Henry Rifle Forums

I got bored sitting at home and took a trip to a couple shops. The first two stops there was not much there of interest. The third and last stop for me was better. There was a Ruger MKII 5 1/2" bull barrel blued model in the show counter. I couldn't get waited on and I was needing to get out of there and get home to go out with my wife. I left not being real happy about not getting to look it over. I called the next morning about it and asked some questions. One question was about whether it was drilled for scope base. The answer was no. Disappointing to me. I asked about the box and books and extra mag. Disappointed again. The guy might bring it in sometime. The price was $450. We talked a little on the phone and I actually told him I would be in more than I wanted to be by the time I paid for D&T work. He came down $25. I again told him I probably would pass and then he said he could do $400 and tax. I asked him to lay it back I would be an hour getting there to look it over. I got there and he showed it to me and this pistol is believed to be unfired after leaving the factory. Absolutely perfect condition. I did the paper work and I now have what I consider the best model of the Ruger Mark series.
Now part two. I took it out and shot it and it is the worst shooting MKII I have ever fired. I am not NCG but I do decent with handguns but not this one.
I started going through some things maybe causing a problem with the bad accuracy. First thing to always check is the crown. BINGO! The crown was very uneven. I got out my round head brass screw and my 600 grit lapping compound along with my variable speed drill. So I recrowned it and used a eye piece from a 4X Weaver scope looking through it backward makes a good magnifying glass. I thought it needed a little more and that made it look perfect. Took it out and shot it again same ammo same rest and what a difference it made. I am a happy MKII owner now. Now I will steal the no drill scope mounts from my wife's Ruger and get the red dot on it. Hers is factory drilled so I will modify a Remington 760 Weaver base to fit her Ruger and hers will be ready to use again when the weather gets better for her to go shoot. I will use the Remington base because no one has the Ruger base and I want it back together. Not the first time I had to use the Remington base on a Ruger. Turned out to write a book.

Sounds like Ya done good bandit!

Good for you, bandit. If anyone could fix an accuracy problem, it's you.

There was a big run on the MKIIs as soon as the MKIII with all its added safety features came out. Contrary to internet lore that these safety features on the MKIII were lawyer-proofing, the real reason Ruger added them was to be able to sell the MKIII in states that required them. I didn't care for the LCI and the mag safety on the MKIII, but they didn't bother me, either, and I actually liked the new 1911 style safety release on the MKIII.

The MKII, though, is still considered to be the the quintessential Ruger Mark by many Ruger Mark fans, myself included. The MKII had a long run and was produced in staggering numbers, not to mention being the most durable 22 auto ever made, so I doubt the MKII will ever reach the collectible status of the Colt Woodsman or the top tier High Standards. Great shooting guns, though, with an interesting history.

I have a Mark II target model. 25k rounds through it (or so). Friend of mine hast the Mark II 5.5” bull model. His ability to put that thing on target is uncanny. His is about the same age as mine - both in the 30 year range. Broke an extractor once. Replaced free by Ruger.

Point is, as North Country Gal says - you just picked up a beast of a rimfire and if it was lightly shot or not shot at all the $400 price tag was a steal. Probably about what we paid decades ago.

Well done all the way around.