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Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Tactical – Review

Jimmy RoyceAugust 4, 2024

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Ruger has long since established itself as the market leader in .22 LR chambered plinkers. The venerable 10/22, the Single Six and the Mark series have been flying off the shelves for decades. Today, I’m looking at one of the most modern iterations, the Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Tactical.

First Look

This isn’t my first time with a Ruger .22 LR handgun, but it’s been so many years that it feels like a fresh start. The 22/45 grip is indeed very 1911 reminiscent, so if that’s your preference you’ll like what they’ve done here.

Regarding ergonomics, the safety selector and slide stop/release are both well placed and easy enough to hit, despite having hands that are nearly as wide as they are short. Cool.

A pair of 10-round magazines are included. While I’m not surprised that 10-rounders are available (due to state restrictions in large markets), but what boggles me a little is taking such a large frame and not making 10+ round mags even an option. It’s 2024, we’re allowed to dream a little bigger.

Threaded barrel…top picatinny rail…got it. Optic and suppressor use heavily suggested, implied and recommended. Also, appreciated!

I have a few more observations but they’re best mentioned in context, so its on to…

Range Time

Most of the ammo I ran through the Mark IV 22/45 Tactical was CCI’s polymer-coated target loads in high velocity and subsonic flavors.

The first 100 rounds were the only ones I ran without a suppressor or optic. Things went well during this phase. I didn’t shoot groups for accuracy, but did a lot of steel transitions at 15 and 25 yards, as well as “IQ” drills through a rubber target from Infinite Defense. All good so far.

I screwed on an old Pilot 2 suppressor from AAC and bolted on a TD-3C red-dot by Hi-lux Optics. I went through another 100 rounds each of CCI’s polymer-coated supersonic and subsonic rounds. I got zeroed and repeated the drills I’d gone through. My 10- and 11-year old kids also took the chance to burn up some of the various .22 LR rounds they have in their own stashes.

Spoiler alert: they love this gun.

With so little reciprocating mass, the Mark IV 22/45 has noticeably less recoil than a Walther P22, which matters little to an adult but was appreciated by the boys. With CCI’s subsonic rounds and a suppressor, this may be one of the quietest firearms I’ve ever shot.

After a quick wipe down and re-lube, I went back out the next day. The first 50 rounds were a total jam fest. Every other round was reliably unreliable, failing to extract. A check of the gun showed it was clean, oiled and properly assembled. After those 50 rounds, the gun went back to running like a silent sewing machine. I ran a nearly 500 rounds through it after that, without another issue. I have no idea what happened short of it being a bad bunch of ammo or the gun didn’t like whatever I wiped it down with. But I never had another problem.

Accuracy

Running the Mark IV 22/45 at 15 and 25 yards on steel targets ranging from 4-inch circles to bowling pin sized poppers was uneventfully predictable. I never missed a shot that I felt like the gun failed me on. The trigger isn’t a match precision type, but works well enough for a mass-produced leadslinger.

Shooting groups however, started out as a maddening experience. From a standing position, I used a rifle tripod as an extremely stable base. Groups were dinner plate sized at 15 yards, too shameful to even grab a ruler. I checked the optic, made sure I wasn’t getting baffle strikes.

I took the suppressor off, and the groups tightened to what I would expect from this gun. I put the suppressor back on, and the groups stayed the same reasonable size. I really don’t feel like I put any appreciable torque on the can, but who knows? Just like with reliability, once the issue cleared up, it stayed cleared up.

I started shooting at a 1/3 scale mini E-type target at 100 yards, and could routinely make contact. Didn’t scratch the paint much… but I was hitting.

Where To Buy

Final Thoughts

I’d love to say that all my favorite guns have been perfectly reliable and accurate since the dawn of time. It isn’t true though. The Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Tactical coming my way had me excited. The reliability hiccups and accuracy blips were frustrating and troubling, largely because I could never isolate what was causing them and when they went away, they went away for good, leaving me very happy with the gun. Now that those growing pains have passed, this is one of those guns that everyone wants to shoot. Whether it’s my kids or my Ranger buddy who’s come over to shoot the latest and greatest in tactical goodness…this gun catches attention universally well.

I know it’s always worrying to read reviews with accuracy and reliability issues. If it’s worth anything to you, I feel good enough about this gun that I’m going to buy this specific T&E gun from Ruger, out of pocket. Once things got ironed out, this gun transformed into a real joy, and when you factor in ammunition, optics, suppressors, cleaning supplies, whatever; shots can get wonky and it can be hard to pin down what’s causing it.

The Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Tactical has an MSRP of $669, and a street price of roughly $548 currently. Check it out. This could be a great little gun to add to your collection.