Ruger 22/45

[RJ]

I’m considering a Ruger 22/45 as my first .22 purchase.

I have a 1911, and the 22/45 seems like it would be a good complement to that for general plinking and target shooting. Lower recoil should let me work on trigger control, and .22 ammo is cheaper. I dabble in USPSA, and have shot exactly one steel challenge match, but it was a lot of fun. Last time I shot 22LR was in scouts, which was…a while ago. I’m not interested in a .22 revolver, because I want something that’s closer to a semiautomatic.

As far as features of these rimfire guns, disassembly with the Mk IV vs the earlier models appears to be very easy. I’m a lefty so the Ambi safety is a plus.

There are three 22/45 models I’m looking at:

The ‘Lite’ model #43949 looks cool with the ventilated receiver and threaded 4.4” barrel, but at a pretty big bump in price. There’s a built in mounting position for a ‘RMS’ optic. Weight is 25 oz, retail is $739.

The ‘Tactical’ model #40149 features a threaded 4.4” barrel, and pic rails top and bottom. Weight is listed at 33 oz, and retail price $669.

The regular 22/45 model #40107 has a 5.5” barrel with a weight of 34.4 oz. The receiver is drilled and tapped for a rail. It has the lowest price at $559 retail.

Of these, I’m leaning to the regular 22/45, based on affordability, and the longer barrel giving me a bit more zip. I don’t currently plan to install an optic, but apparently I can mount one by adding a rail later if I want to. I don’t need to mount a suppressor.



I’m at the ‘I don’t know what I don’t know’ stage, so would welcome input on this.

[rob_s]

Given your use I’d suggest the basic model as well.

I have a mk…III? IV? With a can and laser/Light but my use case is pest control.

One comment, I wouldn't expect much parity between your 1911 trigger and the Ruger. If you want that, I'd get a .22 slide or a true .22 1911.
https://www.advantagearms.com/mm5/me...f2498ba4f8ccbb

[Tackleberry40sw]

I am also considering one to purchase to teach my soon to be 9 year old daughter to shoot on. The Mk. IV is a top contender. She is very petite so, I will be looking for something that is light weight.

[farscott]

Any good .22 pistol will allow one to work on trigger control. The trigger will be SAO but most are pivoting triggers, not the sliding 1911 trigger.

That being said, this is an area where going used will often get you a better pistol for less money. If it must be new, the Browning Buck Mark and the Ruger MK IV are the choices in the space due to aftermarket support. The standard Buck Mark frame is anodized aluminum, so the weight differences between the 22/45 and the Buck Mark are not that great. The kicker is the six-inch Standard with its aluminum frame is three ounces lighter than the bull barrel 22/45 Standard. The aluminum Standard does give up the adjustable slights, but I have never missed them. One just files the front sight to dial in elevation.

[flyrodr]

If you don't plan to add an optic later, I'd go standard. But, if you do (which I did), and go with the add-on rail, the combo "works", but the optic's height results in the gun's presentation being particularly unlike a dotted 1911.

If you don't already, I'd put in some time at 25 yds on B-8 centers. @JVS got me into doing more bullseye work, and that will really get a shooter working on trigger control. And as he said (more or less), it makes those 10-yd shots look like contact distance.

And now he's started showing me his 50-yard targets, the . . . Actually, he's helped my shooting a bunch!

[Stephanie B]

Not sure if these are for a Mk.IV, but a "Sam Lamm bushing" (gets rid of the magazine safety) and a Volquartsen sear and trigger go a long way to smoothing things up.

[mmc45414]

Welcome to (another) slippery slope! If an AR-15 is Barbie for Men, this is Barbie's sidearm...
I know we all want to zero in and make a precise purchase, but these are not like picking out china patterns, the pistol is pretty much phase one, maybe just get one and get going.

There are more optic mounts than you could ever want or need. The pistol should come with a rail it will be drilled for, you might not think you want one, but an inexpensive Romeo5 would clamp right on. There are many, many mounts for miniature RDO to either fit over the ejection or replace the rear sight. I plan to get another one and set it up with an SRO so it closely mimics my M&P I shoot all the time. ETA: as far as I know, all of the optic mounts will fit the predrilled holes that all of the guns have, so if you do not want one it will come off easily.

There are many sight options. Nicer rear sights or alternative (fiber optic) front sights, and the front sight is held on with a simple screw, and options are inexpensive.

If you get the Target (what I think we are calling "regular" version/cheapest) and you wish it were lighter you can get an upper from Tactical Solutions, integral suppression optional but Ferris would recommend it, if you have the means...

Plan for the MAGLULA gizmo, they are cheap.

Apex also now makes a trigger that eliminates the mag safety.

These are my opinions, all of the other opinions are also correct, there are no (not many...) wrong answers. A decent 22 pistol is just fun. If you get it and want a different one there are other people like you who will want one, there is even a nice one listed here on PF, but of all things it is lacking the right side lefty safety lever.

[APS-PF]

Get the 40107. A while ago Volquartzen would sell new ruger 5.5" bull barrel uppers for $70 or so. I think they were buying the entire pistol to get the patented MKIV frame, then selling the upper. Looks like they buy the cheapest model now, with the 4" tapered barrel and are selling those uppers for $35.
So then you buy one of those tapered 4" barrels for $35. It's drilled and tapped for a rail upon which you can mount your red dot. Then you have a good bull barrel and an optic barrel.
The cheap factory 4" tapered uppers are here: https://volquartsen.com/clearance

[fatdog]

If your goal is to plink and have fun with this, the Ruger is a great choice. If your goal is lower cost practice to compliment your 1911 skills it is the wrong thing, the .22 conversions are the better route as cited because this trigger is not your 1911 trigger. I have one of the very early 22/45's that is probably 30 years old or close to it.

[awp_101]

@RJ, I’m going to be a dissenter and advise the 40104, 40105 or one of the Lite models. I’ve been down the 40107 road several times and always ditch it because they feel very nose heavy and unbalanced to me.

I eventually settled on a 40105 and picked up a 40104 upper from the VQ clearance page. I kept a single Lite because I had a special project in mind. I still need to swap in the VQ guts I have on hand but here it is so far: