Anyone own a Ruger MKIII

[NAPOTS]

I have been eyeing these for a little while. Are they a good pistol or should I stay away?

Anyone own one?

[Krupski]

I have been eyeing these for a little while. Are they a good pistol or should I stay away?

Anyone own one?

Try to find a MK-II if you can. The MK-III has a few undesirable features such as a magazine disconnect and a loaded chamber indicator.

[O.S.O.K.]

I've got both MkII and MkIII versions - they are both fine. This is a range, hunting gun and I don't mind the magazine cut off so much.

I'd steer you to the new Government model - polymer, 1911 style frame with provision for custom 1911 panels in the grips. I have the older version without the panel feature and it's a great shooter and all but I'd like to be able to widen the grips a bit.

[deputyvaughn]

Love mine. Super accurate.

Scott

[abpt1]

Love mine. Super accurate.

Scott
Agreed I really feel my MK III is a got to have item! I was looking for a MKII but found a great deal and could not resist that was 7 years ago and thousands of 22lr down range has yet to ftf fte ....

[Viking350]

I have a MkI I bought new years ago. Extremely accurate pistol. Once shot a crow off the top of a utility pole from around 50 yards with it.

[ready]

I also have one. Ended up putting a threaded upper on it. That's the only bad part. The barrels are pressed in so you can't just swap them like you can on a buckmark. They can be a pain to reassemble too until you get the hang of it.

[ltorlo64]

I owned one for about a year and then sold it. They are very accruate and seemed to be reliable, until you tried to field strip and clean it. To do general care maintenance requires a PhD in mechanical engineering with a minor in flexible gymnastics to get it apart and especially to put it back together again. Look up some videos on You tube on how taking it apart and putting it back together. It may surprise you.

[cobaltace]

You can't go wrong with a Ruger. They are built like a tank and can fire almost anything you feed it. I have the 2, my son has a 3 of the same style. The major differences are chamber indicator, disconnect and a magazine redesigned for magazine release. There are other small changes. If you can obtain a 2 you would be better of in the long run but the 3 is (just) OK. However, if push comes to shove, a 3 is a good choice if the 2 is not available. Again, it is built to be used and shot. Overall a good pistol and reasonable price.

[AKTexas]

Get the MKIII bull barrel with adjustable sights and you will be amazed at the accuracy. When I'm not in the mood to pick up cases but want to shoot a semi-auto this is my favorite shooter. At 7 yards I like to shoot out the center dot of the targets at the range. Our range gives us 4 targets and I shoot out just the dots for fun. Little or no effort with these little guns.

My uncle owns both MKI blued tapered barrel with fixed sights and a MKII stainless bull barrel with adjustable sights both of these are accurate. The downside to each model including the MKIII. The mags are not interchangeable between each model. The MKI does not lock open on the last round and only holds 9 rounds. Easier to take apart. The MKII and MKIII are PITA to disassemble and reassemble. The MKIII has some stupid features but who cares? You can buy these fairly cheap. The last MKII pistol I tried to buy cost as much as a new MKIII. Easier to buy what it is in production.

Any model you pick up you will be pleased. My daughter has suckered me into a new MKIII but she got me to pick up a Taper barrel version.

[NAPOTS]

They are getting hard to find around here with the big Ruger backlog and Obama running for, what is it, gun salesman of the year again.

The local sportsmans warehouse has a couple for $299. I really want to pick one up.

[AKTexas]

They are getting hard to find around here with the big Ruger backlog and Obama running for, what is it, gun salesman of the year again.

The local sportsmans warehouse has a couple for $299. I really want to pick one up.

DO IT MANG! I'm a sucker for a .22 plinker.

[Krupski]

My daughter has suckered me into a new MKIII but she got me to pick up a Taper barrel version.

My daughter informed me that my MK-II is now hers. I'm not about to argue with an armed 11 year old! :)

http://www.gunsnet.net/photopost/data/500/jenna_and_ruger_mk_2_1_.jpg

[AKTexas]

My daughter informed me that my MK-II is now hers. I'm not about to argue with an armed 11 year old! :)

http://www.gunsnet.net/photopost/data/500/jenna_and_ruger_mk_2_1_.jpg

Good call she might just SS all over your ass! Lol

[cobaltace]

The more kids are exposed to proper gun safety and proper shooting with respect, the better off this country is. Better let her have it, teach her proper respect (which sounds like you have) and just buy yourself another. Right on!

