Which Buckmark?
- Thread starter GarandTd
- Start date
I think you are correct... my original standard has, obviously, the older slide. My mom's is the newer version, with the slide tabs. I've not compared the two side by side, but I know for sure the top rail is different. Next time I have them apart I'll have to see what else they've done.
I've replaced the original grips on my Buck (lower) with the newer rubber ones. I replaced mom's old Bushnell (pre-EOTech) heavy sight with a much lighter Bushnell TRS-25...
HighValleyRanch
New member
Early 5.5 standard with custom grips
I appreciate everyone's input so far. I'm planning to attend a gun show this weekend. That is pretty much the only thing holding me back from buying a Buckmark today. I have several ideas on the table right now, but I've given the Buckmark the most research and attention. Unless I stumble upon some kind of mind-blowing bargain at the gun show, a Buckmark will soon occupy a spot in my safe. I will update either way.
shuvelrider
New member
I do own an original Ruger Standard Auto pistol with the red eagle grips from 1949, liked it too much to try the Buckmark,-----------until I did!!!!! Now I'm sold on the Browning
One thing to note. . .
Buckmarks are easy to disassembly and clean... Just undo the two screws on the top of the gun that the rear sight is on and then everything pretty much just falls apart.
However, after reassembly, you might find that those screws will loosen up on their own after a bit of firing, even if you crank them down (potentially).
My advice would be to make sure to get ahold of a lot of extra lock washers so that every two or three time you disassemble and reassemble the gun, you can put new lock washers in place (the same lock washers that come with the gun from the factory)... Also, just a dab of blue Loctite on the screw's threads will help too.
You can also just do a quick clean after taking it out shooting, cleaning the bore and everything inside the open action area without actually disassembling it. And then save the full disassembly/cleaning for after you've fired a thousand rounds, or more, or less, or whatever you see fit.
They really are easy guns to maintain and will last a heck of a long time, just don't be afraid to replace small parts once they are worn from time to time to keep the gun running and holding together like new if you end up shooting it A LOT.
Buckmarks are easy to disassembly and clean... Just undo the two screws on the top of the gun that the rear sight is on and then everything pretty much just falls apart.
However, after reassembly, you might find that those screws will loosen up on their own after a bit of firing, even if you crank them down (potentially).
My advice would be to make sure to get ahold of a lot of extra lock washers so that every two or three time you disassemble and reassemble the gun, you can put new lock washers in place (the same lock washers that come with the gun from the factory)... Also, just a dab of blue Loctite on the screw's threads will help too.
You can also just do a quick clean after taking it out shooting, cleaning the bore and everything inside the open action area without actually disassembling it. And then save the full disassembly/cleaning for after you've fired a thousand rounds, or more, or less, or whatever you see fit.
They really are easy guns to maintain and will last a heck of a long time, just don't be afraid to replace small parts once they are worn from time to time to keep the gun running and holding together like new if you end up shooting it A LOT.
Well....the gun show got the best of me. I brought home a Mark III 22/45 target stainless. I'll have to see how it plays out to determine if the Buckmark should remain on my "want" list. I only had time for a brief range visit. Straight from the box it ran through 3 mags(1 Thunderbolt, 2 CCI Blazer) without issue. The last mag, unsupported at 25yds left me a 4" group. I expect to do better when I'm not rushed and can get used to the pistol. Took it home and cleaned. Stripping and reassembly we're interesting. Should be easy enough after a couple times for practice.
Only cons so far: I don't love the polymer frame. I don't believe it'll be a problem though. Although this pistol has the 1911 grip style, the grips are molded in and not changeable. Also, not a big deal.
This Mark III was supposedly NOS and I gotta a pretty good deal(I think) @ under $300.
Only cons so far: I don't love the polymer frame. I don't believe it'll be a problem though. Although this pistol has the 1911 grip style, the grips are molded in and not changeable. Also, not a big deal.
