Steven Naismith and Kenny Miller then added to the tally to take Walter Smith’s men back to the top of the table, a point clear of Celtic, despite Michael Higdon’s penalty.
It was a deserved win and one Gers deserve great credit for after it seemed they were starting to lose their edge following an incredible start to the campaign.
Now they’ll go into home meetings with Hibernian and Aberdeen in optimistic mood over the next six days.
Smith made just one change to the team which lost 3-0 to Valencia in the Champions League last Tuesday as he reverted to a more traditional 4-4-2 shape.
Former Saints player Kirk Broadfoot was the man who paid for the formation change as he dropped to the bench.
In his place started Vladimir Weiss, a pre-match injury doubt, and he featured on the left with Naismith moving into the second forward position beside Miller.
Having won their first nine SPL matches of the season, Rangers went into this fixture off the back of two games without a victory.
The defeat in Spain perhaps wasn’t a huge surprise but a home draw with Inverness in the league had been and the title holders were keen to make up for that.
Indeed, they had two chances to open the scoring in the first 45 seconds as they looked to make a bright start on a crisp autumn afternoon.
Maurice Edu was first to have a go, stepping past one man before his shot from 20 yards was deflected behind by a second for a corner.
When Weiss swung it in, Lee McCulloch met the ball on the half volley at the near post but his effort on the turn was lacking direction and flew well over the bar.
Saints responded well with the lively Paul McGowan pulling a low drive wide of Allan McGregor’s goal at the end of a promising move for the hosts.
Back came Gers through Weiss and his teasing low cross to the near post was very nearly turned in by Steven Davis but he couldn’t connect.
St Mirren had the ball in the net after 12 minutes but Aaron Mooy’s counter was rightly disallowed by referee Craig Thomson after McGregor was barged by Gareth Wardlaw.
It was the Light Blues who were catching sight of goal more often but both Kenny Miller and Edu were well off the mark with their attempts.
And in truth, they were fairly quiet in the opening exchanges with the intense low sunlight causing more problems than anyone on the park.
Miller tried to change that when he met Sasa Papac’s centred ball but the striker’s shot was deflected and that took the sting on what looked to be a goalbound effort.
The hosts were becoming increasingly guilty of fouls in the middle of the park, with Hugh Murray collecting the first yellow card of the game for a cynical tackle on Edu.
It seemed the resulting set pieces might give Gers’ their best chances of breaking the deadlock.
And on the half hour, after another foul on Weiss, Davis came as close as anybody yet to scoring with a magnificent 25-yard free kick which smacked off the post.
Danny Lennon’s team gave the champions a reminder they were in the game through Jure Travner when he hit a smart volley from the edge of the area towards goal.
But having grabbed a late winner against Aberdeen last time out, there was no repeat for the big defender as McGregor was in the right position to save.
As half-time neared, Rangers’ patient approach looked as though it might pay off and two minutes before the break, it seemed it had.
A slick passing move led to Weiss winning a corner and when he sent it in, Naismith went up to head home.
He was beaten to the ball by keeper Craig Samson but he punched it into his own net before being let off the hook when a foul was given.
TV replays showed little wrong with what had happened and the fact Samson punched his post in frustration at his mistake said it all.
Despite that, whistler Thomson insisted Naismith had interfered with the home player and it remained 0-0.
There has been too much needless focus on referees lately after Dougie McDonald gave Celtic a penalty at Dundee United last month then correctly overruled his decision.
Even with that in mind and the fact most are keen to draw a line under the matter, Thomson’s own call was one he may feel he could have done with reconsidering.
It wasn’t a great shock to see Weiss withdrawn at the halfway point for substitute Kyle Lafferty.
While the on-loan Manchester City man had been a decent outlet for Gers, he was becoming frustrated at Saints’ physical tactics and already sitting on a booking.
The away side made a strong start to the second period and really forced the issue early on.
Steven Whittaker, McCulloch and Miller had all efforts charged down in a quick passage of play but it wouldn’t be long before the deadlock was broken.
Lafferty was having an immediate impact on the game and when Davis crossed for him, the Ulsterman’s flick on was diverted into his own net by McAusland.
This time there no question of foul play and the strike was allowed to stand, with the fact they were now ahead giving Smith’s team confidence.
McCulloch had another shot blocked after a neat lay off from Davis and then, just before the hour mark, it became 2-0.
A sweeping move with Davis at the centre of it allowed Rangers to pour forward in numbers and his surging run once again allowed him to pick out Lafferty.
He then showed poise and composure to pick out the incoming Naismith and he was on hand to tap in his eighth club goal of the season and ninth in all.
It says much about how the ex-Kilmarnock is performing just now that he’s just two strikes short this term from matching his total in his first three campaigns at Ibrox.
With a third of the match left, it was effectively over as a contest with Saints offering little up front but that didn’t stop Gers pushing further ahead.
If their second goal summed up the campaign Naismith is having, so too did the third in relation to Miller.
Having been hopelessly caught out earlier in the game, McAusland hesitated under pressure from the forward 25 yards out.
After being muscled off the ball, Miller got across his man and took one touch before ruthlessly firing home into Samson’s bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Madjid Bougherra almost gifted the Paisley team a goal back but his poke cannoned off McGregor’s post and away.
Lennon’s team were to pull one goal back, although the way that came about was also a touch comical.
Davis was penalised for handball in the away box and a penalty was given, probably correctly although there was a question of whether the offence was deliberate or not.
The real issue, however, was that the kick was only given by referee Thomson after substitute Higdon had picked the ball up.
That infuriated both Miller and Papac, the latter booked as a result, before Higdon slotted in from 12 yards.
Being pegged back a touch didn’t dampen spirits in the away side and they set about trying to restore their three-goal advantage.
Lafferty set up Miller but he fired over and that was as close as the Ibrox outfit came to extending the lead.
In the end, they had to settle for 3-1 but were happy to do so and next up it’s the Hibees on Wednesday.