Ruger 22/45 Lite Anthology

[wayupnorth]

Ruger 22/45 Lite Anthology.
(because im bored!)

Model - Color and barrel type
3900 - Gold (undercut/hash barrel)
3901 - Never Used???
3902 - Black Gen 1 (same hash barrel cut as Gold) (3000 released) (TALO Distributor Exclusive)
3903 - Black Gen 2 (fluted barrel)
3904 - Blemished Raspberry/Silver/Gold/Black (same hash barrel cut as Gold) (72 released)
3905 - Blemished Silver -> Almost Black (fluted barrel) (104 released)
3906 - Cobalt (drilled barrel)
3907 - Bronze (fluted barrel) (Only released as a promotion to 4R Program (4R=Ruger Rapid Retail Rewards Program))
3908 - Blue (slash cut barrel)
3909 - Black muddy girl (slash cut barrel) (Gallery of Guns Distributor Exclusive)
3910 - Red (slash cut barrel) (Gallery of Guns Distributor Exclusive)
3911 - Red NRA (slash cut barrel) (Gallery of Guns Distributor Exclusive)
3912 - OD Green (oval cut barrel)
43906 - MK4 Black (drilled barrel)
43907 - Never Used???
43908 - Never Used???
43909 - MK4 Bronze (angle drilled barrel)
43910 - MK4 Red (angle drilled barrel) (Gallery of Guns Distributor Exclusive)
43911 - Never Used???
43912 - Never Used???
43913 - Never Used???
43914 - Never Used???
43915 - MK4 Magenta (angle drilled barrel) (Gallery of Guns Distributor Exclusive)
43916 - MK4 OD Green (angle drilled barrel) (Gallery of Guns Distributor Exclusive)
43917 - MK4 Diamond Grey (triangle drilled barrel) NON THREADED BARREL
43918 - MK4 Diamond Grey (triangle drilled barrel)
43921 - MK4 Diamond Grey (triangle drilled barrel) With Target Laminate Grips
43924 - MK4 Cobalt Kinetic Slate (slash cut barrel) RSR Group Distributor Exclusive
43926 - MK4 Gold (three hole barrel - 2 small 1 big) with Gold trigger
43927 - MK4 Black (three hole barrel - 2 small 1 big) with Gold trigger and barrel

Model - Picture
3900 -

3901 -

3902 -

3903 -

3904 -

3905 -

3906 -

3907 -

3908 -

3909 -

3910 -

3911 -

3912 -

43906 -

43909 -

43910 -

43915 -

43916 -

43917 -

43918 -

43921 -

43924 -

43926 -

43927 -

Model - Year(s) in Market
3900 - Jan-Dec 2012
3901 - ###
3902 - Sept 2012
3903 - Jan 2013, Dec 2014
3904 - 2013
3905 - 2013
3906 - Jan 2014 -> Dec 2015
3907 - 2014 -> 2015
3908 - Jan 2015 -> Dec 2016
3909 - Jan 2016
3910 - Jan 2016
3911 - June 2016
3912 - Jan 2016
43906 - Feb 2017 -> Present Dec 2018
43907 - ###
43908 - ###
43909 - Dec 2016 -> Feb 2018
43910 - Sept 2017 -> Present Dec 2018
43911 - ###
43912 - ###
43913 - ###
43914 - ###
43915 - Sept 2017 -> Present Dec 2018
43916 - Sept 2017 -> Present Dec 2018
43917 - Sept 2017 -> Present Dec 2018
43918 - Sept 2017 -> Present Dec 2018
43921 - Dec 2018 ->
43924 - Dec 2018 ->
43926 - Dec 2018 ->
43927 - Dec 2018 ->

(this list is based on when the pistols where listed on the ruger website as available for purchase)

Serial # Starting - Year
390-01950 - 2012
390-27655 - 2013
390-66701 - 2014
390-96017 - 2015
###-###XX - 2016
MK3 discontinued as of 2016, MK4 starts 2016 (below)
WBR100001 - 2016

Ruger Instruction Manual
MK 3 Click Here
MK4 Click Here

Ruger Strangeness

The 3904 and the 3905 are all listed as "BLEM" guns on the boxes.

it is said that the 3904 are 3900's where either returned and experimented with or just re-anodized a different color for testing there are 72 in this series that range in color from Raspberry to Silver to Gold to Black.

The 3905 are are 3903's that range in color from silver to almost black - again either testing or returned guns re-anodized there are 104 in this series.

The 3907 is a series that was never listed on the Ruger web page. It was a promotion only series of guns that went to high selling stores that sold a lot of 22/45 Lite's in recognition of their high sales or to Ruger Employee's through their promotion process.

