  The new Ruger 22/45 may look a little familiar, but many of the new features are completely unique to this gun, and it represents a new future for this pistol design. As a training tool or just fun plinker the 22/45 should be a venerable competitor in the .22 Rimfire market.
 The Ruger 22/45 Lite comes with two factory mags, a Weaver-style scope mount base, padlock, two keys for the internal safety lock, an Allen wrench, a fired case, manuals, and a ballistic nylon gun rug.
 Attractive laser etching is hard to photograph but gives the gun a distincive 21st century look.
 Using iron sights at 25 yards, typically 3 or 4 out of 5 rounds went into and inch or less in informal shooting tests.
 the range with the Bushnell reflex sight attached.
 With the Bushnell reflex sight attached, groups closed up to well under an inch at 25 yards.
 The 22/45 Lite comes with the barrel already threaded for suppressors. The black knurled barrel cap protects the threads when a suppressor is not being used.
 Although tools aren’t necessary to field strip the gun, a paper clip comes in handy to grab the little mainspring housing latch to initiate disassembly.
 The supplied Weaver type mount can easily accommodate a full sized scope.
 Using a 2-9x scope produced one inch groups at 50 yards despite 8 – 10 mph winds.
 The trigger was crisp and light, contributing to the superb accuracy of this gun.
 The grip angle and control placement is designed to duplicate the venerable 1911 Government Model .45 for training use.
 This is the cutaway talked about in the article.
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Sturm, Ruger & Co.
https://www.ruger.com/2245Lite
by Wayne Lincourt
If any gun is quintessentially Ruger, it’s their .22 caliber pistol. Originally designed by Bill Ruger in his garage, it was the very first gun Sturm, Ruger and Company sold, and has been in production continuously for nearly 63 years. It was a huge success from the get go and has continued to get better as new materials, new manufacturing methods, and other refinements have been made in response to consumer demand.
The 22/45 Model variation was introduced in 1992 to provide a training gun for the venerable 1911 Government Model .45. It has the same grip angle and control locations giving 1911 owners a less expensive alternative for perfecting their pistolcraft. In fact, it’s so faithful to the 1911 that you can use 1911 grips on it. All you have to do to make them work is to relieve the upper front corner of the left grip panel to accommodate the slide stop button. So if you have a set of the new Crimson Trace laser grips on your 1911, you can put them on your Ruger for training.
The new 22/45 Lite, with an MSRP of $469.00, delivers better all around ergonomics and lighter weight than the polymer-steel models, making it a more versatile gun. Like the steel 22/45s, the Lite uses a polymer frame. The weight savings comes in their treatment of the barrel/receiver assembly, which also puts the balance point just at the front of the grip, giving it excellent pointability. It’s still a great trainer for your 1911 or other larger caliber pistol, but we generally demand double duty from our .22s. The lighter weight makes this gun easier to carry in the field for hunting or to take to the range, while still maintaining the accuracy of a heavier gun.
Ruger’s approach to accuracy is uniquely their own. Their .22 pistol has always been different from most semi-autos in that it uses an internal cylindrical bolt rather than an external slide. This is the same type of bolt used on high powered semi-automatic rifles. The fact that the bolt is completely enclosed by the receiver (with the exception of the extended cocking handle which telescopes from the back of the gun when cycled) and that the barrel is fixed, contributes to the accuracy for which the Ruger .22 pistol is well-known. However, they’ve added a new twist with the Lite model.
The purpose of a bull barrel, of course, is to add rigidity to the barrel through increased barrel thickness. A stiffer barrel is a more accurate barrel and Ruger has used steel bull barrels for years. The 22/45 Lite uses a gold anodized aluminum alloy bull barrel with a stainless steel liner, and the thickness does contribute to greater accuracy, but in a different way than the typical bull barrel.
This is a completely new design for which Ruger has a patent pending. Unlike other lined aluminum guns, the barrel liner in the 22/45 Lite has an air gap all the way around it. (If you look closely, you can see it in the cutaway photo.) The chamber end is thicker than the rest of the barrel liner and rests on a shoulder inside the aluminum shroud. At the muzzle, a jam nut puts the barrel liner under tension, like a piano wire, holding it firmly in place and reducing barrel flex. The jam nut is torqued at the factory to a proprietary setting and fixed in place with epoxy so you’ll never have to worry about it coming loose.
