New limited-edition Ruger 22/45 Blacklite Talo exclusive

Ruger and Talo have partnered to produce a variant of the 22/45 Lite. Called the Blacklite, this limited-edition dealer-exclusive run of just 3,000 22/45s takes the Lite and upgrades it with a new finish and checkered laminate grips. Talo released a sneak peek of the gun on their Facebook page.

The Blacklite’s finish is, naturally, black. The standard Ruger 22/45 has a gold-anodized finish that makes it stand out—and was simultaneously praised for doing something different and criticized for doing something ugly.  Many people enjoyed it for what it is, an extremely lightweight all-purpose .22 plinker based on a well-established and highly-reliable design with a huge aftermarket, and either just ignored the gold or had it re-finished.

The Blacklite doesn’t have that shortcoming, if that’s your taste. It is black on black with grey double-diamond grips. It still has all the other Ruger 22/45 Lite features, including the polymer grip frame, the aircraft-grade aluminum receiver with cutouts to keep the weight down as much as possible, the fully-adjustable raised target sights and threaded barrel that’s good to go for silencers.

In addition to clearing an attached suppressor, the sights are raised to co-witness with a low-profile optic, which you can attach easily because the receiver is drilled and tapped for an (included) Weaver rail.

The 22/45 Lite really is an all-purpose rimfire handgun. By cutting down the weight it can be carried for long hikes and hunts, it’s ready for just about any accessory you could want on a pistol and it is mechanically identical to the proven Ruger Mark III standard.

From our own review of the original 22/45 Lite: “If I were considering a new .22 auto today, the Ruger 22/45 Lite might be it. I like how this gun feels. The Lite aspect makes it more attractive to anyone who would want a full sized .22 LR pistol for backpacking, which I do a lot of. And the slight reduction in weight gives the Lite a nice balance.”

“Shooting the 22/45 Lite, especially with a silencer, is so much fun.  MSRP is $469, but can be found for around $400.”

One nice thing about the Blacklite is that it doesn’t command a price premium over standard 22/45 Lite. In fact, it’s already getting out to stores now, and we’ve seen it priced under $400.

So if you were thinking that you’d like to try out Ruger’s new Lite but put off by the champagne finish, start calling around. Talo’s gone and fixed it for you.