Ruger 22lr pistols in Vietnam war?

S

simonrichter

New member
Somewhere I've read (sorry, as often with just skimming through the web, I can't find the source anymore) that suppressed Ruger .22lrs were used in Vietnam.
I was aware of the fact that the High Standard HDM was used by CIA operators (and maybe also tunnel rats?), but I never heard of the Ruger being used in Nam before. The fact that the Rugers were marketed under the product label "Standard" back then, maybe there's just been a confusion with said High Standard.
On the other hand, in the light of the fact that the Ruger was invented in the late 40ies / early 50ies and quite successful in civilian markets that doesn't seem to be completely unlikely - any further insights?
 
Ruger in RVn

I never saw a suppressed Ruger in Vietnam. I did see a lot of Mk-1s. None I
saw had govt. markings. I think a lot of Helicopter pilots brought their own.
I also saw quite a few HD-mil. mostly Marines had them. Some were Govt.
marked and some not. All I saw were 4" barreled.
 
I never saw a suppressed Ruger in Vietnam.
Click to expand...

“Our MkI looks just like the regular bull barrel pistol and doesn’t call attention to itself...ideal criterion for its covert role.”
 
RJay . . . your comment brought up a memory of a fellow I went to college with. He was a small build, wiry little guy . . very non-assuming and laid back . . a very nice fellow. He'b come back on the GI bill. We'd often talk and have a quick cup of coffee between classes . . . he talked of being a "tunnel rat" and I remember him telling that the first time he went down, he carried a .45. He came face to face with a VC and took care of the situation with a quick shot. He said that it was the biggest mistake he'd ever made as he couldn't hear afterwards and still had to keep going. After that, he said he went down with a knife and later picked up a .22.

I can't imagine that job but he evidently took it in stride and got very good at it. I had all the respect in the world for him. He was a great guy. I learned through the "grapevine" a number of years later that he developed cancer - believed to be from exposure to Agent Orange - and he passed away.

Sorry to "digress" from he subject the OP posted on . . . your post stirred up some old memories and my thanks and gratitude to all of those who went and served.
 
not at all off topic as far as I'm concerned. The tunnel rats have always been a very interesting part of the story of jungle warfare imho, and indeed a lot of sources talk about ".22s" instead of the mighty 1911 being employed in the tunnels, yet mostly lacking information about what kind of .22.

I'm not sure whether an unsuppressed .22 would have made much of a difference to a .45 down there...
 
i heard of a TR useing a four inch S&W model 10 38spl with full target wadcutters as the ranges were 5-20 feet. eastbank.
 
I vaguely recall seeing a photo of a Ruger with a long suppressor held by a shirtless GI in VN. I think the idea was tunnel clearing or maybe sentry neutralizing.
 
Suppressed Ruger

I never saw suppressed Ruger in RVn. What most people don't realize is that
special weapons were not laying around every where. Weapons like this would
have been issued only to units/ individuals that would have use for it. While
weapons school USSADS I saw suppressors for most of our military issue
weapons. I did get hold of a m16 suppressor in RVn but sold it to CO's driver.
It looked impressive but was burnt out. While my MOS did not call for suppressors if they were readily available guys like me would have been scarfing them up. There was always a few special weapons that fell through the cracks
and were in the general military population. Most were passed on to another
troop when "owner" DEROSEd out.
 
The 22LR was used then and even today for "crowd control", especially on the knee cap to stop the oncoming threat without killing the attacker.
 
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