Last Updated July 5h 2024
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The Best Ruger Mark IV Models
The Rugr Mark IV 22/45 Lite is the best Rugre Mark IV pistol on sale, but the gun has evolved into a model line and so there are other options.
Image | Product | Detail | Price |
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Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite |
| Price | |
Ruger Hunter |
| Price | |
Ruger MkIV Tactical |
| Price | |
Ruger MKIV Standard |
| Price | |
Ruger MK4 Target |
| Price |
Intro
There’s a running joke that every single day someone professes an oddball and left-field love for the Ruger Mark IV semi-automatic pistol.
Basically, it’s one of those off-center choices that the whole world knows about and agrees with.
So, it isn’t hipster anymore. We can’t say hey this is our inside tip on our list of the best 22LR pistols for sale in 2023.
You won’t be the only one with a Ruger down the firing range, but it is spectacularly fun to shoot. There are also some major technical developments for the Mk4 and there are some gun deals around.
One Button Takedown is a Gamechanger
It also comes with simple disassembly, which is a first for Ruger.
This is the one area where the manufacturer took some criticism in the past. The Ruger Mark III and its ancestors were a nightmare to strip and reassemble.
Now, the takedown button means it comes apart in seconds and goes together just as fast.
Easy field stripping and proper chamber to muzzle cleaning is all part of the fun. Press the takedown button and the upper receiver separates from the polymer grip frame in one fluid motion and the whole gun separates into four cleanable sections.
If you have struggled with previous generations of Rugers, this is worth the upgrade on its own.
A Whole Model Line
But it’s not just a simple matter of deciding to buy a new Ruger MK4. That’s just the start, because this semi-automatic pistol has evolved into an entire model line and they are not the same.
So what is the best Ruger Mark IV pistol on sale in 2023?
1. Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite
- Price: $569.99
- Caliber: 22LR
- Action: Semi Auto
- Barrel Length: 4.40 inch
- Total Length: 8.5 inch
- Weight: 1.56lb
- Capacity: 10+1
The colors might be a bit much, especially the purple and gold versions, but you can order a Ruger Mk IV 22/45 Lite in silver or black, and it’s easily the best gun here.
This relatively new arrival is the next step ahead of the Tactical you’ll see below. A ported barrel shroud on that lightweight aluminum upper receiver saves, well, grams, but it does look cool and it’s part of a committed weight saving effort that saves 0.5lb in the end. That’s a lot.
The cold hammer forged barrel is tensioned and the internal cylindrical bolt construction always maintains the sight to barrel alignment. That helps with target shooting. All shooting really…
A push button magazine release on the left side makes it easy to operate and the thumb safety is a relative treat with this kind of race gun.
Unless you’re a serious competitive shooter, in which case you’d opt for the Target anyway, this is overkill. As is the rail that is drilled and tapped for a scope. But it’s also fun, and sometimes that is enough.
2. Ruger Mk 4 Hunter
- Price: $597.99
- Caliber: 22LR
- Action: Semi auto
- Barrel Length: 5.50 inch
- Total Length: 9.75 inch
- Weight: 2.25lb
- Capacity: 10+1
The Mk4 Hunter is a solid semi-auto pistol with a grip frame CNC machined from aluminum alloy with a longer barrel that is fluted to save weight and help heat dissipation.
This rimfire pistol is relatively simple compared to some of its siblings. It does have some premium touches, though, including the Cocobolo wood grips.
You can also opt for a stainless finish that is sexier than the blued gun we have for you here. But then it is more expensive.
The long barrel is great for long range shooting and the ergonomic bolt stop help you to focus on the target. That can be at the range, but as the name implies this rimfire pistol is really aimed at small game hunting.
It’s tapped for a Weaver rail or Picatinny rail for optics, scopes etc and that can be a blessing with smaller targets at long range. And people are nailing targets and animals at crazy distances, the accuracy potential is off the charts for a 22 pistol.
You get a fiber optic front sight and adjustable rear sight. The magazine disconnect prevents accidental discharges with no mag and a round in the chamber, among other safety features.
Mark IV Has Ambidextrous Manual Safety
It comes with an ambidextrous safety, but you can also remove the right-side one if it slows you down at the range and pinches. This new model rimfire Ruger is much kinder to left handed shooters, although it doesn’t cater to them entirely.
The lower is now one piece of CNC Machined Stainless Steel, or you can get a cheaper aluminum version.
It’s also a low recoil gun, so you can shoot it all day long.
3. Ruger Mark IV Tactical
- Price: $600.99
- Caliber: 22LR
- Barrel Length: 4.40 inch
- Total Length: 8.5 inch
- Weight: 2.16lb
- Capacity: 10+1
The Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Tactical is pretty much the sweet spot, the best compromise of all the possible rimfire Ruger options and price points. You can go further than this and go completely operator with your single action pistol, but you don’t really need to.
Ruger’s compact tactical pistol comes with Picatinny style rails for red dot sights or lasers/lights underneath.
There’s a threaded barrel for muzzle devices, contoured ejection port and fully adjustable target sights at the rear. It’s a fixed front, but you can take all that off and the Ruger semi auto pistol has a drilled and tapped receiver, ready for a scope, and an extended magazine release.
For plinking on range day, shooting rats with a silencer while living out your own bizarre hitman fantasies and for a snake gun, this compact tactical pistol just works. The single action pistol comes with a rolling break trigger pull, rather than a clean break, but that’s fine too.
