Not another MkIII assembly problem...

Joined
Jul 16, 2008
Messages
1,802
Likes
92
Location
Middlesex County, MA
Feedback: 4 / 0 / 0
Okay, I was really trying to avoid this, and I did search, but it seems that every person who tries this has a different problem.

Against all common wisdom, I field stripped my Ruger Mark III. I'm glad I did, since there was all sorts of gunk from manufacturing in there (I assume...doesn't look like the usual shooting gunk), but now...I can't get it back together. Surprise.

I have it mostly assembled, but I can't get the mainspring pin completely through the receiver and bolt. I can get it through the bottom of the receiver, and the bottom of the bolt, but then either on the top hole of the bolt, or the top hole of the receiver, something is out of line and won't let it go through.

I'm following the directions here: http://guntalk-online.com/fsprocedures.htm

They seem pretty good, but I still can't figure out what is mis-aligned. I've been trying to get this one part for an hour and a half or so.

Can anyone toss out some pointers?
 
Okay, I pulled the bolt and tried to pass the pin through without it, to check alignment there. It looks like the top receiver hole isn't lined up...but I can't figure out why
 
Sounds like the barrel isn't seated all the way back on the lower. Look at a photo of your model on the Ruger web site and note how far the barrel is pushed back. Reference the photo for position but you may have to give it a good whack to seat it properly.

Once you've got that, make sure the hammer is down. You'll have to insert the *unloaded* magazine and pull the trigger (for safety [rolleyes] because of the magazine disconnect). With the trigger pulled, shake it upside down until you see the hammer fall forward and the little "tail" on it will then be in the right position to receive the main spring. You want that little tail down but not under the pin on the grip.

good luck!
 
Last edited:
Sounds like the barrel isn't seated all the way back on the lower. Look at a photo of your model on the Ruger web site and note how far the barrel is pushed back.

Once you've got that, make sure the hammer is down. You'll have to insert the *unloaded* magazine and pull the trigger (for safety [rolleyes] because of the magazine disconnect). With the trigger pulled, shake it upside down until you see the hammer fall forward and the little "tail" on it will then be in the right position to receive the main spring. You want that little tail down but not under the pin on the grip.

good luck!


I've come to the same conclusion, but it looks like I can actually go TOO far back on the frame. Figures.
 
Aaand...mainspring housing closed, I can rack the slide, cock the hammer and dry fire it


Thanks for the tips on thread and the PMs I received, they were MUCH appreciated. Another validation of the $19 I spent to go Green[smile]
 
for future reference http://www.myoutdoortv.com/video/video.php?v=7bEMwsFg6b64kxfJIqTPt6OfS4zmrc7b I find its the magazine dance that gets you.

My friend and I bought our MKIII the same day. I had already took mine apart before my 1st shot.....sucked. Reading the directions over and over again I got it. My friend took his apart then I needed to put it together. He got his bolt jammed up on reassembly?

Now I ran into a ruger lover @ the range he had MKI II III 22/45 and a few tricked out tactical solutions models. I talked to him and he said.....I dont clean mine unless it starts to jam or 1500 rounds. then I just soak them with gun scrubber then oil them lightly. He did assure me that with age they will loosen up.
 
for future reference http://www.myoutdoortv.com/video/video.php?v=7bEMwsFg6b64kxfJIqTPt6OfS4zmrc7b I find its the magazine dance that gets you.

My friend and I bought our MKIII the same day. I had already took mine apart before my 1st shot.....sucked. Reading the directions over and over again I got it. My friend took his apart then I needed to put it together. He got his bolt jammed up on reassembly?

Now I ran into a ruger lover @ the range he had MKI II III 22/45 and a few tricked out tactical solutions models. I talked to him and he said.....I dont clean mine unless it starts to jam or 1500 rounds. then I just soak them with gun scrubber then oil them lightly. He did assure me that with age they will loosen up.

I don't think I had to remove the magazine to get it reassembled. I put it in to get the hammer in the right place, and didn't pull it again until I went to rack the slide to function check. The disconnector might be going away, we'll see.

Now that I've done it once, I'm not really all that scared of it. I'm also a glutton for punishment, and the gun has issued the "ha - I'm impossible to reassemble" challenge. I'll probably be breaking it down again. I fiddled with it enough to see where all the parts go. If round two, whenever that is, goes poorly, I may admit defeat and go the break cleaner and bore snake route. I'm gonna start snaking it anyway, it's difficult to get a cleaning rod down through the receiver and into the barrel.
 
Hi! I have a ruger mark 3 also and I was so frustrated and could not put it back together for the life of me after cleaning it the first time....this video on youtube was a godsend...there is a little trick to putting it back together...this guy goes step by step through the disassembly and assembly of the ruger mark 3....hope it helps....I was ready to throw mine out the window until I watched it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYHJm2P4kP0
 
I actually have to put my MKIII in a vise in order to dissasemble and reassemble it. I used to always forget what I needed to do in order to seat that mainspring pin through the receiver. That's always a bastard, lol.
 
