RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
You get what you pay for in money or time invested.
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Ruger MK II
- Thread starter JonB
- Start date
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
You can stone and polish the sear and hammer to get a really nice trigger pull.
However, If you don't have the proper stones and the proper jig, the Volquartsen Hammer & Sear are outstanding right out of the box. As much as I like to save a buck or two and do that type of trigger work, the Volquartsen parts really are the equal of anything you can do yourself. (if not better when starting with some parts).
Either method can produce excellent results but if you're only doing one, the "out of the box" solution may actually be cheaper if you don't already have the tools.
The factory aluminum MKII triggers, in my experience, have either good tolerances OR are really sloppy. There's not much in between. If you have a decent one, you can drill & tap it for an over travel stop. Again, it's often just easier to obtain a nice after market steel triiger with tight tolerances and a trigger stop, than to modify the one you have. The money isn't that bad.
I have an old Clark trigger in my MKII and I think those are no longer available.
I've been very impressed with the quality of the Ruger barrels but I suspect the chambers of those factory barrels are a bit loose to allow for reliability with different ammo.
However, If you don't have the proper stones and the proper jig, the Volquartsen Hammer & Sear are outstanding right out of the box. As much as I like to save a buck or two and do that type of trigger work, the Volquartsen parts really are the equal of anything you can do yourself. (if not better when starting with some parts).
Either method can produce excellent results but if you're only doing one, the "out of the box" solution may actually be cheaper if you don't already have the tools.
The factory aluminum MKII triggers, in my experience, have either good tolerances OR are really sloppy. There's not much in between. If you have a decent one, you can drill & tap it for an over travel stop. Again, it's often just easier to obtain a nice after market steel triiger with tight tolerances and a trigger stop, than to modify the one you have. The money isn't that bad.
I have an old Clark trigger in my MKII and I think those are no longer available.
I've been very impressed with the quality of the Ruger barrels but I suspect the chambers of those factory barrels are a bit loose to allow for reliability with different ammo.
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Not personally a fan of serrated triggers. The Ruger factory aluminum triggers polish up well and some arrive already are drilled and tapped for the over travel screws, the factory tapped screws tend to be a bit of a pain to get properly adjusted though. If a steel Clark style trigger appeals to you then try Numrich Arms and look under the AMT Lightning heading. The Lightning were a Ruger MKI knock off (but closer to the MK II's) and their triggers fit the Ruger MK I's and II's. The Lightning steel triggers arrive serrated but grind and polish up well (2nd and 3rd from left). with minimal effort. Back in the early 1980's when I was active in Silhouettes, I paid a club member to do a trigger job on my short course (100 yd) Ruger MK II. He did a number of them for other shooters/members but mine ended up with not enough hammer/sear engagement. It would double and more until it would finally blow a case head and stop. So back to Ruger it went for a new sear and hammer as Ruger wouldn't sell these parts back then. After that I did my first MK II trigger job against the front side of a Lee 3-hole turret press using the big flat on the steel turret mount to keep the stone and hammer squared up. Held the hammer in place with the hammer rivet dropped into the unused press leg hole with a C clamp. Turned out well. The Volquardsen's biggest advantage over the Ruger original pieces after better tolerances is the Volquartsen hammer has about a 1/2-inch hole in it and a smaller profile, so it gets a bit better lock time being lighter. Back in the early 1980's Volquartsen didn't exist, at least to my knowledge.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
I'm not a fan of serrated triggers either but I can tolerate them a little on a SA gun.
That AMT trigger looks like an excellent option.
That AMT trigger looks like an excellent option.
Maven
Well-Known Member
I purchased a Mk II Gov't. Model (6 7/8" bbl.) 30 yrs. ago under my FFL and really like it. I changed the grips to the Hogue grips like on JWF's and find it to be an accurate, reliable shooter. I've tried pricey target ammo in it, but to punch paper, it hardly makes a difference and generally won't operate the action. For everyday shooting, I use and like Federal Automatch: Never a misfire. Btw, that ammo also does well in my Marlin bolt action target rifle, but Wolf Match Extra does better.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
Most .22 RF target ammunition is standard velocity. Generally speaking, that type of ammo gives excellent results in bolt action rifles but doesn’t always cycle semi-auto actions.
In my Ruger MKII, Remington standard velocity target ammo (blue label), will operate the action.
That particular gun is probably not representative of most MKII’s and may be the exception to the norm. In a clean gun with a well broken-in and polished action, standard velocity target ammo is likely right at the floor of the energy needed to reliably cycle the action.
I perfer to conserve that target ammo for use in rifles that it shoots best in but I have experimented with it in my MKII and it will work. But I agree with Maven, it's not my first choice in a MKII.
In my Ruger MKII, Remington standard velocity target ammo (blue label), will operate the action.
That particular gun is probably not representative of most MKII’s and may be the exception to the norm. In a clean gun with a well broken-in and polished action, standard velocity target ammo is likely right at the floor of the energy needed to reliably cycle the action.
