Ruger Mark II Target 10 inch experts ?

[10mmShooter]

Hey Guys,

I have been on the hunt for a good Mark II Target 10inch for years. I finally found one and scooped it up off Gunbroker, that appears to have never been fired, got box, 2 x mags registration card, and manual. The feed ramp, looks factory new, the mags show no signs of use. Bluing is 100 % no marks/scratches of any kind.


Anyway its serial is 210-75xxx as best I can tell makes it lates 80s production I think ? The manual for the it references M10 mags, meaning 10 round mags,(the publication date on manual shows 1983) I'm familiar that some of the early Mark I's used 9 shot mag.

The question is I've never seen a Ruger mag with a plain silver base plate No Ruger logo at all ? Also note the base plate is stamped in(non-removable) and the follower is actually metal(not plastic).

Are my mags correct for this vintage Mark II ? If so I'll probably put them away and use new production mags from Ruger, since I suppose these cannot be replaced ?

154996 154997

Now I just need to find a bit more standard velocity .22 ammo. I mostly have high velocity, remmington and Winchester and prefer not to use it in the Mark II(I've read the manual its say high velocity is okay but I'll skip it for this gun), I do have some CCI standard velocity and crappy Armscorps standard velocity. and some expensive Eley target ammo.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have never seen a MKII mag with a metal base, I've only seen that on MKI mags. But I suppose it's possible on an early MKII. I can't really tell what it is, from the photo...But I can tell you, a MKI mag will not work in a MK II.

Also, I generally use standard vel 22LR in my MKII, when I was in a League and shot alot, I found the gun was more accurate with standard vel. But it functioned fine with the cheapest HV 22LR bulk junk.

[Spector]

I used to squirrel hunt with mine. It has the black plastic mag base with the Ruger logo in silver. I have a Volquaersen Volthane grip on mine with some of the thumb rest removed for easier holstering. I put a scope mount on mine from Maryland Machine Works shortly after I purchased it back in the 80's.

I had good accuracy with several lots of Winchester dyna-point and I think some Power Point. Since the shortage began none fo the cheaper ammo seems to group well in my Mk ll or my NS 522 rifle for that matter. Age and cataracts. Maybe it's just me.

Seems like they both fired Velocitors fairly well, but I lost interest once the ammo shortage and gouging began..........Mike

[Petrol & Powder]

I've never seen that configuration of a MKII mag. I had bull barrel model of roughly the same vintage and it came with the typical MKII mag with plastic base plates and followers.

As for standard velocity ammunition, it will function in the gun and I've found it to be some of the most accurate. I tend to use Remington Target: http://www.remington.com/~/media/Images/Ammunition/Rimfire/22LRTgt5clr.ashx
I selected that ammo because it shoots best in one of my .22 rifles and it is just easier to keep one target grade ammo on hand. I'm sure there are better cartridges for the Ruger MKII 10" but my point is the standard velocity ammo will cycle the action just fine.

Just an aside, I'd put the Ruger MKII up against just about any .22 target pistol out there. With the possible exception of the S&W model 41, you'd be hard pressed to find a better target pistol for the money and most model 41's go for about 3 times the cost of the Ruger.
I wouldn't advise the OP to modify that beautifully original MKII 10" but for the average MKII owner a Volquartsen hammer & sear kit coupled with a steel Clark trigger and some careful polishing can produce a world class action. That setup will give you an incredible trigger pull that is safe and 100% reliable.

[williamwaco]

Pick up a box of Federal Auto Match. It is easy to find and inexpensive and equally as accurate as most match ammo at twice the price. I get 1/4 to 3/8 inch groups at 25 yards. If you can find it, CCI Standard Velocity will outshoot any match ammo I have tried.

[10mmShooter]

No mods planned, she's gonna stay bone stock. With aging eyes, the gun is much more capable than I am. I may swap out the front blade for a fiber optic, I do some indoor shooting and the low light favors the fiber optic inserts.

[10mmShooter]

Oh yeah, as to the Target Remington ammo, I don't think I have actually ever seen a even a box of 50 anywhere on the shelf ? Is it special order ? Around NC, Bass Pro and LGS, will usually have the Remington made "Eley" Target ammo several grades of it the yellow box, orange box, and gray box. Tends to be pricey.

[Petrol & Powder]

I've found it at gun shows and you can order it on-line.
Again, I'm not saying it's the best for a MKII but it consistently produces the smallest groups in my Remington Model 541T so it is the target ammo I keep on hand. YMMV. Good Luck !

