View Full Version : Ruger Mark III for wife - solid purchase?
Hi all,
My wife has finally expressed interest in getting her own pistol to start learning proper shooting fundamentals. From the research I've been doing the Ruger Mark III sounds like a solid choice. I did read about one that Browning makes, but it sounded like it wasn't as customizable if we ever wanted to do anything to it.
Sorry, I know there is a lot of information out there, but I thought if someone could just give me a short answer and anything else I should pick up or make sure the pistol should come equipped with then I'd greatly appreciate it. Are there any other pistols or details in regards to the Mark III I should be considering?
Thanks!
That is probably one of the best platforms to use to train pistol shooting. I have one and I use it all the time to train with as it shows me my flaws in Trigger Control & Follow Through since there is no recoil.
Be safe! :D
Totally agree with the above poster. Solid pistol that can be taylored to fit anyone. Lack of recoil make it new-shooter friendly. Good sights, great warranty. All in all it's one of the best for teaching.
I've had a Mark II for almost 30 years. It's a great .22 pistol. It's kind of a PITA to disassemble/reassemble, and you'll want to get a thumb-button slider for loading the magazines, but it's simple, reliable, well-made, and not finicky about ammo. Mine's a bull-barrel target model and it's extremely accurate with quality ammo.
ChicagoTex
10-02-11, 20:13
Take her to the shop and let her pick what she likes. 90% of the time I see guys buy guns for their wives or girlfriends, no matter how well intentioned or researched, the wives/girlfriends tend not to be huge fans.
Besides, letting her pick her gun makes it a lot more personal and involving/exciting for her.
PdxMotoxer
10-02-11, 20:40
I'm still looking for my .22 auto but i've heard awesome things about these rugers and the only one i've been warned to stay away from is the Walther P22 because there are "some" good ones out there but there are some lemons so they are best hit or miss.
BUT I'm with ChicagoTex and let HER choose as its going to be her gun.
Just lend informed feedback but let her hold one and pick what feels best for her. (it will help her enjoy shooting more)
Good Luck
I've enjoyed my 22/45 MKIII a lot.
This:http://www.mcfaden.com/cliploader.html
makes loading very easy and works with many .22 pistols
what pistol will she ultimately be using for defense? What pistol do you currently use? While the Mark 3 is a great gun, but I am a huge fan of conversion kits as it allows you to use the same trigger you would normally use on your defensive gun but train with cheap .22 ammo.
I say it is always the .22 semi to start. Fastest way to get someone up to speed (and bad habits, if they learns something wrong). I did this for someone in my family - someone who wasn't pro- or anti-gun, but she didn't want to put it down on day 1. We had to call it quits on the second brick! She'll be addicted, too. Good luck and have fun. The Rugers really are a great place to start and there are good drop in parts that don't require a gunsmith to improve its performance. I prefer the earlier ones over the MK 3s but I also don't have much experience with the newer ones. Can't go wrong with old Browning Buckmarks, Colt Woodsmans or HiStandards HDs either.
You should have a 22 pistol or conversion kit for yourself. Let her shoot yours and decide for herself.
If you don't have a 22 pistol or conversion kit for yourself, get one.
Okie John
i normally agree with the whole let her pick it out.... but
this is my exp/opinion. ive never had anyone complain about my MKII/III. most love it including women.
i recommend picking up a 4.5 or 5.5 stainless. and maybe "pretty" laminate grips in her favorite color. a must is the ultimate clip loader.
worst case scenario is you can't sell the pretty grips :lol:
The MKII/MKIII is an outstanding choice.
TriviaMonster
10-03-11, 15:26
The Rugers are great! You will for sure want a mag loader, and they are a pain to pull apart, but they are a lot of fun. My friend who works at a range has several as loaner guns for everything from police courses, chl class rentals, and all sorts of things. Two of them have over 100k rounds. These things will see 2-3k rounds in a weekend. They always work. Always. Shoot good clean ammo-mini mags or similar, and these guys will last a lifetime. Good fun, lots of aftermarket parts out there.
ETA: these guns I am referring to are used hard. I mean these things are treated so roughly they might as well be getting shot at themselves.
Also, the walther p22 is nasty fun. My good friend has one and it is extremely fun and well made. His is several years old-at least six or seven I think, not 100% sure on that- but I do hear the more recent ones are riddled with quality control issues anymore. That's a shame. Otherwise, I would pick one up myself.
