Ruger 22/45 Lite Review

Sturm, Ruger and Company was founded in 1949 and started producing the “Standard” 22 Long Rifle pistol.  It mixed influences of the Colt Woodsman and German Luger pistols into what would become a widely popular semi-auto .22 LR pistol.  Over the years, they modified and improved the design to include the MKI, MKII and the current MKIII variants.  

Although the pistol has remained popular, there have been a number of end users that wanted a pistol with a grip frame angle more similar to the classic 1911.  The standard Ruger MK I, II, IIIs also have a the magazine release on the bottom of the frame.  In order to appeal to a wider market, Ruger introduced the 22/45 version.  This includes a more vertical grip angle and a magazine release by the trigger guard, which can be depressed using the thumb.  

 

The standard 22/45 came with a polymer lower receiver and a steel upper receiver.  The lightweight polymer lower reduces the weight of the pistol compared to the previous models.  Taking this design change even further are the “Lite” series pistols that include a lighter weight aluminum upper receiver around a steel barrel insert.  This lowers the weight even more.  The Lite models also come with threaded barrels for use with a compensator or sound suppressor.

Factory Specifications:

Caliber:	22 LR
Capacity:	10
Material:	Aluminum
Height:	5.50"
Grip Frame:	Zytel® Polymer
Front Sight:	Fixed
Rear Sight:	Adjustable
Barrel:	Threaded
Twist:	1:16" RH
Grooves:	6

Searching for a 22 LR suppressor Host:

Ruger’s 22 LR pistols are known for their reliability, durability and accuracy.  They make a great target pistol, useful for low cost marksmanship practice at the range.  With proper care and maintenance, the Ruger design should provide many years of service.

One of the main reasons I chose the light model was for the factory threaded barrel.  Since the upper receiver and barrel are serialized, it is the part of the pistol that the ATF considers the pistol.  This means in order to buy a replacement upper, like those offered by Tactical Solutions, it would have to be transferred through a FFL.  I decided it would be easier to buy a factory threaded barrel than to spend most of the same money on an upper, only to be left with a pistol and a half.  

I ordered a Silencerco Spectre II and decided that during the waiting process for ATF I would pick up a 22/45 Lite as a host.  I already owned an older Mark II.  Looking at the factory specs, I expected the 22/45 Lite with Spectre II on it to be lighter than the Mark II was by itself.  I was looking forward to this setup for throwing in a backpack when I go backpacking and hunting.  It allows me to harvest small game without disturbing the Elk in the area.  

 

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My Ruger 22/45 Lite Pros and Cons:
 

Let’s start with the Pros:

• Lightweight- One of the reasons I went with the Lite model was the total weight.  My original pistol was a Mark II version with a standard 4” barrel.  The weight of the pistol by itself was about 35 ounces.  According to the Ruger website, the 22/45 Lite weighs about 22.7 ounces.  Add on a Spectre II suppressor at 6.8 ounces and you have a suppressed package that weighs less than than the lightest steel version.

• Threaded from factory- The thin barrel of the standard Mark II I owned was likely too thin to thread.  It also had a front sight from the factory that would have to be moved.  Due to the design, as mentioned above, I couldn’t just swap barrels either.  I would have to change the entire upper, which is the serialized part.

• Common parts-  The Ruger 22 pistol in various forms has been around for so long that there are plenty of factory parts available.  Local sporting goods stores often carry the magazines and the big online vendors carry pretty much any replacement part that you could want.  

• Aftermarket availability-  In addition to plenty of factory parts, there is a healthy aftermarket for the Ruger line of pistols.  From trigger upgrades, to grips, sights, you could spend several times the initial cost of the pistol on various upgrades.  

• Accurate-  While there are certainly higher end rimfire pistols on the market, the Ruger pistols are well known for their accuracy.  I’m not a competitive rimfire shooter, but the 22/45 Lite is more than adequate for me to practice my handgun skills, or to take small game animals with.

• Tall adjustable sights-  Rimfire suppressors are generally considerably smaller than centerfire pistol cans.  That is a positive in that they don’t interfere with sights as much.  The Ruger sights are plenty tall enough to clear the majority of suppressors and are adjustable, which is especially convenient if you notice any point of impact shift when adding a suppressor.  

