Found a Ruger Mark III Hunter

AzShooter · August 13, 2017, 06:54 PM

Trigger is the best I've felt on a Ruger. It came with 7 magazines and a set of Altamont grips. This will be a great backup for my Steel Challenge gun.

fourbore · August 14, 2017, 05:38 AM

I like that look. If you have the opportunity to mount a good optical scope and shoot of a bench rest, I think you will be very pleasantly surprised. Then, I was surprised to read your comments on the trigger.

As a field gun (aka Hunter) that maybe fine and typical trigger of the times. For target shooting these really do not cut it. The Mk III and MkIV have poor triggers by competition standards. The Mk I & II are/were much better. The III & IV typically run over 4 pounds and in some cases (Mk IV) over 5lbs. They have a lot of creep and the pull is not consistent. A Mk II might be 3 pounds but it goes way beyond the weight. The pull was much cleaner.

Your gun may have been worked on and the sear was replaced. One clue to look for is a missing magazine disconnect. That is typically removed if/when the sear is replaced. The magazine disconnect was added on the Mk III model and remains on the Mk IV.

SGW Gunsmith · August 14, 2017, 10:11 AM

AzShooter,

Congrats on your find. It's not unusual to find a very acceptable trigger pull weight on any of the Ruger Mark III pistols, as they arrive from the factory. Unfortunately the inter-web, and a few of the "parrots" who frequent these sites, can't provide much in the way of actual, personal experience. Speculation is NOT a gift.

My Ruger Mark III Hunter came with an outstanding, actually measured, 3 ½ pound pull weight. I still did a little work on the sear face angle and magazine disco parts to reduce the pull weight even a little further.

fourbore · August 15, 2017, 05:43 PM

Unfortunately the inter-web, and a few of the "arrogant old farts" who frequent these sites, will not provide much in the way of actual, useful advice. Selling services is NOT a gift. I speak from actual experience with nothing to sell and no reason to hold back.

Its true, what they say, about a bad penny.

Ricklin · August 15, 2017, 07:09 PM

I had a Mk. 2 Govt. target. Long story but I sold it.

I currently have a Mk 3 hunter. Trigger is better on my Mk. 3 than my Mk. 2 was. I would not call either of them "good" but are acceptable.

My Mk. 3 Hunter was a real Jam o matic when new would rarely get through a mag W/O an issue, usually stovepipes. Only CCI mini mags were reliable.

I removed the loaded chamber indicator, and all became right with the world. Now a very reliable and accurate pistol and eats most anything. Actually I only removed the actuator for the LCI. Very quick and easy to do.

rt11002003 · August 15, 2017, 07:55 PM

In general, Ruger does a respectable job with their rim fire pistols. At my age, 79 3/4, my exposure to pistols is heavy. As a general purpose handgun, they're hard to beat. I'm sure owners of other brands would challenge that comment. But, I took up target shooting with Hammerli and S&W Model 41 pistols. Stock Rugers just couldn't do a like job.

So, I've I converted all my Rugers with Volquartsen Accurizing kits. My understanding is that there are other aftermarket companies out there making comparable parts. The Mark ii Government Target and the Mark iii Hunter (short barrel) also were treated some grinding and polishing of the interior portion of the frame/receiver; and, the Volquartsen disconnectors. These two pistols have a 2 pound (m/b less) very smooth pull with a clean break. The other two, a Mark iii Target and a Mark iii Competition Target, have approx. 2.5 trigger pull, not quite as smooth. I'm sure the grinding and polishing will bring them in line with the others.

They all had acceptable (with one exception) triggers when purchased (but, didn't compare to my Hammerli and S&W Model 41); the Mark iii Competition Target trigger was so bad I quit shooting it on the initial range visit after about 10 rounds and went to Volquartsen for replacement parts.

I use scopes on the longer barreled guns and C-More red dots on the others.

I still "need" a Mark iii Hunter like the one shown by AzShooter to complete my collection.

Today, I ran a 100 rounds thru the Mk ii Government Target. It shoots great! But, I don't. I was moving the cross hairs about an inch at 25 yards. If lucky, I "guessed" when I was crossing the 1/2 bulls eye. Didn't really guess all well either.

I've had sights, both front and rear, fall off two of the guns. Ruger CS does an excellent job. However, I haven't sent those guns to them. CS will remove all non-standard Ruger parts, replace them with standard parts and return everything. They did that with my Government Target. I'm not ready to re-install the Volquartsen stuff. I understand their position and will live with the fallen sights.

fourbore · August 15, 2017, 08:41 PM

I am not sure what is meant by the 'Accurizing' kit is from Volquartsen. If that is the trigger kit, with hammer, sear and trigger, I agree 100%. I have installed that in both my Mk III and Mk IV. It makes an enormous improvement. I suspect the OP gun may have been worked over. Although, it maybe some MarkIII did roll out with a better trigger than mine. mine was poor. The Mk IV was down right awful. Others mileage may vary. Including certain grumpy old men.