The rigidly fixed chamber and muzzle, and the uniquely tensioned barrel, provide the added stiffness and accuracy of a bull barrel without the added weight. It’s this kind of ongoing innovation that makes Ruger guns so good, and Sturm Ruger such a great gun company.
The trigger is an important part of the accuracy equation and this gun has a nice trigger. Out of the box the trigger averaged 4 pounds 10 ounces. After a couple hundred rounds, the trigger weight was down to 4 pounds 4 ounces (average of four pulls). There is about 0.125 inch of take-up, no creep, and the trigger breaks crisply with little overtravel. For competitive target shooting you might want a little lighter trigger, but for an all-around gun, the trigger is really just about perfect.
Shooting from a bench rest, it was easy to put at least three out of five rounds into an inch or less at 25 yards. The gun comes with fully adjustable Partridge style sights, the same as their target model. There’s a broad front blade and a rear square notch. When you line up the sights, there’s daylight on each side of the front blade making it easier to center the front sight for accurate shot placement.
A Weaver style scope adapter is included and I mounted a Bushnell red dot sight which helped get my five-round group size down to 5/8 of an inch at 25 yards. That’s from a 4.4 inch barrel!
Next I mounted a 3-9x rifle scope (yes you can do this when the barrel and receiver are fixed) and set my targets at 50 yards. The winds had picked up a little, 8-10 mph with gusts to 15. Groups averaged less than two and a half inches for five rounds, however, there were usually four out of the five within about an inch. I think that’s a better indication of how accurate the gun is versus how accurately this shooter can shoot it.
I keep an Otis gun cleaning kit in my range bag and pulled a patch sprayed with a little Hoppe’s Elite gun cleaner through the barrel after every 50 rounds. It’s best, of course, to clean a gun from the chamber end to avoid damaging the muzzle crown. The fact that the 22/45 is easy to take down without tools (once you’ve done it once or twice) made this quick and easy.
The black knurled part you see at the end of the barrel is a removable muzzle cap. The barrel is threaded with ½-28 threads to accommodate a .22 Long Rifle sound suppressor. The cap is held in place with a wave washer and, though it’s only finger tight, it remained securely in place the entire time I was shooting.
The grip employs checkered hard rubber grip panels. The rubber has good gripping characteristics and, combined with the backstrap checkering and serrated frontstrap, offers a secure grip, even when wet. The grip angle and the excellent balance of the gun makes it point naturally.
The ammo used for functioning and accuracy testing was Remington Golden 36 gr. hollow points, CCI Mini Mag 40 gr. round nose, and CCI Velocitor 40 gr. hollow points. The gun didn’t seem to have a preference and shot all well. My best groups were with the Remington Golden but I also shot more of that than the other two. There were no malfunctions of any kind.
- Length overall: 8.5 inches
- Barrel length: 4.4 inches
- Weight with an empty magazine: 22.4 ounces
- Height: 5.5 inches
- Width: 1.0 inches
At 22.4 ounces, the Lite represents a 30% weight reduction from the 4.5 inch barreled polymer-steel 22/45 which weighs 32 ounces. For the sake of comparison, the all-steel Mark III bull barrel Target tips the scales at 42 ounces, which is fine for a dedicated target pistol where the added weight helps. However, the lighter weight and excellent balance of the Lite model gives you a more versatile .22 pistol which simply does a everything well.
The 22 Lite I bought my wife has had multiple jams , especially with hollow points. I sent it back to Ruger and they worked on it but advised us not to shoot hollow points upon its return. It does function better now but jams on all hollow point ammo. I would not buy another one.
Thanks
what the beautifull gun
and what the complete web
thanks 4 your information 😉
I have the Ruger MKIII and the Ruger SR22, they will take anything from standard to high velocity with never a problem unlike the Bersa Thunder or Mosquito Sig Sauer, Walther P22, ISSC,which have feeding and ejecting problems and must have very high velocity (1350-1650) to work properly.
