A Ruger Mark Pistol Myth

[SGW Gunsmith]

For the most part, the "inter-web" has the intention of being an information providing entity. Sometimes though, myths can be passed along as being "gospel" without any of those passers-along doing any investigation to see if that information has any legs. The myth that I had trouble with understanding involves using the bolt stop thumb piece, on Ruger Mark pistols that have one, as a bolt release and will cause damage to the bolt stop assembly and the front face of the bolt.
How can that be? If the bolt stop thumb piece is indeed used to release the bolt, those mating parts sorta slide off one another very easily, so how can damage occur? Here's what I've found:



This is a brand new bolt from a brand new out-of-the-box Ruger Mark IV Competition Target pistol. I have ONLY used the "sling-shot" method when the bolt has been held back after the last round has been fired, and the bolt stop assembly has been activated by the magazine follower thumb button. Removing the empty magazine and then inserting a full magazine and then pulling the bolt back slightly, then let it fly forward has been touted as THEE way to do things to prevent damage to the bolt face and/or the rear face of the bolt stop assembly. I've done that with this pistol exclusively, so how did the ding get into the from face of this bolt.
My findings have shown that after the magazine is empty and the magazine follower button pushes the bolt stop assembly upward, the bolt comes forward quickly and will, on most Mark pistols, crash into the rear face of the bolt stop. Can't help it, that's how these guns operate.
So, now I use the bolt stop thumb piece to release the bolt, along with the sling-shot procedure, depending on how quick I need to get another round into the chamber, intermittently, and don't adhere to the "myth" any longer.

 

[Reinz]

My first pistol was a MK 1 over 50 years ago. It fired countless numbers of bricks using the bolt release.

Never knew there was a problem.

 

[Fyrstyk]

Same here. The Mark I was the first handgun I ever bought. Got it for #30.00 in 1968 and it had the wood target grips.

 

[Coyote3855]

I have a Ruger .22/45 that will not chamber a round if slingshotted. No issue using the lever.

 

[bangswitch]

I have a Ruger .22/45 that will not chamber a round if slingshotted. No issue using the lever.

Same with my 22/45.

 

[jmr40]

That is a myth I've never heard about. I've done it both ways forever and never heard anyone say it should, or shouldn't be done either way.

 

[Obturation]

My mk3 comp. Target rarely holds open on the last shot, the release lever is damaged from using it. I never knew others report this issue but it worked fine when I got it and within 1000 rds is basically useless. I haven't noticed the bolt face being damaged but maybe it is. I don't care, I don't drop a bolt or slide by that method anyway except on an AR style rifle. I don't have any intention of fixing my ruger, but I do wish it would lock open more reliably .

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I have seen more MK that wouldn't hold open on the last round. I always attributed it to the owner using the lever alone to release the bolt instead of sling shotting it. The old stop always looked a bit rounded to me compared to a new one. I usually can file it a bit and get it to locking back instead of replacing the part.

 

[1KPerDay]

I have a Ruger .22/45 that will not chamber a round if slingshotted. No issue using the lever.

That’s because on that model you need to pull back the bolt AND depress the bolt stop button if you want to slingshot it.
See top of page 20 in the manual here
https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/markIII.pdf

FYI if you remove the detent and spring from the bolt stop it will work by gravity like the MKIIs and you can slingshot the bolt without pushing the button down as well. One of the first mods I did.

you won’t be able to shoot it upside down without the bolt locking back after each shot if that matters to you.

 

[SGW Gunsmith]

I have seen more MK that wouldn't hold open on the last round. I always attributed it to the owner using the lever alone to release the bolt instead of sling shotting it. The old stop always looked a bit rounded to me compared to a new one. I usually can file it a bit and get it to locking back instead of replacing the part.

That is the recommended procedure by most everybody, but due to that parts hardness, it will go better if the part is "ground" flat once again.

That’s because on that model you need to pull back the bolt AND depress the bolt stop button if you want to slingshot it.
See top of page 20 in the manual here
https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/markIII.pdf

FYI if you remove the detent and spring from the bolt stop it will work by gravity like the MKIIs and you can slingshot the bolt without pushing the button down as well. One of the first mods I did.

you won’t be able to shoot it upside down without the bolt locking back after each shot if that matters to you.

Well, not always! I've seen quite a few 22/45 pistols where the "gravity modification" didn't work so well due to the rear tail of the bolt stop assembly being bound up against one side or the other in the pocket that it resides in. Something to L@@K for if a 22/45 owner tries that mod and it doesn't work:

 

[SGW Gunsmith]

My mk3 comp. Target rarely holds open on the last shot, the release lever is damaged from using it. I never knew others report this issue but it worked fine when I got it and within 1000 rds is basically useless. I haven't noticed the bolt face being damaged but maybe it is. I don't care, I don't drop a bolt or slide by that method anyway except on an AR style rifle. I don't have any intention of fixing my ruger, but I do wish it would lock open more reliably .

Ain't gonna happen unless you grind the rear face flat once again, and you can only do that a couple of times, or expend $8.00, or so, for a new bolt stop assembly.

Ever since I've owned the 1911 style pistols that I do, I've used the "slide release" to chamber a fresh round from the magazine. Haven't had any black helicopters land on our empire because of those actions. The bolt release myth began with a guy who calls himself "Dr. Bullseye" and has a web-site that has around 12 members.