Really Impressed with Ruger Mark IV Standard

Beauvais98

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I took my first purpose-built 22LR pistol to the range for the first time yesterday. It's a Ruger Mark IV Standard with the 4.75" barrel.

I'm really smitten by the Mark IV Standard. It boasts a classic, vintage appearance but conceals state of the art internal workings.

I have to come clean and admit that when I was first shopping for my first 22LR pistol, I was not giving the Mark IV series any consideration. At all. I did not like how the Rugers looked, period. I was mainly attracted by 22 pistols that looked like centre fire pistols and I really snubbed any purpose-built 22's like the Ruger Mark IV or the Browning Buckmarks. This is what brought me to buy a Sig Sauer P226 22LR as my first 22. It looked exactly like its 9mm brother and that was what sold me on the Sig. Never in a million years did I ever think of looking at the Mark IV seriously.

Several thousands of rounds later, I opened my mind a little wider and came to wonder why people raved so much about the Rugers, and this is when I decided to hold one in my hand, just to get a feeling. What really got my attention was how solidly built this gun appears to be, in spite of its relatively low weight.

A gentlemen at my range was kind enough to let me try his Mark III 22/45 Target. I immediately fell for this pistol! I achieved better results with the Ruger than with my P226, with which I had lots of range time. A week later, I was ordering my very own Standard. I had some initial reservations about the grip angle, the Mark IV having a more pronounced grip angle than the 22/45. In the end I decided to take a leap of faith and I must admit that the Mk IV's grip angle felt very natural in my hand.

Anyway, I had so much fun shooting with it yesterday that I think I may give my Sig and even my Smith & Wesson M&P9 2.0 a well deserved break for the foreseeable future.
 
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Congrats on a great purchase, you won't regret it. I have a Mk.1 with a 5.5" heavy barrel, and it is the most accurate pistol I own.

With little effort, I can get 10/10 on an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper at 50 meters, and 8/10 of those are in the black.

I've heard that even the thinner barrels are as accurate.

Great confidence builder too. When I get discouraged by my results with a 9mm, the Ruger always restores my confidence.
 
Just bought a 22 45 lite yesterday from Prophet River. Stopped in on way to camping for weekend. Held one and liked it. Should have it next week. I didn't like the standard grip as much from the regular version. I prefer my Buckmark over the standard still.

Told my wife it will be good for her and my 2 girls later on as not so heavy to hold:redface:
 
Today was the second time I took the Mark IV to the range. I have loads of fun for a fraction of the cost of shooting my M&P9. 22's are so under rated!

Funny thing happened: I noticed that my table was almost clean of spent casings after my session, while my buddy's, who shoots a GSG 1911-22, had dozens upon dozens of shell casings on his table. My buddy pointed out that my casings flew past the plexiglass divider set between us and continued their flight in front of him as they were ejecting from my Ruger! Cleaning up the spent casings from my stall at the end of the day was really quick ;-)

So far, I absolutely love this gun!
 
Glad you are enjoying your new pistol.

On the range here, the brass ejecting from your gun is YOUR brass.
The expectation is that a shooter will find and collect ALL of their brass.

Today was the second time I took the Mark IV to the range. I have loads of fun for a fraction of the cost of shooting my M&P9. 22's are so under rated!

Funny thing happened: I noticed that my table was almost clean of spent casings after my session, while my buddy's, who shoots a GSG 1911-22, had dozens upon dozens of shell casings on his table. My buddy pointed out that my casings flew past the plexiglass divider set between us and continued their flight in front of him as they were ejecting from my Ruger! Cleaning up the spent casings from my stall at the end of the day was really quick ;-)

So far, I absolutely love this gun!
 
I should have been cleared in my previous post that the airborne brass I was referring to flies past my friend and falls in front of the firing line, not on his table. That brass is there to stay until the range is closed for the day, and is then swept up by the range staff.

All this to say that what I found particularly different with the Mark IV is how far it ejects brass compared to my buddy's GSG 1911-22, who barely spits out casings 6-12 inches away.
 
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