For those with Ruger MkIIs AND S&W 41s

[Trumpet]

Yeah, it's kind of a weird thing, but I've got this wild hair up my butt recently. I want to have a tricked out 22/45. Like, really tricked out. I was casually estimating costs and it's easily within range of a 41. Basically, I was thinking...

Buy a MkII 22/45

Buy a MkIII 22/45 lower.

Volq. internals

"Slingshot" mod, etc

Thread barrel

VZs

IonBond

Now, for those of you with tricked out MkII/IIIs AND a 41, can the Ruger keep up?

Which do you prefer to shoot?

Now, I know the rumor of the 41 being "fragile" has been proven to be a fallacy, but how picky is it with ammo? I shoot mostly bulkpack stuff. I don't shoot bullseye, but I do like quality and won't buy a potmetal .22

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I have a Model 41 and a Ruger 22/45 as well as 2 Buckmarks. The model 41 and the Buckmarks give less recoil than the 22/45. The 22/45 has a heavier bolt. My sons can notice the difference also and they are 9 and 13. The model 41 likes CCI SV ammo but will run Walmart Federal ammo using a heavier recoil spring. The Buckmark will run anything and the Ruger will also after some tweaking. If I was looking for a great 22 get the Buckmark with the short bull barrel. Get the barrel fluted and run it. After that look at Tactical Solution stuff. The model 41 works great also but I have lightened the stock 5.5" barrels for either a C-More or Iron sights. I would see if you can shoot some different ones and then make your choice. Thanks, Eric

[Trumpet]

Hello: I have a Model 41 and a Ruger 22/45 as well as 2 Buckmarks. The model 41 and the Buckmarks give less recoil than the 22/45. The 22/45 has a heavier bolt. My sons can notice the difference also and they are 9 and 13. The model 41 likes CCI SV ammo but will run Walmart Federal ammo using a heavier recoil spring. The Buckmark will run anything and the Ruger will also after some tweaking. If I was looking for a great 22 get the Buckmark with the short bull barrel. Get the barrel fluted and run it. After that look at Tactical Solution stuff. The model 41 works great also but I have lightened the stock 5.5" barrels for either a C-More or Iron sights. I would see if you can shoot some different ones and then make your choice. Thanks, Eric

Thanks. I forgot to mention that I also have a Buckmark 5.5 target. It's nice and very accurate, but for some reason I like the "heft" of a steel rimfire. Another consideration is a TacSol 2211 conversion. I'm also keeping a close eye on the RIA XT22 (unfortunately I can't get one in MD yet). Is the 41 as reliable as a Ruger with bulk pack ammo?

[LPatterson]

I got a MKII 22/45 with a Tactical Solution Comp barrel and C-More. It's a great play toy substitute for the open gun. I haven't mastered mag changes yet but I am planning on some new bases. It eats Federal 525 bulk pack and Federal Auromatch fine though the Automatch has a dirtier powder.

[ChiefG]

2 years ago I was in the same boat trying to decide between the Ruger or the M41. Even though it cost twice as much as the Ruger I went with the M41. At that time I thought I was going to shoot Bullseye matches. Model 41 is extremely accurate, has a sweet trigger that you can adjust to your liking ( I still haven't adjusted mine from the factory). No issues when shooting with CCI standard velocity ammo, always 100% reliable. You can assemble/disassemble this pistol very easily unlike the Ruger.

A couple of weeks ago I shot my first Steel Challenge in Open and rimfire. I was faster with my M41. Even though it was set up for bullseye with Ultra Dot Match and Randall Fung grips, it handled very well in transition and accuracy. A real blast to shoot in SC.

I have no experience with the Ruger, but it may change soon. My buddy is picking up a Ruger 22/45 in 14 days and he's planning to put a Tac Sol upper. That could be interesting.

[DeerfieldCurly]

I have had a sampling of the .22s that I have used for Bullseye like and steel.

The Ruger MKIII can most certainly keep up for steel. Mine is pretty much straight out of the box slab sided barrel. Seems to have an appetite for most Ammo.

