MkII vs MkIII .22/45 magazine question?????

This might sound a little silly but...

I sold four years ago my .22/45. I kept four of the magazines in anticipation I would replace the pistol. Well I am picking up a new in box model of the "MkIII" style next week and I have a question. I did not bring one of my older magazines to try and I did notice the baseplate on the new magazines in the box were a little different and the grip style of the new pistol is very different. Will my older .22/45 "MkII style" magazines fit the new .22/45 "MkIII?

If you replace the magazine disconnect safety and replace this with a MKII bushing you will be able to use both MKII and MKIII mags, and they will shoot out when you release them. A Volquartsen MKII bushing is about 7 bucks.

Thanks for the heads up. I got me some thinking to do.

FotoTomas said:

This might sound a little silly but...

I sold four years ago my .22/45. I kept four of the magazines in anticipation I would replace the pistol. Well I am picking up a new in box model of the "MkIII" style next week and I have a question. I did not bring one of my older magazines to try and I did notice the baseplate on the new magazines in the box were a little different and the grip style of the new pistol is very different. Will my older .22/45 "MkII style" magazines fit the new .22/45 "MkIII?

Click to expand...

I have a 22/45 (MK II) and a MK III 22/45 and the base plates appear to be are identical. Are you sure the newer pistol is a MK III 22/45 and not the standard/target MKIII with more slanted grips?

The base plate is much longer on 22/45 mags.

http://www.guntalk-online.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=934

The base plates on the 22/45's are identical. The difference is near the top on the right sight as inserted in the gun.

The easy way to tell them apart is the "thumb button" is smooth on the old style 22/45 mags, and has concentric rings on the newer style.

As stated getting rid of the mag disconnect usually does it. I also had to grind the nub off the back of the stock trigger that engages the LCI on one gun. Of course an aftermarket trigger solves that.

That's funny. I have both a MKII & MKIII in 22/45 around here. The mags all interchange w/o any mods to anything. Mine must be defective.

contender said:

That's funny. I have both a MKII & MKIII in 22/45 around here. The mags all interchange w/o any mods to anything. Mine must be defective.

Click to expand...

Well I do not know about your Rugers being defective BUT I do know about YOU!

As for my situation...the pistol is a "Target Model Ruger 22/45 MkIII"

The two magazines that came with the pistol have the knurled spring button and an extra open slot and bump on the left front near the top at the same level as the button. I have not yet fired the pistol but I have dry fired with an expended case and both styles of magazine allow the disconnect to disable when inserted. They both lock in as well. I hope to put a couple of hundred Mini Mags and Stingers through her next week.

I also plan to put another couple of hundred through the 10/22 I brought home. The "new to me" Ruger Mini-14 tactical stainless with the ATI folding stock will also get a workout. I just need to find another Service Six to put me in a happy place.

ranger1 said:

FotoTomas said:

This might sound a little silly but...

I sold four years ago my .22/45. I kept four of the magazines in anticipation I would replace the pistol. Well I am picking up a new in box model of the "MkIII" style next week and I have a question. I did not bring one of my older magazines to try and I did notice the baseplate on the new magazines in the box were a little different and the grip style of the new pistol is very different. Will my older .22/45 "MkII style" magazines fit the new .22/45 "MkIII?

Click to expand...

I have a 22/45 (MK II) and a MK III 22/45 and the base plates appear to be are identical. Are you sure the newer pistol is a MK III 22/45 and not the standard/target MKIII with more slanted grips?

The base plate is much longer on 22/45 mags.
http://www.guntalk-online.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=934

Click to expand...

My older baseplates were similar to the newer model but had a shinier finish and did not have the "2 in a circle" mold mark on the left side. That was what got me to thinking. When I compared the two in person later the extra cut at the top as well as the buttons jumped out at me.

Thanks for your info...it all comes in handy.

I have noticed the same thing as contender, the MKII, and MKIII 22/45 magazines I have will work in either pistol interchangably, with no mods.

Take the top end off the MarkIII and look down where the trigger dimple fits into the magazine, Mark II do not have that hole. If you put a 22/45 Mark II mag in it and pull the trigger it should not fire, key word should. I have Clark triggers in both the II and the III so they all work. I pick up the 22/45 II used from a guy that sent it off to Clark and had the silver stimple done to the frame and the trigger, its a nice plinker.

FotoTomas said:

Thanks for the heads up. I got me some thinking to do.

Click to expand...

If they don't fit, I might be interested in picking them up from you.

I just bought a 22/45 Mark II for my daughter, and it only had one magazine.

The magazine looks like this one:
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=402959&pdesc=Ruger_22/45_22_Factory_Direct_Replacement_Magazine&r=view&from=grid

Is that what yours look like?

I'm in a little sticker shock at thirty bucks a mag...would thought they could be had for just a few bucks a piece, with as many of these Marks that were manufactured.

GreatNate said:

I just bought a 22/45 Mark II for my daughter, and it only had one magazine.

The magazine looks like this one:
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=402959&pdesc=Ruger_22/45_22_Factory_Direct_Replacement_Magazine&r=view&from=grid

I'm in a little sticker shock at thirty bucks a mag...would thought they could be had for just a few bucks a piece, with as many of these Marks that were manufactured.

Click to expand...

A little less expensive from Midway USA. Looks like $18.99 + about $3.00 for shipping.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/204808/ruger-magazine-ruger-22-45-mark-ii-22-long-rifle-10-round-steel-blue

ranger1 said:

GreatNate said:

I just bought a 22/45 Mark II for my daughter, and it only had one magazine.

The magazine looks like this one:
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=402959&pdesc=Ruger_22/45_22_Factory_Direct_Replacement_Magazine&r=view&from=grid

I'm in a little sticker shock at thirty bucks a mag...would thought they could be had for just a few bucks a piece, with as many of these Marks that were manufactured.

Click to expand...

A little less expensive from Midway USA. Looks like $18.99 + about $3.00 for shipping.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/204808/ruger-magazine-ruger-22-45-mark-ii-22-long-rifle-10-round-steel-blue

Click to expand...

Thanks for the lead, that's the one.

Thanks all for your contributions. In my case the four MkII magazines work fine in my 22/45. One of the MkIII magazines is a bit of a jamamatic but I will try to let it wear in before I trash it.

Yep,, I do remember you as well. It's good to see ya here again! We are still having fun up here. The door is always open my friend!

I have two 22/45 pistols; one a MK II and one a MK III. I spent some time examining the guns and magazines. The MK III magazine has a notch and a bump on its upper left front. The MK III trigger has a projection on its left rear. This trigger projection seems to engage the bump on the MK III magazine when the trigger is pulled, and prevent removal of the magazine until the trigger is released. It seems to make no contact at all with the MK II magazine. It appears completely unrelated to the magazine safety. The upper rear of the magazine (either one) pushes the MK III magazine safety upward when the magazine is inserted, allowing the sear to move forward when the trigger is pulled. The magazine safety acts on the sear in exactly the same way as does the manual safety - both prevent the sear from moving forward when engaged, thus preventing the sear from releasing the hammer. The only possible interaction I can see between the magazine safety bar and the trigger bar might be frictional from them lying side-by-side. I can see no other way for the magazine safety to affect trigger pull.

I am not a gunsmith, and only report observations made on my own guns. Yours may differ. I have not yet had the occasion to actually try interchanging the magazines and shooting the pistols, so cannot report whether they work.

I can now report that, as with two previous posters, my 22/45 MK II and MK III pistols function with either MK II or MK III magazines. The only difference is that the MK III magazine cannot be removed from the MK III pistol unless the trigger is released. The magazine safety on the MK III works with either magazine.