I'll probably keep my eye out for a Mark II.
It is the first Mark with bolt hold open which is a nice feature.
Also I have read the Mk II has one of the better triggers over the others.
Spring has sprung. Get out and shoot your Henry
S&W .22 Victory
Re: S&W .22 Victory
Yeah, I've heard the early Marks had a much better trigger. The Mark IV has a horrendous trigger. I have yet to get mine modified which most will do but then again I wasn't exactly in the mood to spend more on mine because I know even if I do it will still not be as good as gun as my S&W 41 so I'm not exactly motivated to do so.
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North Country Gal
- Firearms Advisor
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- Location: northern Wisconsin
Re: S&W .22 Victory
Actually, your best chance of a "better" trigger is with the Mark I series, since, at the time, you could send your Mark into Ruger for a trigger job for the whopping sum of $20. Other than that, there is no way to really predict what you'll get on any trigger on any Ruger Mark I, II, or III. Try before you buy.
Here's a little primer on Ruger Marks.
Mark I/Standard
The Mark I had adjustable sights, the Standard, fixed sights. There were two grip frames used. The A54 was first. You can recognize these by pulling the magazine. The follower will be on the right side. You can still use later Mark I and MK II mags, but you'll need to change the mag follower over to the left side. Note that the 9 shot mags in the MkI/Standards were not the best, but you can use the better functioning 10 shot mags from the MK His, though you may have to switch the follower button to the other side.
At the time, you could order or buy walnut grips for your A54 Standards for the princely sum of $4. Note that these are now quite valuable if you can find them because no one makes grips, now, for the early A54 grip frames. Note that on early MK1s/Stadards, the trigger was retained with a snap ring, rather than retained by a spring with the latter versions, making a trigger change more challenging.
In the early 70s, Ruger went with the A100 grip frame, changing the mag follower over to the left side. This was a design change necessitated by the bolt hold open introduced with the MNK II.
Mark II
Everything you need and nothing that you don't is a good way to describe the features on the MK II. These are my favorite and the easiest to mod the trigger.
Mark III
These get you the mag disconnect safety and the LCI (loaded chamber indicator), plus a 1911 style mag release button (a feature I like). Ruger didn't add the LCI and the mag safety to lawyer proof the guns, as some claim. They did it to be able to sell the MK IIs in states requiring those features. These are a little trickier to do a trigger mod, but still doable. Note that you can use the MK III mags in the MK II, but they go in a bit rough. You cannot use a MK II mag in the MK III, though.
Ruger almost shot themselves in the foot with the MK III. The LCI and mag disconnect safety were not well received. More importantly, the MK IIIs were from the era where Ruger QC was dropping like a rock to keep up with demand. Thus you got some MK IIIs that were impossible to disassemble without the use of a mallet. I know, I had a couple. The earlier series, on the other hand, were more reasonable to disassemble as to the effort needed. These truly nasty to disassemble MK IIIs were what prompted Ruger to come out with the MK IV.
The MK IV is different in its lock and trigger, so, to me, it's no longer a traditional Mark, though I'm sure it's still a good gun. Just not the same old gun I've known for almost fifty years.
Here's a little primer on Ruger Marks.
Mark I/Standard
The Mark I had adjustable sights, the Standard, fixed sights. There were two grip frames used. The A54 was first. You can recognize these by pulling the magazine. The follower will be on the right side. You can still use later Mark I and MK II mags, but you'll need to change the mag follower over to the left side. Note that the 9 shot mags in the MkI/Standards were not the best, but you can use the better functioning 10 shot mags from the MK His, though you may have to switch the follower button to the other side.
At the time, you could order or buy walnut grips for your A54 Standards for the princely sum of $4. Note that these are now quite valuable if you can find them because no one makes grips, now, for the early A54 grip frames. Note that on early MK1s/Stadards, the trigger was retained with a snap ring, rather than retained by a spring with the latter versions, making a trigger change more challenging.
In the early 70s, Ruger went with the A100 grip frame, changing the mag follower over to the left side. This was a design change necessitated by the bolt hold open introduced with the MNK II.
Mark II
Everything you need and nothing that you don't is a good way to describe the features on the MK II. These are my favorite and the easiest to mod the trigger.
Mark III
These get you the mag disconnect safety and the LCI (loaded chamber indicator), plus a 1911 style mag release button (a feature I like). Ruger didn't add the LCI and the mag safety to lawyer proof the guns, as some claim. They did it to be able to sell the MK IIs in states requiring those features. These are a little trickier to do a trigger mod, but still doable. Note that you can use the MK III mags in the MK II, but they go in a bit rough. You cannot use a MK II mag in the MK III, though.
Ruger almost shot themselves in the foot with the MK III. The LCI and mag disconnect safety were not well received. More importantly, the MK IIIs were from the era where Ruger QC was dropping like a rock to keep up with demand. Thus you got some MK IIIs that were impossible to disassemble without the use of a mallet. I know, I had a couple. The earlier series, on the other hand, were more reasonable to disassemble as to the effort needed. These truly nasty to disassemble MK IIIs were what prompted Ruger to come out with the MK IV.
The MK IV is different in its lock and trigger, so, to me, it's no longer a traditional Mark, though I'm sure it's still a good gun. Just not the same old gun I've known for almost fifty years.
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Re: S&W .22 Victory
Thanks for the info.Try before you buy.
I have done a little research myself on these and had already decided to try to find a Mark II.
I will defiantly 'try before I buy' - as I do will all guns before I take them.
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