The Buckmark is my favorite for steel. I have the Tac Sol barrel, a trigger job, and a Burris Fastfire. The Tac Sol does remove a lot of weight from the gun, unless you have a suppressor screwed on. The suppressor is OK for general practice but not any good when your using a timer (no bang). My buckmark likes Federal Match the best.

Another contender that I like a lot is the Beretta 87 Target. It is a slab sided pistol that out of the box is a real champ. It consumes everything you can load in the mag, has a hearty heft, and is very accurate. The only critcism I would have in comparing it to the Buckmark and MKIII is that the grips that come with it are a tad small. I am thinking about getting a set of factory wood grips or widdling a set of my own design.

This one is off the topic, but if you ever pick up a Kimber Rimfire Target...they shoot great but ONLY with CCI mini mags. This is by experience and factory advise.

[Trumpet]

Thanks guys,

I figure if I do any comps with it, it would be very casual, maybe try out steel shooting. Regardless, I don't have any intention to shoot bullseye. That being said, here's a reply I posted on RFC where I posted the same question...

Now, as to the various models...

I own four MkIIs (two KMK512s, a MK512, and a KMK678GC). I like them a LOT, particularly the "modularity" and the robustness of them. I'm a "1911 guy", so the 22/45 is intriguing to me. I'm not necessarily put off by the polymer frame. I have a Glock 19, and have had NO issues.

Buckmark. Have a 5.5" Target and it's nice. It just feels kind of "fragile" to me.

Sig...never really wanted one after hearing of the cracking issues.

Beretta. Agree with you. I didn't have the T version, but the "Vanilla" model. It looked nice, but that's about it. It didn't group, it patterened...only when it actually fired.

Benelli. Never really thought of them. Seemed pricey, and not along the lines with my style of shooting.

New High Standards. Kind of gun shy until the quality issues get ironed out.

Old High Standards. Pricey. I had an old Duramatic that was great..until the front sight fell off while shooting. My big concern with the "vintage" or "rare' pistols, is customer support should I need parts or something.

S&W 41. Obviously, a "contender" for me. I'm just concerned about reliability with bulk pack ammo.

S&W 22. Not in the running.

Marvel. I considered one, but I want steel. From what I hear, they have a steel one coming. I'm also looking at a TacSol 2211 conversion. This also brings me to the RIA XT22, but I don't know enough about it yet.

Kadet. I was thinking of one of those too. However, if I go the Kadet route, I would get the conversion and put it on a 75SA for the single action trigger.

I guess if I were to charactarize my shooting, it would be more towards the plinker/casual target shooter, who might do steel someday. Bullseye doesn't really interest me at this time. That being said, I guess the most important things to me would be (in no particular order) ...

Reliability. Picky guns are no fun (to me). I want to know that it will digest just about everything out there reliably.

Quality of construction. I want steel. However, I think I could deal with the polymer of a 22/45 better than aluminum (yeah, I know it's screwy)

Accuracy. My current MkII's have been more than enough for my shooting purposes. That being said, I do like an accurate pistol. My 1911s have Kart barrels. I'll be more likely to do fast shooting rather than slow bullseye type shooting though.

[Paul Burtchell]

http://www.handgunsports.com/RUGER.HTM

I've owned one and they are great !

[Trumpet]

If I decide on the 41, should I use a heavier spring and perhaps a buffer if I'm going to shoot bulk ammo?

[cferree]

I've got a MK III 22/45 with the 4.5" threaded barrel. I added an Allchin C-More mount & comp and a Volquartsen trigger kit. It's not a 41, but I like. Runs great on Fed 525 bulk packs.

[Rub'n]

The 22/45 modular frame has a Very slim grip...go with the blue'd version with the replacable grips....you'll never regret it

[40S&W]

I'd recommend the Mod 41. Mine has a fluted barrel, rear tang removed, 1911 grips, alum. magwell, and mags with alum. base pads. The barrel is a 7" barrel cut to 5.5". The 7" barrel when cut to 5.5" is lighter than the standard 5.5" barrel. Runs great with CCI SV lead round nose and American Eagle HV lead round nose. See attached pic.