Sent from my Eris using Tapatalk
I agree with the idea of letting her choose her pistol but keep the menu simple so she doesn't get her heart set on a lemon.
The MK-III is a good 22. So is the 22/45. These are less of a hassle if you can remove the chamber loaded doodad and the magazine disconnector.
The Browning Buckmark is also a good 22 and direct competition for the Rugers. The magazine disconnect (new models apparently have it) is less of a pain. Barrel changes are easier too.
CZ Kadet. Also runs very well and is accurate. It might be a bit heavy.
Not much to add, just its a great gun (have a Mark 3). Only two complaints: reassembling can be a pain before repetition makes it easy and the bluing wears easily. Look around for a used one before buying new. I paid $180 for mine.
-Jax
I have a 1960s era Ruger Standard .22LR and a current Mk III and they are great pistols to learn with, have fun and hone shooting technique. They will last forever with minimal maintenance. I like the 5.5" Target model Mk III.
A SIL has one of the Advantage Arms .22 LR conversion kits for the Glock. Very nice! If you already have a Glock or other model that conversion kits are made for then seriously consider one. I think kits are available at least for Glock, 1911, SIG 220 and CZ 75. Probably others.
Thanks for all of the responses! I agree, it may be best to figure out which gun she would like to carry and find a conversion kit for it. That's part of the reason for starting her out on the .22 so she gets confidence to move up to a larger caliber.
She'd probably carry it in her purse, so I'd probably stear her to a 9 mm minimum. She's shot my 9 before, and I know it's not nearly as intimidating as the .40 for her. I wouldn't mind getting her a Glock 17 or the compact version of that (23? can't remember...). I'm assuming there are .22 conversion kits for glocks out there?
the compact version of the G17 is the G19, and the subcompact is G26.
Advantage Arms makes an excellent conversion for the G19. There is some ammo it does not like, but Remington and CCI seem to feed just fine. It has a slide made of aluminum so it is very light weight. But it looks just like a Glock slide and the sights are similar so it is realistic training for the regular Glock. I love shooting that thing!
Awesome, good to know. I'd like to stear her towards a Glock, but like others have said, I'll let her pick ultimately.
I wouldn't mind picking up the Ruger still though. Hell, I could use the practice. I'm not a hotshot by any means.
PdxMotoxer
10-03-11, 21:43
Awesome, good to know. I'd like to stear her towards a Glock, but like others have said, I'll let her pick ultimately.
I wouldn't mind picking up the Ruger still though. Hell, I could use the practice. I'm not a hotshot by any means.
Rethinking it..
I mean for the money, if she doesn't like it.. keep it for yourself. .22 make perfect trainers and
no matter how old a person gets there is just something to be said about the FUN knowing you can shoot all day for a few bucks..
your hand won't get tired of recoil and you can shoot those till you get bored of shooting.
win/win
my MK3 is my favorite pistol.
http://s-seriesforum.com/albums/album533/MK3Hunt_6.sized.jpg
i had this on mute, so im not sure what this guy is saying, but forward to the 2min mark and watch the load.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Oe15_SWlw
i need to make a short and sweet version of the UCL in action. every vid i try to find is someone blabbing on and on, and even then they manage to have to pump the mag to work.
HaHa! I hate these videos where the guy is babbling for minutes on end and fidgeting with the object of concern. Jump to 1:40 and you get the UCL in action, sort of.
When I use mine it dumps all ten rounds into the mag in one swipe. No pumping! I notice he is not holding it vertical when he inserts the mag so that may be why he has to pump. Pretty amazing device that you can dump rounds from a box, shake it a little and slip in a mag for an instant ten rounds, do another mag, another mag, so on.
I could really use the UCL, but I have a MkI, A100 frame, 9rd mag. There is a mod for the UCL if anyone is interested. I might give it a whirl.
http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff386/bfmcgee/ucl_mod.jpg
The Rugers are great 22s they most likely will last a life time . BUT what kind of gun would your wife like? My best friend used to own a gun shop and I got to play gun shop guy, I realized guys would bring their women in and pick a big old semi auto that the women couldn't rack the slide . Go out to breakfast with the Mrs and then go to the gun shop let her shop "'Which women do best" for her own gun.
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