Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
I didn't want to hi-jack another thread so I'm going to sing the praises of the Ruger Standard/MKII pistols here.
People often look at the Ruger .22 pistols and see a reliable and inexpensive pistol but fail to see the incredible engineering that went into that design. It really is a remarkable pistol.
The receiver is a simple tube, threaded on one end to accept the fixed barrel. An ejector pinned inside and a few cuts finish that simple part. The grip frame consists of two pressed steel halves welded together. It is an inexpensive and yet amazingly functional part. Because the receiver is a tube, the bolt can have a simple round cross section. The ejector serves as a bolt guide. Many of the fire control parts are simple stamped parts. The barrels used by Ruger have a remarkably high quality for a pistol in this price range. They use a very good quality steel for the barrels and they are well made.
With the barrel and receiver fixed together the sight radius can be maximized for the available length of those combined parts and the sights do not ride on a moving slide. The sights are pretty good right out of the box. The front sight is undercut to reduce glare. The magazines used with these pistols are very reliable. The follower is powered by a coiled spring.
The overall design is an exercise in manufacturing efficiency but the end result is an amazingly durable, reliable and accurate pistol.
Out of the box the guns will provide a lifetime of service and do it well. If one desires, a drop in Volquartsen hammer & sear will improve the trigger pull (although the factory set up isn't horrible). A little polishing of the trigger bar and the parts that it rides against will help keep things smooth. A steel replacement trigger with an over-travel stop will complete your action job. That's about all one needs to have a very good target pistol.
With the right ammunition a Ruger Standard/MKII/MKIII will give a far more expensive pistol some serious competition. The rest is up to you.
People often look at the Ruger .22 pistols and see a reliable and inexpensive pistol but fail to see the incredible engineering that went into that design. It really is a remarkable pistol.
The receiver is a simple tube, threaded on one end to accept the fixed barrel. An ejector pinned inside and a few cuts finish that simple part. The grip frame consists of two pressed steel halves welded together. It is an inexpensive and yet amazingly functional part. Because the receiver is a tube, the bolt can have a simple round cross section. The ejector serves as a bolt guide. Many of the fire control parts are simple stamped parts. The barrels used by Ruger have a remarkably high quality for a pistol in this price range. They use a very good quality steel for the barrels and they are well made.
With the barrel and receiver fixed together the sight radius can be maximized for the available length of those combined parts and the sights do not ride on a moving slide. The sights are pretty good right out of the box. The front sight is undercut to reduce glare. The magazines used with these pistols are very reliable. The follower is powered by a coiled spring.
The overall design is an exercise in manufacturing efficiency but the end result is an amazingly durable, reliable and accurate pistol.
Out of the box the guns will provide a lifetime of service and do it well. If one desires, a drop in Volquartsen hammer & sear will improve the trigger pull (although the factory set up isn't horrible). A little polishing of the trigger bar and the parts that it rides against will help keep things smooth. A steel replacement trigger with an over-travel stop will complete your action job. That's about all one needs to have a very good target pistol.
With the right ammunition a Ruger Standard/MKII/MKIII will give a far more expensive pistol some serious competition. The rest is up to you.
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