Ruger Mark IV 22/45 magazines & Cabela's pricing questions?

B

BluRidgDav

New member
Picked up a new Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite pistol at Cabela's for a great price!
Walked over to the magazine rack to buy a few extras, but, they were sold out for my model pistol. Noted that the price listed on the empty hanger for Mark IV 22/45 mags was $39.99! There were still plenty of Mark III 22/45 magazines on the next hanger over for only $29.99. Wondered about why there is a 33% price increase? Thought it might be just newer, so, more expensive, or maybe the Mark IV quick disassembly feature required some special feature for it's magazines?

Then noticed that the labels for NON-22/45 mags a few hangers up, indicated that they were OK for use in both Mark III and Mark IV pistols. Hey, wait a minute, why are only the 22/45 model mags different for the Mark III & IV, but, not for the steel framed pistols? Didn't want to buy the wrong mags for my brand new pistol, so, I went home to do more research . . . .

On the ShopRuger.com site, they list two different 22/45 magazines:
Mark III 22/45 (item # 90229) for $29.95
Mark IV 22/45 (item #90599) for $29.95 = NO PRICE INCREASE
Regular Mark III & Mark IV (item # 90231) for $29.95 = INTERCHANGABLE

On Cabela's website, they list two different magazines:
Mark III 22/45 (SKU # 20026387) for $29.99
Mark IV 22/45 (SKU # 04786127) for $39.99 = WHY $10 MORE?
Cabela's also has a special price of $79.99 for a 3-pak of Mark III 22/45 magazines, but, doesn't even offer a 3-pak for the Mark IV 22/45!

On Brownell's website, they only list magazines for the Mark III 22/45 (Mfr Part 90229) for $25.07. Nothing for the Mark IV 22/45.
In their Q&A section, first a Staff Reviewer says that Mark III 22/45 mags will interchange in a Mark IV 22/45. Then later on the exact same day (5/26/2017), a Staff Expert says that, no, they won't work.

What the heck is the truth???
 
That is weird. I picked up a Mk IV (Luger-esque Target) a few days ago, and ordered the Cabela's 3-pack as you mentioned. Not the 22/45, but I think it was $79 for the three as well. From what I understand, there wasn't any changes to the magazines? I could be wrong. I have no idea why they were selling them for more.
 
Ruger included a coupon in the box for 20% off stuff from ShopRuger.com.
So, I ordered 3 extra Mark IV 22/45 specific magazines and a little loader.

Put 100 rounds of CCI 40gr Subsonic downrange yesterday with zero malfunctions.
Zero'd the iron sights for 50 feet and then mounted a Burris FastFire-3 on the rail.
Very accurate & lightweight pistol !!!
 
Magazines are a sore point for me. Seems they cost waaaayyyy too much. But that's just me...I remember getting old GI magazines for 1911 pistols for a buck each at gun shows and if you had a $5 bill the guy would throw in a sixth one for you. Sigh.

I also remember driving across town (Minneapolis/St. Paul) to a seedy pawn shop because somebody in the pistol league I shot in thought the pawn shop had a magazine for a 1911 .22 conversion unit like the one I was shooting. They did and I gnashed my teeth, stomped on the floor and finally paid the guy $18 for it. (Days waaaayyyy before the interwebs.) Sigh.

FWIW Midway regularly has these 'One Day Only Sales' and Ruger magazines, (and S&W magazines) seem to make regular appearances.
https://www.midwayusa.com/

The last Ruger mag sale was 8/30/2017 the one before that was 8/5/2015.
 
I have experienced absolutely no difference when using Mark III magazines in the steel grip frame Ruger Mark IV pistols.

Now, with the Zytel grip frame 22/45 pistols, I have found that the Ruger 22/45 and the Ruger Mark III 22/45 magazines with the extended magazine bases, will not lock into place solidly in the Ruger Mark IV 22/45. Yet, the Mark IV 22/45 magazines with the factory base plates work just fine in both the Ruger 22/45 and then the Ruger Mark III 22/45, so it's got to be those extended base plates preventing interchangeability.
 
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