Looking at a Ruger Mk 1 for sale locally...
- Thread starter konstan
- Start date
Hard to improve on perfection !!
Be Safe !!!
When I never had any issues with my MK-I and generally have never had any issues with the rest of the family. Which model are you referring to. It's kind of hard to improve on perfection and yes, they are good. Perhaps the only negative is that MK-I magazines are getting harder to find. I paid $60.00 for the target model. The only thing you get with the new family members, are upgrades. ….
Be Safe !!!
Between my 1960 vintage Mark 1, my MkII and MkIV, I like the MkI the best. The only downside is it doesn’t have the last shot hold open of the later Mk’s but it has a really nice trigger, whereas I had to install Volquartsen kits on the later Mk’s. Plus, IMO, it’s better quality.
Jim
Jim
I bought mine before there were any Marks, so I guess that makes it a Mark I??
Anyways I have no idea how many rounds have been thru it since it was new in 1975. I paid $67.50 for it when I was in Austin one weekend.
It has been both reliable and accurate with a lot of different ammo.
Anyways I have no idea how many rounds have been thru it since it was new in 1975. I paid $67.50 for it when I was in Austin one weekend.
It has been both reliable and accurate with a lot of different ammo.
I had one (now known as a Mk 1) in the late 60's, loved the gun, found it more than accurate enough for plinking cans at 25-35 yds, but with a trigger only Ruger could love. I gave it to a cousin who watched over my guns while I participated in the SEA war games in 1970-73. Over the years I wished I kept it as it was one of my two first handguns.
A year or so ago, I got the yen for another, mostly to share with a grand daughter who'd taken up shooting. I found a good, as new, Mark ll that's a joy to shoot, with a trigger that's usable for all but expert level Bullseye competition, and doesn't weigh enough to qualify for an artillery gun carriage. I only wish it had adjustable sights. This one has the 4-5/8" bbl. which I find a little less muzzle heavy for young/inexperienced hands...hell, I like it too.
From the 25 yd. line it'll keep CCI Mini-Mag solids in less than an inch and a half with my 72 yo eyes doing the steering. My grand daughter, her dad and a number of inexperienced shooters have all shot it extensively here on our home/farm range. Even some liberal die-hards have found they really enjoyed plinking away with it.
I particularly like the Mark ll's vs. the Mk 1's for the former's operation which locks the slide back when the mag's empty. But like the Mk 1, the take down procedure can be a royal PITA...watch a cpl U tube video's before you try it yourself!!
Best of luck with yours...BTW, mine ran me just under $400 with two mags provided...for a very lightly used gun.
Rod
A year or so ago, I got the yen for another, mostly to share with a grand daughter who'd taken up shooting. I found a good, as new, Mark ll that's a joy to shoot, with a trigger that's usable for all but expert level Bullseye competition, and doesn't weigh enough to qualify for an artillery gun carriage. I only wish it had adjustable sights. This one has the 4-5/8" bbl. which I find a little less muzzle heavy for young/inexperienced hands...hell, I like it too.
From the 25 yd. line it'll keep CCI Mini-Mag solids in less than an inch and a half with my 72 yo eyes doing the steering. My grand daughter, her dad and a number of inexperienced shooters have all shot it extensively here on our home/farm range. Even some liberal die-hards have found they really enjoyed plinking away with it.
I particularly like the Mark ll's vs. the Mk 1's for the former's operation which locks the slide back when the mag's empty. But like the Mk 1, the take down procedure can be a royal PITA...watch a cpl U tube video's before you try it yourself!!
Best of luck with yours...BTW, mine ran me just under $400 with two mags provided...for a very lightly used gun.
Rod
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All of the Ruger Standard/Mark-Series pistols are good guns. I've owned or shot pretty much every iteration, and I would say they are all well-made.
As mentioned previously, the original Standard/Mark I didn't have a last-round bolt hold-open, and at some point around the later Mark II/early Mark IIIs, the feed ramp got slightly bigger to help with feeding of a larger variety of bullet types.
That said, if the Mark I is in good shape, that price doesn't sound too bad at all.
As mentioned previously, the original Standard/Mark I didn't have a last-round bolt hold-open, and at some point around the later Mark II/early Mark IIIs, the feed ramp got slightly bigger to help with feeding of a larger variety of bullet types.
That said, if the Mark I is in good shape, that price doesn't sound too bad at all.
I've had my Mk I for more than thirty years. I've often considered trying to "trade up" to a Mk II, to get the last round hold-open, but the trigger on my Mk I is so good I'm loath to give it up. Besides: The Mk I's are allegedly dry-fire safe and it's not a combat handgun, so the last round hold-open really isn't a necessity.
I bought one of the 6 7/8" Target models new, in 83. For about half the price of the one you are looking at. It has been an outstanding .22 semi, so I never had a need to buy any of the later Marks.