4. Ruger Mark IV Standard
- Price: $466.99
- Caliber: 22LR
- Barrel: 4.40 inch
- Total Length: 8.5 inch
- Weight: 2.16lb
- Capacity: 10+1
If you just want to take a rimfire pistol to a range day and have some fun, then you don’t need the range toppers.
Save some money, get the rimfire Ruger Standard and spend the extra $100 on a vast amount of 22 LR ammunition. OK, it’s not like the good old days, but rimfire ammo is still cheap, relatively speaking. You might find more gun deals for the standard semi auto pistol too, and you can opt for a 6 inch barrel version instead.
5. Ruger Mark IV Target
- Price: $676.99
- Caliber: 22 Long Rifle
- Finish: Blued
- Barrel: 10 inch
- Total: 14.5 inch
- Weight: 3lb
- Capacity: 10+1
This version is the dedicated target shooter for hardcore long range guys, and girls. And the rimfire Ruger Mark IV Target super full size pistol looks amazing in stainless steel or with the blued finish.
You can choose a shorter bull barrel, but this Mark IV Target monster is just so much fun at stupid long range. 6 more inches and this rimfire Ruger pistol would be a Ruger rifle…
It is surprisingly well balanced for such a long gun and the rimfire Ruger Target is more fun than it has a right to be. It’s a proper bull barrel as well, which is pretty cool for a 22LR.
Obviously this rimfire pistol comes with all the standard Mk3 features, including the simple one button takedown for quick and easy stripping, and a threaded barrel compatible with the Silent-SR suppressor.
It also has an easy to grasp bolt, tapered bolt ears allow for durable and reliable operation.
This gun is set up for optics & scopes and you can order your Ruger Mark IV Target with a shorter barrel. The longer bull barrel is ultra precise with higher accuracy potential.
So get a full size Mark IV Target rimfire Ruger semi auto pistol with a bull barrel and its superbly finished, blued and ready for you here.
6. Ruger Mark IV Competition
- Price: $738.99
- Caliber: 22 Long Rifle
- Barrel: 6.88inch
- Total: 11.2 inch
- Weight: 2.86lb
- Capacity: 10+1
This is the full blown Ruger Competition pistol that serious shooters take to war. Well, to punch paper in some form of competitive setting. Not war, obviously, that would be stupid.
That upper receiver is mated to a fluted bull barrel that helps combat heat build-up and left handed shooters can change the ambi safety to ensure complete comfort.
Aside from that it has all the same features as the others, and target sights with permanent sight to barrel alignment. Interchangeable grip panels too.
Gun Parts & Accessories
There are tons of parts, upgrades & accessories for the rimfire Ruger Mk4, if you have a target, hunter, competition, tactical or standard handgun.
High capacity magazines, rails and a variety of scopes for long range target shooting will start you off. Then you might want a new model Mark IV 22 charger, bags & cases, accessories, magazines and more..
Accessories, magazines, optics, bags, cases and more are a cottage industry for the 22LR pistol and you can spend big money in a hurry.
Other Ruger Pistols to Consider
The Mk4 might be the best rimfire pistol from Ruger at the moment, but there are plenty of other options out there from the American manufacturer. Especially if you’re prepared to look at 380 Auto, or even 9mm compact tactical pistols and striker fired options.
They’re different guns, obviously, but they are very good and come with a vast amount of accessories, magazines and optional extras.
Here are just a few of our favorites.
1. Ruger LCP Max LC380
- Price: $369.99
- Caliber: 380 ACP
The Ruger LCP Max chambered in 380 Auto is a brilliant deep concealment gun, back-up gun or sock gun.
It is one of the best selling defensive pistols in the world and thoroughly deserves to be.
So if you want a bit more impact than a 22 and a bit less than a 9mm, the Ruger LCP Max LC380 could be perfect.
2. Ruger Max 9 Security
- Price: $319.99
- Caliber: 9mm
The Ruger Max 9 Security is one of the company’s best pistols right now and shows just what it can do when it ticks all the optional extras boxes.
Now the Ruger Max-9 Security centerfire pistol isn’t full on cheap like other Ruger pistols. It’s better than that.
You have a contained full length guide rod, high viz fiber optic sights and other treats. It’s a serious gun that costs way less than the Glock 43x you could choose instead.
This sub compact 9mm pistol is a solid choice and we like the Ruger Max-9 Security a lot.
And of Course You Can Have a Ruger Rifle
We have devoted entire pages to the best Ruger rifles in the past and will probably do so again. Essentially a Ruger centerfire rifle does what it does best in the long guns sector, too, and that is give exceptional value for money from a single shot rifle through to a cheap AR-15.
The Ruger American rimfire and the rimfire Ruger Precision rifle would obviously be the place to start for target shooters and long range specialists who want to stick with 22 ammo for shooting guns.
Now the Ruger American Rimfire is a simple bolt action rifle, while the Ruger Precision Rimfire is a massively complex bolt action rifle that is more of a precision rifle with a full chassis.
You get a lot of the joys of long range shooting without the bills with the Ruger Precision Rimfire. It’s just all on a smaller scale, but that means you can save a lot of money. Like a lot.
Of course you can run your rimfire Ruger Precision Rifle with a suppressor thanks to the threaded barrel. An adjustable length of pull and adjustable cheek rest are all part of the fun too.
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