Ruger's competition government model: a few words of praise for a deservedly popular pistol

Guns Magazine, Nov, 2002 by Glenn Barnes

I'm convinced the majority of us are casual shooters, or plinkers. I consider myself a "professional" plinker. There is absolutely nothing wrong with spending an afternoon by yourself, or with a couple of good friends, knocking over tin cans or spent shotgun shells. It promotes good shooting habits, and is just plain, old-fashioned fun.

The Ruger Competition Government Model is a perfect handgun for this type of shooting. As a matter of fact, my Ruger lives in my range bag, and accompanies me on every outLing. I put it to use after I've finished my more serious range work, and spend the remainder of the day trying to bust clay targets at fifty yards off hand.

Sometimes even managing to break a few.

Proven Hunter's Pistol

The Ruger Competition Government Model is also an ideal small-game hunting handgun. In my home state of North Carolina, we are blessed with a thriving population of small game animals. Groundhogs, squirrels and rabbits are in abundance, allowing the handgun hunter ample opportunity to hone his skills. I've long since lost count of the small game animals that have fallen to the bark of my little .22. Taking any animal with a handgun is definitely a rewarding challenge.

The most important requirement of a small game hunting handgun is accuracy. The Competition Model is more than adequate in the accuracy department. With the adjustable iron sights, my Competition Model averages well under one-inch groups with its favorite ammo. That is sufficient for any small game animal I am likely to encounter.

An excellent option for both hunting and plinking purposes is to mount a high quality handgun scope on your pistol. Ruger includes a set of mounts and rings with every Competition Government Model. They are easy to mount, good looking, and very secure.

Bullseye competitors and silhouette shooters have enjoyed an on-going love affair with the Competition Model since its introduction. It's just plain hard not to fall in love with an accurate handgun, and with the legendary accuracy of the Competition Model, shooters bring home the trophies year after year.

Lifetime Investment

The young boy at the beginning of this article is a good example of one of the reasons to choose a quality .22 LR pistol such as the Ruger MKII Competition Government Model. It's an ideal training pistol for beginning shooters. Ammunition is very inexpensive, which allows adequate practice to become proficient and achieve safe gun handling techniques.

Another reason wise shooters choose the Competition Government Model is longevity. Ruger has a well deserved reputation for long lasting durability, as Grandpa's Ruger proves. He purchased his MKI in 1954, and it's still going strong. I fully expect his grandson will still be enjoying his when he reaches seventy years of age.

Well, there you have it: The Ruger MKII Competition Government Model is all that, and then some. Extremely accurate, durable to the point of lasting practically forever, a small game hunters dream pistol, the competitive shooters edge and the professional plinkers friend. What else is there to say?