[nfa1934]

I have a MK III and a MK III 22/45. All the bad features are easily fixed. A Majestic Speed Strip kit solves the takedown issues. Majestic is now selling the kit with a hammer bushing that eliminates the magazine safety (installing a MK II hammer and hammer bushing solves the magazine safety problem). I installed a Volquartzen trigger kit in the 22/45. I've since learned that replacing the stock sear alone will give nearly the same results for 1/4 the price. The MK III is just getting the sear treatment. I'll give a comparison to the trigger kit in the 22/45 when the MK III is done.

Not much you can do about the LCI, but it doesn't really bother me like the magazine disconnect. You can disable the LCI, but it will still be there.

On the positive side, the magazine release is positioned on the grip frame like a normal US pistol for the MK III, while the MK II has a Euro-style heel release.

[Krupski]

Good call she might just SS all over your ass! LolLOL!

As of yesterday she informed me that my Ruger 10/22 is now also hers. So I guess now helicopters are safe! :)

[nfa1934]

Installed the Volquartzen sear in the MK III. It's an improvement, but not as nice as the complete accurizing kit in my 22/45. It turns out there is a guy who is making a steel filler for the space left if you take out the LCI. Both of mine are now waiting for that part.

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss286/nfa1934/a2011bbf.jpg

[Krupski]

Installed the Volquartzen sear in the MK III. It's an improvement, but not as nice as the complete accurizing kit in my 22/45. It turns out there is a guy who is making a steel filler for the space left if you take out the LCI. Both of mine are now waiting for that part.


My MK-II came with a "target package" right from Ruger. It has a screw adjustable rear sight and a "target" trigger which only takes 1-1/2 feathers of pressure to fire. I also put a dab of moly-disulfide grease on the sear and it breaks as smooth as glass.

I also bought a really cool little piece called a "crud catcher" from (now out of business) "On Target Guns". It's just a little piece of bent stainless steel about 0.010 thick at most and it installs between the upper and lower half of the Ruger. It blocks the two little "grooves" to the left and right of the feed ramp and keeps like 90% of the carbon out of the receiver. After shooting for a day, there is a visibly thick buildup of carbon on the "crud catcher".



http://www.gunsnet.net/photopost/data/500/medium/crud_catcher2.jpg


http://www.gunsnet.net/photopost/data/500/medium/crud_catcher.jpg


Should be easy enough to make with a thin sheel of metal stock (doesn't have to be stainless) and cut it out with scissors.

[nfa1934]

The guy on rimfire central who makes the LCI filler makes those catchers too. I think they call it a "blast shield" over there.

[nfa1934]

LCI fillers came in! Have them on both the MKIII and the 22/45 now. All the bad features are now gone.

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss286/nfa1934/e3982c63.jpg

[rice paddy daddy]

I had a MkI many years ago, it got away. I now have a MkIII Standard Model with 6" barrel. I really enjoy it. I have no problem with the LCI or the magazine disconnect.
Although it's just too darn pretty to wear daily around the farm (that's what the Single Six is for), it has dispatched a troublesome rooster. Remington Yellow Jacket hyper velocity hollow points work real well.:wildshooter:

[NAPOTS]

I owned one for about a year and then sold it. They are very accruate and seemed to be reliable, until you tried to field strip and clean it. To do general care maintenance requires a PhD in mechanical engineering with a minor in flexible gymnastics to get it apart and especially to put it back together again. Look up some videos on You tube on how taking it apart and putting it back together. It may surprise you.

Well I only have a BSME but I was able to field strip it and reassemble without too much trouble. It did require some taps with a rubber mallet (as written in Rugers owner's manual) I am not a big fan of having to beat on a gun to get it apart and back together. I hope it loosens up with time. I think I'll ditch the magazine safety, it was kind of a bitch following each step, insert magazine, pull trigger, remove magazine, insert magazine, pull trigger, remove magazine over and over. I also think it breeds poor firearms safety habits.

I did notice that the thing is built as two clam-shell stampings which are welded together which is kinda cool because I'm not used to seeing welded parts in mass produced firearms.