number of barrel lengths; and lightweight barrels; , , and bull barrels, and and heavy tapered barrels. All guns with bull or heavy tapered barrels are Target models, and are equipped with target sights consisting of an adjustable rear sight and a taller, wider front sight, with an aggressive undercut to reduce glare. In 1999 18 versions of this popular pistol could be found in the Sturm Ruger catalog, and with over 2 million sold it eventually became the most prolific and well-liked .22 automatic pistol of all time.


Features


Standard (1949-1982)

The Standard model is an atypical design, lacking the
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found on conventional pistols, instead sporting a cylindrical bolt which cycles inside a tubular receiver in a manner more characteristic of a rimfire rifle. The bolt of the pistol features protruding "ears" at its rear which are grasped and pulled rearward to feed the initial round and cock the action. Using the basic blowback form of
operation Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...
, the Standard model originally came with a blued
carbon steel Carbon steel is a steel with carbon content from about 0.05 up to 2.1 percent by weight. The definition of carbon steel from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) states: * no minimum content is specified or required for chromium, cobalt ...
finish and was equipped with a tapered barrel. The
magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
held 9 rounds of .22 Long Rifle
ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...
and was held in place by a catch on the bottom of the grip frame. Standard models came with Patridge style fixed iron open sights with the rear sight securely mounted in a dovetail. The grip panels were hard black checkered Butaprene
synthetic rubber A synthetic rubber is an artificial elastomer. They are polymers synthesized from petroleum byproducts. About 32-million metric tons of rubbers are produced annually in the United States, and of that amount two thirds are synthetic. Synthetic rubbe ...
, with pre-1950 pistols featuring the "Red Eagle" trademark as originally designed by Alex Sturm. The manual safety on the Standard model could be engaged only when the pistol was cocked, and the bolt could be locked open by activating the safety with the bolt held back. The bolt was left "in the white" with the unfinished steel providing a visual contrast with the blued receiver. In 1954 a new model with a barrel length of 6 inches was added to the Standard lineup. In 1971, one of the few engineering changes ever made to the Standard model took place when the original 22-year-old receiver forming dies wore out. As a precursor to changes to come with the 1982 introduction of the MK II series, the slot for the magazine follower extension on the grip frame was moved from the right to the left side. Designated the "A 100" frame modification, this alteration facilitated the eventual improvement of the Standard pistol by the addition of a bolt hold open device as part of the eventual MK II upgrade. The pistol grip panels and magazines from older Standard models can not be used on post-1971 pistols due to this change, but the later magazines can still be used on pre-1971 guns by moving the magazine follower button to the opposite side. As the Standard model reached the end of its
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in 1981, a special edition run of 5000 4.75-inch pistols built of stainless steel were manufactured. These pistols were shipped in special wooden cases and featured an engraving of Bill Ruger's
signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...
.


MK I Target (1950–1982)

Introduced in 1950, the MK I Target model was basically the same as the Standard pistol, except that it boasted a barrel, adjustable target style trigger, a "Micro" adjustable rear sight, and a front sight blade undercut to reduce glare. In 1952, a barreled version of the MK I Target was added to the lineup, but manufactured only through 1957, making it a
collectible A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms t ...
rarity today. A heavy bull barreled version of the MK I Target became available in 1963, eventually becoming the most popular length for Ruger Target MK pistols. Like their Standard model brethren, target models underwent the A 100 grip frame redesign in 1971.


MK II

The MK II ("Mark Two") was made from 1982 to 2005. It replaced the ''Standard'', Ruger's first model, made from 1949 to 1982, and the ''MK I Target'', made from 1951 to 1982. MK II variations include the ''Target'' models, which have heavier barrels and adjustable sights, and the ''22/45'' models, which have a
polymer A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...
frame with a grip-angle that matches the
Colt 1911 The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for th ...
rather than the
steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
frame's
Luger P08 The Pistole Parabellum—or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just Luger or Luger P08 is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The Luger was produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 ...
–like layout. Three barrel types were available. Taper barrels were available in ″,″, 6″, and ″ lengths, and could be equipped with fixed sights in any length or adjustable sights on 6″ and ″ length barrels. Bull barrels were available on the Mark II in ″, ″, and 10″ lengths and all had adjustable sights. The slab-sided target models were available with ″ and ″ barrels and had adjustable sights. All Ruger Mark II pistols were available in either a blued finish or stainless steel except for the slab side Target Models, which only came in stainless. The MK II was removed from production in 2004, when it was replaced by the MK III. All Ruger rimfire pistols are chambered in
.22 Long Rifle The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smo ...
only.