[tazman]

I have seen that style of magazine but it was decades ago and I can't remember the specific circumstances. I remember I had 2 of them for the Ruger auto I had at the time. Most likely it was in the early eighties when I had a target model with the standard length barrel.

[44man]

It has been years and years since I had a Mark I so I don't remember but I know there was no bolt hold open after the last shot, seems any button was on the other side. I never seen one that would not come apart either. Forgive if I forget the Mark I.
But I never seen a Ruger that would not out shoot any other .22 auto ever made.
I have the 10" myself and won almost every IHMSA shoot with it and also Ohio state when it was new with no sight settings. I used WW Wildcat ammo since back then Rem changed the bullet and lost accuracy. Wildcats were out of sight but went to pot too. Eley was not worth a hoot. but RWS R50 was deadly but slow. Many times a ram would not fall.
Ruger's thrive on HV. but not the crazy speed loads. Today ammo is not like it was. I loved WW high speed HP's long ago Fed was great. Today CCI Blue tag HP's work good but not best either.
The Ruger will take anything so don't think you will protect it in any way, tough as nails.
Your job is to find good ammo, not easy. You can shoot a Ruger 10 lifetimes and it will still be going strong. They will dig them from rubble in 2090 and they will work.
The very light bullet high speed loads have not proven accurate but will do no harm. The gun is built like a sledge hammer.
That 10" is a find and one of the best, don't baby it.
I have the stainless slab side too and have owned many others I was talked out of, never again. My brother in law has my original Mark I and must have a million rounds through it. I paid $37.50 for it. It still shoots like new.
Ruger .22's need no work and most have perfect triggers. Both of mine are from 28 oz to 34 oz. out of box. Some target models have an adjustment.
There is a lot posted about taking them apart but it is so easy that it can be done blind folded.

[williamwaco]

Oh yeah, as to the Target Remington ammo, I don't think I have actually ever seen a even a box of 50 anywhere on the shelf ? Is it special order ? Around NC, Bass Pro and LGS, will usually have the Remington made "Eley" Target ammo several grades of it the yellow box, orange box, and gray box. Tends to be pricey.

The Target Remington is available around here occasionally. Don;t waste your time looking for it.

It is no more accurate than the Golden Bullet or the Thunderbolts. Significantly less so than Federal Auto Match or any version of CCI you can find.

[Doc Highwall]

I have a MKII with a 10" barrel and I use to shoot a lot of the CCI Blazer ammo, the gun could shoot a 1" 10 shot group at 75 yards.

It is sitting in the bottom of my safe right now.

[tazman]

I currently am shooting a S&W 22A semi-auto. It likes anything except the hyper speed hollow points. Any ammo with 40 grain bullets shoots excellent. The groups from Norma match pistol. Federal auto match, CCI standard, and Thunderbolts are all the same size.
I am wanting to find a Ruger with a long barrel like the OP's but am considering the MarkIII hunter or competition version as well.

[whisler]

with old eyes (like mine) you will love the fiber-optic front sight. I have a red one on my Mk II bull barrel and love it.

[Petrol & Powder]

Ammunition is key to .22 rimfire weapons. Try a lot of different cartridges and find what your gun likes. When you find what your gun shoots best you can narrow it down even further by lot number for that particular ammo.

[varmint243]

I am a bit of a Ruger MKii fanboy
I'm not really sure those mags are original
The boys on over RFC may be helpful
My experience with longer barrel 22 pistol/revolvers has been that they are a twinge more ammo sensitive than the shorter barrel models
Standard velocity may be worth giving a serious try
I believe in shorter barrel pistol/revolvers that all ammo ends up coming out the barrel at basically standard velocity

[L Erie Caster]

The question is I've never seen a Ruger mag with a plain silver base plate No Ruger logo at all ? Also note the base plate is stamped in(non-removable) and the follower is actually metal(not plastic).

I had some mags like that, they were not made by Ruger. They were aftermarket, but I can’t remember who made them.

[osteodoc08]

Look on over at the rimfirecentral (RFC) forum or the ruger forums. They may be able to help. I've only seen plastic based ones with the Ruger Eagle on them on my Mkii and Mkiii models.

[Shiloh]

Nice get. Scarce in that condition.