• 22 Long Rifle Ammo-  Rimfire ammo has been difficult to lately, which has led to many of us shooting far less than we would like to.  Even so, when you can find 22 Long Rifle ammo it is still considerable cheaper than even 9mm ammo.  I found with the short barrel on the 22/45 that even the majority of bulk pack ammo is subsonic.  

While I really enjoy this pistol, here are some of the cons that I have found shooting it for awhile:
 

• Heavy trigger-  While the factory trigger on the 22/45 was not horrible, it still wasn’t ideal for accuracy, especially with 22 Long Rifle Ammo.  This isn’t a combat or self defense pistol, it’s a target pistol.  The Volquartsen trigger upgrade definitely increases the enjoyability of shooting this pistol.

• Magazine disconnect- This is a feature that I have never really liked in any gun.  I don’t really know who thought of this as a safety feature, but it isn’t needed on a target pistol.  With this being a range gun and hunting pistol, I don’t really have the need to fire it without a magazine seated. However, the real problem with the magazine disconnect in this gun is the fact that it actually interferes with seating and ejecting the magazine correctly.  Since I removed the magazine disconnect I have noticed that the magazines are more likely to fully seat and will now drop free when the magazine release is depressed.  You should basically just plan on removing this as soon as possible.

• Limited to 10 rounds- 22 ammo is inexpensive, lightweight and physically small, yet the vast majority of 22 pistols have a limit of 10 rounds in the magazine.  I can load 15-17 rounds of 9mm in most of the factory handguns, yet only 10 rounds of 22.  This isn’t only an issue with the 22/45, but I would really like to see higher capacity magazines for the 22 pistols on the market.  

• Magazine design- One of the reasons I like the 22/45 over the original Mark II pistol that I had is the 1911 grip angle and magazine release.  The thing that is odd to me though, is that the 22/45 magazines appear to be the same magazine that the Mark II uses, but with a different buttplate.  I’m sure it makes sense for Ruger to re-use part of the magazine, but it makes it necessary to insert the magazine at more of an angle than you would on a 1911.  Also the long buttplate that is used makes te magazines more awkward than necessary.  

Top three suggested modifications:

So if you pick up a Ruger 22/45 Lite, here are the three main modifications that I would suggest.  

#1- Trigger- First off I would suggest upgrading the trigger.  This gun is meant for target shooting, plinking, and possibly small game hunting.  There is no reason to have a heavy trigger on this gun.  In fact, this gun becomes much more fun to shoot as soon as you put a better trigger on it.  Not only will a good trigger improve the trigger pull, but a quality adjustable trigger like a Volquartsen will allow you to set the take-up and overtravel to the exact feel that you want.  Along with the trigger, I suggest improving the sear, as mentioned in #3 below to improve the overall feel and trigger pull.

#2- Magazine Disconnect- I would consider the magazine disconnect more of a personal preference, but it is definitely a welcome addition.  I found that in my pistol, the disconnect would sometimes interfere with seating the magazines.  There would be times that I felt like I fully seated the magazine, but the way the disconnect would engage the magazine, it was not quite fully seated and could be removed by pulling on the magazine.  The physical pressure of the disconnect also would prevent the magazine from dropping free when the magazine release was depressed.  

Another added advantage is the fact that the disassembly procedure requires hammer to be in the fired position.  With the disconnect in place it requires that a magazine be inserted and the trigger pulled.  Without the disconnect, there is no need to insert and remove magazines during the disassembly or assembly process.  

#3- Sear-  Although I listed this as #3, it is closely related to the trigger replacement.  The sear specifically affects the pull weight of the trigger and how “smooth” the draw weight feels.  When combined with a good trigger, the sear helps to create a smooth pull and crisp “break” of the trigger.  

Although I think of these three modifications as the “top three” there are a number of additional modifications that can be done.  There are improved hammers, hand grips, sights, red dots and a plethora of other improvements that can be made if you feel like it.  

 Do you own a Ruger 22/45 Lite?  What are your thoughts on the pistol?  Do you prefer a different 22 LR suppressor host?  Let me know in the comment section below: