Ruger mark III disassembly.

Mark III

Go to www.guntalk-online.com and click on the service tab.

There is a step-by-step procedure, with pictures.

Also, if you go to Youtube and search for Mark III, there are several very helpful videos showing step-by-step disassembly and reassembly of the Mark III.

Hornblower

Friend of mine got a Mk III. His had a dangerous loaded chamber indicator. The indicator rested on the rim of the cartridge. If you dropped the pistol on the loaded chamber indicator, the round would fire.

Also the stupid indicator knocked the round off during extraction. Every third round was a stove pipe, or similiar.

Then there was the complicated disassembly. As you can read in the first post of this thread, they really dorked it up.

The best thing to do with a Mark III, is to trade it in for a Mark II.

Well, here goes. Regarding the Ruger "Mark Series" of pistols. Remember this: You must center your mainspring on your bolt assembly and make sure the same is seated. When you push to mainspring mainspringhousing (large mainspring pin up into the receiver). Make sure that tiny strut (way up in the rear of the trigger housing) is hanging or dangling rearward and to check this prior to closing the mainspring assembly. When you swing that mainspring housing back into the frame, just as the mainspring assembly seats. You'll feel a springy feeling as you push the housing into the bottom of the frame just as the assembly closes. Take your time and it takes no force. Just make sure that little strut is dangling, push the mainspring housing pin up into the receiver. But most important, when you swing the entire assembly into the receiver. The key is to feel the springy feeling as the whole assembly is snapped shut.

I'm probably an idiot but I can't get my MIII field stripped. I've got the mainspring housing/bolt stop pin out. At this point your supposed to pull the trigger and the bolt should drop out, but the trigger will not "fire". I've got the mag in, so it isn't the mag disconnect. Also the bolt only goes back about half an inch. I tried reassembling it and the bolt can still only be pulled back about half an inch.. the gun can't be racked fully. What am I doing wrong?

Click to expand...

First, you should look at my field stripping page, and if you want to go further, at my detailed stripping pages.

http://www.guntalk-online.com/fsprocedures.htm
http://www.guntalk-online.com/detailstrip.htm

if its a 22/45
http://www.guntalk-online.com/2245detailstripping.htm

Here's a troubleshooting link-
http://www.guntalk-online.com/TroubleshootingPage.htm

When you remove the mainspring housing, you cannot get the hammer to drop as the mainspring is removed, so you have to manually push the hammer forward with a tool (pencil, scribe, etc). This lack of hammer movement was likely your problem with the disassembly process.

I see you've got it now but take some time to study the detailed photos and procedures and you shouldn't have any major difficulties with disassembly of your Mark III.

Hope this helps.

R,
Bullseye

If you want to get the alignment a little faster, try installing the bolt stop in the top of the receiver pointing downwards. You can adjust the receiver's position on the frame until the bolt stop pin touches the receiver tube, then the rear lug holes are aligned. This makes installing the mainspring housing a much easier task.



Hope this helps.

R,
Bullseye