Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Ruger Mark ll Issue

Picked up a used Mark ll a few weeks ago, as I disassembled it for the 1st time & pulled the mainspring the barrel/receiver just separated itself from the frame. Now I've probably owned 5 of these pistols over the years & this one is the first one that didn't require a smack with a mallet to pop apart.

During reassembly I tried to set the barrel lug into the frame slot by tapping on the muzzle, this was ineffective. There is noticeable play between the 2 parts when it's put together, this play disappears when the bolt is in the back locked open position, could it be because it's putting more tension on the mainspring itself when its locked open?

Any thoughts on this situation appreciated, will this require a trip to Ruger to fix?


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Some of these pistols loosen up like you describe. It really doesn't effect accuracy since the barrel and receiver are still rigid, but it isn't right. It sounds like bubba work but this is how I fix them. I put smooth jaws in my large bench vise and clamp the grip frame, upside down in the vise. Squeeze the grip frame so the "saddle" area gets a little narrower. This will increase the distance from the saddle to the dovetail that engages the receiver and tighten up the fit. Go easy, it is soft metal and will bend very easily. Better to take it in several small steps. The saddle ears could be peened with a small hammer but the vise is much more controllable.