Doh!!! Ruger MkIII

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nainc

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So anyway...

There I am after my last range trip, cleaning my 22/45, marveling at how much crud there is in the frame of the pistol.

So... after having argued with myself for the better part of a minute, I decide I'm going to go beyond the recommended Ruger field strip and disassemble this thing and clean it out, so it doesn't look like it spent the day at the beach anymore.

Disassembly, no problem!:)

Reassembly...:banghead:

So basically I've gotten the trigger/trigger bar assembly back in place. I'm 99% sure that's ok. Where I've screwed up is either the floppy sear assembly, or the hammer assembly. I get everything back together, reassemble the pistol. Cycle the slide to cock the hammer, pull the trigger to test, and of course, nothing. This was with the magazine in, by the way.

So my question is has anyone decided to do this to their Mk III and end up with hammer/sear engagement issues? I think I'm screwing up with the magazine disconnect spring that rides next to the hammer. Any tips to setting that thing up? I gotten all the info I could from ruger's exploded parts diagram, but that's the only resource I could find for reassembling from the frame up.

Thanks in advance for all the help!
 
Welcome to the club.
Go through the re-assembly instructions step-by-step paying particular attention to the angles it instructs you to hold the gun.

I still HATE reassembly!
 
Try holding your mouth just right.:D

Long ago a gunsmith in New York City made a hex nut that replaced the bolt stop behind the sights. All I have to do on all of my 22/45 MKIIs is unscrew that hex nut and the bolt falls right out. Reassembly is a breeze too.:cool:

Is this still available? It is a handy modification.
 
If you were closer than 80 miles away I'd come put it back together for you...

I've had my 22/45 MKII apart two or three times to work on the too heavy, creepy trigger pull. It's much better after I stoned all the tool marks out of the engagement surfaces.
 
I have a Mark II and it's the only gun I hate taking apart, I fight with it every time I have to reassemble it. Seems I forget the trick between cleanings and have to break out the manual every time to put it back together :cuss:

Other than that, it's a great piece. Maybe I just need to shoot it more so it stays fresh in my mind.
 
The Mark III is much more aggravating because you need an empty mag to release the hammer when it need to be in the "fired" position. Or you need to press on the thing the mag moves to let the trigger function.

--wally.
 
Let me get this straight...Your just reassembling the pistol as recommended by the manufacturer or have you disassembled further than recommended??

If you've only disassembled per the supplied directions you should be OK, just follow the reassembly directions EXACTLY, it will go back together. If you have disassembled further than recommended, your in trouble. I would recommend taking it to a smith.

I made the mistake of disassembling my tec-9 trigger group to fix a spring and for the life of me could not remember how it went back together and couldn't find any info to help so I had to take it to a smith that knew how to put it back together. it took him like 2 minutes and cost me $20:banghead:
 
it took him like 2 minutes and cost me $20
Click to expand...

Sounds like you got off cheap - lots of smiths would have had you leave it there and worked on later, so you didn't know how long they actually spent (and probably charged you more).
 
BTDT search the threads here. I found a link to a site with pictures and all. Take a deep breath its not that bad. I had mine back together in about 30 minutes. I found it was necessary to take it farther apart :what: to put it back together.

http://www.wiztechs.com/knightsrealm/guns/22-45/instructions.htm
read and follow instructions
I used a few paper clips and punches as slave pins. I have big hands so i needed needle nose pliers to hold small pieces.
 
As others have said, read the manual and follow the reassembly instructions to the letter. You can have it back together in only a few seconds.

Brad
 
That's why they invented "Gunscrubber."

33235_lrg.jpg


http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/sport/maintenance_index.asp?categoryID=2&subcat=3
 
A guy brought in a Ruger Standard Auto one time to this gunstore I was browsing. He'd taken the thing apart just to see how easy it was. And it was easy. But assembly was beyond his ability. I took it to a little place in the back and it was so tight that I just couldn't get it back together. So I told him to leave me alone with it—that it was best if he didn't watch. I then took a rubber mallet and a hammer and got it back together, though I was hot and sweaty from the ordeal.

Once they've been shot, they don't seem to be a big deal to me, but I never disassemble one beyond the standard disassembly. And if I could, I'd remove the mag safety.
 
Thanks for the great replies. I wish I had used Gun Scrubber, or some such stuff just to rinse it out, rather than taking the whole thing apart. Live and learn I guess.

This gives me some places to start! I'll post back with status reports!
 
+1 on gunscrubber. I love it. Use it to clean out the action of my Marlin 60 so I don't have pull it apart. That and a thin brush do the job nicely.

Sadly, I don't have a Ruger Mkanything, so I can't help much there. Good luck though!
 
Got It!!!

I seriously didn't think I was going to make that one without a trip to ye olde smithe. You gotta love the interwebz! :D

Thanks to clemY and Cyanidegenocide for the links. I had the sear spring on the wrong side of the pivot pin which wasn't allowing the hammer and sear to meet up and make nice. I do think I'll just spray some Gun Scrubber in it next time!

While we're on the topic of gutting our Rugers, what's the skinny on taking out the magazine safety? Has anyone done this to theirs? What's the process?
 
Hold on, hold on, hold on. You detail stripped it piece by piece. Then you reassembled it. Now you have it back together but the trigger doesn't work?

Hah! I know what you did I bet! Did it myself a few weeks ago. Took me an hour to get it back together (all while telling my girlfriend, "Yeah, I was paying attention to what I was doing..." :rolleyes: ).

If I had to guess without a picture, I'd say you put parts # 38 and 37 back together incorrectly. Possibly in the wrong order with # 40, 35 and 36. I recall there being a trick to getting the hammer and sear lined up, then holding them in place while getting the magazine disconnector (38 and 37) back together right. Obviously, it only works one way.

Check your exploded view on page 40 in your manual. Study the relationship of those parts. It's a bit tricky, but the spring (37) goes in with the bend away from the safety side of the frame, clearing the sear. The little disconnector goes in with the bent flange pointing to the middle of the frame.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Edited: You figured it out while I was making my guess!
 
muwahahaha Putting that little guy back together the first time is a pain!! Look it up on youtube, that is how I finally got it, look for the vid with the "dingleberry" and "cheese". Once you figure it out it really isn't that hard, but I still rarely strip mine.
 
Just a quick note:

I use Brakleen type brake cleaner on mine (about $1.99 a can...) works great an so far no adverse effects on the zytel plastic frame of my 22/45 Mk II.
 
Why anyone would buy one over a Buckmark I will never understand.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with a Buckmark, but I find the Rugers more accurate with many more aftermarket goodies to customize it, not that it needs it, but I like VQ triggers and sears on mine. You can take an average MKII/III and turn it into a dedicated target gun if you want.

The OP dissasembled it further than field stripping. He got it back together himself with a little help from the good folks here. They are easy to get back together if you just field strip then follow the manual. They require NO tools to field strip while the Buckmark requires a screw driver.
 
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