Ruger Introduces the Ruger® 22/45 Mark III™ Pistols

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.