Edited December 31, 2011 by 40S&W

[mdschappell]

I guess I am the only one with a really fussy Mk II Ruger. No matter what ammo, I have nothing but problems with it, very unreliable. The gun is extemely accurate, but the reliability is a deal breaker for me. It has ruined many a steel match. Not sure if anyone else experiences this, but it will not go into battery about 20% of the time, and I have to manually push the bolt forward, usually only a little bit, maybe a 1/16 of an inch.

[DougCarden]

Send it back to Ruger. Call and get an RMA number. Sounds like there is something wrong with the chamber. It may need a turn of a reamer but don't fight it. Life is too short!

DougC

[Trumpet]

Send it back to Ruger. Call and get an RMA number. Sounds like there is something wrong with the chamber. It may need a turn of a reamer but don't fight it. Life is too short!

DougC

Little update. Some months ago I found a NIB MkII 22/45 for a great price. I bought it. A few weeks ago I found a NIB MkIII 22/45 lower for a great price. I bought it. The lower is now at Kinghouse getting a grip mod and some other stuff. I'm sending the upper to ADCO for a cut/thread job soon.

[Steve RA]

My model 41 runs really well with the CCI SGB (small game bullet) although it hasn't not run with anything I've tried in it. It's one of the 60s ones, although don't know if that would make any difference.

[billfer]

I have 2 MKII 22/45 the Kinghouse did a grip job on. He also did the triggers and a few other internals with Volquartsen parts. Turns out I ended up shooting last weeks Ruger rimfire challange with my MKII. The grip angle more closely matches that of the open Glock I'm shooting now. I added a ported Volquartsen upper a few Volq. internals a ultra dot and a slide racker.

My advice, put something together, learn which ammo shoots best then shoot the crap out of it.

Volquartsen is selling off their inventory of discontinued uppers for 250.00 . Not to bad of price. They are aluminum and in my opinion go a long way toward improving the balance of my MKII.

Bill

[strikeraj]

I've got a MK III 22/45 with the 4.5" threaded barrel. I added an Allchin C-More mount & comp and a Volquartsen trigger kit. It's not a 41, but I like. Runs great on Fed 525 bulk packs.

OT but looks like you have a bright pixel on your camera

[Got Juice?]

Yeah, it's kind of a weird thing, but I've got this wild hair up my butt recently. I want to have a tricked out 22/45. Like, really tricked out. I was casually estimating costs and it's easily within range of a 41. Basically, I was thinking...

Buy a MkII 22/45

Buy a MkIII 22/45 lower.

Volq. internals

"Slingshot" mod, etc

Thread barrel

VZs

IonBond

Now, for those of you with tricked out MkII/IIIs AND a 41, can the Ruger keep up?

Which do you prefer to shoot?

Now, I know the rumor of the 41 being "fragile" has been proven to be a fallacy, but how picky is it with ammo? I shoot mostly bulkpack stuff. I don't shoot bullseye, but I do like quality and won't buy a potmetal .22

I own some pretty rare birds.

2- Smith and Wesson 46's -7" (both have .1 proofed barrels)

2 Buckmark Silhouettes 10"

1 Buckmark Gold Champion Target 5.5

2 Anschutz Exemplars (had 3 of them)

1 Ruger MKII 10"

If you are looking for outright speed, nothing has a faster lock time and excellent trigger out of the box than a 41/46 does. I have done some at home smithing to my MKII and it now has a decent trigger and a workable lock time between shots.

If I were to build a steel challenge gun, I would probably do it on a Ruger MKII platform. The MKII's have the better aftermarket support, and I really have a hard time butchering a Smith 46. I would butcher a 41 though as they are not quite the shooter that the 46 is IMHO. Plus they are a little on the rare side.

Ruger's are a dime a dozen, very robust (if a little porky) and can be modded to suit any shooter's wants.

Since I compete in Pistol Silhouette, my needs are emphasized on precision over speed. The Buckmark Silh, Ruger 10", Anschutz Exemplars etc.

