Mark I & Mark II magazine question?????

I bought a used magazine for my Mark I at a gun show and when I got it home it did not fit. However I discovered that my Mark I and Mark II both take the same magazine. Is this normal?

Without being able to actually look at it, I'm not certain, but I'll bet you need to switch the button on the follower to the other side.

tommygun said:

I bought a used magazine for my Mark I at a gun show and when I got it home it did not fit. However I discovered that my Mark I and Mark II both take the same magazine. Is this normal?

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Later MkIs with the A100 frame will take a MkII mag without any adjustment.

Earlier MkIs with the A54 frame will use a MkII mag but you have to move the button to the other side of the mag.

Older MkI mags designed for the A54 frame will not allow the button to be moved.

AND your MK I magazine with the later ,two slots, will NOT "operate" the hold open lever on the MK II,,,,,,BUT the MK II mag will let you load 10 rounds in the MK I...so kind of a wash.........

rugerguy said:

AND your MK I magazine with the later ,two slots, will NOT "operate" the hold open lever on the MK II,,,,,,BUT the MK II mag will let you load 10 rounds in the MK I...so kind of a wash.........

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Really??????? Seems to be peforming that function just fine on this Mark II :roll: The NEW style Mark I magazines can be easily adapted to hold 10 rounds also.

Found out by accident that MK III mags will function fine in my 24 year old MK II Gov target Model. Took both my MK III and my MK II but forgot MK II mags in my shooing box, tried one for fit it worked fired a couple rounds and then went through several hundred with no issues.

'maybe' the follower button in your gun is a bigger one, as the MK II, uses the bigger, wider, button to "activate" (engage) the hold open lever, all the better then for you..........

Thanks! The mag that I bought for a Mark I was only sloted with button on one side so it could not be switched

rugerguy said:

'maybe' the follower button in your gun is a bigger one, as the MK II, uses the bigger, wider, button to "activate" (engage) the hold open lever, all the better then for you..........

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No, it's NOT, it's the .250 diameter button, just like ALL of the magazines made in that era. The LARGER magazine button didn't come along until Ruger moved Mark pistol production to Prescott. After that the mag. button furnished is .325 diameter. Last time I looked the follower button was in the magazine, not the gun.

oh well, 'scuse' me as I did NOT say "the magazine", but the button is always on the magazines follower, guess I expected too much when I stated that.....
often take too much for granted when this 'OF" tries to type, one finger at a time, instead of actually SHOWING (hands on) the parts,items in person to the 'questioner'.......... 8)
over 45 years of gun shops & thousands of gun shows will tend to do that

rugerguy said:

oh well, 'scuse' me as I did NOT say "the magazine", but the button is always on the magazines follower, guess I expected too much when I stated that.....often take too much for granted when this 'OF" tries to type, one finger at a time, instead of actually SHOWING (hands on) the parts,items in person to the 'questioner'.......... 8)
over 45 years of gun shops & thousands of gun shows will tend to do that

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Yup..maybe you did. Spose, we could expect more from a "ruger guru" with 45 years of gunshop/gunshow experience also to know there is only ONE BUTTON on the magazines. :shock: No point getting your "undies" in a bunch over it. :lol: Point still remains...............the older magazine (with the small FOLLOWER button) WILL indeed activate the bolt hold open assembly on a Mark II.