WB
I have a Ruger MKI 6-7/8" made in the late 1950's
Monday, January 22, 2024, 08:25

I paid $75 for it. Most of the blue was rubbed off and the black checkered grips were worn smooth from riding under a pick-up seat for years. The mag was also pretty much shot. I bought a new Mag and "flipped" the button to the proper old style side, made it 10 shot rather than 9. Issue 1 fixed. The trigger actually was very good through simple use and years of wear. I sent it off to have it professionally parkerized and got an order off the Numerich for a set of factory old walnut grips with the black eagle on them. The gun shot fantastic and I could easily hit a soda can from a rest at 50-75 yds. if I did my part. B-square made this rig called a "Mono-mount" that clamped to the front of the receiver to hold a scope. No drilling or tapping. It's also "see-through" for using the iron sights. I mounted a 4X Leupold on the gun. We found that not only me, but anyone that could shoot well, could hit 1/5 scale metal chickens (about the size of a chicken egg) easily at 100 yds., off a good rest. Phenomenal accuracy for any gun much less a handgun platform. I shot many blackbirds at ranges to about 125 yds. I still have it today and could not part with it.

I too once deviated from Rugers as my primary .22 Auto. I went with Browning, the 9" bull barrel Buckmark with no sights, just a rail. It too was superbly accurate. I found it very shootable, but not as refined, and the aftermarket was very skimpy for personalization. But it was a great gun. I traded it off for something more shiny.

In my view the Ruger 45/22 plastic lower with a Pac-lite upper of your choosing would be really cool. You could buy a cheap version as you will be replacing the upper. That would be a fun project. Tons of aftermarket things to play with. But the older steel frame guns are great too. I think I'd rather have an older gun than a new Ruger myself. With some used gun looking, and dealing, maybe a $500 budget would allow such a home build.

I think this was made in 1956-57. The serial font is smaller and it sports a "Micro" marked rear sight. I have the B-square mount back on it and a cheap EER 2x-7x scope. No recoil so the scope has lasted a good while.