Ruger Mark III vs. Browning Buckmark

TPVT

TPVT

Joined
Feb 14, 2012
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hi all.
i didn't want to derail John's thread, but i have a curiosity question. i have been considering getting either a Ruger Mark III or Browning Buckmark. i actually went into the shop already decided on the Mark III. however, the guy at my local shop said "Buckmark all the way". the buckmark seemed to be a better fit for my hand. the mark III seemed weighted far toward the muzzle. maybe it was just perception. i will have to check them out again.

folks seem to really love the Ruger Mark III (including John and Jeff in that other post). although, it seems that folks would prefer the Mark II without the III's "safety" features. i have also read that the Mark III is a little difficult to clean. any truth to that?

Sooo, to those that have experience with both pistols, what's your preference? and why?

thanks all.
 
I had a Browning years ago, good gun, but it would sometimes jam while feeding a round from the magazine to the chamber. I had bought it used so maybe a new magazine would have fixed the problem. My first handgun, bought in 1975, was a Ruger Standard Model, paid $89 for it at Montgomery Wards. Back then I lived in the middle of nowhere, and since ammo was $5.90 for 500 rounds, I shot it a lot, with never a problem, and seldom cleaned it. The Rugers are tricky to take apart, but don't need it often. Personally I like the new safety and magazine release locations since they are similar to my .45. My choice would be the Mark III, but that's just me.
 
Mark III was hard to clean only the first time. Watch a video first. I find it to be very well balanced and a good fit for MY hand.

Jeff
 
First, you can't go wrong with either.
My personal experience is with the Buckmark's predecessor, the Challenger II, and the Ruger Mark II. The Browning was a beautiful, blued gun and accurate, but the mag was "picky".
My Ruger is a tack-driver and has never failed. They can be difficult to break down the 1st couple of times, but being stainless you can shoot it till it stops (mine has never failed to feed, fire, or extract even when a brick or 2 is fired between cleaning) then clean.
If I were shopping for a rimfire handgun I would choose the one that had the features (sights, barrel length, finish, etc) I wanted and felt best in hand. You will be pleased either way... with everything except the scarcity of 22lr ammo.


Camp & Trail added for scale and 'cuse I like it.
 
The Ruger is the standard as to which all other .22 semi-auto pistols are rated. That said, Most any gun that Browing would put their name on is a decent gun. I've own 4-6 different Ruger mark .22s over the years and never had a problem with any of them. Plus they seem to work fine with after market mags.

That's some thing to look at? When I shoot .22s I like to have four or 5 mags loaded and ready. How much are the Browning mags? Do you get one or two with the pistol?

It will also come down to how well the pistol fits your hand? Are there any ranges with rentals near you? Perhaps you can rent them both and try them side by side.
 
I can only speak for the Mrk III. I love mine it can eat any kind of ammunition and IMO can out shoot just about anyone. It is a bit difficult to take down. So long and short if you have made the decision I do not think you will be disappointed.

TD
 
I own both. They're both great guns (similar performance and reliability). IMO, the Browning has a nicer trigger pull. It also has a spring-loaded plunger in the base of the grip that forcefully ejects the mag when the release is pressed. The downside of the Buckmark is that disassembly requires use of an Allen wrench, and there is a plastic/nylon recoil buffer inside that eventually breaks apart and should be replaced. Cycling the action on a dropped hammer by hand can be difficult because the hammer spring force is so strong to overcome (newer models have "ears" on the back of the slide to grab which help). My Ruger Mk III is the 22/45 model. The trigger feels sloppy to me and the mag has to be pulled out of the magwell after you depress the release. Re-assembly can be tricky (I haven't done it yet but I've heard horror stories...YouTube can help with this). Once disassembled you can brush the Ruger barrel from the breach end which you can't do with the Buckmark unless you remove the barrel from the frame. If I had to choose only one I'd go with the Ruger. They're built like tanks and available in many different configurations. There are also more custom parts available for the Rugers because they're so popular and have been around forever (see Volquartsen). That's just my preference, though. Honestly, as others have said, you can't go wrong with either. Good luck with your purchase.

-Greg
 
YoungCurmudgeon said:
First, you can't go wrong with either.
My personal experience is with the Buckmark's predecessor, the Challenger II, and the Ruger Mark II. The Browning was a beautiful, blued gun and accurate, but the mag was "picky".
My Ruger is a tack-driver and has never failed. They can be difficult to break down the 1st couple of times, but being stainless you can shoot it till it stops (mine has never failed to feed, fire, or extract even when a brick or 2 is fired between cleaning) then clean.
If I were shopping for a rimfire handgun I would choose the one that had the features (sights, barrel length, finish, etc) I wanted and felt best in hand. You will be pleased either way... with everything except the scarcity of 22lr ammo.