Variants

Some special variants that command higher prices are the Government Target Model, a model that was used for pistol training and competition by the United States Army, and the Red Eagle models, which were made from 1949 to the year of company co-founder Alexander Sturm's death, in 1951. The Red Eagle models had the Ruger logo in red on a silver background. Since then, the Ruger logo on the grip panels has been either black on silver or silver on black, with the exception of a special 50th Anniversary model that had a silver eagle on a red background. The top-of-the-line Government Target Model comes with a bull barrel and wood thumb-rest target grips. The competition Target Model is identical to the Government Target Model with the addition feature of flats cut along each side of the barrel to reduce weight. Sometime during the span of Mark II production, Ruger started drilling its receivers for and providing a low profile scope base, and 1″ scope rings. With the addition of a pistol scope or red dot sight, these make ideal entry level
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pistol. The suppressed Mk II was used by
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. This variant is considerably quieter than a standard Mk II and accurate to . The AWC TM-Amphibian "S" is an integrally-suppressed variant of the Ruger Mk II Target .22 LR pistol. The sound suppressor uses a primary baffle of 303
stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
and a secondary baffle of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. The AWC weapon manual states, "This suppressor is 'Amphibious' and can be fired with water. A couple of tablespoons of water can be poured into the suppressor for extra quiet operation." It uses both standard and high velocity ammunition reliably and is finished in U.S. Navy spec stainless-matte finish. The pistol has an overall length of , a suppressor length of , a diameter of and weighs . This weapon is classified in the U.S. as a
Title II weapon Title II weapons, or NFA firearms, are designations of certain weapons under the United States National Firearms Act (NFA). These are weapons requiring a Type 01 Federal Firearms License (FFL) as well as a Class 3 Special Occupation Tax (SOT) t ...
and requires a $200 transfer or manufacture tax in addition to registration with the ATF.


MK III

The MK III ("Mark Three") is the third-generation successor to the original Ruger Standard. The MK III replaced the MK II in 2004, and production of the MK III ended on December 8, 2016; it was succeeded by the MK IV.


Changes from the Mark II

* Addition of a visible loaded chamber indicator on the left side. * Magazine release moved, from bottom of the grip to behind trigger guard. * All Mark III pistols with adjustable sights are drilled and tapped for a Weaver-style scope base which ships with the pistol. * A new
magazine disconnect Close-up shot of a safety of an M16A2 rifle In firearms, a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent the accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling. Safeties can generally be divided into subtypes su ...
prevents the pistol from being fired with the magazine removed from the pistol. * An internal safety lock has been added. Using a key, the safety can be locked in the "safe" position. * Shorter tapered bolt ears. * A smoothly contoured ejection port profile.


Models

Two types of MK III pistols were produced.


Mark III

The first lineup is simply known as ''Mark III''. The pistol's barrel is made from steel bar and is threaded into the receiver which is made from steel tube. The barrel is not removable without machining, though. The layout is similar to the
Luger P08 The Pistole Parabellum—or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just Luger or Luger P08 is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The Luger was produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 ...
, although the operating mechanism was originally copied from the
Nambu pistol are a series of semi-automatic pistols produced by the Japanese company Koishikawa Arsenal, later known as the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal.Hogg, Ian, ''Pistols of the World 4th Edition'' (2004) p. 191. The series has three variants, the Type A, the ...
. * The high-end model is known as the ''Hunter''. This pistol features a
stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
frame and comes with either a 4.5-inch, 5.5-inch (a distributor exclusive), or a 6.875-inch
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bull barrel, fiber-optic front sight, adjustable, V-notch rear sights, and half-checkered
cocobolo Cocobolo is a tropical hardwood of Central American trees belonging to the genus ''Dalbergia''. Only the heartwood of cocobolo is used; it is usually orange or reddish-brown, often with darker irregular traces weaving through the wood. The heartw ...
wood grip. It features multiple safety mechanisms, and includes a visible loaded chamber indicator (The first ever included in a .22 rimfire pistol) as well as internal and external keyed locks provided. * The next pistol in the lineup is named ''Competition''. It too has a stainless steel frame and 6.875-inch slab sided bull barrel, and adjustable rear sights; the pistol also has the cocobolo grip with thumb rest. * ''Target'' is the next Mark III. This pistol has a stainless or blued finish, a 5.5" bull barrel, adjustable rear sights, and black plastic grips on the blued finish and Cocobolo grips on the stainless finish. * The ''bull barrel'' pistol comes in stainless steel or blued finish. It has a heavier barrel to help keep the barrel from overheating and to minimize recoil. It has a 5.5-inch barrel and adjustable rear sights. * Finally, the ''Standard'' Mark III has a tapered barrel, black plastic handgrips and a blued finish. It comes with either a 6-inch or 4.75-inch barrel. It has fixed sights.