This Mark III was supposedly NOS and I gotta a pretty good deal(I think) @ under $300.
stinkeypete
New member
That’s a deal, Garand. Solid.
1. Thunderbolts... inconsistent, use for fouling shots and hip shots. Try CCI blazers/ SV or Aguila Standard velocity. Try miniMags and velocitors. I bet the CCI or Aguila SVs will group well.
2. Don’t clean your gun past wiping out the chamber. Your groups will tighten up after shooting and not cleaning. Once you clean the bore, your groups will open up. It won’t hurt your gun a bit. Give a good scrubbing every thousand rounds or when accuracy falls off again.
If you really can’t stand it, tie a long thin strip of tee shirt to a stout bit of twine and give a very gentle “poor boy boresnake” to get most of the loose stuff out. Don’t overdo it.
3. Shoot lots then start thinking about the volquartsen trigger replacement. Save your old parts so if you upgrade you can swap the old trigger group back and sell the v. Trigger on eBay. An upgraded ruger is worth exactly one ruger.
You own a classic now!
1. Thunderbolts... inconsistent, use for fouling shots and hip shots. Try CCI blazers/ SV or Aguila Standard velocity. Try miniMags and velocitors. I bet the CCI or Aguila SVs will group well.
2. Don’t clean your gun past wiping out the chamber. Your groups will tighten up after shooting and not cleaning. Once you clean the bore, your groups will open up. It won’t hurt your gun a bit. Give a good scrubbing every thousand rounds or when accuracy falls off again.
If you really can’t stand it, tie a long thin strip of tee shirt to a stout bit of twine and give a very gentle “poor boy boresnake” to get most of the loose stuff out. Don’t overdo it.
3. Shoot lots then start thinking about the volquartsen trigger replacement. Save your old parts so if you upgrade you can swap the old trigger group back and sell the v. Trigger on eBay. An upgraded ruger is worth exactly one ruger.
You own a classic now!
There are a lot more aftermarket accessories for the Ruger semi-autos- that is for sure.
I have the original Ruger 22/45.
I had to change the trigger, trigger bar, sear and hammer bushing to get my Ruger to have a trigger as good as my Buckmark Nickle Plus out of the box.
I changed my Buckmark Nickle Plus's trigger to the [discontinued] Browning-made trigger with overstop. Now my Buckmark is, again, better than my Rugers- with $150+ in parts.
If you don't like the grips on the Ruger, you can look into changing the entire grip frame. It is NOT the receiver/serialized part. Volquartsen makes replacements. You could find a MK III slanted frame as a take-off if you prefer that angle.
HOWEVER, changing frame may require modification of the barrel/receiver 'tongue' notch that locks into the gripframe.
Become a member of rimfire central dot com. There are a LOT of tuning tips over there.
IF you ever go Buckmark route, they are a tried/true design. Yes, some parts are under the grip panel- where unburned gun powder doesn't get into the action and gum it up. This is where Beretta's, Walther P38 and other designs also route the parts. My High Standards have the parts under the grip panel also.
All it takes is attention when removing the panels to not lose parts.
As for buckmarks- I bought the Tactical Solutions Trail Lite integrated scope base and rear sight. Now, I can do reddot or iron sights.
I also had Bill Striplin install his Buckmark Slide Racker- to make it easier to use. Not as good for holster, but I have other stuff for holsters. Here is what it looks like-
This take away some of the issues with gripping the slide.
I like having one of both, but I don't need both.
If I were to have only one option for 22 semi-auto, I don't know if it would be the buckmark or the Ruger MK II Government Target [with the 6 7/8" barrel].
If it were a choice between a 5.5" barreled [or shorter] Ruger or the Buckmark, I'd probably go with the Buckmark.
I have the original Ruger 22/45.
I had to change the trigger, trigger bar, sear and hammer bushing to get my Ruger to have a trigger as good as my Buckmark Nickle Plus out of the box.