Camp & Trail added for scale and 'cuse I like it.
Click to expand...
I bet that's a tack driver with that barrel! Nice combo!
 
I have owned a few Browning Buckmarks and all were accurate but in my hands much less so than a Ruger. I have owned many Ruger Mark I and Mark II pistols over the years and never had a real issue with one. My favorite is the MKII Government Competition Target Slabside Mode. Mine sports a Leupold 4X and from a steady rest will shoot with most 22 rifles. If "the mark III seemed weighted far toward the muzzle" check out the 22/45 Lite. Here's pic of mine:
 
fishiker said:
I have owned a few Browning Buckmarks and all were accurate but in my hands much less so than a Ruger. I have owned many Ruger Mark I and Mark II pistols over the years and never had a real issue with one. My favorite is the MKII Government Competition Target Slabside Mode. Mine sports a Leupold 4X and from a steady rest will shoot with most 22 rifles. If "the mark III seemed weighted far toward the muzzle" check out the 22/45 Lite. Here's pic of mine:
Click to expand...
Fishiker beat me to it!....the Lite has been a lot of fun to shoot.
 
I guess I seem to be in the minority. I would go with the Buck Mark. They seem to fit my hand better, trigger feels better (drop a volquartsen into a Ruger and it negates this), never had feeding issues, easier to clean, and both are probably much more accurate than me.

Tough to go wrong with either, I just personally prefer the Browning.
 
mykel m said:
RUGER:thumbup:
Click to expand...

this one made me chuckle. thanks Myke.

and thanks for all the responses guys. i think i will check out that Ruger 22/45, as well.

again, i went in wanting the Ruger, but kinda got talked out of it. i am never one to purchase anything though without way to much thought and research. i will head back this spring and see what's what.

thanks again. please keep the thoughts - and especially pictures - coming.
 
I love my Mark III, probably the easiest shooting pistol I've ever fired and dead accurate. That said, if the Buckmark fits your hand better then I'd go with it since you're comfortable with the pistol. Let's face it, either will serve you well since they are both well made pistols by great companies so at this point it boils down to which gun feels better, which you have stated it the Browning. Good luck and happy shooting!
 
cbwoods67 said:
Now you've got me looking at guns again.

Thanks a lot, Todd.
Click to expand...
teehee. you know i'm here to help, Coop!

trevytrev said:
I love my Mark III, probably the easiest shooting pistol I've ever fired and dead accurate. That said, if the Buckmark fits your hand better then I'd go with it since you're comfortable with the pistol. Let's face it, either will serve you well since they are both well made pistols by great companies so at this point it boils down to which gun feels better, which you have stated it the Browning. Good luck and happy shooting!
Click to expand...

i am going to try some of the different configs. the one i held was the Mark III bull barrel. they did not have the other barrel. i did not try the 22/45. i am going to try like heck to buy the ruger, but you're right....if i find the Browning is just a more comfortable fit for me, then i will go with that.
 
Another Ruger Mark fan here.

I have a Mark I target barrel. I have been shooting it for 25+ years and it was well used when I got it.

I have put 50,000 or so rounds through it.


They are not that hard to take apart. But there is a trick to putting them back together. Once some one shows you, or you do it, it really is not that hard.

My dad has a MarkII with a 10 inch bull barrel, and a Mark III with a 7 inch bull barrel and fluted.

Older brother has Mark II government slab sided bull.

I have shot a hand full of Buck Marks, and they are nice as well. I have shot just as well with the ones I have used. I would not hesitate to buy one if it fit my hand.

Though, I have to admit, the Buck Marks I have shot were older versions.

The Ruger with the 45 angle grip feels good in my hand, but I can't eject the mags unless I move my hand away from the bottom of the grip. My hand is too big/meaty for mags to eject while holding it in a firing grip.

I feel like the Ruger is just so durable and reliable though.
 
I've had both, but I sold my Rugers and kept buying the Buck Marks.
* The BM have much better triggers, and 15-minutes of tinkering can make them even better (google 'heggis flip')
* I like the ability to swap barrels without having to go through a FFL
* It's easier to do a basic cleaning since chamber area is accessible with the slide open - a bore snake, a toothbrush, and a wipe and you get 80% of the gunk.

Don't get me wrong - Ruger makes great pistols, and I'm a fan of their guns, but for a .22 I prefer the BM pistols.

BuckMarkGroupShot_R.jpg
 
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