Field stripping a Mk III

[Cactus Jack Arizona]

I enjoy shooting my Ruger Mk III Competition Target .22. However, I did a complete field strip cleaning on it last night and discovered something.....I hate field stripping a Mk III. It's that last piece that so dang aggravating. I've got it back together, but the slide barely moves now. :banghead:

I decided to put it away as is, and walk away from it for a couple of days, if only to keep from at it. And yes, I was using my Ruger Mk III Manual as a guide. It's not a very good guide, , but I was using it none the less.

Anyone else have trouble field stripping their Mk II/III's?

 

[AirForceShooter]

It's much easier to do if you have 3 hands

AFS

 

[foghornl]

WHne you say "Slide barely moves" do you mean it is binding, or that you can only open it about 1/2" or so?

If you can only open it about 1/2", then you need re-do the last couple of steps in the asembly procedure, because (IIRC) the hammer was not in the proper position when you closed the mainspring latch.

 

[jmorris]

It’s really easy once you get the hang of it. When putting it back together make sure the hammer and strut are in the correct location and before snapping down the latch elevate the barrel to 45 degrees then pull and hold the trigger while you latch it. If you did everything correctly you can feel spring tension on the latch part, if not start over.

 

[AMBASSADOR]

Go to Utube Ruger Mark III Assembly/Disasembly Moes Video easy to understand.I used the video when doing my Mark III.I no longer use any manuals or videos to do the job,practice,practice,practice and before long you will be doing it at Carnegie Hall.

 

[Cactus Jack Arizona]

AFS, I noticed that rather quickly. I could have used four hands actually.

Fog, the slide moves all the way, but it is binding, very difficult to move.

I realize that I'm going to have to go back and redo the last step....I'm just letting it sit for sanity's sake.

 

[foghornl]

I'm just letting it sit for sanity's sake.

Yeppers....I've got a MKII, and yeah, trying to put it together has caused some......ahhhhhh "Name Calling & Ancestry Tracing"

 

[Average Joe]

Go to Bullseye's site, he has a detailed video that makes it a snap.

http://guntalk-online.com/forum/

 

[General Geoff]

It's a tricky procedure that can't really be taught, only learned.

 

[Deer Hunter]

When you figure it out, you're going to feel really not-smart.

The trick is holding the thing upside-down. Works on my MK1

 

[RickW]

Go to Utube Ruger Mark III Assembly/Disasembly Moes Video easy to understand.I used the video when doing my Mark III.I no longer use any manuals or videos to do the job,practice,practice,practice and before long you will be doing it at Carnegie Hall.

Very good advice, this is how I did it. Once you get the hammer positioning down it's a cake walk.

 

[gpr]

mark

mine goes best together on it's side...gpr

 

[.66Cal.]

another reason I went with the S&W22A. ​

 

[Drail]

It's a bolt, not a slide.

 

[Old Navy]

I too have a MKIII and love the way it shoots. I have'nt had it but a few months so only cleaned it once. I figured it out with help from the manual and you tube. I still think the designer is a freakin' idiot and should be tagged in both kneecaps at least eleven times with a cattle prod. There HAD to be a better way.

 

[LightningMan]

Yep! I missed that one in the manual too. I had the same problem with my MKIII. First time had the hammer strut locked under that cross pin, second time had it too high. Gotta get it in the cup of that lever "thing of a bob!"

 

[glk23]

This is one of the reasons I did not buy a Ruger when I wanted a 22. Went with a Neos instead and it is a piece of cake to disassemble.

 

[RickW]

IMO so is the Ruger if one takes the time to learn.

 

[onebigelf]

AFS, I noticed that rather quickly. I could have used four hands actually.

Fog, the slide moves all the way, but it is binding, very difficult to move.

Kinda "gritty" feeling? The spring assy in the top of the slide is binding. Thing spring-on-the-rod-with-the half-moon piece. Try reseating that in the bolt so that it's better centered and fully settled in the notches or it drags inside the slide. I've done the same dance.

John

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Turn it upside down and it works great. I have taken mine apart 5 times in the 25 years I have had my MKII . I just take off the grips and soak it over nite in a bucket of homemade cleaner. Brush out the barrel and blow out with compressed air, lube with clp, put the grips back on and shoot away.

 

[WardenWolf]

The reason your bolt barely moved is you reinstalled the mainspring wrong. There's a hammer link pin hanging down in the back of the grip. That pin needs to be loose and NOT in the notch when you reassemble it. This is easiest if you hold the gun upside down when you do so.

I discovered that the hard way on a Mark I.

 

[XavierBreath]

Ruger MKII Dis/Re-assembly Instructions Detailed

Ruger MKII Internal Disassembly and Reassembly Instructions

Click the photos to enlarge them.

 

[benderx4]

Turn it upside down and it works great

Kind of like putting up crown molding, right? Upside down and backwards. Yea, I can't do crown molding either.

What I do is clean the bore with my snake, spray the cr*p out of the chamber with degreaser, and then wipe off the excess and oil.

When it needs a "good" cleaning, I have 5 more free cleaning coupons at Gander Mountain, and that's where I take it!

Works for me! (I know when I've been beat)

 

[KBintheSLC]

Try my video on the link below... folks seem to like it so far. After you do it a few times, it becomes quite easy.

 

[greyling22]

all I can say is HA-HA. I spent a whole afternoon one sunday detail stripping 2 rugers and putting them back together again. now it is very easy to put one together, but the first couple times are a beast.

+1 to youtube. +6 to walking away for a couple days.