Kor
Member
...and now I know why buying my MkII was such a smart move!!!
So anyways, this poor fella walks into the gun store I'm shopping at with a field-stripped Ruger MkIII 22/45 in pieces in the factory box, asking how the heck you're supposed to put it back together. The call goes out, "Anybody know how to put a Ruger .22 together?"
Foolish me, I sing out, "Yeah, I've had my Ruger MkII apart several times, it's pretty easy once you learn how!"
So I wander over and start wrestling parts together.
More fool I, things are not going together like my MkII.
Bolt goes back into the receiver, I pull the trigger to uncock the hammer...and then realize that the magazine has to be inserted, because of the magazine safety. So, I do that, then I attempt to insert the bolt pin through the bottom of the backstrap slot...and it won't go in. 
"That's the problem I've been having," quoth he.
Four or five minutes of wrestling this thing in and out, and I realize this must be a brand-new gun, and therefore still tight as a tick.
Out to my car I go to get a rubber mallet from my tire-changing kit, that I may beat this gun into submission. 
So, I finally pound the bolt pin and mainspring housing into place, with the gun on top of a wood countertop, and swing the mainspring housing into place to latch it shut...when it stops short. :banghead: What now? The hammer strut is blocking it, because it fell backwards when I was pounding the bolt pin in while resting the gun horizontally on top of the countertop. So, now I have to yank the bolt pin BACK out(which is now marginally easier, since it's gotten a little more broken-in from the pounding), pull the bolt BACK out so I can finagle the hammer and strut with a ball-point pen, put the bolt BACK in, re-insert the magazine so I can un-cock the hammer, NOW I have to pound the bolt pin BACK IN AGAIN - but this time, I have to hold the pistol against the edge of the counter with the muzzle pointing down, TO KEEP THE HAMMER STRUT FROM FALLING BACKWARDS. 
Now, I try to latch the mainspring housing in place...but it won't latch, because the freakin' magazine is locked into the mag well, and it's blocking things...so, OUT comes the magazine AGAIN, and I FINALLY get the mainspring housing latched.
I pull the bolt back to function-check the gun...and it stops cold after about an inch. Hammer strut isn't engaging the mainspring cup!!! Unlatch, pull the mainspring housing partly out, tilt the muzzle up to position the hammer strut, re-latch, the bolt comes all the way back, life is good!!!
Wait...why can't I dry-fire the gun?!? Grrrr...freakin' magazine safety, AGAIN...magazine back in, dry-fire, hold trigger back, work the bolt, trigger resets and fires again...after 30 long minutes, VICTORY, AT LAST!!!!! In which time, I might add, I could have field-stripped and re-assembled my MkII at least TWICE...
So, what do we learn from today's lesson, class?
1) Magazine safeties are the handiwork of the Devil, and...
2) ...NEVER VOLUNTEER.
So anyways, this poor fella walks into the gun store I'm shopping at with a field-stripped Ruger MkIII 22/45 in pieces in the factory box, asking how the heck you're supposed to put it back together. The call goes out, "Anybody know how to put a Ruger .22 together?"
Foolish me, I sing out, "Yeah, I've had my Ruger MkII apart several times, it's pretty easy once you learn how!"
So I wander over and start wrestling parts together.More fool I, things are not going together like my MkII.
Bolt goes back into the receiver, I pull the trigger to uncock the hammer...and then realize that the magazine has to be inserted, because of the magazine safety. So, I do that, then I attempt to insert the bolt pin through the bottom of the backstrap slot...and it won't go in. "That's the problem I've been having," quoth he.
Four or five minutes of wrestling this thing in and out, and I realize this must be a brand-new gun, and therefore still tight as a tick.
Out to my car I go to get a rubber mallet from my tire-changing kit, that I may beat this gun into submission. So, I finally pound the bolt pin and mainspring housing into place, with the gun on top of a wood countertop, and swing the mainspring housing into place to latch it shut...when it stops short. :banghead: What now? The hammer strut is blocking it, because it fell backwards when I was pounding the bolt pin in while resting the gun horizontally on top of the countertop.
So, now I have to yank the bolt pin BACK out(which is now marginally easier, since it's gotten a little more broken-in from the pounding), pull the bolt BACK out so I can finagle the hammer and strut with a ball-point pen, put the bolt BACK in, re-insert the magazine so I can un-cock the hammer, NOW I have to pound the bolt pin BACK IN AGAIN - but this time, I have to hold the pistol against the edge of the counter with the muzzle pointing down, TO KEEP THE HAMMER STRUT FROM FALLING BACKWARDS. Now, I try to latch the mainspring housing in place...but it won't latch, because the freakin' magazine is locked into the mag well, and it's blocking things...so, OUT comes the magazine AGAIN, and I FINALLY get the mainspring housing latched.
I pull the bolt back to function-check the gun...and it stops cold after about an inch.
Hammer strut isn't engaging the mainspring cup!!! Unlatch, pull the mainspring housing partly out, tilt the muzzle up to position the hammer strut, re-latch, the bolt comes all the way back, life is good!!! Wait...why can't I dry-fire the gun?!?
Grrrr...freakin' magazine safety, AGAIN...magazine back in, dry-fire, hold trigger back, work the bolt, trigger resets and fires again...after 30 long minutes, VICTORY, AT LAST!!!!! In which time, I might add, I could have field-stripped and re-assembled my MkII at least TWICE...So, what do we learn from today's lesson, class?
1) Magazine safeties are the handiwork of the Devil,
and...2) ...NEVER VOLUNTEER.
