Within the past several month, I've picked up on something interesting (to me, anyway): Myself and three other shooting friends (one enthusiast, one competitor, and one in the industry (and a competitor) have all picked up new Ruger 22/45s. What makes it interesting is that none of us had discussed 22/45s at all prior to us all getting them-it was one of those weird/fated confluences...Or something so blindingly obviously desirable as a shooting tool.
An obvious attraction is the ability to have an analog gun with which to practice inexpensively. Out of the 4 guns involved, two chose varients with the threaded barrel suitable for supressor use. I personally chose one of the TALO special edition guns, primarily because it alone combines adjustable sights with a 4.5" slab/semi-bull barrel (the spiffy Ruger-logoed grips were a nice aesthetic benefit, I'll admit). During my initial range session, I quickly noticed that there was an issue with magazine retention; after the initial shot, the magazine tended to drop slightly, precluding subsequent cartridges from chambering. Ruger immediately stepped up to the plate with a pre-paid shipping lable, and within 3 weeks I had the gun back, with the problem fully resolved.
The only change that I've made to mine to date is to add a set of the Pearce rubber fingergrooves. When Ruger transitioned from the MkII to the Mk III series, they also slimmed the receiver; while certainly viable out of the box, the Pearce fingergrooves slightly bulk up the frontstrap, adding grippability, comfort, and similarity to one of the platforms that I regularly shoot and carry-my Glocks. Out of the four of us that pretty muchj simultaneously purchased 22/45s, 3 of us added grip/grip enhancements-I went with the Pearce fingergrooves, another went with Hogue's rubber fingergroove and side panel grips, and another went with a set of Hogue's G10 grips.
In addition to having an inexpensive analog practice gun, I had forgotten just how much fun it is to shoot a good .22-the 22/45's exceptionally accurate, with a very nice trigger. I plan on more frequent live-fire drills/practice, and hope to see a concurrent gain in my skill set regarding my other carry/competition guns.
And yes-the Ruger 22/45 field-strip disassembly and reassembly is DEFINITELY an acquired skill-but there are some excellent videos and internet helps, and after doing it a time or to it becomes much easier-but plan on havin on hand a brass punch (or wood dowel), a rubber mallet, and a proportionately-sized hammer to use in conjunction with the punch/dowel...
Best, Jon
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Originally Posted by BaiHu
