Want to buy an affordable .22LR matched quality pistol

A

Alan0354

New member
I need to buy a NEW .22LR MATCH grade pistol.

I had a Ruger Mark II bull barrel, it was accurate. I shot it loose after like 7000 rounds, then the main spring housing broke into two. I can easily get a new mainspring housing. BUT I cannot fix the shot loose. I need to buy another match grade .22LR semi-auto

I don't want a revolver, I have two S&W model 17, they.re nowhere up to the standard. I am talking about under 1.5" grouping for over 20 rounds with sand bag at 25yds. My only other pistol is up to this is my Colt Gold Cup after I accurized it and the Colt trouper 8" barrel.

I want to buy a NEW one, I don't need another good one but shot loosed. It's sad, I love that Mark II.
 
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Alan0354, are we talking about "affordable" as in Hammerli affordable, or Browning Buckmark affordable? Give us an idea of price range and I'm sure a lot of suggestions will start your way.
 
Of cause is Browning affordable!!! I prefer it's Ruger affordable!!! I was looking for the Ruger Mark IV because I really like the Mark II.
 
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Ruger Mk IV is not on the California roster.
Check on the California roster to see which new .22s are available new.
Of course you can purchase used, person to person, or used unfired.
But new, it would have to be on the roster, or one of the olympic exempt models, but none of those are new any more.
 
ballardw said:
I don't know why you might think that the Mark IV isn't being sold new.

Still listed on the Ruger website as current production. Just the distribution channels for everything firearm related are kaflooey now.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/ruger-mark-iv-22-lr-pistol-with-wood-grips-blued-40140.html says they have them in stock under $500.
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I love it if it is as good as the MarkII.....There's no reason to think it's not. That's all I want. I am NOT that good a shooter to require a $3000 gun!! My Old Mark II is more than good enough to put 20 rounds into a group about 1.5" diameter already using sand bag. Anything worst is on me, not the gun. It's just sad that it obviously started to deteriorated towards the end.

It really doesn't take much to shoot loose. I had a S&W model 19 that was really accurate, but the cylinder binded with the end of the barrel if it is not super clean( very tight fit with small gap, I don't remember, it must be like 0.004" or so). I filed down just a little to say 0.006" or so, I lost it. I ended up sold it. Even just a little made a big difference. I don't remember the exact number, but I am sure it was NOT a big number for cylinder to barrel gap spacing for revolvers. That I am sure, I checked before I did that.

Things are so so critical for accuracy.
 
HighValleyRanch said:
Ruger Mk IV is not on the California roster.
Check on the California roster to see which new .22s are available new.
Of course you can purchase used, person to person, or used unfired.
But new, it would have to be on the roster, or one of the olympic exempt models, but none of those are new any more.
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Oh no, that's sad, it's good price, why? It's only a .22LR.

No, I don't buy used ever. Mine is only about 7000 round, I might as well buy a new main spring and fix mine!!! It just have fliers every so often. Funny fliers usually happens to revolvers as it has 6 different chambers. I don't know why this happened to the Mark II. But it's consistent( with fliers). I had to depend on the Gold Cup towards the end before I quit shooting 30 years ago.
 
Damn, only have 380 semi auto. I have two model 17 already, I don't need another revolver.

Maybe I should take a chance buying the mainspring housing assembly and put it back into the Mark II and see what happens. It's been 30 years, My eyes can only get worst. Maybe it's plenty good for me now!! :(

I don't need the most accurate gun, I just need one good enough I cannot blame it on the gun.
 
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Hell, I just got my old Mark II out, it's not even the main spring broke, it's a plunger attached to the main spring. It's only $15 to buy a new one!!!

I even find the part:
https://www.saronagunworks.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=64_61&product_id=280

See picture of my Mark II,

How do you post the picture on the post so people don't have to click the attachment?


This time when I took the Mark II out, it's sooooooo dirty the bolt won't even close completely. I never clean this gun much, it's full of crap. I wonder may that cause the inconsistent problem?!!!:eek::eek::eek:

That would be something if that's all the problem, just need a good cleaning!!! I can see if the bolt didn't close as tightly from round to round can cause inconsistency. I love my Mark II!!!
 

