Ruger Mark IV or Something Else?

[DArBad]

Happy New Year Everyone!

I can't explain it but I am in an upbeat mood today. I don't know why though there are lots of death, mayhem, and destruction on the news in Ukraine, Israel, and the rest of the world.....but I woke up in a good mood without any care.

Suddenly, I'd like to get a 22 LR pistol. The Ruger Mark IV Target is new on the roster. I am thinking of rewarding Ruger Inc. But, I find the Browning Buckmark Contour and the Buckmark Target Lite (with the 7.5 inch barrel) enticing.

Which would you get among those three? One firearm only, don't be coy suggesting I get all three. Man up with your reason why.

[Zenderfall]

I already have these guns and can tell you the biggest downer of Buckmark is the chore of cleaning it. Two (or three) allen screws on top, another possible allen screw that holds in the barrel. Not as bad as a mk3, but not small task either. Plus, the contour’s rail is not a Picatinny. Many dots wont fit unless the rail is changed, or filed down. Many people dont clean Buckmarks until after hundreds of shots, but rimfire semi-autos get dirty real fast.

Another thing is stated in buckmark’s manual, in caps: DO NOT EVER DRY FIRE THIS GUN.

Ruger’s Mk IV, has none of these issues. It strips apart easy for cleaning, its purchasable rail is cheap and works with all picatinny dot sights, and the manual states its ok to dry fire. I know a lot of people don’t dry fire rimfire guns but its nice that its stated in the manual as OK to do.

The only thing about the Mk-IV is the grip angle, some people might not like it. I think its fine. Would rather have the 22/45 grip angle but thats not on roster.

So with those stated above, I wouldn’t consider a Buckmark unless it was a great deal.

[DArBad]

Thank you, Zenderfall.

[Gryff]

I'd select the Ruger in a heartbeat. I love my Mk.II, and that is even with it being a pain to disassemble/reassemble for cleaning.

[AR22]

None would be my choice, but of those three if that is all I was going to consider..The Ruger..

[Imageview]

Have a mark ii, it?s great, Don?t love cleaning it, but it?s not the end of the world. I have several other 22 pistols (sr 22, bobcat 21a) but the mark ii still gets shot the most. I know me and screws so I avoid the buckmark.

[Lucky1]

Mark II for accuracy. Hands down.

[ar15barrels]

Happy New Year Everyone!

I can't explain it but I am in an upbeat mood today. I don't know why though there are lots of death, mayhem, and destruction on the news in Ukraine, Israel, and the rest of the world.....but I woke up in a good mood without any care.

Suddenly, I'd like to get a 22 LR pistol. The Ruger Mark IV Target is new on the roster. I am thinking of rewarding Ruger Inc. But, I find the Browning Buckmark Contour and the Buckmark Target Lite (with the 7.5 inch barrel) enticing.

Which would you get among those three? One firearm only, don't be coy suggesting I get all three. Man up with your reason why.

You need to go handle them at a gun store.
I have all the ruger MK series as well as a few buckmarks.
My favorite at the moment is a mkiv 22/45 lite followed by a slabside buckmark.
None are as much trouble to takedown as people make it seem if you are mechanically inclined.
I think the people complaining about takedown are simply not mechanically inclined.

[sirgrumps]

I already have these guns and can tell you the biggest downer of Buckmark is the chore of cleaning it. Two (or three) allen screws on top, another possible allen screw that holds in the barrel. Not as bad as a mk3, but not small task either. Plus, the contour?s rail is not a Picatinny. Many dots wont fit unless the rail is changed, or filed down. Many people dont clean Buckmarks until after hundreds of shots, but rimfire semi-autos get dirty real fast.

Another thing is stated in buckmark?s manual, in caps: DO NOT EVER DRY FIRE THIS GUN.

Ruger?s Mk IV, has none of these issues. It strips apart easy for cleaning, its purchasable rail is cheap and works with all picatinny dot sights, and the manual states its ok to dry fire. I know a lot of people don?t dry fire rimfire guns but its nice that its stated in the manual as OK to do.

The only thing about the Mk-IV is the grip angle, some people might not like it. I think its fine. Would rather have the 22/45 grip angle but thats not on roster.

So with those stated above, I wouldn?t consider a Buckmark unless it was a great deal.

^^^^ This ! ! ! ! !

I would add one caveat, on the Mk IV, the serialized part is the upper barrel assembly, so one can purchase, separately the 22/45 grip frame from somewhere else. It's not the most cost effective way to get that preferred grip angle, but it is possible.