For Steel, I prefer the 46's and the Champion Gold Target. I suspect a Ruger 5 or 6" would make me drop the champion gold, as it has a marginally faster lock time, other than a crunchy trigger and a reset that can only be described as 'its there somewhere'

[MoNsTeR]

If I decide on the 41, should I use a heavier spring and perhaps a buffer if I'm going to shoot bulk ammo?

Don't shoot bulk crap in a 41. Just don't. Shoot CCI SV, Win T22, Wolf Match Target/SK Standard, etc.

FWIW even with Volquartsen internals, my MkII's trigger is not competitive with my 41's trigger. The sights are significantly better too.

[The Captain]

I have a 22/45 Mark III with 6 7/8" barrel and it runs great for steel challenge. It has a Ultradot red dot on it. My favorite is my Kimber 1911 22, not a conversion but a strictly made 22. I have done lots to it including flared maxwell, oversized mag release and c-more red dot and trigger job. I love this gun and do well with it at steel challenge and fun shoots. The biggest advantage to this one on fun shoots is I have 14 & 15 round mags for it. I just got a Volquartsen V-10X with compensator, upper and lower rails and C-More red dot. It is an awesome custom 22 but very pricey. It is very accurate and runs great. I haven't shot it in competition yet but maybe this weekend. I just love shooting 22's in competition.

The Captain

[james57]

I purchased new in 1969 a M41 7" and it shoots almost all good ammo fine, but I wanted a 5" barrel for balance. The 5" shoots at least 5+% better than the 7", but is not reliable. I want the factory 5" to work! New barrel from Gil Hebard years back. Using red dot but it is on the barrel not slide. One works 7" and one doesn't 5".

Tried different weight springs, extractor mods, new extractors,firing pin springs, 15 different ammo brands all to no avail in reliable extraction. Leaves spent case in chamber and shuts.Everything else is excellent. Rapid and timed fire possible scores on 25yd short course.CCI SV, WW High Speed the best for extraction, but not for accuracy.

Measured mag lips, tried other mags and still no reliability. Least you think I am totally incompetent, I have two Open STI's that I have kept running for 6 years. Any body suggest a fix or gunsmith in the midwest that would be receptive to a reliabilty issue like this?

[Steve RA]

Sounds like an extractor problem.

[Trumpet]

It's been a while, but since I started this thread I've found the ideal solution......I got both

[40S&W]

I purchased new in 1969 a M41 7" and it shoots almost all good ammo fine, but I wanted a 5" barrel for balance. The 5" shoots at least 5+% better than the 7", but is not reliable. I want the factory 5" to work! New barrel from Gil Hebard years back. Using red dot but it is on the barrel not slide. One works 7" and one doesn't 5".

Tried different weight springs, extractor mods, new extractors,firing pin springs, 15 different ammo brands all to no avail in reliable extraction. Leaves spent case in chamber and shuts.Everything else is excellent. Rapid and timed fire possible scores on 25yd short course.CCI SV, WW High Speed the best for extraction, but not for accuracy.

Measured mag lips, tried other mags and still no reliability. Least you think I am totally incompetent, I have two Open STI's that I have kept running for 6 years. Any body suggest a fix or gunsmith in the midwest that would be receptive to a reliabilty issue like this?

Try replacing the sear spring after you put all the standard factory items it came with back into the gun. If the gun is left cocked it weakens the sear spring and will cause some of the problems you mentioned. Best ammo is CCI Standard Velocity Lead Roundnose. Mod 41's don't run well below 48 deg. F. Keep the mags and gun warm with a pocket warmer and it runs fine even in cold weather. Other item is make sure you are not contacting the safety even the slightest bit (even a .001" movement" will cause problems like not extracting unless manually cycling the slide, sometimes won't fire. I removed my safety. Between safety removal & new sear spring mine runs as good as new and 100% reliable. Many of the older 41s' are ammo particular, they function better with standard velocity ammo and the barrel will last longer. Also, make sure the barrel ramp and chamber is clean. I ren a .22 cal brass brush in my chamber numerous times a match. The chamber and ramp get alot of wax on them from .22 rounds cold, warm, & hot weather. More problems occur during cold weather because of hard wax build up on the ramp & in the chamber. Keep it clean, make sure your recoil & sear spring are okay, and it should run 100%..