I perfer to conserve that target ammo for use in rifles that it shoots best in but I have experimented with it in my MKII and it will work. But I agree with Maven, it's not my first choice in a MKII.
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Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
Prior to 2008, American Eagle 40 grain .22 LR ammo was Federal's economy brand of .22 rimfire ammo and as common as crabgrass. That was my go-to "Cheap" .22 LR ammo. It would cycle in all actons, it was reasonably accurate for plinking. (other ammo gave better results in some guns but such is the rule for all .22 rimfire guns).
Post 2008, and the .22 rimfire game was a bit different.
I haven't seen the old American Eagle 40 grain cartridges in some time. I think the current low cost equvilent from Federal is the Champion Training 22 LR with a 40 grain LRN bullet. And even that economy line lacks the old "economy" of the prior low cost .22 ammo.
I will say the situation is greatly improved and there are still plenty of good options.
Post 2008, and the .22 rimfire game was a bit different.
I haven't seen the old American Eagle 40 grain cartridges in some time. I think the current low cost equvilent from Federal is the Champion Training 22 LR with a 40 grain LRN bullet. And even that economy line lacks the old "economy" of the prior low cost .22 ammo.
I will say the situation is greatly improved and there are still plenty of good options.
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CZ93X62
Official forum enigma
22 LR self-loaders can be fussy, no doubt about it. IME the Ruger 10/22 and my own Ruger autopistols (I've had 3 of them) feed just about anything. They are very indulgent and forgiving.
Alas, not all rimfire systems are this obliging. Three of mine come to mind in this regard.
The first is my Winchester Model 290 rifle. My dad bought this as a trainer rifle for us kids in the mid-1960s with S&H Green Stamps. Simpler times, indeed. This rifle ran quite well on 1960s and 1970s ammo of any type--no balking, no sluggish feeding, no stoppages.
The family guns came my way after Dad passed in 1994. It was 1996 before I got a chance to take the 290 out for a shakedown cruise. I'm here to tell you--there was some real garbage ammo out there being sold by the Big Three ammomakers. It may have been affordable--and it may have been accurate--but it flat-out would not run in that Win 290. Nicely enough, my 10/22 consumed it happily. I grabbed some CCI Mini Mags and tried those in the 290--success! They ran like water in that rifle, and still do to this day.
Two Walther 22 LR pistols I had about this same time responded well to 'The Mini-Mag Ammo Upgrade'--a TPH and a PP. Those got flipped for large dollars. I appreciated the boon at that time, but I miss that PP something fierce. It was a nice little pistol.
In 2004 Marie wanted a sub-caliber trainer for her SIG P-228 9mm--she calls it 'Lucy' (short for Lucretia Borgia--Castilian Basque women can be spicy at times). We bought a SIG Mosquito pistol for that purpose. That stupid little pistol refused to run reliably, even on Mini-Mags at first. She Who Must Be Obeyed was not impressed--I was directed to sell this (expletives deleted) pistol in some very sharp Spanish. My beloved spouse can be a bit impetuous now and then, so I just told her "I'll see what can be done' and took it out shooting frequently. After putting about 400 Mimi-Mags through it, I noticed that its failure rate was lessening per magazine as the round count advanced. By about 1500 rounds downrange, the Mosquito was behaving itself exquisitely--and it still is. Marie had made peace with 'Lucita', and all is right with the world again. That pistol will ONLY run on Mini-Mags, Blazers, or SGBs by CCI, though. It is a real 'Steak & Lobster Cotillion Debutante'.
That is NOT complimentary--I like the Muddy Girls, I'm married to one and Marie is the best thing that ever happened to me. She will do to ride the river with, for damn sure.
Same story with CCI rimfire ammo--the stuff works. Yeah, it costs more--but aggravation is costly, too.
Alas, not all rimfire systems are this obliging. Three of mine come to mind in this regard.
The first is my Winchester Model 290 rifle. My dad bought this as a trainer rifle for us kids in the mid-1960s with S&H Green Stamps. Simpler times, indeed. This rifle ran quite well on 1960s and 1970s ammo of any type--no balking, no sluggish feeding, no stoppages.
The family guns came my way after Dad passed in 1994. It was 1996 before I got a chance to take the 290 out for a shakedown cruise. I'm here to tell you--there was some real garbage ammo out there being sold by the Big Three ammomakers. It may have been affordable--and it may have been accurate--but it flat-out would not run in that Win 290. Nicely enough, my 10/22 consumed it happily. I grabbed some CCI Mini Mags and tried those in the 290--success! They ran like water in that rifle, and still do to this day.
Two Walther 22 LR pistols I had about this same time responded well to 'The Mini-Mag Ammo Upgrade'--a TPH and a PP. Those got flipped for large dollars. I appreciated the boon at that time, but I miss that PP something fierce. It was a nice little pistol.
