Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite .22 LR
Model: 43910
Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite .22 LR
Model: 43910
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite is a semi-automatic .22 LR target pistol built for range work and suppressed shooting. It is still in production. Its receiver is ventilated aerospace-grade aluminum in a red anodized finish, which brings the pistol down to 25.0 oz over a 4.4-inch stainless barrel threaded 1/2-28, with a thread protector already fitted.
A Picatinny rail is installed at the factory, so a dot needs rings and the sight and nothing more. The rear sight adjusts and the front is fixed. The grip frame is polymer with a serrated front strap and a checkered backstrap under checkered 1911-style panels, and the safety is ambidextrous. Two 10-round magazines come with it. The pistol is 8.4 inches long, 5.5 inches tall and 1.22 inches across.
Set against the alternatives, the Ruger Mark IV Standard has an MSRP of $579 on a longer 6.0-inch barrel, 5.1 oz heavier at 30.1 oz, with fixed sights and no rail fitted. The Taurus TX22 Competition has an MSRP of $617, holds 16 rounds in place of 10 on a 5.25-inch threaded barrel, and comes with three magazines.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- The 1911-style grip panels are screwed on, so any 1911 panel set fits the grip frame.
- Ruger replaced the Mark III's specific takedown sequence with the one-button system on this generation, so reassembly no longer depends on getting the magazine and hammer in the right order.
- The receiver is aluminum and the barrel is stainless, so there is no blued steel on the pistol to rust in a range bag.
- At 25.0 oz there is less mass to steady a slow-fire hold than a steel target .22 gives.
- Ten rounds is modest next to rimfire pistols built around 16-round magazines.
- The red anodized receiver is a color, not a protective coat, and a scratch through it shows as bright aluminum.
Category Rankings
How the Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite .22 LR ranks among compact .22 LR handguns.
Where to Buy
No prices available at this time.
Alternatives to Consider
Similar compact .22 LR handguns ranked by similarity.
| NAME | BEST PRICE |
|---|---|
|
Ruger SR22 .22 LR
Ruger
|
— |
|
Walther P22Q .22 LR
Walther
|
— |
|
Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact .22 LR
Smith & Wesson
|
— |
|
Sig Sauer P322 .22 LR
Sig Sauer
|
— |
|
Glock G44 V .22 LR
Glock
|
— |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 22/45 mean?
The grip frame. Ruger shapes it to a 1911's .45 grip angle and panel pattern, so a 1911 shooter gets a familiar hold on a Mark IV action.
How fast is the rifling?
1:16 right hand, which covers every .22 LR load sold for a pistol.
Why is the receiver ventilated?
To take weight out of it. Ruger cuts slots through the aluminum sleeve that surrounds the barrel, which is where the Lite name comes from.
Does it come with a rail for an optic?
Yes. A Picatinny rail is installed at the factory on this model, so all that is left to buy is the dot and its rings.