Nice weapon
I’m a new shooter, shopping for my first handgun which I’ll be using for target practice. Would you recommend this more “versatile” Ruger 22/45 Lite over the Sig Sauer Mosquito? I’ve been renting and looking for a Mark III Target or Hunter 22LR but have been warned by many at my local range & shop that these are very cumbersome to reassemble after cleaning. After reading your review I’m now really interested in trying out this 22/45 Lite for size!!
how much for the bushnell site for the mark 3 22,i have 1 already????
@srd
I don’t know how Arizona is, but the Federal laws go different from what you stated. I’m in Oklahoma, have bought a SS Sparrow, have a friend who owns an Outback, and another friend who is a Class 3 dealer. OK doesn’t have any more restriction than the Federal laws so we basically have the bare minimum.
First, you decide what you want as this must be filled out on your Form 4. The model, serial number, length, caliber, etc all have a place on the Form 4. In my case, I wanted the SS Sparrow. Fill out the paperwork (I’m friends with the Sheriff so getting his signature took all of one day), get your prints on the paper FBI cards, get a check for $200 (this is for the Tax Stamp). Then you take all of this to your dealer; he will review to make sure everything is correct.
Next, you purchase your Title 2 Firearm from the dealer although you do not get to take it home. The dealer will send off your paperwork, prints, and $200 check all to the BATFE where it will be reviewed, you will receive a background check, and whatever else they do. This waiting process takes some time. Back in October, I was talking to a Class 3 dealer and he said there is approx. a 7-8 month wait. If you wait to start the process, the wait could increase.
When your paperwork all comes in, you get to go to your dealer (your favorite person at this point in time), get your new Title 2 Firearm, and go straight to the range, because you have waited long enough.
If you have a CLEO who doesn’t sign, you can use a Trust, LLC, or Corporation to be the registered owner. This costs a little bit more, doesn’t require fingerprints, allows other people to be in “possession” without committing a felony, and is easier to pass down from generations if you pass away.
Now that you own a Title 2 Firearm, you DO NOT give up any rights. I don’t know who told you this, but there are many misconception considering what the specific laws are concerning NFA items.
A great website to learn from is http://www.silencersarelegal.com
Are there any plans to make it in black or blue? Now it looks like something a Mexican drug lord or a pimp would own.
For everyone asking about class III weapons (silencers). This is what I learned from asking several gun shop owners in AZ. If you have a clean record you start the purchase of the expensive item. You then apply with your local Sheriff. When approved locally (usually about 2-3 weeks) you then apply with the Feds. After about 3-4 months, if given Fed approval, you pay the $300-$400 Fed tax stamp and you can then own the silencer, silenced gun and / or full auto gun. Oh, and you will give up some if not all of your 4th amendment rights as the Feds can come knocking anytime to check up on their gun.
IMO, Ruger should add threaded holes on the flat section at the bottom of the barrel so a section of 1913 rail can be added in order that folks can add fun gizmos (like frickin’ lasers) to their gun.
And perhaps other color choices would be nice, though a veritable rainbow of paint colors is available at your local hardware store.
Hi I was thinking the samething about adding a piece of rail to the bottom of my 22/45 Lite I think I will ask a machiest if it can be done you would need 3 screws as the metal is thin in that area if anyone has already done this please let me know how it worked out…
John
Some of the above statements refer to the replacement of the magazine disconnect parts with an aftermarket hammer bushing. Here’s the guy to contact if you want to eliminate the hassle of putting the mag in and out during disassembly and if you want your magazines to “click” into place more positively and eject like a flash. Just email this guy for info [email protected].
I wish the had this in .22 Magnum. It would be a butt-kicker for the KelTech PMR30 (which you can’t find anywhere). I would buy one.
