Got a new Ruger Mark IV Tactical 22/45 -- love it so far!

O

OhioGuy

New member
I finally settled on the 22/45 (just really, really love the 1911 style grip) and the Tactical model (threaded, with rails already attached, but not so lightweight as the Lite model). And a good price, just over $350 from Bud's.

Within minutes, I had a Vortex Viper sight clamped down on top and zeroed in, and I was off the races. I love everything about this gun! Somehow it seems so much more like an ordinary handgun than a dedicated .22 target pistol.

What are some recommended upgrades? My first moves might be a fiber optic front sight (I will shoot both irons and red dot depending on the day) and a compensator, if the latter really makes much of a difference on recoil.

I don't find the trigger offensive, although it's a bit heavy for what I'd consider a target style gun. I'm not sure I want to drop it to a 1.5 lb custom trigger like I see are so popular on these guns.

What guidance do y'all have?
 
I’ve got a Dead Air Mask. It’s quieter on a pistol than a Sparrow and has much less first-round pop. It’s just as quiet as an Element 2 but unlike the Element it’s also rated for 5.7 and it’s easier to take apart when dirty.

I worked at a high-volume SOT when I bought it, so I had a large amount of silencers to sample and choose from, whether it was one we sold or one of many our customers owned and shot on our range. In my opinion the only reason not to get the Mask is if you want a modular .22 silencer like the SilencerCo Switchback or the AAC Halcyon, or you want a lightweight .22 silencer. But a lightweight one will have baffles that are harder to clean and won’t be rated for magnum .22 calibers like a stainless one will be (the Mask is rated up to 5.7mm).’

Another plus for the Dead Air Mask is that it’s from an established company with excellent customer service should you ever have a problem. Yes, it’s technically a new company, but it was founded by very well-known and well-respected people from the silencer industry.

If you want a second opinion on the Dead Air Mask, ask the TFL and THR moderator Spats McGee; I helped him settle on the Mask a while back when he was looking for a .22 can. He finally took possession of it recently and he seems to be very happy with it also.
 
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Theohazard gave a good rundown. The Mask is popular for a reason.

Aluminum cans won’t be rated for the more powerful options. They are lightweight though.

Titanium cans can handle the 22 magnum, 17HMR and 5.7x28. They keep the easy to clean nature of a steel can and the lightweight nature of the aluminum cans.

Steel cans can run all of the calibers and are easy to clean. They are also the heaviest.

We aren’t talking huge weight differences and the importance of that difference is user dependent. I notice the difference on the end of my 22 pistols, not everyone does. It’s something that you should try at a store and see how it feels to you.
 
Areoflyer09 said:
Titanium cans can handle the 22 magnum, 17HMR and 5.7x28. They keep the easy to clean nature of a steel can and the lightweight nature of the aluminum cans.
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Stainless steel will handle the high-pressure .22 rounds like 5.7mm a little better than titanium will, also stainless holds up a little better than titanium to some of the harsher cleaning methods. That’s why the Mask uses stainless baffles and a titanium tube; the tube doesn’t need to be a strong as the baffles and the baffles are the parts that need 99% of the cleaning.

That said, I agree 100% that a lighter silencer feels better on some lightweight hosts.
 
Thanks for the recommendations on cans.

What other upgrades do people here run on these?

Do the compensators from Tandemkross have much effect? They're only $60 and I don't need 9 months and an investigation to get one :rolleyes:
 
I greatly enjoyed the TK Game Changer Pro compensator, don’t bother with the other one they sell. The Game Changer Pro does work, the issue is the weight of the gun.

I ran mine on a 22/45 Lite, the compensator kept the barrel pretty flat and let you run it quite fast without the barrel rising much. In combination with a red dot, it was Avery entertaining 22. I would expect you don’t see as much of a gain if you don’t have one of the lightweight barrel, the barrel weight cuts back on the rise on its own.


If you haven’t yet, look into the VQ internals. That gives a wonderful trigger. The Apex kit will also give a cleaner trigger, but not as light as the VQ set up. My personal choice is VQ internals with a TK flat faced trigger.
 
Congratulations! It's no secret that I'm partial to Rugers, and I love my Ruger .22s, but I do think you've made an excellent choice.

I'm going to join The Silencer Chorus. I just got my first suppressor last month, a Dead Air Mask, and one of my hosts is a Mark IV 22/45 Lite. It is insanely fun to shoot. I'm a plinker at heart, and an afternoon shooting suppressed .22, without having to worry about my hearing, is about as good a day as I could hope for.

Theohazard said:
. . . .If you want a second opinion on the Dead Air Mask, ask the TFL and THR moderator Spats McGee; I helped him settle on the Mask a while back when he was looking for a .22 can. He finally took possession of it recently and he seems to be very happy with it also.
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I will absolutely back all of this up. I don't have any significant experience with any other suppressors, but I do love my DAM.
 
You need magazine bumper pads. The 22/45 mags are hard to seat in the grip.

You need the replacement spring loaded bolt release lever(Does the IV have a spring loaded lever in stock form?)

I recommend a trigger upgrade

IF you are in an area that allows a suppressor, by all means, DO IT.

I have three Mark III 22/45s, all are threaded, and I have a SilencerCo SS Sparrow. Suppressed 22/45s are a lot of fun to shoot.
 
Another vote for a suppressor.

I was VERY hopeful a couple years ago when several manufacturers started offering threaded barrels and then lo and behold there was "common sense" legislation being put forth to remove the restrictions on 'em. Alas after a couple instances of "irresponsible" gun incidents the anti crowd rose up and in effect said you'll get your suppressors after you pry them out of our cold dead hands.

Still, even with the restrictions, and even though they don't work as good as they do in the movies*, I'd vote for going after one.

*My real life suppressor experience has been firing ONE suppressor on a full size 9mm during ONE range session. It was neat but if I owned one I'd still wear hearing protection while shooting it. I don't remember the name of the suppressor but was assured it was a top line expensive ($1000) one.
 
Good and timely thread.

I bought up my first Mark IV today. Mine is the hybrid Target model with the anodized aluminum lower and stainless threaded bull barrel. So far I'm impressed. I was wondering about how to trick it out.
 
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