Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Ruger Mark III 22/45 Problems

I field stripped my 22/45 this afternoon to clean it and now am having a bit of a problem. I got it all back together but the bolt would get stuck when pulled all I would have to do is bump it to get it to slid back forward. I couldn't get it to dryfire either. I tried to strip it again but the mainspring won't swing out more then about 3/8 of an inch.

The bolt slides just fine when the mainspring is swung out as far as I can get it to go but it still won't dryfire.

On the upper part of the grip right above the Ruger symbol there is a pin on both sides and it looks like both pins have slid in a bit.

Anyone have any ideas?

When I worked in the gun store, I used to know how to put 'em back together. It has to do with how the "fingers" are positioned before you snap down the back of the grip. Google it and I'm sure you will find the precise directions. It's one of those deals where the first time is tough and the second time is a snap if you do it often enough...kinda like putting a BPS back together. We used to get those in boxes too..lol....good luck. You can figure it out.

They aren't that hard to put back together. Ones you get the barrel back on the grip or receiver before you can install the lock pin you must put the clip in and rap the front end of the barrel down against a soft piece of wood. This will let the sear go forward and then the pin or take down lever will slip back in.

I never took the barrel off the reciever. The magazine also has a difficult time coming out with the swing arm down but it will pop right out (when I hit the release button) when the swing arm is released a bit.

The hammer spur is probably behind the pin instead of in fron of it.

I can take em apart/put em together in my hands, but explaining it is much harder.

Over the years, we've gotten 3 or 4 as gifts in ziplock bags. Owners got tired of fooling with them.

go to youtube and search for ruger mkiii disassembly video. Very helpful.

Go to Ruger web site and download the manual . It will explain how to reassemble your Ruger.

he can't get it Re-DISASSEMBLED so the manual is of no help until he gets it to fall apart again.

Exactly!!! I got it apart all except for the barrel off, cleaned it and then put it back together. I am afraid either in my cleaning I moved the pins that hold the magazine release, or I accidently cocked the firing pin and when I put everything back together it didn't line up. Whatever happened when fully REASSEMBLED its putting pressure on the magazine so that it is stiff and has to be pulled out aswell as pressure on the bolt so that it gets stuck when pulled back completely. Not stuck like with the bolt release button up but so that all I have to do is bump it and it slides forward.

there is a spur on the hammer that goes down and hits the mainspring plunger. This is the tension that fires your hammer
there is a through pin that the spur can get stuck behind. The pistol will reassemble, but not cock or fire.

As I said. I can get them apart in my hands, but explaining it i've never been able to TELL someone how to do it.

The gun has a magazine safety. It needs the magazine to be in place anytime the hammer needs to move forward or backwards.

Disassembly:

Make sure gun is empty, insert magazine and pull trigger.
Remove magazine.
Unlatch and remove mainspring house.
Insert Magazine, pull trigger and point muzzle up to allow hammer to fall to the rear.
Remove magazine.
Remove bolt.

Assembly:

Make sure hammer is back. If not, insert magazine pull trigger and lift muzzle so hammer will fall back.
Remove magazine.
Insert bolt.
Insert magazine, pull trigger and point muzzle down so hammer will fall against bolt.
Remove magazine.
Insert mainspring assembly, align hammer strut, rotate and close mainspring housing.
Insert magazine and test operation.

... or something like that.

The magazine MUST be out of the gun when trying to latch and unlatch the mainspring house. It MUST be in the gun anytime you need to move the sear.

What a royal charlie foxtrot!

They can be fun

As I said. We've gotten a few in on trade CHEAP. In gallon ziplock bags .

There are several videos on youtube that show it step by step and are much clearer than the directions that come with the gun.

Ok got home from work tried to disassemble it again and got it apart I don't no how but I did. Got it put back together and the safety won't engage and I still can't dryfire it. Any new ideas. I have it apart again right now.

The safety won't engage unless the hammer is cocked. What you might want to look at is the sear spring to make sure it is sitting correctly. Look at an exploded view to see how it sits. It sounds like the hammer is following the slide home, which it will do if the sear is flopping because of no spring tension. This WILL allow the slide to move yet prevent the safety from engaging and prevent you from dry firing the gun. I would look there!

You can view this by assembling the gun without the bolt. You reach in through the ejection port and manually cock the hammer. If it won't cock, you likely have problems with the sear. Whatever you do, don't let the hammer snap forward without the bolt in place. Use your finger to arrest the forward movement of the hammer. Don't forget, the Magazine has to be installed during the test.

I took it apart again and followed the manuels detailed intsructions and the safety is working fine.

Here is the problem now and I swear if I ever get this thing back together I will never do this again.

Everything seems to work fine but I can hear the hammer strut bouncing around though, when the magazine is in and when I cycle the bolt it won't dryfire. If I point the gun straight up in the air and cycle the bolt it will fire just fine. I have reassembled the gun 50 times and also had a friend try and still no go.

It sounds like the sear. When you point the muzzle up the sear would have a tendency to fall back which is the direction it needs to go to hold the hammer cocked.

Pull the gun apart again and rap the back of the receiver with the handle of a hammer which will drive the barrel and receiver forward and off the frame. Look at the sear as you manually cock the hammer. Make sure that there is tension holding the sear against the hammer. Don't forget to install a magazine even though you are doing it manually. Let me know what you see.

Well I couldn't figure it out so I took it to a gun smith today. It took him a while but he found that the sear spring had been turned and the sear wouldn't lock against the hammer, basiclly what Malm had said. He took it apart all the way down and fixed perfectly. Thanks everyone for all your help and advice.