Ruger Mark III 22/45 reassembly

[heavyshooter]

First let me say that I am a pretty handy guy. I can usually disassemble and reassemble a machine rather easily. Having said that...

This Ruger Mark III 22/45 is driving me crazy!!! Disassembly was a breeze and I was able to put it back together rather easily. In fact I was wondering what all of the internet fuss was about. Then I tried to rack it so I could do a function check and... Son of a Cur!!! The bolt is locked in the forward position! I can pull it back about 1/4 inch and then I hit an unknown obstruction. I took it apart and reassembled it three more times and I run into the same problem every time. What am I missing?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!

Heavy

 

[lexjj]

Watch this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYHJm2P4kP0

 

[distra]

You have got the hammer strut caught above the mainspring housing. (Don't ask how I know this ) When you go to close the housing you must make sure that black hammer strut fits into its slot on the mainspring housing. Take a look at your manual it describes the reassembly procedure pretty well.

 

[wgaynor]

You have to make sure you tip the gun upside down at one point in reassembly, and then upright...it is a PITA and once you figure it out, practice doing it a couple of times. Took me 2 days of aggravation to put mine back together.

 

[jigglyjames29]

Agreed. Misaligned hammer strut. I've made that mistake more than once.

mmmm... steak.

 

[NMGonzo]

Point the gun upwards when locking the spring.

 

[NinjaFeint]

Everyone has given you the correct advice. Do it a few times and it will be a breeze.

 

[gpr]

i found with my ruger, that if i lay it horizonal on the right side, it lines up easier, some times.....

 

[ArmedBear]

Here's a bit more advice, that's worked for me. I now have 3 Ruger .22 pistols...

Learn what is going on inside the gun. Don't just put it together. Learn to figure out where the hammer strut is, and swing the gun around to line it up with the mainspring before closing it all up.

Once you learn what's going on, instead of relying on Ruger's hocus-pocus instructions, it becomes a LOT easier.

(A guy with a lot of experience gunsmithing the things for competition taught me that, and I'm grateful.)

 

[Just One Shot]

Read the instruction manual that comes with the gun.

 

[midiwall]

I've been through a lot of the re-assembly sites for my MKIII, I think this is one of the best:

http://www.guntalk-online.com/2245detailstripping.htm#m3dsreassembly

 

[heavyshooter]

Thanks High Roaders

 

[noskilz]

I've found that a grain of salt over the left shoulder three times before closing up the mainspring housing works wonders.

Seriously, BullsEye's webpage two posts up is tremendously helpful.

Thank you, BullsEye.

 

[floydster]

And don't forget to stand on your head when re-assembling.

 

[tlen]

Ruger also has videos that detail MKIII disassembly and reassembly
http://www.ruger.com/resources/videos.html#

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

Rather than reassemble the Ruger Mk III 22/45, it is easier to spend extra time at your job and go buy a new one. Hell, it's easier to buy a new one than even describing all the steps to put yours back together!

I have almost given up more than once

 

[lwknight]

Ruger actually put into their manual that you can purposely misalign the hammer strut to child proof the pistol.

 

[heavyshooter]

Now that I have done it a few times it is actually quite simple.

 

[wgaynor]

do you have any hair left? I think thats what happened to mine...

 

[shockwave]

Ruger also has videos that detail MKIII disassembly and reassembly

I watched that one. Put in magazine, take out screw, turn upside down, take magazine out, pull slide back, put magazine in, turn right side up.... Jeebus but that's a complicated procedure!

 

[jakk280rem]

Jeebus but that's a complicated procedure

Aren't mag safeties wonderful?

 

[lions]

Aren't mag safeties wonderful?

Only when they are sitting in a parts bin!

 

[F1]

"Now that I have done it a few times it is actually quite simple."

______________________

I've done it about a dozen times now and it's still a tremendous hassle for me, more trouble than every gun I've ever had all put together.

 

[joshk-k]

One time I got mine so bungled up that I took it to my local smith, who ended up sending it back to the factory. Out of commission for like three months! This was a few years ago, so I don't remember exactly what was wrong, but it was "reassembled" and couldn't be moved or disassembled at all (by me). Now I just clean it well and hope to not have a reason to take it apart.

Josh

 

[F1]

" Now I just clean it well and hope to not have a reason to take it apart."

I believe I'm going to start doing that, too. Up to now I thought that I better stay in practice, but it's not getting much easier for me, and like the guy who started this thread I'm pretty mechanical, and also like him yesterday I was having the same problem, namely it went together OK, but then the bolt wouldn't go back. Ran through that a few times until I got it right, wasting the usual few hours doing so. In addition there's really not much to clean up inside. It's a sweet shooting gun all right, but this takedown procedure is nuts. I suppose if I had to do it every day I'd get the hang of it...