Is the MaddMacs XBAR/IB the Coolest Ruger MKIV Pistol Upgrade?

We love 22LR pistols, especially tricked out 22LR pistols. But there was a constant theme in that article from 2016, every one of those red dots looks like an afterthought. The MaddMacs XBAR/IB changes that with a cleverly integrated red dot base.

MaddMacs is a one-man operation run by Jason Jones primarily focused on making his customer's wildest rimfire builds come to life. The XBAR family of receivers was spurred by customers asking Jones if his ultra-low MaddMacs RMR DT Base would co-witness the dot with irons. That question led Jones to come up with a way to sink the red dot body into the receiver making it much easier to get a front sight to co-witness with the dot. Jones says that he incorporated as much of what his customers have been asking for as possible in the XBAR while keeping the price point extremely competitive.

Jones told us that doing anything the customer requests is possible with his XBAR line, but there are always additional charges for custom work.

MaddMacs XBAR/IB Receiver

We were left with several questions looking at photos of the XBAR/IB. The most important one of those is how in the hell did Jones manage to sink the optic body into the top of the receiver so far that it appears to cut into the bolt? That is an optical illusion created by what appears to be a removable plate. In reality, the “mounting plate” is more like a mounting platform and is integral to the receiver itself.

The integral base makes up the top of the receiver and only looks like a removable plate. Clever.

Currently, MaddMacs offers three options for the XBAR/IB, one for the Trijicon RMR, another for the DeltaPoint Pro, and one for the Burris FastFire 3/Vortex footprint.

MaddMacs XBAR Ruger Receiver.

At a glance, the XBAR family of receivers are very similar to some of the others on the market but have several common-sense upgrades that would otherwise cost you money. MaddMacs drills and taps holes for rail sections at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions.

The iron sight focused XBAR receiver even has an additional threaded hole to accommodate the XBAR NDT base that eliminates the need for a dovetail style optics mount.

MaddMacs XBAR NDT base.

The receiver is designed to use common Ruger parts; the sights on the XBAR are aftermarket Ruger Mark sights and the XBAR/IB uses a Dawson Precision Ruger Mark front sight. Even the bolt, bolt components, and recoil spring assembly are standard Ruger parts.

MaddMacs offers both the XBAR and XBAR/IB in 4.5-inch, 5.5-inch, and 6.5-inch barrel lengths, but you can get any barrel length you like between 2.5 inches and 8 inches for an additional charge. If a plain tube isn't your cup of tea, Jones can add flutes to the receiver like the older Mark III 22/45 Lite for a $100 upcharge.

MaddMacs XBAR Ruger Receiver.

While the MSRP might shock some, the XBAR/IB is only about $25 more than the Tacsol Pac-Lite IV but you are still left needing to add an optic mount if you want one. The XBAR upper is a better comparison to the Tacsol Pac-Lite IV, the XBAR comes in at $85 less.

The XBAR/IB starts at $369.95 for the 4.5-inch version, options like fluting are available for an additional charge. The more traditional XBAR receiver starts at $259.95 for the 4.5-inch barrel version, add $15 for the 5.5-inch and $30 for the 6.5-inch barrel.

We were told that they will be offering a Mark III version in the future, but for the time being, only the Mark IV is available. Find MaddMacs on their Facebook page or see the rest of their product line on the MaddMacs website.

About the Author

Patrick primarily focuses his range time on sharpening his pistol shooting skill but effectively using precision rifles and carbines are also skills he works on polishing as best he can. When he isn't writing, spending far too much time on the range, maintaining his website, or filming a video he spends his time with his wife, son, and his dog.

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