Decisions, decisions.....

[Pauerpilot]

I am vexed! I have been eyeing the MkIII #10150 for my new Sparrow host. Then I laid my hands on the 22/45 Lite #3912. Both have threaded barrels. I believe that they use the same magazines. I have a MKII that I love and cherish. I understand the barrel differences in length and so forth. My concerns are the cleaning factor for the Lite. I actually use my firearms as tools and they get very dirty. Is it possible to remove the barrel shroud to clean? Also from a longevity stand point, will the Lite be more susceptible to wear and tear given the thinner barrel? The 10150 is stout and I am sure of the longevity of the pistol. The weight however is more and adding the Sparrow will add to that.

I have heard that firing suppressed 22s in pistols generates a significant amount of blast out of the ejection port. As a result, having an optic on a rail can get covered pretty quick under normal use. Can anyone offer any insight into this? The Lite comes with a rail and iron sights. The 10150 comes with adjustable iron sights only.

Let allow me to pre-empt some comments. No I will not just buy both pistols. I am trying to be a smart shopper and get as much insight so that I can make the best choice for my needs. This journey has started a while ago comparing many 22 pistols. These are the final two pistols in my search. I am trying to compare minute differences. They may be small but, they matter. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Al

 

[Mobuck]

Here's my "opinion". Tom bought a 22/45 LITE as a suppressor host as it was the only thing available at the local level. I tried it and while it is very nice with the can attached, I found it hard to handle w/o the can-too light on the front end. A year later, I bought a 22/45 4" steel with threaded muzzle and it is much easier for me to shoot although it is significantly muzzle heavy with the can mounted. My 4" 22/45 came D&T with a scope base.
I don't think removing the barrel shroud is an option.
As far as the "blast" from the ejection port harming an optic-it hasn't been an issue for me but I suppose it might cause some gunky buildup if your shoot hundreds of rounds at a time. I don't think the actual "blast" will harm optic's internals-just build up some sticky gray fouling.
I don't think MKIII and 22/45 magazines are interchangeable w/o swapping base plates. I went out of the MKIII business when I traded my last one for the threaded 22/45.
FWIW I've decided to just have one of my 5.5" 22/45's threaded rather than buy another short barrel 22/45. For a little over $100, I can have the barrel properly threaded and the front sight either modified or set back 1/2". That way, I retain the shootability of the 5.5" while having the option of a muzzle device. My aging eyes don't do as well with the short sight radius of the short barrel with setback front blade.
If you'd like more specific answers, feel free to PM me and I'll make an effort to help.

 

[contender]

Welcome to the Forum!
Mobuck has given you good info. I do happen to know you can not remove the barrel shroud in the Lite version. RoninPa (a member here,) & I were discussing this just last weekend. He was going to remove one to do a custom Cerakote finish & tried to get info from Ruger on this & they refused.
And as noted,,, the MKIII & the 22/45 models are not magazine compatible,,, due to the grip angle & the base pads.
I have a Lite, as well as others,,, and the weight factor can feel different for each shooter. Adding the Sparrow,,, will change things. Only your hands will be the final judge. In general,, heavier guns seem to "balance" better when shooting offhand.
As for extra chamber blast & causing an optic to dirty up moreso than a non-suppressed firearm,,, I do not think this will be a big factor unless as noted,,, you fire a lot of ammo per session. I have a red dot on my Lite & while I don't have any cans,,, I have shot other folk's guns with cans & not seen any issues.

 

[Pauerpilot]

Thank you for the info. I took the advice and went to fondle both pistols. I did feel more steady with the added weight f the 10150. The pistol does come with adjustable sights. I know that I can attach a mini red dot later if I choose. After much thought and fondling, I have decide to purchase the 10150.

Once again, thank you for the info.

Al