The other mods I included were to remove the Loaded Chamber Indicator with a blank filler. That can accumulate dirt and worse yet is a safety liability. it can be blown out in the rare event of an out of battery discharge. The other change was to remove the magazine disconnect. That part is eliminated with the full VQ kit. If someone decided to just replace the sear (not a full kit), the disconnect can be removed with a $10 hammer bushing change.

The magazine disconnect adds more complication to the take down procedure which was already enough to turn off some shooters. A last straw, imho.

fourbore · August 15, 2017, 09:17 PM

I forgot the lost or fallen sights mentioned in the prior post. Ruger has been very accommodating with sending me the parts to do my own repairs. Putting sights back on should be an easy job. A little red locktite will hold the front mount screw and rear set screw.

And another 2c, the changes I made might sound like a laundry list of fixes. I shot the Mk III for a year stock out of the box. Not a lot, but enough. I wanted to take it to the next level with the trigger kit and do away with the LCI.

Truly, I would not have taken that Mk IV home if I did not know that particular trigger that specific pistol could be fixed with a VQ kit.

gnystrom · August 16, 2017, 10:42 AM

I agree with fourbore. I currently own two MK III's and both have Volqiartsen triggers, bushing, extractor, and sears, the mag disconnect and loaded chamber indicator have been removed at the time of the VQ install.
The overall performance of the gun was dramatically improved. The ease of field striping and cleaning was improved. My ability to teach new students to shoot accurately was improved. Overall I see no negatives to installing the VQ kits and I laugh at all the complaining about "impossible to fieldstrip a MKIII" while watching my 12 year old grandson strip, clean, and reassemble mine start to finish in under five minutes.

AzShooter · August 16, 2017, 03:10 PM

After adding ADCO Scope and Altamont Grips.

Fired 200 rounds today with not one hiccup.

rt11002003 · August 18, 2017, 04:33 PM

fourbore, the parts were sold by Volquartsen with the name Accurizing Kit. The kits included hammer, sear, trigger, springs, a hammer pin to eliminate the magazine disconnect (spring?). Over a period of months the kits didn't always have the same parts. The first one didn't have the hammer pin, ordered one from a person, who if I recall, only sold those pins. It's been awhile, my memory is hazy. I also forget why I bought the Volquartsen disconnectors. Probably succumbed to advertising.

I'm spoiled when it comes to triggers. For the past four years I've been shooting a SIG X-5 L1, a SIG X-6 L1, a Hammerli Xesse Sport and several 1911s with triggers in the two pound range; all smooth pulling with clean breaks. The only Ruger I've bought with an unacceptable trigger was the Mk iii Competition Target; and, the rear sight fell off the first time at the range. The dove tail and sight were damaged when installed at the factory. A fix will require machining, likely new parts. I knew Ruger Mk pistols were easy to improve, so I have.

AzShooter · August 18, 2017, 07:16 PM

Mounted an old ADCO Mirage scope on it this week. Groups are fantastic. Just one solid hole for 5 shots at 25 yards. Off hand it's a bit heavy but my groups are much better than my 22/45 Lite.

MagnumWill · August 24, 2017, 12:05 PM

Awesome to hear! I picked up a Mk IV Target on Monday, and am itching to shoot it tomorrow.

fourbore · August 24, 2017, 07:41 PM

Quote:

The only Ruger I've bought with an unacceptable trigger was the Mk iii Competition Target; and, the rear sight fell off the first time at the range. The dove tail and sight were damaged when installed at the factory. A fix will require machining, likely new parts. I knew Ruger Mk pistols were easy to improve, so I have.

No kidding. The rear sight on my Mk III was forced in crooked. There was metal shaved off the sight base. I was lucky, the receiver was not damaged. Ruger sent me a new rear sight assembly. I replaced it and you would never know. I have had a few unlucky issues with Ruger products recently. Too bad.

AzShooter · August 24, 2017, 07:53 PM

At Sunday's Steel Challenge match the gun went full auto on Stage 2. I had to quit because I didn't have a backup and it was considered unsafe to continue.

Today I found the culprit. My sear broke. I replaced it with a new one from Volquartsen along with the rest of their trigger kit. Now the trigger is 1 lb 14 oz. A little like but I like it.