In 2004 Marie wanted a sub-caliber trainer for her SIG P-228 9mm--she calls it 'Lucy' (short for Lucretia Borgia--Castilian Basque women can be spicy at times). We bought a SIG Mosquito pistol for that purpose. That stupid little pistol refused to run reliably, even on Mini-Mags at first. She Who Must Be Obeyed was not impressed--I was directed to sell this (expletives deleted) pistol in some very sharp Spanish. My beloved spouse can be a bit impetuous now and then, so I just told her "I'll see what can be done' and took it out shooting frequently. After putting about 400 Mimi-Mags through it, I noticed that its failure rate was lessening per magazine as the round count advanced. By about 1500 rounds downrange, the Mosquito was behaving itself exquisitely--and it still is. Marie had made peace with 'Lucita', and all is right with the world again. That pistol will ONLY run on Mini-Mags, Blazers, or SGBs by CCI, though. It is a real 'Steak & Lobster Cotillion Debutante'.
That is NOT complimentary--I like the Muddy Girls, I'm married to one and Marie is the best thing that ever happened to me. She will do to ride the river with, for damn sure.
Same story with CCI rimfire ammo--the stuff works. Yeah, it costs more--but aggravation is costly, too.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
As much as I admire the S&W Model 41, it is out of my league for the shooting I do. I have won a couple of informal bets with a MKII against model 41 users, but that’s another topic.
The Colt Woodsman pistols were very accurate, but in today’s world many have either been abused shamefully or are collector’s pistols too valuable to really use to their full potential.
The High Standards are a study all on their own, with different models, time frames, end users, etc.
The Browning Buckmark is a decent pistol, although I don’t care for the buffer that needs to be replaced occasionally.
The Ruger .22 rimfire pistols really are marvels of engineering, In My Opinion. They are well made, relatively inexpensive, durable, reliable and can be extremely accurate pistols.
My better half has an early MKII with fixed sights and tapered barrel. It is one of the simplest of all the Ruger .22 pistols. She’s pretty good with it and it’s one of those guns that will never leave.
The Colt Woodsman pistols were very accurate, but in today’s world many have either been abused shamefully or are collector’s pistols too valuable to really use to their full potential.
The High Standards are a study all on their own, with different models, time frames, end users, etc.
The Browning Buckmark is a decent pistol, although I don’t care for the buffer that needs to be replaced occasionally.
The Ruger .22 rimfire pistols really are marvels of engineering, In My Opinion. They are well made, relatively inexpensive, durable, reliable and can be extremely accurate pistols.
My better half has an early MKII with fixed sights and tapered barrel. It is one of the simplest of all the Ruger .22 pistols. She’s pretty good with it and it’s one of those guns that will never leave.
In the late 1980's I lived in southern California for a couple of three years. The local BIG 5 sporting goods store use to put CCI Mini Mags on sale regularly at $9.99 for 500 rounds, these were my default standard back then. For every round that's been put thru the S&W 41 and the Colt Match Target I've probably put a hundred or so thru a Ruger rimfire semi pistol. The S&W and the Colt pistol feel strange when I first pick them up, something like being a S&W revolver guy and picking up a Colt double action pistol. It takes a moment or two for my hand to get acclimated to the S&W or Colt. They both still get shot and the Colt even more so lately since some of Beretta's NEO magazines have been modified to function with it. Original Colt magazines have gotten stupidly expensive of late. And finally, the Ruger target MK pistols leave the factory with heavily undercut front sights. If your target shooting that's fine but if you carry them in a leather holster, you'll soon find these front sights to be meat hogs. With the Ruger 5 1/2-inch bull barrel MK Targets simply swap the front sight with one from a Ruger Single Six. All this takes is turning a screw. The 6 7/8-inch MK Targets require a slight bit more effort. Get one of Ruger's stainless 45 Colt Blackhawk front sights. The Blackhawk sight fits the MK Targets for length but are a tad shorter in height and the base needs some file work to fit properly. But you end up with a nice, serrated ramp front that looks pretty good. Your holsters will thank you for the effort.
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RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
My only 22 auto was a Colt Sport made in 1946 for over twenty years. It will feed almost anything but most accurate with the Federal standard velocity match stuff.
Three years ago I bought a Beretta 942, made in 1954. It only feeds the high speed stuff in the bottom on the 22 ammo can. Thunderbolt and Blazers are reliable and accurate.
Sometimes I miss my Ruger, Hi-Standard and S&W target guns but the revolvers were fun for all those years and easier for the wife and kids to use as plinkers.
Three years ago I bought a Beretta 942, made in 1954. It only feeds the high speed stuff in the bottom on the 22 ammo can. Thunderbolt and Blazers are reliable and accurate.
Sometimes I miss my Ruger, Hi-Standard and S&W target guns but the revolvers were fun for all those years and easier for the wife and kids to use as plinkers.
Winelover
North Central Arkansas
If you look closely, at the picture (post #2) of my Mark II 6 7/8 Target Model, I replaced the undercut/gut hook front sight with one made from nickel silver. Had the nickel silver left over from knifemaking.
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