Shiloh

[44man]

I seem to remember the mark I mag had a silver colored base. Some kind of pot metal. I don't remember if it came apart, jees, back in the 50's.
My current ones are plastic with black or red eagles on them. The red eagle was a tribute to Sturm and my slab side has red ones on the grips. It is a jewel, the stainless is nothing but perfection. My 10" is blue.
Seems strange such a great gun has changed little and I think it was designed by Bill before I was born--1937.
I wanted the Mark I target but $57.50 was too much for me at the time. I think I was still making paper route money and still in school.
Life was great, go to the gun shop as a kid and buy a gun. I had an account at Avon hardware, no interest. Walk out with any gun and pay as fast as I could. I still have the 20 ga Superposed that cost $320. I wish I still had the 300 Weatherby that cost about $300. Then the wonderful straight pull Browning .22 rifle. Model 12's and the model 71 in .348. All gone down the road.
But you will not pry a Ruger Mark from my casket.

[44man]

Ammunition is key to .22 rimfire weapons. Try a lot of different cartridges and find what your gun likes. When you find what your gun shoots best you can narrow it down even further by lot number for that particular ammo.
This is correct. Sadly things were changed for the worse for faster production. Prices now for ammo is crazy since they are not made better. I hate to hear different sounds from the gun or a failure to fire. Friends come to shoot and the ground will be full of live ammo. Seems the priming compound is not in all the rim. Turn the round and it will fire.

[44man]

The thing I miss most is TRUST. I was trusted to pay and had many gun shop owners trust me. Even Hart Arms in Cleveland and yes guns back then could be bought in the city. The gunsmith at Hart Arms taught me a lot as I learned to fix guns. They steered me to Cleveland Black Oxide to get guns blued for $8 after I polished parts.
We could hunt without an adult and I taught my girls to shoot barely out of diapers. I would give Kim a flintlock and she would bust a bottle off hand at 75 yards. I had guns all over the house with no fear. Kim went on to shoot the highest score ever shot by a female in the Marines and beat all the men.
Life is not complete to grow up with without guns.

[Tatume]

Isn't that the truth! When I was a child in the 60s it was commonplace to see kids on bikes with a shotgun or rifle held across the handlebars, on his way to go hunting somewhere. Nobody paid any attention to it. We all had guns, yet there were no school shootings. Violence was a fistfight outside the Tastee Freeze on a Saturday night.

[daniel lawecki]

Nice score my Ruger Hunter model off a sandbag with a Bushnell Trophy Red Dot will hold a 1 3/4'' group with CCI Standard at 100 yards. Oh mine is a 6'' barrel so I think you made a great buy enjoy.

[blackthorn]

Isn't that the truth! When I was a child in the 60s it was commonplace to see kids on bikes with a shotgun or rifle held across the handlebars, on his way to go hunting somewhere. Nobody paid any attention to it. We all had guns, yet there were no school shootings. Violence was a fistfight outside the Tastee Freeze on a Saturday night.

But---we were held accountable for our actions.

[Tatume]

Again, isn't that the truth!

[44man]

Yep, do wrong in school and meet a 1" paddle with holes in it. Then get it again at home.
It was more embarrassment then pain but very effective.
I would not give it up and they should bring it back, teachers were not baby sitters.

[c1skout]

The factory mags for the MK1 wore a chrome plated pot metal base and held 9 rounds. The later MK1 guns had the follower button on the same side of the mag as the later MK2 guns, so you can use a late MK1 mag in a MK2..... or a MK2 mag in a late production MK1 gun and get the 10th round.

I have 2 mk series Rugers, and my brother has 3. They are all very accurate with pretty much any 22 ammo, but each gun does have a decided preference. My standard model MK2 likes the Federal American eagle 40gn the best, and my MK1 6" prefers Remington Golden Bullets to any other that I have tried! (that includes quite a few brands of the pricey target stuff) Get a good selection and go experiment.

[dondiego]

Does anyone have a source for the early MK1 mags that have the follower button on the wrong side? I have one of each pistol but can't find any mags for the earliest model MK1.

[44man]

Look in the well of the old Mark I and see if the button slot is on the right. take the mark II mag apart and run the button to the big hole at the bottom and pull it out, Insert the other way and see if it will fit.
Wish I had one here for more help.

[leadman]

I have a MK I target with the tapered barrel. It has the metal base on the mags and on the opposite side of the newer guns.
Walmart at times has the Remington Target ammo in a 100 round square plastic box. I have a couple of guns that shoot this very well, almost as accurate as the $15 for 50 imported ammo.

The OP found a great gun in amazing condition and it should outlast him.