Ruger Mark II?

[bradshaw]

Jul 16, 2019 6:59:36 GMT -5 awp101 said:

I know where a taper barrel MKII is for short-ish money but I haven't examined it yet. Do they have a dovetail front sight or just the replaceable blade?

*****

The MK II Target with tapered bull barrel was made with 5-1/4” barrel (MK II 514) and, possibly, tapered 6-7/8” barrel. The MK II Target with straight bull barrel was made 5-1/2" bbl in profusion, with lesser numbers of 6-7/8” and the 10-inch silhouette model. Straight bull barrels have front sight attached by screw. Tapered bull barrels are turned with a sight boss, to which the blade is pinned.

Any MK II Target Model is desirable. target .22 auto of greater refinement have been made, none as durable as the Ruger. (Really, so long as it is maintained, durability of the better .22 autos should never be an issue.) Accuracy of various model MK II Target tends to the extreme, verifiable with a clamp-on mount and parallax-free scope.
David Bradshaw

[contender]

As noted,, there are different models of the MKII. Any of them with the pinned front blade & drift only rear sight is a "Standard" model. They were made with the 4-3/4" & 6" bbls. Adjustable sights, with the screw down front sight came in tapered barrels, & bull barrels. As noted,, tapered in 5-1/4" & 6-7/8". Bull barrels in 4", 5-1/2", 6-7/8", 8", & 10". LOTS of different variations out there.
You can't go wrong with any of them.

[magnumwheelman]

I know I'm going to sound stupid here, but I've not looked at mine for a long time... I think it's a Mark II Government Target Model... it is a bull barrel, not a slab side... what make the Government Target Model different from a Regular Mark model???

dug up some old pictures of mine...

[contender]

Not stupid at all.
That model was built for the military,,, and US marked. The non-US marked ones were sold to the public. Desirable,,, and great shooters. I also have one of them, as well as the Competition Target model. (The slabside one.)
No real differences except round bull bbl, vs, the slabside,, and I THINK the Government model was only offered in blue.

[magnumwheelman]

Mine is definitely stainless... if I get the chance, I'll take a newer picture showing the Gov. Target Model lettering

[magnumwheelman]

I can't tell you how many 100,000 rounds I put through this gun back in the 80's doing informal dueling tree competitions at my 1st home range... it was not unusual to shoot 1000 - 1500 rounds on a weekend

[bradshaw]

One responder, either here or on rugerforum.com, said the Government MK II 6-7/8” has a match chamber. Mounted a Burris 10x AO (Adjustable Objective) LERLong Eye Relief (LER) target scope on my Gov’t Model, off the sandbags it has grouped 10x10 into 3/8-inch @ 25 yards. That’s with non-match ammunition, which tends to throw a flier here and there, usually tainting an impressive group. These guns will separate ammunition on accuracy, a task at which some guns are incapable. Rather phenomenal accuracy prints from run-of-the-mill Ruger MK II’s with bull barrels. IHMSA silhouettes and NRA silhouetters playing the game at the highest level migrated the Browning Buckmark Silhouette, which I think has slightly faster lock time. Sights on Browning Buckmark Silhouette provide a cleaner picture, with finer adjustments, important when you shave chairs on tiny targets at long distance.

Accuracy competition gives no alibi for fliers (nor broken guns), where a flier may cost a match. Hugh Reed of Federal (and others in manufacturing) told me .22 rimfire is difficult to make well. It’s a struggle, everything about the rimfire round so sensitive. Sometimes, with .22Long Rifle, it’s “use what you got to get what you want.” I feel better about shooting modest-priced ammo,. but there sure are differences. As a rule, the Ruger auto pistols handle most selections too the best of the ammo’s ability.

The Rugers astutely observed some shooters might prefer a 1911-style grip, conveniently cheaper to cast in plastic. As a training substitute, any good gun will do, as long as the coordinations of marksmanship are serious. I have no love for the plastic model, as with a bull barrel it is top-heavy. In my hand the Ruger auto pistol is an instrument of marksmanship, for which the MK II Target takes a ride to the top pf the mountain.
David Bradshaw

[awp101]

Thanks for the front sight knowledge Mr B and contender! I have a feeling that when I get back to the shop with the New Service on consignment, I'm probably going to spend more time checking out the 2 MkIIs also on consignment for less money.

[oldschool]

Jul 2, 2019 19:04:40 GMT -5 matt56 said:

I don't know much about semi autos but lately I've been going to an informal 22 bullseye shoot at my local club.  Everyone shoots semi's while I've been using my K22.  I don't know what the other guys shoot but it's not anything super expensive.  I thought I was doing really good with the revolver but the rapid fires are a little tough shooting DA.  I really wanted a 7 inch S&W 41 but I cannot justify the cost, maybe if I hit the lotto.  

So I was browsing GB the other day and I have my LGS in my saved searches and I see they posted a really nice looking Ruger Mark II Target.  I don't know anything about anything when it comes to this kind of stuff so I looked into it.  Wow, they made 3 million of these guns but everyone seems to like them.  The one listed was from 1987 so I went down to the store to look at it.  Remarkable shape even though it's supposedly well shot.  I don't see a mark on it, no pun intended.  

Ended up bidding and winning it for $261 which seemed fair for such a nice old gun.  Picked it up today, came home and shot it in the yard.  20 shots offhand, all went in a 2" circle at 15 yds with 2 different kinds of ammo.  I was stunned! Shooting single action with the K22 is not that good, DA forget about it.  The CCI standard velocity ammo which is good in my K22 was also good in the Mark II.  No failures of any kind.  I would have kept shooting but it started raining.


I am really happy though.  I have paid a lot more for guns that shoot a lot worse 



 

 

You got that MKII for a bargain! I also have a 5.5" heavy barrel and it is a shooter. If you want the best possible trigger, pick up a Volquartsen target sear & trigger, along with a Clark Hammer Pin & Bushing kit for your MKII. The trigger in mine is now better than the S&W M41 and Hi Std Victor I used to own.