I do like the ruger 22/45 Lite that I just bought but I have to be honest, I had many malfunctions using Remington hollow points in the 525 rd. value pack. I thought maybe it was because I pulled it straight from the box and began shooting without oiling the gun.So I used the old fashioned 3 in 1 oil and went through a couple of magazines and it still jammed. What I am having trouble with is a failure to feed. When I clear the weapon, the nose of the round is marred, snubbed, as if the gun is causing the damage. I did shoot CCI ammo and I didn’t have any issues but I mainly used the Remington. In all I had about 6 ftf issues while zeroing the weapon. Again, I like it, I know it has a lot of history, but I will tell you the honest truth, it doesn’t hold a candle to the new SR22. That damn thing is deadly accurate straight out of the box and will shoot any ammo fed into it without any issues whatsoever. I will go further. The SR 22 is the best feeling handgun I have EVER put in my hand. Bar none. My hat is off to the guys at Ruger who designed the SR22. If it were chambered in different calibers I would buy two of them. You can rapid fire any ammo and it continues to fire and again, is deadly accurate. Maybe I just have some bad ammo or got a 22/45 that had some issues with the lot, but I’m not very impressed. And the problem of getting the magazine into well and getting it to lock is an awkward adventure. Oh, don’t trim your fingernails because you will need them to remove the magazine. Either that or a small pocket knife. Lastly, it looks cool but I wouldn’t trust my life on it for sure. If you want the BEST damn plinker in the world, get the SR22.
I’m not sure who post the reviews here but, My review is much different.
The first thing I did not like was how the magazine is inserted into the handle.
You would expect it to fallow the angle of the handle, but if you do the magazine will not go into the handle. The magazine has to go into the handle at a sharp angle to mate up to the feed ramp.
Next when I push the magazine release the magazine will not pop out, I have to remove it be getting me finger nail under it and pull it out.
Next, after 25 round the front sight fell off the gun The sight screw had backed out.
I put the screw back it and again it had backed out.
This gun would jam many times on Winchester ammo.
I’m taking it back to the gun shop and trading it in. Sorry Ruger you miss the target on this one.
Yes!! They don’t even mention that model pistol ???
Can’t seem to find Ruger SR 22 spare Magazines any where. On line//at the shows or at the dealers. Ideas please.
Did you check ruger themselves?
Does anyone know of a laser mount for the 22-45?
I bought one of these and love it. It was hard at first to field strip and the mag disconnect sucked. I changed out the hammer bushing with one for a Mark II and the mag drops free now and eliminates having to put the mag in and pull out during stripping. Now it takes me about 30 seconds to strip it. I practiced about 20 times in a row to get it down pat. The barrel now comes off without needing a mallet to knock it loose or to reinstall it. Still trying out different ammo to see what it likes. It does hate Remington golden, they fired fine and ejected but missed loading every six shots and jammed. Winchester bulk runs very good. CCI Blazeres run good but really leave a lot of lead in the barrel and seriously hard to clean. I just bought CCI Mini Mags to try. I hear that they work great.
I have a Paclite upper on my 22/45 and would have bought one of these if they were available when I got my suppressor. I find it interesting that it took Bill Ruger passing away before the company started to build guns customers have been asking for.
As far as it being a PITA to field strip a Ruger 22, it really isn’t that hard, you just have to do it a few times to get the hang of it. A big help on the MKIIIs is to get rid of the magazine safety garbage. I had a Walther P22 that was more difficult to reassembly than my Ruger.
I’m also a former resident of Kalifornia and enjoy the freedom of not having to buy firearms that are deemed ‘safe’ by the state before I can buy them. As of Dec 2011 Ruger MkIIs are no longer deemed to be safe for purchase in CA but they were perfectly safe in Nov 2011. I’m still shocked at the extra fees that are added onto just buying a gun in Kalifornia. Here in AZ, besides being able to own any NFA weapon (MG, suppressors, SBS, SBR) all I have to pay is the sales tax or a $20 transfer fee.
Looks like a nice pistol, but I too don’t like the relief cuts or the color.
These are now being made in BLACK also. There are people making a piece that replaces the piece that that part that makes the magazine disconnect work. I bought one at a gun show for $20 . Works great and improved the trigger also.
I saw this pistol at my local shop today, but opted for the cheaper 22/45 MKIII Target (great deal at $269). I really wanted something smaller to better teach my wife to shoot a handgun and something that was cheap and fun for me to shoot as well. I have shot a Ruger MKIII in the past and was very impressed with the accuracy as well as stock trigger pull, but I am looking forward to doing some upgrades to increase shooting performance and feel.