I owned a MKII Gov't Model with the original grip angle, loved the gun, hated the grip, and later sold that gun. About a year after I bought the Gov't model, Ruger released the 22/45 version of the MKII.

I did later buy a MKIII 22/45, love that gun.
Got the Volquartsen guts for it and shoot that one the most.

None are as much trouble to takedown as people make it seem if you are mechanically inclined.
I think the people complaining about takedown are simply not mechanically inclined.

I disagree. The procedure to disassemble and re-assemble the gun seems like it was something design in Detroit, as opposed to Japan.

My mid 80's camaro required 3 different sized sockets (2 english and 1 in Metric) to replace the water pump.

I can do the takedown and re-assembly, it's just such a pain.

The most annoying thing about the MK series, someone else came up with a quick disassembly kit. Ruger should have bought the deign and incorporated it in the MKIII line, when the added the LCI and MagDisco to make the anti-gun legislators happy.

Even after the re-design, Ruger eventually decided to abandon the California market, as more and more requirements were being added.

I'm glad the added the quick disassembly in the MKIV, but I suspect, they waited until after the patent expired, to avoid paying money.

[FNGGlock]

The BuckMark is fine to clean by just pulling the slide back, then brush and wipe surfaces with CLP. Finally run a bore snake through the barrel and you are done. Not had issues or malfunctions doing this for thousands of rounds.
Maybe take off the top strap one every year pr two to clean the action properly.
Have never used a rod on the barrel.

[ar15barrels]

I disagree. The procedure to disassemble and re-assemble the gun seems like it was something design in Detroit, as opposed to Japan.

You have not figured out the MK trick then.
There is a trick to putting them back together where you roll the gun over as if you were twirling it on your trigger finger, pull the trigger, rotate the gun half way again as you close the mainspring housing into the grip frame.
This makes the hammer strut catch the mainspring cup in the mainspring housing.
Once you learn the roll, you can do it blindfolded.
It's definitely easier than getting a buckmark bolt back on the frame with it's spring/guide block all in the right place.

[Zenderfall]

The BuckMark is fine to clean by just pulling the slide back, then brush and wipe surfaces with CLP. Finally run a bore snake through the barrel and you are done. Not had issues or malfunctions doing this for thousands of rounds.
Maybe take off the top strap one every year pr two to clean the action properly.
Have never used a rod on the barrel.

Yes, doing this would probably work well.

Thing about the full breakdown are those toothed washers. I feel like every time I tighten them down, they're grinding away at the metal of the screw and/or barrel/frame top. Not to mention there's a very specific torque value it has to be-too lose and the screw loosens itself when firing, too tight and you may start grinding away or worse yet, strip out the holes. What's worse is I couldn't find the torque value anywhere in the Buckmark manual. I've gotten around 25 in. lbs but I'm afraid to go any more. And yet, the rear screw seems to loosen pretty easily.

It's not about being mechanically un-inclined, its more that such a chore can be completely avoided simply by buying another competing gun that costs nearly the same without the above worries. Pretty nice that MK IV's are now on roster.

It's definitely easier than getting a buckmark bolt back on the frame with it's spring/guide block all in the right place.

And don't forget that stupid clip on the rod that can fall off, or worse yet, fly off!

[Usmc0844spare]

The BuckMark is fine to clean by just pulling the slide back, then brush and wipe surfaces with CLP. Finally run a bore snake through the barrel and you are done. Not had issues or malfunctions doing this for thousands of rounds.
Maybe take off the top strap one every year pr two to clean the action properly.
Have never used a rod on the barrel.

I had tried half-heartedly to remove the barrel on my buckmark but it didn't seem worth the potential hassle and tears of a stripped torx screw head just for funsies.

I'll save that for if I ever change out the barrel.

I think that if it ever got SO nasty in the bore that I felt compelled to use a rod, I'd probably carefully insert the rod through the muzzle sans attachment, screw on a brush after it poked out the chamber end. Then pull back through.

That being said, as you say, judicious use of brake cleaner, wipeout, clp and boresnakes seems to do the job just fine.

[AR22]

Love the Detroit to Japan analogy.. It is spot on.. There are many reasons I and the Family have only owned Toyotas for many a years now.

Yes there is a trick to the older Mks..But you should not have to trick a Pistol into going back together,LOL I have never owned a IV but I hear they did, after many years, fix this problem.. I guess better late than never..

[Imageview]

I am not mechanically inclined. It?s still doable, just annoying. I do have one of the little pin thingies to install in my mk ii the next time I do a full clean to avoid the need for the roll/spin. It?s still better than risking stripping a thread for me personally, again because I am not mechanically inclined.