Long before I would consider or accept a MkIII or MkIV, I would spend the same or a little more money for a clean MkII.

The MkIII gives you the ability to mount an optic without drilling the gun and it gives you the traditional push-button magazine release. The MkIV adds the easier field stripping.

However both of these come at a great cost... the horrific loaded chamber indicator, the awful magazine safety -AND- less quality across the board as we’ve seen from basically any/every/all gun makers in recent years. And I loathe the S&W 22-A series of pistols almost as much.

I would choose a pre-2000 S&W Model 41 over any Ruger, but know going in that it may be finicky. I would take any Ruger Mk-series over any Model 41 made in the last 20 years.

And I would choose a five dollar gift card to Tim Horton’s over absolutely any S&W Victory .22 pistol.