As a former resident of Kommifornia, I am very pleased with gun laws in my current state of residence, and yes Jim, suppressors are allowed in my state (as well as full-auto weapons) with the correct paperwork.
I have the hunter model in as. I just ordered the lite . I have been waiting for weeks for them to come back into stock. I found kygunco for $359 free shipping. Also grabagun $345. These are online gunshops. I was notified that they were in. So get them while they are in stock. I was not sure about the styling but it grew on me . I also find the out of the ordinary changes for Ruger attractive.
What states allow gun supressors???????
I can’t speak for other States, but, Az. allows suppressors if you are willing to give the Feds all your information on a class III purchase (required for suppressors in AZ.
Like many others, I live in Kommifornia, where “assault threads” (shudder!) protruding from the end of your barrel will get you some serious jail time… My first handgun (37 years ago…) was a Mark I, which I still have; it still drives tacks. As soon as I can sell my home here, I will kick the CA dust off my sandals for the last time, ne’er to return again for residing purposes–hopefully, by that time, Ruger will have removed the diagonal “racing stripes” (cooling fins?) off the side of this “new” handgun, and make it in blue/black as the stock color. If so, I will stop at the first gun store in my new town of residence to buy one, and also start the Fed paperwork for a suppressor. And hopefully, by that time, Ruger will be building a .22 Mag handgun in something besides the Single Six…
There are 36 states at present that allow suppressors/silencers. At least I think that is the current figure. That is pretty close if not exactly correct. I might be off my a couple? My home state of NH is one of the states that they are legal but the neighboring state of Vt does not allow them. Ma does not but “EVERYTHING IS ILLEGAL IN MASSACHUSETTS!”
I have had a Ruger Lite on order fromm local gun shop now for over five weeks. I was told it would be in in two to three weeks. Is Ruger going the way of Kel-Tec? Can’t shoot it if I can’t get it.
Ware can i get one.
some folks think all guns should be for killing someone,hell you need a damn good learning gun,cus i dont think all of you bitchers are killing people all day long,then go home hell you need to go to jail for a while and understand guns arent just ment to kill people,some folks just like to shoot a cheap ammo gun.so go buy a 45 or 357 or 9mm and a ruger 22/45 see witch one is used almost every day.
Threading on the Gem Tech Supressor is slow motion cool. Just the sound of cycling. No signature.. Would really hate to be in front of this little beauty. If you don’t respect the 22, then voulunteer for a double tap.. Outch!!
nice gun just a little high price for a 22 plunking gun
I own more than a dozen Ruger’s of various calibers. They are all reliable firearms but need trigger work to wring out more accuracy. The Mk series are some of my favorites.
A really nice looking piece of Enginering!
Ruger still makes the best 22 on the market.. wish i had one. the one i have is prob. about 45 years young..
Love me some Ruger .22s, but one of these days I hope they get smart
enough to “fix” the method of reassembling these pistols. It is a PITA
even with instructions.
Really like the supressor threaded barrel with the protective cap. a very cool feature even if you are only adding a look-a-like suppressor.
So, when will the 45/45 come out. I’d like a .45 that shoots 1″ groups @ 25 yards that only costs $500. Anyone else with me on that?
ruger i put you high on the pedestal along with colt and smith&wesson! you make great guns.but i know you can’t please some humans.
It’s a beautiful gun and for crying out load…it’s a frickin 22. Y’all that act as though this is some kind of tactical handgun need to get a grip. It’s a plinker/trainer/varmint fun gun. haters chill out. Nice work Ruger!
Ruger is an outstanding Company, no they didn’t invent the 22LR, but they are always innovating great ideas to better their guns. If you want a Kel- Tek (P.O.C.) then buy you 1, there backordered cause there crap, they had to make new barrels,,,etc. I see so many of them used, like NIB, for sale on Internet, cause they r JUNK. Dont down Ruger for making their product better. Awesome looking gun by the way. According to stats. 22LR has more kills than most calibers.
My Sheriff’s Office had two Deputies killed with .22 cal. weapons. Both were wearing vest, but were shot below the vest.