I changed my Buckmark Nickle Plus's trigger to the [discontinued] Browning-made trigger with overstop. Now my Buckmark is, again, better than my Rugers- with $150+ in parts.
If you don't like the grips on the Ruger, you can look into changing the entire grip frame. It is NOT the receiver/serialized part. Volquartsen makes replacements. You could find a MK III slanted frame as a take-off if you prefer that angle.
HOWEVER, changing frame may require modification of the barrel/receiver 'tongue' notch that locks into the gripframe.
Become a member of rimfire central dot com. There are a LOT of tuning tips over there.
IF you ever go Buckmark route, they are a tried/true design. Yes, some parts are under the grip panel- where unburned gun powder doesn't get into the action and gum it up. This is where Beretta's, Walther P38 and other designs also route the parts. My High Standards have the parts under the grip panel also.
All it takes is attention when removing the panels to not lose parts.
As for buckmarks- I bought the Tactical Solutions Trail Lite integrated scope base and rear sight. Now, I can do reddot or iron sights.
I also had Bill Striplin install his Buckmark Slide Racker- to make it easier to use. Not as good for holster, but I have other stuff for holsters. Here is what it looks like-
This take away some of the issues with gripping the slide.
I like having one of both, but I don't need both.
If I were to have only one option for 22 semi-auto, I don't know if it would be the buckmark or the Ruger MK II Government Target [with the 6 7/8" barrel].
If it were a choice between a 5.5" barreled [or shorter] Ruger or the Buckmark, I'd probably go with the Buckmark.
I still may get a Buckmark at some point in the future. I feel a little sad that after investing so much time into the Buckmark research/decision, I bought the Ruger on impulse. I don't doubt that the Ruger will live up to it's reputation and the price was tough to pass on.
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larryf1952
New member
I'm late to the party, but I'll just toss in my 2 cents. I bought a Ruger Standard Model in 1973. It was the 2nd handgun that I ever bought. I still have it, and for all that time, it was the only full size .22 pistol in my somewhat extensive inventory, until about 2 years ago, when I decided to get another .22.
I loved the old Ruger, but I didn't want the same basic gun that I already had. I ended up with a stainless Buckmark UFX. It's a great gun. I put a Dawson FO front sight on it, which improved things dramatically. The trigger pull is excellent, and I like the adjustable rear sight. It never malfunctioned, failed to feed or failed to fire. It did get dirty.
I put close to 1000 rounds through it before I decided to dive in and do a detail strip. As someone has already said, the barrel and slide are easy to disassemble. It's the frame that wants a good fight.
I found a video on YouTube that helped a lot. Let me just say that I am a handy guy, and although I was able to get it apart and back together without crippling the gun or losing any parts, it is NOT a job for the hamfisted or those who might be uncertain of their mechanical abilities. 'Nuff said.
If you still want a Buckmark sometime in the future and are just looking for a messing around, range type gun, the UFX is a great choice. And, I just really like the looks of the stainless model.
I loved the old Ruger, but I didn't want the same basic gun that I already had. I ended up with a stainless Buckmark UFX. It's a great gun. I put a Dawson FO front sight on it, which improved things dramatically. The trigger pull is excellent, and I like the adjustable rear sight. It never malfunctioned, failed to feed or failed to fire. It did get dirty.
I put close to 1000 rounds through it before I decided to dive in and do a detail strip. As someone has already said, the barrel and slide are easy to disassemble. It's the frame that wants a good fight.
I found a video on YouTube that helped a lot. Let me just say that I am a handy guy, and although I was able to get it apart and back together without crippling the gun or losing any parts, it is NOT a job for the hamfisted or those who might be uncertain of their mechanical abilities. 'Nuff said.
If you still want a Buckmark sometime in the future and are just looking for a messing around, range type gun, the UFX is a great choice. And, I just really like the looks of the stainless model.