Browning Buckmark vs. Ruger Mark IV

I have a S&W 622VR I bought 22 years ago. Looks like it’s becoming collectible so I’ve decided to retire it while it’s still in excellent condition. I want to pick up another 22 pistol for some target shooting and plinking.

Think I’ve got narrowed down to a Browning Buckmark Standard URX Stainless or Ruger Mark IV Target Stainless. Anyone have any experience with either of these? I’m also open to other suggestions.

 

If you clean your guns after use, you'll want the Mk IV

 

Rutgers IV is nice, but the Buckmark will be better target gun. Or go with a Ruger III and deal with the difficult takedown. Both the Ruger III and the Buckmark are most popular economical choices. The SW 22A also a good choice.

 

I really liked that about the MK IV. I did have some concerns about the plastic parts.

 

Plan to buy new. I think you can still find some new MK IIIs around. Are they more difficult to takedown than a Buckmark?

 

You can find Mark III they are sold new all the time, better for target than the IV. And yes the takedown is a PIA.

 

My Buckmark is ridiculously accurate. I hit a jack rabbit square at 25 yards. It actually surprised me when it toppled over. At the range, it is so much fun. Only my weak eyesight limits me. The man next to me had the exact same gun as me, but with a red dot. It was easy to show off. I should put one on mine.

Having said that, I would buy a mIV if it were allowed in CA. It breaks down so easy. And that lightweight one would be awesome for backpack hunting trips.

All I do is hose down my gun with a spray and run a bore snake down the tube. And finding a holster has been problematic.

 

Finding a holster is not hard. The problem with the MkIV is that if the holster contacts the magazine eject button, the magazine will eject. I bought a Hunter 45106 for my target model and trimmed it so the eject button is clear. Works great. I understand Ruger sells holsters for that model, too.

 

I'd say MKIV. There is a huge aftermarket if that's you type of thing, they are easy to break down and clean, and they just work (mine has been dead reliable). These guns are subject to a recall that you can read about here: https://ruger.com/dataProcess/markIVRecall/ . I sent mine in and had it back in a week flat with an extra mag in the box.

 

The MkIV I checked out at the local gun shop was produced after the recall period. The only other issue I could google up was a few people complaining about the firing pin breaking, but I don’t think it’s an widespread issue. It looks like that could be solved easily with an aftermarket or MkIII pin.

 

I had a bull barreled Ruger in my safe and didnt know what it was, turns out its a first gen Ruger 22/45 with fixed grips similar to this pic.

 

My guess is that since the bolt assembly appears to be unchanged in the MKIV, the firing pin is probably the same. How many of those complaining of broken firing pins dry fired their pistols? I know some modern .22s are advertised to be safely dry fired, but I was taught to never dry fire a rimfire weapon. Better safe than sorry.

 

Yep. I chamber a fired shell and drop the hammer on it after done shooting for the day

 

Agreed. I was also taught not to dry fire and see no reason not to continue the practice out of caution.

 

Meh, the Ruger MKIII isn’t too bad to tear down. The first few times were frustrating, but it became second nature after a while.

I have an older MKIII 22/45 and my only regret is that I didn’t wait for them to release the ones that have replaceable grip panels.

 

i think every Ruger 10/22 gets dryfired every magazine right? the bolt doesnt stay back. i guess you could count rounds fired.

 

i'm talking about my Buckmark Contour. i need to leave my gun with a guy. nobody has the mold or whatever it takes.

 

Sorry. I was thinking about MKIVs. If your were in Phoenix I could recommend a real artist.

BTW, for those interested, I suspect at least one of the models that Ruger advertises will hit the magazine eject button and it apparently cannot be modified without sewing.

 

theres a mod for it....just saying

dont they have a mod for that also?

 

I thought about it, but I’m lazy. The Ruger is a great little gun and probably has more aftermarket support than the buckmark. Either way, I wouldn’t let disassembly deter anyone from a proven platform.