Too bad so many know so little about .22 autos. First and foremost, it’s a .22! Inexpensive shooting, not intended for personal defense. As for .22 mags, still far short of power for defense, and costs several times more per shot than a .22 (I have an S&W Combat Masterpiece in .22 WRF, noisey, expensive, but beautiful). Gold, no, prefer silver or black, thanks.
AZ
Send me one free, I have a little girl that needs one.
LOL! XD
.22 is more then powerful enough for self defense at 400 yards it will pass threw a half inch of pine board wich the military years and years ago established was the thresh hold of killing power, even a .22 short at 25 yards will pass threw a half inch of pine. My friends its all about shot placement. That is just a little knowledge i wanted to share. I also have one of these on order as we speak hope it gets here soon
Yes why isn’t Ruger trying to make a pmr 22 mag like gun please don’t send me crap emails about how they made another 22 I can make one too.Kel-tec has raised the bar and has 5million back ordered pmrs so who cares really about this crap email.Thank you Ruger for ruining my day I thought maybe someone else got the hint 22 mag is where its at (the bar) so email me when you figure that out.
So Ruger is going to patent the barrel liner under tension? I have a Dan Wesson .357 with interchangeable barrels. Way back when this gun was reviewed, the acuracy was attributed to the barrel under tension from the shroud.
Saves us from having to buy paclites!
Once Bill got out of the picture (anti high cap mags,threaded barrels) Ruger has taken off to meet the needs of its customers!
Beautiful gun but too bad I live in California. The .22 Long Rifle sound suppressor looks cool anyway.
Sorry you live in Mexifornia. I used to also but now I am in AZ. Better foe Mendment 2 supporters. I could not abide the government over riiding the peoples wishes demonstated by their vote. Of course we have the cartels but that is not our Governor’s fault. This is the fault of Obamunist who want’s the illegal and Muslim votes so bad that he would join forces with foreign governments to sue Arizona
Chiefg you’re mistaken, it’s commiefornia.
We can only pray that God sees California as a lost cause just like Sodom and Gomorrah.
I grew up in California, Even as a kid I realized that the laws there were anti 2nd ammendment and anti common sense. Besides, everything their causes cancer it seems. Read any label….
Now I live in an open carry state with CWP’s available to all law abiding citizens.
And 20 round mags for my Olympic Arms K-16 or Ruger Mini-14 are cheap and plentiful.
It may rain a bit here but I don’t lose any sleep worrying about the Canadians invading us.
But GOLD? Please tell me they are going to do it in different colors.
$469 retail. Wonder if this will get Tac Sol to drop their prices on their PAC-Lite uppers.
Cost?
How much?
I often wonder why Ruger has not come out with a .22 Mag.? Kel-tec has the PMR-30,but I was told they have a two year waiting list to get one. Evidently there is huge market for a more powerful semi-auto in the .22-cal. and with Ruger`s research and development ,innovative firearms manufacturing company,it should be a no brainier! A high capacity .22 Mag. Cheaper to shoot… I`ll take one in “Stainless”, Please.
The double stack rimfire magazine is tricky, and I’m guessing George Kellgren has the PMR-30’s patented. As far as research, development, and innovation, the LCR is the only truly “new” firearm I can think of that Ruger’s come out with recently. The rest have been tweaked versions of the AR-15, 1911, P3AT, PF9, SP101, Single Six, 10-22, Walther P22 (from what I’ve heard), and of course the above 22/45. Not that they aren’t ok guns for what they are, but lets not pretend that they’re breaking truly new ground, either.
The Grindel P-30 mags looked nearly the same as the photos of the PMR’S excepy they are all plastic. Kind of hard to tell on the Kel-Tec, since there aren’t any around to see. They are stacked in with the rim ends splayed to the sides in alternating fashion so that they are essentially flat as they stack up. That part works well, but the ejection was always a problem with the length of the .22 mag case.
The Grendel was built by the same person as the PMR; George Kellgren. He used a similar magazine for both and, like I said, there’s a good chance he’s had it patented since way back in the Grendel days. That would explain why it hasn’t been ripped off yet.
Um, cutaway photo?
This was added sorry forgot it.
Anyway to get a more clear picture of the cut out?
Awesome!
interesting ruger.. does it come in 40 cal.?
its a 22