New Gun: Ruger Mark IV Standard Model

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New Gun: Ruger Mark IV Standard Model

Ruger has given fans a pistol to pine for with the release of the new Mark IV Standard.

  • The Mark IV Standard is the latest of the enhanced line to be released.
  • Available in 6- and 4.75-inch barrels.
  • True to the original Mark IV Standard introduced in 1949.
  • New Standard models feature push-button takedown.

Ruger took the next step in the evolution of its popular semi-automatic rimfire pistol line last fall with the introduction of the Mark IV. Since then, the company has been full steam ahead with releasing a slew of new models to fill nearly every shooting need. And Ruger isn’t done yet.

Recently, the New Hampshire gunmaker added two variations of the classic Standard model of the Mark IV to its catalog. Shooters can now choose from a 4.75-inch barreled model and a 6-inch version. Whatever the choice, the pistols are dead ringers — with upgrades — of the dandy little rimfire handgun that started it all.

Ruger Mark IV side view

The most notable feature of the new Standard Mark IV is the same thing that made the original so appealing: the barrel. Like the first Standard, the new version boasts the unique tapered barrel that made it stand out from much of the pistol world. Along with this, Ruger has maintained the same natural pointing grip angle that initially attracted shooters to the Mark IV and made it an intuitive shooter.

The traditional package of the Standard features all the enhancements of the Mark IV that even the most dyed-in-the-wool fans of the original Ruger rimfire pistol are sure to appreciate.

Ruger Mark IV quarter view

The largest upgrade to the Ruger design is the Mark IV’s easy takedown, facilitated by a recessed button on the rear of the frame. With a push, the upper receiver tilts off the grip and the bolt slides out the rear for routine maintenance. For those familiar with Ruger’s Mark pistols in all their iterations, this is a vastly simpler process.

The Mark IV line also features improvements to the hammer, sear, bolt and firing pin for more reliable feeding. They have an ambidextrous manual safety and a drop-free magazine release for faster reloads. And the new line boasts a one-piece CNC-machined aluminum grip frame, built rock solid. Presently, both the 4.75- and 6-inch Standard models have the same MSRP of $449.

Specifications:

Mark IV Standard
Caliber: .22 LR
Capacity: 10
Material: Alloy Steel
Front Sight: Fixed
Barrel Length: 4.75 or 6 in.
Grip Frame: Aluminum
Grips: Checkered Synthetic
Finish: Blued
Width: 1.20 in.
Rear Sight: Fixed
Barrel Style: Tapered
Weight: 4.75-inch model, 28.2 oz / 6-inch model, 30.1 oz.
Overall Length: 4.75-inch model, 9 in. / 6-inch model, 10.25 in.
Height: 5.40 in.
Grooves: 6
Twist: 1:16 RH
Suggested Retail: $449

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Elwood Shelton is the Digital Editor for Gun Digest. He lives in Colorado and has provided coverage on a vast spectrum of topics for GD for more than a decade. Before that, he was an award-winning sports and outdoors reporter for a number of newspapers across the Rocky Mountains. His experience has consisted of covering the spread of chronic wasting disease into the Western Slope of Colorado to the state’s ranching for wildlife programs. His passion for shooting began at a young age, fostered on pheasant hunts with his father. Since then, he has become an accomplished handloader, long-range shooter and avid hunter—particularly mule deer and any low-down, dirty varmint that comes into his crosshairs. He is a regular contributor to Gun Digest Magazine and has contributed to various books on guns and shooting, most recently Lever-Actions: A Tribute to the All-American Rifle.

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