Ruger 22 auto pistols were the first firearms products of Sturm, Ruger. An odd contraption with a cylindrical upper receiver with a skinny barrel, a rakish grip frame – reminiscent of the grip angle of the Pistole Parabellum Luger – it was a simple design, a 10-shot 22 auto loader.
That opened the gate. Along with the western-styled single action revolvers – Single Six and Blackhawk – other products followed and Ruger was off to the races.
The funny 22 became commonplace and type specific guns followed as the gun went through variations. I had a pre-“Mark” Ruger Standard 22 Auto, it was the first 22 auto pistol I ever owned.
It was miserable to try to field-strip and reassemble in those pre-YouTube days, but the gun was around a long time before I sent it down the road. I’d had iterations of later generations of that Standard 22 for T&E, but until the advent of the Mark IV, none stayed around.
Commemorative Ruger 22/45 with CCI Standard Velocity ammo fired on bullseye from 25 yards.
That’s changed. From the first Mark IV, a 5 ½” bull barrel, I’ve been shooting and using the Ruger 22 Auto pistols. A variant, the 22/45, never caught on with me. I’d never had one on the premises and by the time one arrived, we were already at the Mark IV product line.
Some years ago, I was a recipient of a Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite laser engraved as a Black Hills Ammunition Commemorative pistol. The upper is green and there is a special serial number range for the guns. This maker of magnificent centerfire ammo had these guns made in appreciation for those who wrote about their ammo.
The pistol weighs in at only around 25 ounces and the frame has the “1911 feel;” though the lower receiver is made from polymer, the gun takes 1911 pattern stocks. The black rubber stocks on the gun come from Hogue. The Black Hills limited edition gun came with a set of Herretts stocks, smooth wood with the Black Hills logo on the right panel and the Ruger logo on the left.
The barrel is threaded and a thread protector is attached. Sighting is accomplished with the Ruger adjustable rear sight and a front Patridge sight. A section of rail is attached to the upper receiver for the addition of an optic.
I didn’t remove it.
The 10-shot magazines are a different form from regular MkIV magazines with the oddly shaped floor plate to match the frame.
200 guns were made in this line and I was very happy to get one. I’d never fired the 22/45 guns before this one arrived. As I’d been horsing around with bullseye shooting, I thought this was a good way to break this special gun in.
The ammunition was CCI Standard Velocity 40gr., fired one-handed, slow fire and timed fire pacing at 25 yards.
This is the slow-fire target, each ring marked -1 point – as it’s a “Timed and Rapid Fire” target. While competitors won’t be impressed, I was happy with this amateur effort.
The B-8 repair center slow fire target was scored with “-1” scoring; each ring was counted down one point from the number printed on the scoring ring, making up for the fact I have more B-8s than B16 targets. The slow fire score, adjusted down for slow fire, was 83/100. Not adjusted, it scored 88/100, not bad for this old-timer.
The timed fire scored at 78/100 with a tragic miss off the left side of the repair center.
The hits tended low on the target. The adjustable sight will make short work of that issue.
While I’ve had the gun for some time, it’s been shot very little. It has a wonderful “feel,” like a lighter-than-normal 1911. The trigger, wide and short in travel, is more than good enough for me. The sights were hard to read when holding center on the bull. My solution is to do a standing zero with CCI Standard Velocity, a decent load that’s usually available, and I’ll set the zero for a six o’clock hold at 25 yards.
Then we’ll see if I can improve.
— Rich Grassi