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I shot on a service academy pistol team for 4 years back in the late 60's. We shot issued M41 & M46 Smiths, never cleaned the bbl's, and brushed out the receivers and bolt face...that was it...and they perked with Remington Target just fine.

Every .22 Auto I've owned since worked the same way...you have to keep the breach face clean, the bolt face clean, and sometimes the chamber. The rifling portion of the bbl. virtually never needs to be brushed out. I've had Colt Woodsmans, Ruger Mkll's & Standards, a High Standard Victor, and a pair of Smith Model 41's since my cadet days...all were alike in their cleaning regimen needs.

A thought occurs that if you've been shooting a lot of plated .22 rounds along with the non-plated variety, you may have a copper build up in the rifling causing accuracy problems. It's a problem occasionally and needs to be addressed for gilt edged accuracy. If so, a well worn .22 bronze bore brush wrapped with a small amount of ALL COPPER Chore Boy, will make short work of the rifling lead/copper build up.

Ed Harris in Back Creek Diary ( https://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/backcreekdiary.htm), has some interesting comments on .22 accuracy in general and mixing ammunition types in particular. His creds are impeccable as a former Ruger test engineer, American Rifleman contributor and frequent poster over on the cast bullet site. You might give him a read.

BTW, the Ruger Mkll is a great gun, I have one now with a fair trigger that's a frequent trial companion, but...I've found that Ruger triggers are a PITA to get to target grade specs...if that's accomplished for use offhand or you get lucky with one GTG after a few hundred rounds, they've got the barrel that'll give you 1.5" gps at 25 yds...

or... you could get a Smith M41...and don't tinker with it...it's good to go right out of the box. Too, you'll appreciate the Smith's target adj. sights for zeroing. It'd be an investment for a lifetime of pleasurable shooting...best regards, Rod
 
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I have a hard time thinking of a Ruger "shot loose" in only 7000 rounds.
If you live in the repressive California jurisdiction, your best bet would be to send it to a good gunsmith and have it tightened up and "accurized."

Or maybe one part and a good cleaning will fix it.
 
No one on this planet ever “shot loose” a Ruger in 7,000 rounds. I use to shoot 35,000 rounds a year out of various .22lr handguns and NOT ONE of them ever shot loose. I had two Browning Buckmarks that had over 200,000 rounds through them and they only ever required one extractor replacement, three of four plastic buffers, and a couple of springs over a ten year period. I think the Rugers were every bit, if not more durable.
 
Thanks guys, I am going to fix and clean the Mark II first before I even consider buying another one. I never notice how dirty it was, only yesterday when I put the bolt back in the first without the recoil spring that automatically push the bolt in place, then I notice it's STICKY and it won't even close completely until I push the bolt in!!! That's how bad it is, I can see crap build up that prevent the bolt from closing, clumps of it!!!

I cannot imagine the gun can be consistent if the bolt cannot close tight all the time. The symptom support that it's the bolt closing problem, it is not like the group gets bigger, it's the fliers. I can just see the group and then one or two flyers off the group.

I only shot lead bullet, never a jacketed. Mainly Winchester Wildcat because There was a big sale at the time, box of 50 for 99cents. I bought like 13 boxes, each with 10 breaks, each break is 10 boxes. I don't think they are match rounds. I've been shooting those in the Mark II. For my shooting, it's plenty good already.

I am NOT that good, off hand I could only punch a hole about 6" at 25yds, the Mark II is plenty good for me, I don't deserve a better one than that. Besides, that's 30 years ago, this doesn't get better with age!!! Maybe this time, my S&W659 is good enough for me already!!:(:(
 
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Look at these, that's how dirty it was. That's why it won't close completely!!! I am surprised it can even shoot!!! I never took a second look at the time. When it broke, I kind of quit shooting and packed the guns all away.:eek:
 

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clean the snot of that thing and clean the bore really well to boot, and I'd bet that it'll be just as accurate as you remember.
 
I had a Ruger Mark II bull barrel, it was accurate. I shot it loose after like 7000 rounds, then the main spring housing broke into two. I can easily get a new mainspring housing. BUT I cannot fix the shot loose. I need to buy another match grade .22LR semi-auto
Click to expand...

If that is the case, send it to Ruger. They will fix it.
 
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