Lack of a last shot hold open was a bit of a disappointment, but not a deal breaker. Mine has run well, nearly flawless, but not 100% (never found any .22LR semi pistol that was), runs better than most. One mag jams, once in a while...
Trigger is good, gun is accurate, feels good in my hand, its a joy.
Until you try to take it apart. My advice is ..DON'T. I don't care if an Internet Expert U Tube says "its easy..watch this.." if you don't HAVE to do it, don't. Re-assembly is a little tricksy, if you know the "trick" its not terribly difficult. If you don't, it is IMPOSSIBLE to correctly reassemble the gun.
It's a .22 Sport and Target pistol, not a GI service automatic. It was not designed with the idea it would be constantly stripped and reassembled. If you want to do that, or feel you have to do it constantly, get a different pistol. Get one made for that.
Everything you need to clean to keep the gun running well can be reached and cleaned WITHOUT stripping down the gun.
IF possible get the one with adjustable sights. You may never need to adjust them, but if you do, they're great to have. I've never been a fan of fixed sights on a .22.
Another word of caution, get a GOOD holster. And by "good" I don't mean a specific brand or style, I mean one that will not snag on, or be "eaten up" by the sharp front sight.
I think the Mark I is an excellent value, if not the best value for the money you'll find. There are nicer guns, there are prettier guns, but damn few BETTER guns, and none I know for the same kind of money.
Areoflyer09
New member
If you are willing to learn, the Mk series (I-III) are not difficult to strip and reassemble. It is possible to jam the hammer strut if you aren’t paying attention to how you reassemble it. That will make them difficult to disassemble again, but impossible. That’s really the only major issue to watch for.
Don’t let naysayers deter learning that skill.
Don’t let naysayers deter learning that skill.
HighValleyRanch
New member
There are two different versions of the Ruger Mark I. The early models have the grip screw holes and magazine button opposite of the later models. You can tell these early models because the magazine follower button is on the RIGHT side of the magazine, and therefore on the frame the curve part is on the right side as well.
In 1971, they changed to the A100 frame which was then used on the Mark II, and III models with the magazine button on the LEFT side of the frame. The Mark II wasn't produced until 1982 so that leave 11 years of A100 frame produced Mark I's that can use the Mark II magazines.
I own one and didn't know for many years, that you can lock the bolt back in the open position by moving the safety button up with the bolt open.
In 1971, they changed to the A100 frame which was then used on the Mark II, and III models with the magazine button on the LEFT side of the frame. The Mark II wasn't produced until 1982 so that leave 11 years of A100 frame produced Mark I's that can use the Mark II magazines.
I own one and didn't know for many years, that you can lock the bolt back in the open position by moving the safety button up with the bolt open.
Areoflyer09
New member
I’m sorry you’ve struggled with figuring that out. I found the instructions to be easy to follow.To some, I'm sure ….
Hardly !!!
Ruger has eliminate this part of one's learning curve with the MK-IV.
Personally I don't care for the looks !!! ….
Be Safe !!!
sigarms228
New member
I have a Ruger Standard with 6 inch barrel that I bought new in the early 70s as my first pistol. It has been a terrific firearm for me. It is very reliable with a wide variety of ammo but does not feed Federal American Eagle 38gr HP for some reason
I did not break mine down for years and years. I just carefully cleaned the barrel from the muzzle end occasionally and cleaned/lubed best I could through the ejection port and that works fine for me. I probably will take it to the range this week for some .22LR plinking fun.
A few years ago I put some Hogue rubber grips on it to fit my hand better.
I did not break mine down for years and years. I just carefully cleaned the barrel from the muzzle end occasionally and cleaned/lubed best I could through the ejection port and that works fine for me. I probably will take it to the range this week for some .22LR plinking fun.
A few years ago I put some Hogue rubber grips on it to fit my hand better.
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Ok, fine, they learned, but..why did they NEED to???
because someone, who very probably didn't need to, took one apart. My point isn't that you can't do it, or that its really tough to learn or do, but that you shouldn't do it, absent a compelling need.
Like, if the gun goes swimming. Or you have to fish it out from swamp muck, etc. Many of the most popular guns today are designs meant for the military market, or civilian versions of them. The military is OCD about cleaning weapons (for several valid reasons). Those guns are designed and built with the foreknowledge that "five thumbed apes" are going to take them apart and put them back together over and over and over and over.
Purely civilian designed sporting arms often aren't. Done carefully, with the correct tools, occasional detail stripping doesn't harm things. Done ham fisted, with out the correct tools, and or too often, and damage and undue wear can result.
I get it, I used to love to take all of them apart, to learn them, figure out how and why they worked, as well as clean them. I was a Small Arms Repairman in the Army. But there's a difference between the base philosophy in the design of AR, AK, 1911, mauser 98, Glock etc and a .22 sport pistol or a SXS shotgun. And just because you can, doesn't mean you should.