Firearms News

Ruger Introduces the Ruger® 22/45 Mark III™ Pistols
April 16, 2004
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR), the nation's largest firearms manufacturer, is proud to announce the introduction of a new .22 caliber autoloading rimfire pistol - the Ruger® 22/45 Mark III™.

"In 1992, Sturm, Ruger introduced the original Ruger 22/45 pistol. This popular rimfire pistol offered shooters the reliability and performance of the Ruger Mark II, while replicating the look and feel of the .45 caliber Model 1911 pistol," said Sturm, Ruger President, Stephen L. Sanetti. "In 2004, Sturm, Ruger is proud to introduce the most modern .22 pistol ever offered - the new Ruger 22/45 Mark III."

The Ruger 22/45 Mark III pistol's slim polymer grip frame virtually replicates the .45 and features checkered grip panel areas, serrated front strap, and checkered back strap. Ruger innovation has engineered the very first visible loaded chamber indicator for a .22 rimfire pistol (patent pending). An unobtrusive internal lock and magazine disconnect add to the many new features of the new Ruger 22/45 Mark III, the most advanced product in its field.

While the new 22/45 Mark III is truly an innovative design, it still retains the key features that are at the heart of the original Ruger Mark II and 22/45 designs. Rather than using a separate moving slide, the bolt moves inside a rigid barrel-receiver assembly upon which the sights are mounted. Its familiar grip shape, pushbutton magazine release, and the location of its manual safety and external bolt release make this new pistol the perfect understudy to the classic 1911 .45 pistol.

"In the Ruger 22/45 Mark III, we have successfully combined the desirable features of the original 22/45 with advanced Ruger engineering and set a new standard for 1911 pistol training," Sanetti noted.

The first 22/45 Mark III model being introduced is the P4GCMKIII. This pistol features a four inch flat-sided bull barrel, redesigned fixed sights and a blued steel receiver with a re-contoured ejection port mounted on a polymer ".45"-styled grip frame.

About Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. is one of the nation's leading manufacturers of rugged, reliable firearms for the commercial sporting market. The only full-line manufacturer of American-made firearms, Ruger offers consumers over 400 variations of more than 30 product lines. For more than 60 years, Ruger has been a model of corporate and community responsibility. Our motto, "Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens," echoes the importance of these principles as we work hard to deliver quality and innovative firearms.

The Company may, from time to time, make forward-looking statements and projections concerning future expectations. Such statements are based on current expectations and are subject to certain qualifying risks and uncertainties, such as market demand, sales levels of firearms, anticipated castings sales and earnings, the need for external financing for operations or capital expenditures, the results of pending litigation against the Company, the impact of future firearms control and environmental legislation, and accounting estimates, any one or more of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date such forward-looking statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of subsequent unanticipated events.

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. “Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens”®