As a firearms instructor, I’m always looking for guns that would appeal to women for practice, for self-defense, for competition and, of course, for plinking. When I had the opportunity to try out the new Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite, I jumped on it! I remember the Mark series in times past and they were so fun to shoot, so of course I was looking forward to this opportunity.
Sponsored by Ruger
I truly believe they hit it out of the ballpark with this design. First, the Mark IV 22/45 is absolutely beautiful. Ruger paid attention to each detail on the gun: the checkered 1911 no-slip grips, the detailed ventilators on the frame and even the color contrast of the trigger and barrel. With 19 options, there’s a color and finish for everyone! I chose the Diamond Gray Anodized finish and it’s so pretty. Although the controls, including the ambidextrous mag release, are a bit far for me, the gun feels very comfortable in my hand and, as expected, there is hardly any noticeable recoil so it is a great training gun. It has a very smooth trigger and though I didn’t measure it, I estimate that the trigger weight comes in at about 5 to 5.5 pounds.
Straight out of the box, I did need to do some sight adjustment to zero it in at seven yards but it was very easy with a few clicks on the adjustable rear sights. Once it was focused in, I was happy with the accuracy at any distance. I focused on running the gun between five-to-seven yards except when I took it for a spin in a little scenario working behind walls and barriers. I ran through several boxes of .22lr ammo including some Winchester Super X, CCI Mini Mags, Remington, Norma Tac-22 and some American Eagles. I didn’t have issues with any of them.
For those of you familiar with the Mark series, while they are extremely accurate and fun to shoot, cleaning them was another story. They were notorious for being a bit difficult to take apart, but more difficult to put it back together although with each new model the assembly got easier. Now, with a one-button takedown, you won’t be putting off cleaning this gun! According to the Ruger website, this allows for “quick and easy field-stripping and proper chamber-to-muzzle cleaning. Pressing a button in the back of the frame allows the barrel-receiver assembly to tilt up and off the grip frame without the use of tools.” It is ridiculously easy to disassemble and put back together! I am SO impressed! Great job, Ruger!!
The gun includes two 10-round magazines. It has an aluminum receiver and a polymer grip. The barrel length sits at 4.40 inches with the width coming in at 1.22 inches and an overall length of 8.40 inches. The height is 5.50 inches so while it isn’t a big gun, it is a comfortable size that makes shooting enjoyable. It does come with a threaded barrel and a picatinny rail ready for your favorite accessories.
If you are looking for a gun that is great for practicing with a caliber that is easy on the budget, then consider this awesome Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite. I have a feeling this will be a favorite training gun with the ladies during my classes.
If you want to take a look at all the available options, go to the Ruger website. You won’t be disappointed!
Suggested MSRP $719.00
Julie Park was born in South Korea, raised in Canada, and is now living in her beloved Rockies in beautiful Colorado Springs with her husband and 5 kids. An attempted break-in transformed this stay-at-home, unassuming woman into a pistol-packin’ mama serious about the safety of herself and her loved ones. She is a certified NRA pistol instructor and Chief Range Safety Officer, and has been teaching and training women (and men!) just like her for the past several years. She has been a chapter and state leader in women’s shooting organizations and an instructor at her local range. She loves discovering new guns and products for women and sharing her passion with others. If she’s not shooting and training, she is homeschooling her kids, enjoying travels and connecting with her favorite books and people. View all posts by Julie Park
Julie!!! Amazing as usual.