Mark III mags in a Mark II

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wilburmay

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Messages
60
Location
Emerald Isle NC & Washington,NC
No joy in search
Will Mark III mags function in Mark II Competition Slabside. Wondering if mag release detention will hang up in Mark II. If so could you file them smooth. Got a opportunity to pick up some Mk III's cheap.
Thanks
Wilbur
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,908
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Due to the mag release,, you'd run the risk of a jammed up magazine. However,, I've never tried to file off the mag release detention to see if that would work.
Maybe buy the MKIII's,, and swap them for MKII's to somebody who can use them.
 

SGW Gunsmith

Blackhawk
Joined
May 15, 2010
Messages
966
Location
Northwestern Wisconsin
wilburmay said:
No joy in search
Will Mark III mags function in Mark II Competition Slabside. Wondering if mag release detention will hang up in Mark II. If so could you file them smooth. Got a opportunity to pick up some Mk III's cheap.
Thanks
Wilbur


Yes, they will and do. I've used the Mark III magazines in my RST 4 A54 grip frame, and just switched the follower button over to the other side. I've used the Mark III magazines in my Ruger Mark I Target pistol, and they work just fine.
Consider though, you will not have the bolt hold open option with the two above pistols but, if you use a Mark III magazine in the Ruger Mark II Competition Target, you do get that feature. But, they do work OK in the Ruger Mark II pistols also.
I'll offer this, it's always BEST to use the magazines that are designed for the specific Mark pistol, but in a "pinch" the Ruger Mark III magazines will work in the earlier pistols without fear of being jammed up inside the grip frame. Try doing it to actually see for yourself.
 

lipofsky

Single-Sixer
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
385
Location
Central Maine
Took wife;s MK III and My MK II to range left MK II mags at home, MK III mags worked just fine in my MK II, no issues at all
 

pondoro

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
17
Mark II mags fall out of a Mark III. Mark III mags often work in a Mark II, if they hang up you can file the little triangular catches off.

My 4H club kids have Mark II's and Mark III's among them. What a pain. And try convincing a father who just bought 3 or 4 Mark II mags that they will not work in his kid's Mark III! Yikes.

I spray painted a big ugly red blob on the side of every one of my personal Mark II magazines (They do not show when the mag is inside the gun). I encouraged others to do the same in a different color on their mags. Like having a personal crest on your arrows.

When 20 kids are shooting steel targets and all of them have five magazines the magazines will become community property very quickly if they are not marked.
 

DWalt

Bearcat
Joined
May 12, 2017
Messages
2
I have a Mark III magazine that seems to work OK in a 1955 Standard Model, even with the little magazine detention (button changed to the left side). I thought about grinding it off, but there is really no reason to do that. I'd suppose the reverse is not possible.
 

mohavesam

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Messages
5,847
Location
Rugerville, AZ
Majesticarms mags fit both. http://www.majesticarms.com/id21.html

Dino is a class act, and he doesn't farm his stuff out to China. Call him and tell him about the RF.
 

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