Mark III 22/45

The second lineup is named ''Mark III 22/45''. These pistols have a
polymer A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...
frame, and the steel barrel is installed nearly permanently into a tubular steel receiver. The grip angle emulates that of a
M1911 The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for th ...
. * The current high-end model, the Mk III 22/45 ''Lite'', was introduced at the 2012 SHOT Show. The main features include a light-weight aluminum upper receiver, material reduction on the upper receiver for enhanced appearance and further weight savings, a steel barrel that has been threaded "-28 for a compensator or
suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that reduces the acoustic intensity Sound intensity, also known as acoustic intensity, is defined as the power carried by sound waves per unit ...
, and user replaceable grips. Finally, the receiver of the ''Lite'' model is drilled and tapped for a Weaver rail section included in the packaging. * The previous high-end model is known as the ''Hunter''. This pistol features a stainless steel 4.5-inch or 6.875-inch fluted bull barrel, HiViz fiber optic front sight, and adjustable rear sights. This model was discontinued for 2012. * The ''Target'' pistol comes in a few different variations. It has a heavier barrel to limit overheating, reduce recoil, and increase accuracy. ** Stainless steel 5.5-inch barrel and adjustable rear sights (Discontinued in 2012). ** Blued finish with 5.5-inch barrel and adjustable rear sights. ** Blued finish with 4-inch barrel and adjustable rear sights. ** Blued finish with 5.5-inch barrel, fixed rear sights, and replaceable Checkered
Cocobolo Cocobolo is a tropical hardwood of Central American trees belonging to the genus ''Dalbergia''. Only the heartwood of cocobolo is used; it is usually orange or reddish-brown, often with darker irregular traces weaving through the wood. The heartw ...
grips. ** Several models previously sold as ''Bull Barrel'' and ''Slab Side'' models had their names changed or were entirely discontinued when Ruger changed their catalog to reflect the ''Target'' lineup. * The ''Threaded Barrel'' models are very similar in configuration to the ''Target'' models, but with a threaded barrel for the addition of a compensator or suppressor. These models also feature user replaceable grips and the option of either adjustable target sights or Picatinny rails. * ''Distributor Exclusive'' models are specially made versions of the Mk III 22/45 released through certain distributors. For the 2012 lineup, these models include: ** A ''Target'' model with a "Water Dog" Brown Digital Camo lower receiver. ** A ''Target'' model with a fluted barrel and adjustable rear sights. ** A ''Target'' model with a fluted barrel and adjustable fiber optic rear sights.


MK IV

The MK IV ("Mark Four") is the fourth-generation successor to the original Ruger Standard. Introduced in 2016, the MK IV succeeded the MK III.


Changes from the Mark III

The most significant feature of the Mk IV redesign is a hinged connection between the upper receiver and the grip frame. This design enables the user to disassemble the firearm with a significantly simplified process compared to prior models. Other design changes include: a redesigned
trigger group A trigger is a mechanism (engineering), mechanism that actuates the function of a ranged weapon such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow, or speargun. The word may also be used to describe a switch that initiates the operation of other non-shooting ...
, a redesigned bolt stop, an ambidextrous thumb safety, and a "drop free" magazine release mechanism.


Safety recall

In June 2017, Ruger issued a safety
recall Recall may refer to: * Recall (bugle call), a signal to stop * Recall (information retrieval), a statistical measure * ''ReCALL'' (journal), an academic journal about computer-assisted language learning * Recall (memory) * ''Recall'' (Overwatch ...
on MK IVs for a defective trigger and
safety mechanism In engineering, a fail-safe is a design feature or practice that in the event of a specific type of failure, inherently responds in a way that will cause minimal or no harm to other equipment, to the environment or to people. Unlike inherent safe ...
. If the safety were midway between the "safe" and "fire" positions when the trigger was pulled, the gun could discharge when the safety was moved to the "fire" position. MK IVs with
serial numbers A serial number is a unique identifier assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it. Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other typographical symbols, or may consist enti ...
beginning with "401" (2017 models) or "WBR" (2016 models) were recalled.


Models

* Standard * Target * Hunter * Competition * Tactical * 22/45 * 22/45 Lite * 22/45 Tactical Distributor exclusive models


See also

*
AMT Lightning pistol The AMT Lightning pistol is a semi-automatic pistol chambered for .22 Long Rifle which was manufactured by Arcadia Machine & Tool (AMT) of Covina, California during the 1980s and early 1990s. The pistol was an unlicensed, stainless steel clone o ...
*
Colt Woodsman The Colt Woodsman is a semi-automatic sporting pistol manufactured by the U.S.Colt's Manufacturing Company from 1915 to 1977. It was designed by John Moses Browning. The frame design changed over time, in three distinct series: series one being 1 ...


References

* Wilson, R. L. ''Ruger and His Guns: A History of the Man, the Company and Their Firearms''. 1996. .


External links


History and Instruction Manuals
€”Ruger's instruction manuals

€”Ruger Mark II manual with parts list and exploded assembly diagram
Ruger-produced Disassembly video

Ruger-produced Reassembly video


€”guide to field stripping the MK II pistol, with images

€”guide to full assembly/disassembly

€”How to adjust the overtravel screw on a Ruger MK II Target model
Ruger MK III Instruction Manual (PDF)
{{Ruger .22 LR pistols Ruger semi-automatic pistols Semi-automatic pistols of the United States Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1949