Budget 22lr, Buckmark vs Ruger?

[BucDan]

Thoughts on which one is good for the money? Eyeing $500-ish. There's the Buckmark for $400. Then I hear the Ruger 22/45 is coming out soon, but I'm waiting for sportsmans warehouse to have it as I have gift cards from Christmas.

Planning my purchases with c&r gun and a rimfire handgun.

[Mongoos913]

I have a Browning Buckmark UDX and love it.

[Zenderfall]

Thoughts on which one is good for the money? Eyeing $500-ish. There's the Buckmark for $400. Then I hear the Ruger 22/45 is coming out soon, but I'm waiting for sportsmans warehouse to have it as I have gift cards from Christmas.

Planning my purchases with c&r gun and a rimfire handgun.

A few come to mind.

Browning Buckmark - great gun. Accurate. Target pistol although the CA versions are not updated like the 49 state versions (example: Buckmark Contour has non-Picatinny rail). Take down is a little bit of a chore.

Ruger Mark IV - both the target and 22/45 are great, with added bonus of easy takedown. Accurate. Lots of upgrade and aftermarket parts. 22/45 has 1911 grip if you plan to own a 1911, similar grip feel on both.

Ruger SR22 - this gun is great as a defense pistol trainer. Mine never jammed, and neither has any SR22 owned by everyone I know (which is quite a few). Crazy reliable, just doesn't have nearly as many upgrade options as the above two. Takedown is pretty easy, tool less.

[Imageview]

Both are good, each has its quirks. Either will serve you well.

I dislike the buckmark disassembly more than I dislike the ruger disassembly (even the older mk 1-3s) so I got a ruger mk ii before the current mark 4 was on the roster. I also have a sr22, which is a surprisingly nice little pistol. If I had to pick one, it would probably be the sr22 for my uses, even though the mark ii is a far better gun.

[newbie1234]

Had both Buckmark and Ruger Mk IV.
My vote is : Ruger Mk IV.

[Tikka3x]

Have never shot the Buckmark but will never sell my Ruger mk 4. Its even better with Hogue grip.

[FNGGlock]

I have a Buck Mark and really enjoy it, added a top rail and red dot. Accurate and runs well. I don’t take it down to clean it.

All that said the 22/45 looks very attractive and if I was in the market for a 22 pistol I would go for it over a Buck Mark. The take down and cleaning looks much simpler. Hopefully some of the interesting 22/45 models come to CA.

[Strafer]

+1 Buck Mark. Mine is a tack driver w a Vortex Venom 3moa on top. Squeak slayer!

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[Garv]

JMO:

Accuracy: slight edge to Buckmark over the similarly priced Ruger Mark

Durability: slight edge to Ruger

Breakdown for cleaning: Ruger Mark IV

Just plain fun for plinking: Ruger SR22

[BucDan]

Seems evenly split, makes it difficult to decide. Are either of them picky on ammo? Don't really care for aftermarket support. I think ease of use, care, and ammo eater is the direction I want to take.

I want more of a target design, so no SR22.

Feels like I'm asking about lever guns between Marlin and Henry.

[Zenderfall]

Seems evenly split, makes it difficult to decide. Are either of them picky on ammo? Don't really care for aftermarket support. I think ease of use, care, and ammo eater is the direction I want to take.

I want more of a target design, so no SR22.

Feels like I'm asking about lever guns between Marlin and Henry.

Pay close attention to the responses from people who own both the Mark IV and the Buckmark, not from people who only have just one and no ownership experience of the other.

The Ruger Mark IV recently came on the CA roster, even though it was released some time ago. Many Buckmark owners may not have experience with the Mark IV for this reason.

I would say the Ruger pistols are slightly less picky than the Buckmark, but the Buckmark isn't that picky. It runs through most ammo just fine. Both seem to really like High Velocity (HV) ammo, like CCI Minimags, CCI AR's, and CCI Blazers.

[Usmc0844spare]

I think another factor is the amount you may want to tinker with the gun.

On Buckmarks, the frame is the serialized part. On Rugers I think its the barrel?

So that could conceivably impact barrel swaps and so forth. Assuming that's even possible with Rugers.

[Fatcat]

I think another factor is the amount you may want to tinker with the gun.

On Buckmarks, the frame is the serialized part. On Rugers I think its the barrel?

So that could conceivably impact barrel swaps and so forth. Assuming that's even possible with Rugers.

Correct on the Rugers. It?s a bummer for us not being able to buy the Volquartzen uppers.

[M76]

Get the 22/45 and add a red dot



Look for a used buck mark down the road as an extra

[BucDan]

I think I will wait for the 22/45.

I was eyeing the cheapest buckmark. But I think thr 22/45 will be worth it.