August 13, 2017, 06:54 PM	#1
AzShooter Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Surprise, Az. Posts: 766	Found a Ruger Mark III Hunter Trigger is the best I've felt on a Ruger. It came with 7 magazines and a set of Altamont grips. This will be a great backup for my Steel Challenge gun.

August 14, 2017, 05:38 AM	#2
fourbore Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2015 Location: new england Posts: 1,159	I like that look. If you have the opportunity to mount a good optical scope and shoot of a bench rest, I think you will be very pleasantly surprised. Then, I was surprised to read your comments on the trigger. As a field gun (aka Hunter) that maybe fine and typical trigger of the times. For target shooting these really do not cut it. The Mk III and MkIV have poor triggers by competition standards. The Mk I & II are/were much better. The III & IV typically run over 4 pounds and in some cases (Mk IV) over 5lbs. They have a lot of creep and the pull is not consistent. A Mk II might be 3 pounds but it goes way beyond the weight. The pull was much cleaner. Your gun may have been worked on and the sear was replaced. One clue to look for is a missing magazine disconnect. That is typically removed if/when the sear is replaced. The magazine disconnect was added on the Mk III model and remains on the Mk IV. Last edited by fourbore; August 14, 2017 at 05:43 AM.

August 15, 2017, 05:43 PM	#4
fourbore Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2015 Location: new england Posts: 1,159	Unfortunately the inter-web, and a few of the "arrogant old farts" who frequent these sites, will not provide much in the way of actual, useful advice. Selling services is NOT a gift. I speak from actual experience with nothing to sell and no reason to hold back. Its true, what they say, about a bad penny. Last edited by fourbore; August 15, 2017 at 06:20 PM.

August 15, 2017, 07:09 PM	#5
Ricklin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: SW Washington state Posts: 2,018	I actually own one I had a Mk. 2 Govt. target. Long story but I sold it. I currently have a Mk 3 hunter. Trigger is better on my Mk. 3 than my Mk. 2 was. I would not call either of them "good" but are acceptable. My Mk. 3 Hunter was a real Jam o matic when new would rarely get through a mag W/O an issue, usually stovepipes. Only CCI mini mags were reliable. I removed the loaded chamber indicator, and all became right with the world. Now a very reliable and accurate pistol and eats most anything. Actually I only removed the actuator for the LCI. Very quick and easy to do. __________________ ricklin Freedom is not free

August 15, 2017, 08:41 PM	#7
fourbore Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2015 Location: new england Posts: 1,159	I am not sure what is meant by the 'Accurizing' kit is from Volquartsen. If that is the trigger kit, with hammer, sear and trigger, I agree 100%. I have installed that in both my Mk III and Mk IV. It makes an enormous improvement. I suspect the OP gun may have been worked over. Although, it maybe some MarkIII did roll out with a better trigger than mine. mine was poor. The Mk IV was down right awful. Others mileage may vary. Including certain grumpy old men. The other mods I included were to remove the Loaded Chamber Indicator with a blank filler. That can accumulate dirt and worse yet is a safety liability. it can be blown out in the rare event of an out of battery discharge. The other change was to remove the magazine disconnect. That part is eliminated with the full VQ kit. If someone decided to just replace the sear (not a full kit), the disconnect can be removed with a $10 hammer bushing change. The magazine disconnect adds more complication to the take down procedure which was already enough to turn off some shooters. A last straw, imho. Last edited by fourbore; August 15, 2017 at 09:17 PM.

August 14, 2017, 10:11 AM	#3
SGW Gunsmith Junior member Join Date: December 31, 2014 Location: Northwest Wisconsin Posts: 285	AzShooter, Congrats on your find. It's not unusual to find a very acceptable trigger pull weight on any of the Ruger Mark III pistols, as they arrive from the factory. Unfortunately the inter-web, and a few of the "parrots" who frequent these sites, can't provide much in the way of actual, personal experience. Speculation is NOT a gift. My Ruger Mark III Hunter came with an outstanding, actually measured, 3 ½ pound pull weight. I still did a little work on the sear face angle and magazine disco parts to reduce the pull weight even a little further.

