Ruger MKIII Problem

[Pardini]

Disassembled, reassembled but can't get the bolt back more than halfway because the hammer blocks it. Can't get the main spring back out of the gun either. I think the hammer strut is locking it up.

How does one go about getting this thing back apart?

['ol shooter]

Sounds like the hammer strut did not seat in the mainspring plunger cavity. Position the gun, barrel vertical, grip end up. Does it still have a mag disconnect? If so, put a mag in it, pull and hold the trigger, and bump the gun on a padded surface to encourage the hammer to move into the fired position. Then, still holding it in the vertical position with the trigger pulled, attempt to remove the mainspring housing. I had to do that to my 22-45 once.

[71MUSTY]

Sounds like the hammer strut did not seat in the mainspring plunger cavity. Position the gun, barrel vertical, grip end up. Does it still have a mag disconnect? If so, put a mag in it, pull and hold the trigger, and bump the gun on a padded surface to encourage the hammer to move into the fired position. Then, still holding it in the vertical position with the trigger pulled, attempt to remove the mainspring housing. I had to do that to my 22-45 once.

^^^^THIS^^^^

[ar15barrels]

Starting with the gun with the hammer in the cocked position and the gun upright and level.
Insert the bolt from the rear.
Now roll the gun forward (muzzle to floor) and pull the trigger to let the hammer flop forward.
Now slide the pin of the takedown piece back up through the frame and bolt until it clicks into place.
Now continue rotating the gun in the same direction as you went to get the muzzle down until the gun is upside down and then rotate the mainspring housing into place, watching that the hammer strut catches the mainspring cup.
You should then be able to push the mainspring housing flush with the back of the grip and flip the little latch into place.
It's harder to explain than to do, but it's one fluid rotation of the gun as you are doing it to get the parts to fall into the proper places.
Rotating the gun as you go makes the parts fall into proper alignment.

[M76]

http://majesticarms.com/id10.html

[ar15barrels]

http://majesticarms.com/id10.html

I love it.
A $60-$80 solution to a problem that does not exist.

[kendog4570]

I love it.
A $60-$80 solution to a problem that does not exist.

But... its Match Grade.

[jarhead714]

The stories of frustration regarding these pistols are the stuff of legend. When I was a kid without the internet or even the owners manual, I sold mine rather than clean it again.

[TKM]

If you work under a good light you can watch the strut fall into place.

[Dano3467]

http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrTccRHLoJYFEUAawknnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByYnR1Zmd1BGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--/RV=2/RE=1484955336/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3ddarrhSfZsfM/RK=0/RS=Alvrwlh8t2FV96NFOQe607w4erA-

[Pardini]

Sounds like the hammer strut did not seat in the mainspring plunger cavity. Position the gun, barrel vertical, grip end up. Does it still have a mag disconnect? If so, put a mag in it, pull and hold the trigger, and bump the gun on a padded surface to encourage the hammer to move into the fired position. Then, still holding it in the vertical position with the trigger pulled, attempt to remove the mainspring housing. I had to do that to my 22-45 once.

Thank you my friend. Bumping it didn't encourage it but several blows with my rawhide mould mallet finally persuaded it.

It's my buddy's gun. He brought it to my place to clean it. He didn't have the mag. I think that was the problem. I've got one of the Gen I guns but haven't fired it or had it apart in 20 years. I remembered how to get the hammer strut to drop in place, but he snapped the main spring in place before I could tell him to tilt the gun. Actually, did tell him but he can't hear even with his big bucks I phone app hearing aids.

[SkyHawk]

Thank you my friend. Bumping it didn't encourage it but several blows with my rawhide mould mallet finally persuaded it.

It's my buddy's gun. He brought it to my place to clean it. He didn't have the mag. I think that was the problem.

Without the mag, you can't easily disassemble or assemble the gun, unless you removed the mag disco safety or you stick something up the magwell to override it. Just one more reason to remove the mag disco safety

['ol shooter]

Thank you my friend. Bumping it didn't encourage it but several blows with my rawhide mould mallet finally persuaded it.

It's my buddy's gun. He brought it to my place to clean it. He didn't have the mag. I think that was the problem. I've got one of the Gen I guns but haven't fired it or had it apart in 20 years. I remembered how to get the hammer strut to drop in place, but he snapped the main spring in place before I could tell him to tilt the gun. Actually, did tell him but he can't hear even with his big bucks I phone app hearing aids.

Glad you got it out.

[Drew Eckhardt]

The stories of frustration regarding these pistols are the stuff of legend. When I was a kid without the internet or even the owners manual, I sold mine rather than clean it again.

The manual tells how to field strip it and reassemble. With a broken-in gun that's a 10 second disassembly and 20 second reassembly. A mallet adds only a little time to a tight one.

My MkII receiver came with instructions engraved on the left side indicating where I could write for a free manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL AVAILABLE FREE FROM
STURM, RUGER, AND CO. INC. SOUTHPORT CT, U.S.A.

which was simple, although kids these days have it even easier with youtube,

a disassembly web site, and online manual.

OTOH, with a MkI not telling you where to find a manual you'd be in trouble if some one at the gun shop didn't know how it went together.

I hadn't shot my MkII in years, decided to change that, and got a nice Dewey .22 pistol cleaning rod to replace the junky one lost in my last move. I cleaned it yesterday for its next range trip with disassembly and reassembly both going well, although I scraped some coating off my cleaning rod on the ejector. Doh!