Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Dang! My Ruger MK-IV Is Recalled

Dang, I just got a notification that my Ruger MK-IV semi-auto 22 L.R. pistol has been recalled.
Its a "safety" issue with the safety.
I just love the pistol and to date I have had NO accidental discharges with it.
Apparently with some kind of manipulation process they can discharge when the safety is moved to the off position (again this after some kind of manipulation regimen?).
Anyway I will be reluctantly disassembling the pistol and sending back the parts they are replacing free of charge.
My purpose of posting is to advise other Ruger MK-IV owners that if their pistol was made before June 1st 2,017 then it needs "retrofitting" and accidental discharge is a possibility.
Be careful.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

😟

Impossible. The 4 is better than the 3 which is better than the 2.

a guy at work just picked one up yesterday and found out he has to send it in for the fix. he couldn't believe it.

Did Ruger partner with Remington on the MK-IV project?

Thats a shame they let those get out like that, I guess it happens

I think Ruger will make them good. Hate it when anything is recalled. Makes you think their R&D sped things up a little. Hasbeen

It involves the trigger, so I don't blame them. Better to catch it now than afyer they have made a half million of them..

And yeah from what I have seen of the Mark Vs they ARE better guns than the earlier versions.

Who do you blame?

I meant I don't blame Ruger for recalling the guns if they found a functional issue.. Ot is the right thing to do.

Jk16: I am not that unhappy with the Ruger folks - my source of unhappiness is I am right in the closing weeks of Ground Squirrel "season" and this MK-IV has been performing just flawlessly for me in this regard.
I have a red dot sight on it and shoot the 40 grain Winchester Power-Point hollow-points. Its an amazing device for eliminating Gophers out to 40+ yards.
The trigger is excellent and the long heavy barrel helps me get a steady sight picture afield.
Its just the "hassle" of sending it in for retro fitting.
That hassle though will be mitigated completely once its up to par safety wise and back to me.
I own all four versions (and multiples of most versions) of the Ruger MK series of pistols and so far prefer the MK-IV's.
I would recommend (and have numerous times) buying one.
Hasbeen1945 makes a good point maybe the Ruger folks are a bit energetic and impatient in bringing out so many new products and versions of products?
This is one of the very few products that I recall Ruger recalling in the HUNDREDS of models of Rifles, pistols and shotguns they have produced over the decades.
Long live Sturm Ruger Corporation.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

They found some way where the pistol can accidentally fire if the trigger is pulled while the safety is in a half way state. From their website:

Ruger recently discovered that all Mark IV™ pistols (including 22/45™ models) manufactured prior to June 1, 2017 have the potential to discharge unintentionally if the safety is not utilized correctly. In particular, if the trigger is pulled while the safety lever is midway between the "safe" and "fire" positions (that is, the safety is not fully engaged or fully disengaged), then the pistol may not fire when the trigger is pulled. However, if the trigger is released and the safety lever is then moved from the mid position to the "fire" position, the pistol may fire at that time.

Link to a two minute video explaining it: Mark IV recall video

VG: Did you do a Volquartsen or other trigger upgrade on your Mark IV?

Apparently, the recall is related to the possibility that a Mark IV pistol could fire when the safety is in between fire and safe, " if the trigger is pulled while the safety lever is midway between the "safe" and "fire" positions (that is, the safety is not fully engaged or fully disengaged), then the pistol may not fire when the trigger is pulled. However, if the trigger is released and the safety lever is then moved from the mid position to the "fire" position, the pistol may fire at that time." That last part is the real reason for the recall, IMO.

I did a full VQ trigger build on my 22/45 Lite which also got rid of the magazine disconnect feature . Ruger says that all aftermarket parts must be removed before sending the pistol back to them. That will be a PIA!

My Mark IV 22/45 Lite that has the VQ kit has functioned flawlessly. I spent 30 minutes the other day testing the safety. I could NOT get it to fire with the safety half- on/off nor did the the hammer drop after doing this and moving the safety to full on or off.

Personally, I don't see this recall as an emergency and I'm in no hurry to send my pistol back. I've tested my Mark IV with VQ trigger upgrade and it does not seem to have the problem. I don't want to remove the VQ kit and I'm going to wait and see if the recall "parts fix" negate reinstalling the current VQ trigger kit or will require a new VQ trigger kit.

Jim and I must have been typing at the same time, he's faster

Jim in Idaho and MCT3: Thank you both for your information and the link.
I better study up on them.
No I have not done any alterations yet to my MK-IV.
MCT3 - I may follow your lead/advice and make it through the next few weeks of Ground Squirrel season with my MK-IV and just take extra care and caution with it - then send it in.
On a normal days Hunting I only shoot it 30 to 40 times at the "close ones" and keep the pistol "de-chambered" and on safe in my soft pistol case which is right behind my seat in the VarmintMobile.
Yeah that sounds like a good plan.
Thanks both of you - I am off to the 2 minute video.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have a Mk IV with Volquartsen trigger kit and went from a really poor (beyond creepy) 5.5 trigger to a crisp 2lb pull. I am lucky my gun does not have the problem.

Too better understand, i sampled a few Mk IV in a gun shop and I found one that would fire when I follow the procedure posted by Ruger. I found there was an audible click when you pull the trigger when the safety was in the middle position. It does not require 30 minutes to test, once you know what to listen for. Just move the safety around (back & forth) and listen for the little click. Not a big click from the firing pin. I dont think 30 minutes of performing unnatural acts with the trigger and safety is good for the gun.

Now I know, my gun is ok and I am not going to risk any incompatibility issues with the VQ parts. Or the effort to rip out the VQ parts for a recall and then hope they go back in.

Food for thought here. The re-call is to replace the sear and safety bar. I already replaced the sear with a VQ sear. There is no point to return the gun for a new sear and then just remove and replace that new sear with what I have in there now. That is assuming the parts are even comparable.. I would not even want a Mk IV with a stock trigger. I purchased the Mk lV knowing the trigger could be upgraded.

I will wait and see what the recall parts look like and then discuss with the tech support at Volquartsen. For now, I am shooting, fat and happy.

If I had a bone stock Mk IV, I would do the recall at my convenience, just for insurance (peace o mind) and a free magazine. Otherwise this failure mode requires some pretty serious operator error to ever be observed.

Fourbore: I meant to add what you stated when I learned of it a few days ago - the recall once completed will reward the owner with one free MK-IV magazine from Sturm Ruger and Company.
Yeah I am going to wait a few weeks then return mine.
Then I am going to look into that Volquartsen conversion you are so happy with.
Thanks for bumping my brain and the info on the Volquartsen parts.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I would agree on the time if only fiddling or "testing" in a gun shop. I don't consider that adequate. What if you can't hear the little click (hearing impaired from a life time of shooting)? I prefer to spend some more time and confirm that "testing" at the range. I wouldn't claim any firearm with this potential issue "safe" without testing it further with live rounds in a safe location

I always put a round in the chamber right before firing and the store or carry it empty chamber. Old school I guess or just being safe.

Just FYI, I copied the above from the official Ruger website. I did go out looking and I found one. They cannot be SUPER rare. I accept that it is a small percentage. It was easy to manipulate and verify the problem once I got my hands on one.