FRGC – Ruger 22/45 Range Report

Vanity | 11/29/2008 | javachip

[javachip]

A Ruger 22/45 Mk III Target model followed me home from the gunshow last weekend and with all the posts about firearms lately, I thought a range report was in order.

The pistol is a .22 with a 5.5 inch barrel. The receiver is polymer with the grip angle, slide release, magazine release and safety located similar to a 1911. Ruger uses much of the same internals as their standard .22 pistol. They get around the different grip angle by running the magazine at a fore and aft angle across the grip. It feels a little strange the first few times seating the mag since it doesn’t slide in parallel to the grip.

I tried three types of ammo. Federal value pack from Walmart, PMC Scoremaster (no longer produced), and Wolf Match Target. I fired about 30 rounds of the Federal just to get familiar with the pistol and then fired three, five shot groups with each ammo from a rest at 25 yards to sight it in. The Federal had a number of stovepipe jams (empty case didn’t fully eject). No function issues with the PMC or Wolf.

With the Federal, two of the groups were incomplete because one round was off the paper. The one complete five-shot group measured 4.6” center-to-center. I doubt the other two would have been any smaller if I’d have been able to include the off target rounds.

The PMC groups measured 3.3”, 4.2” and 0.9” center-to-center.

The Wolf groups measured 3.1”, 2.1” and 3.8” center-to-center.

Shooting was indoors at the NRA Range.

Those relative results are consistent with my Ruger MkIII Hunter, Federal value pack ok, much better accuracy with the Wolf MT and Scoremaster, but the Hunter hasn’t had problems with stovepipes. That may go away with some break in time.

I’m out of practice and the aging eyes have trouble keeping the front sight focused, so no doubt with some more practice or a better marksman, those groups could tighten up a bit. I was firing from a support, resting my wrist on a piece of foam on top of the pistol box.

I don’t have a gauge, but would guess the trigger pull at 5-7 pounds. The trigger isn’t bad, but serious target shooters or competitors would want some work done. This one has a much heavier pull than the Hunter.

Ruger engineers are apparently entering a contest for most difficult pistol on the planet to field strip – put the magazine in, dry fire, take the magazine out, pull the bolt pin assy, put the magazine back in, pull the bolt, take the magazine back out, separate the barrel assy and frame…. It took several blows with a mallet to get the barrel assembly off. Tight fits are good, but this was ridiculous. Managed to draw blood from fingers on both hands getting it field stripped and back together.

All and all, I’m happy with the pistol. I’m considering joining a bullseye shooting league and would use the Hunter for that, but this one would be a decent backup.

[MrPiper]

For the main target, are those 5.56 or 7.62 holes?

7.62-(.308)-ADI surplus. (Australian Defense Industries) The fact that it is surplus ammo is what makes it an awesome group.

[wastedyears]

Those holes don’t look much bigger at all than the .22 holes. At least to my untrained eye.