August 15, 2017, 07:55 PM	#6
rt11002003 Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2014 Posts: 524	In general, Ruger does a respectable job with their rim fire pistols. At my age, 79 3/4, my exposure to pistols is heavy. As a general purpose handgun, they're hard to beat. I'm sure owners of other brands would challenge that comment. But, I took up target shooting with Hammerli and S&W Model 41 pistols. Stock Rugers just couldn't do a like job. So, I've I converted all my Rugers with Volquartsen Accurizing kits. My understanding is that there are other aftermarket companies out there making comparable parts. The Mark ii Government Target and the Mark iii Hunter (short barrel) also were treated some grinding and polishing of the interior portion of the frame/receiver; and, the Volquartsen disconnectors. These two pistols have a 2 pound (m/b less) very smooth pull with a clean break. The other two, a Mark iii Target and a Mark iii Competition Target, have approx. 2.5 trigger pull, not quite as smooth. I'm sure the grinding and polishing will bring them in line with the others. They all had acceptable (with one exception) triggers when purchased (but, didn't compare to my Hammerli and S&W Model 41); the Mark iii Competition Target trigger was so bad I quit shooting it on the initial range visit after about 10 rounds and went to Volquartsen for replacement parts. I use scopes on the longer barreled guns and C-More red dots on the others. I still "need" a Mark iii Hunter like the one shown by AzShooter to complete my collection. Today, I ran a 100 rounds thru the Mk ii Government Target. It shoots great! But, I don't. I was moving the cross hairs about an inch at 25 yards. If lucky, I "guessed" when I was crossing the 1/2 bulls eye. Didn't really guess all well either. I've had sights, both front and rear, fall off two of the guns. Ruger CS does an excellent job. However, I haven't sent those guns to them. CS will remove all non-standard Ruger parts, replace them with standard parts and return everything. They did that with my Government Target. I'm not ready to re-install the Volquartsen stuff. I understand their position and will live with the fallen sights.

August 15, 2017, 09:17 PM	#8
fourbore Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2015 Location: new england Posts: 1,159	I forgot the lost or fallen sights mentioned in the prior post. Ruger has been very accommodating with sending me the parts to do my own repairs. Putting sights back on should be an easy job. A little red locktite will hold the front mount screw and rear set screw. And another 2c, the changes I made might sound like a laundry list of fixes. I shot the Mk III for a year stock out of the box. Not a lot, but enough. I wanted to take it to the next level with the trigger kit and do away with the LCI. Truly, I would not have taken that Mk IV home if I did not know that particular trigger that specific pistol could be fixed with a VQ kit.

August 16, 2017, 10:42 AM	#9
gnystrom Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2006 Posts: 308	I agree with fourbore. I currently own two MK III's and both have Volqiartsen triggers, bushing, extractor, and sears, the mag disconnect and loaded chamber indicator have been removed at the time of the VQ install. The overall performance of the gun was dramatically improved. The ease of field striping and cleaning was improved. My ability to teach new students to shoot accurately was improved. Overall I see no negatives to installing the VQ kits and I laugh at all the complaining about "impossible to fieldstrip a MKIII" while watching my 12 year old grandson strip, clean, and reassemble mine start to finish in under five minutes.

August 16, 2017, 03:10 PM	#10
AzShooter Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Surprise, Az. Posts: 766	After adding ADCO Scope and Altamont Grips. Fired 200 rounds today with not one hiccup.

August 18, 2017, 04:33 PM	#11
rt11002003 Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2014 Posts: 524	fourbore, the parts were sold by Volquartsen with the name Accurizing Kit. The kits included hammer, sear, trigger, springs, a hammer pin to eliminate the magazine disconnect (spring?). Over a period of months the kits didn't always have the same parts. The first one didn't have the hammer pin, ordered one from a person, who if I recall, only sold those pins. It's been awhile, my memory is hazy. I also forget why I bought the Volquartsen disconnectors. Probably succumbed to advertising. I'm spoiled when it comes to triggers. For the past four years I've been shooting a SIG X-5 L1, a SIG X-6 L1, a Hammerli Xesse Sport and several 1911s with triggers in the two pound range; all smooth pulling with clean breaks. The only Ruger I've bought with an unacceptable trigger was the Mk iii Competition Target; and, the rear sight fell off the first time at the range. The dove tail and sight were damaged when installed at the factory. A fix will require machining, likely new parts. I knew Ruger Mk pistols were easy to improve, so I have.

August 18, 2017, 07:16 PM	#12
AzShooter Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Surprise, Az. Posts: 766	Mounted an old ADCO Mirage scope on it this week. Groups are fantastic. Just one solid hole for 5 shots at 25 yards. Off hand it's a bit heavy but my groups are much better than my 22/45 Lite.

August 24, 2017, 12:05 PM	#13
MagnumWill Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2009 Location: Central Colorado Posts: 1,001	Awesome to hear! I picked up a Mk IV Target on Monday, and am itching to shoot it tomorrow. __________________ Those who hammer their swords into plow shares will plow for those who didn't...