3904 - Blemished Raspberry/Silver/Gold/Black (same hash barrel cut as Gold) (72 released)
3905 - Blemished Silver -> Almost Black (fluted barrel) (104 released)

** All information gathered from Ruger's Official Web Page, historical snap shots of Ruger's Official Web Page using "The way back machine", The Ruger Forums, skulking the internet and my own first hand knowledge)

 

[wayupnorth]

all right im done mucking around with the main post.
i was bored and thought id put that up in case anyone ever comes in asking about a certain color of 22/45 Lite or a certain model # or barrel cut someone can just link them to this thread and BOOM question answered.

OCD is a ##### at 3am when ya cant sleep!

 

[Mr. Friendly]

I have the 3904, by far the best looking out of all of them out there, IMO.

hate how the damned front sight comes loose every session though, even with purple loctite.

blue loctite coming up!

 

[wayupnorth]

I have the 3904, by far the best looking out of all of them out there, IMO.

hate how the damned front sight comes loose every session though, even with purple loctite.

blue loctite coming up!

oh nice!
what color is your 3904?
got any pics?

i replaced my stock sight with fiber optic ones and loctited the heck out of them.

 

[Mr. Friendly]

I realize I read your numbering system wrong. I actually have the 3906, which is the silver only.

 

[wayupnorth]

in a way i kinda wish i had one of the 'rare' colored ones but than i think..... its a gun!?!?!?!

 

[G37]

I have the 3904, by far the best looking out of all of them out there, IMO.

hate how the damned front sight comes loose every session though, even with purple loctite.

blue loctite coming up!

The front sight screw is often too long which causes it to go loose even with Loctite. File off a bit of the end and use the Loctite and you are good.

 

[Mr. Friendly]

The front sight screw is often too long which causes it to go loose even with Loctite. File off a bit of the end and use the Loctite and you are good.

Purple or Blue?

Also, I intend on upgrading to a fiber optic sight, so I'll wait on the loctite until I have that.

 

[Brocolt]

In honor of wayupnorth putting up with me having fun at some of his expense, thanks for the work how's your 22/45 looking any issues?

 

[rws53]

I have all the general released models to date. I am not interested in the Distributor Exclusives, limited editions, blems etc.

Top to bottom
Model 3900 Gold
Model 3903 Black
Model 3906 Cobalt
Model 3908 Blue
Model 3912 OD Green

 

[Brocolt]

the olive green looks nice, But your on the wrong side of the border.... Opps I'm on the wrong side of the border..

 

[wayupnorth]

nice collection there @RWS53 i had contemplated doing the very same thing..... might still..... but i have other addiction to feed.

my S&W fetish is getting near completion!

 

[wayupnorth]

with the MK3 being discontinued in 2016 and the MK4 starting up in 2016 i decided to update the original post and add the new 22/45 Lite's.

 

[legi0n]

they're such nice little (yet hugely overpriced) pistols

 

[Lonesome Donkey]

If you paired a Mark 4 version of the 3903 style upper assembly with the new aluminum standard Mark 4 slant grip frame, I might buy one.

It would still be a light pistol, and some would prefer the standard grip frame and aluminum instead of polymer.

Something that Ruger should consider, since it's easy enough to mix and match frames, I would think.

You could offer the same range of styles and colors.

 

[lavino]

I have the green one. I originally set out to buy the blue one but it was sold out. What I really wanted was the Red NRA version but oh well...

 

[Lonesome Donkey]

I have the green one. I originally set out to buy the blue one but it was sold out. What I really wanted was the Red NRA version but oh well...

Kind of amusing in a way to hear pistols discussed as to color preference, like pickup trucks or cars and such, but nice to have those options in a modern world as well.

If they were made available with the aluminum Mark 4 slant grip frame, I think that the blue anodized upper with a bronze anodized grip frame would be nice.

That would also make grip panel color and pattern options possible.

 

[Mr. Friendly]

hmmm...I wonder, would you put the 22/45 MkIV Tactical under the Lite designation?

hope they bring out a 22/45 MkIV variant with a longer non-threaded bull barrel.

ignore me, I'm blathering...I realize the Tac has a short bull barrel, so definitely not a LITE, persay.

 

[wayupnorth]

hmmm...I wonder, would you put the 22/45 MkIV Tactical under the Lite designation?

hope they bring out a 22/45 MkIV variant with a longer non-threaded bull barrel.

ignore me, I'm blathering...I realize the Tac has a short bull barrel, so definitely not a LITE, persay.

i sat here last night looking at that and wondering the exact same thing.
but they do have a totally different SKU number for that Tactical and they are not calling it a "light" so i opted to leave it out.
and ya, the barrel is a bull metal barrel and not a light aluminum one.

 

[Mr. Friendly]

have you gotten any of the new Mk IV's yet WUN?