I actually have to put my MKIII in a vise in order to dissasemble and reassemble it. I used to always forget what I needed to do in order to seat that mainspring pin through the receiver. That's always a bastard, lol.

Everything certainly is tight, I had to yank quite hard to get the pin out in the first place. I'm sure most of that will loosen as I take it apart more often. It's quite different that my 1911 that takes all of 30 seconds to break down and put back together...
 
You have to see the number of these thread there are over at rimefirecentral....it's amazing.

My MKIII was the same way, someone told me about a quick field strip kit that they sell for them, I haven't seen it yet though.
 
You have to see the number of these thread there are over at rimefirecentral....it's amazing.

My MKIII was the same way, someone told me about a quick field strip kit that they sell for them, I haven't seen it yet though.

I REALLY tried to fix this without begging for help, and then I searched all over the board, but no one was having the same problem. Now that I've done it once, I'm fairly certain I can re-assemble it without too much trouble. It's not hard, its just...complex, and if there is anything out of place in any of the steps, you run into problems later on. I'm not gonna let a hunk of metal defeat me [grin]

I did, however, order a boresnake (midway has them on sale).
 
I think we need to hold a semi-annual NES event:

ATTN MKIII OWNERS!!!

Got a bag of parts staring you in the face? Considering throwing said bag in the go*damn river? Show up at the so-and-so sportsman's club this Saturday 10a.m. and one of us will surely figure out what you've done wrong in re-assembly.

[grin]
 
I think we need to hold a semi-annual NES event:

ATTN MKIII OWNERS!!!

Got a bag of parts staring you in the face? Considering throwing said bag in the go*damn river? Show up at the so-and-so sportsman's club this Saturday 10a.m. and one of us will surely figure out what you've done wrong in re-assembly.

[grin]


I'm all for that. I need to take mine apart to install an extractor, but last two times I took it apart it wouldn't go back together.

I hear the MK1 and MK2 are cake to take apart and reassemble, Ruger just changed something on this model and FUBAR'd it a bit.
 
Not again

A Ruger MKIII is a pain to take apart and put back together the first few times, but with manual in hand and no distractions, it can be done. I have a MKIII 22/45 that is easy as pie now that it has been apart several dozen times. In fact, about the fourth strip down it became a tool free proposition. Same applies to my son's MKIII.

As in all things mechanical, patience and perseverance are virtues. It'd kind of Zen thing.[smile]
 
I was thinking at some point of getting some of the VQ parts (trigger, mag ejector) ... but I'm a little concerned about difficulty of detail stripping to get the parts in. There is also still factory gunk in places I couldn't reach during a field strip.

The Ruger .22 Handgun gathering could be fun, get together, put some peoples back together, show others how to field/detail strip and install aftermarket parts, people could show off their guns. I'd have to practice field stripping mine so that I could be helpful. Just make it a general .22 gathering, have people turn up with their slicked up S&W 41s and stuff. It'd certainly be cheaper than a lot of other shoots.
 
Well, installing the Volquartsen kit in my Mk. II took most of an evening (naturally it was cleaned as part of the tear-down). I can imagine the joy and happiness attendant upon trying to do the Mk. III.

Another reason to buy a Bore Snake. I have several of them.
 
ruger 1/2/3

theres an old saying "if it aint broke dont fix it" that holds true with rugers.I have three and the two target guns got cleand at end of season.get brake cleaner and spray it.never needed anything more.same with 1911.and it never failed me.
 
Well, installing the Volquartsen kit in my Mk. II took most of an evening (naturally it was cleaned as part of the tear-down). I can imagine the joy and happiness attendant upon trying to do the Mk. III.

Another reason to buy a Bore Snake. I have several of them.

The only part I swapped out in my MK III was a Volquartsen sear. The trigger is much nicer now. I did this after comletely disassembling the gun at least twice, and it still took me the better part of an afternoon.
 
Well, installing the Volquartsen kit in my Mk. II took most of an evening (naturally it was cleaned as part of the tear-down). I can imagine the joy and happiness attendant upon trying to do the Mk. III.

Another reason to buy a Bore Snake. I have several of them.

As far as I know it's just one more part in the MKIII--the magazine disconnect.

I found photos online that helped with the reassembly but it would be worth taking photos before disassembly.
 
I've never seen any damage to bluing from brake cleaner.

Watch out for plastic and paint, however.
 
I was told by a gun shop salesguy/employee, that he has fired 10,000 rounds through his ruger MK3 without ever disassembling it. He cleans with a bore snake instead...
 
I've never seen any damage to bluing from brake cleaner.

Watch out for plastic and paint, however.

Thanks, I may look into that. Gotta watch out though, I 99% sure that the stock grips I have on mine are some flavor of plastic.

I was told by a gun shop salesguy/employee, that he has fired 10,000 rounds through his ruger MK3 without ever disassembling it. He cleans with a bore snake instead...
I have a boresnake in the mail, it'll certainly make cleaning easier even with disassembly, it's tight in there. Like I've said before, I'm stubborn, and am gonna give it another try or three before I give up and give it the ol' spray and swipe.
 
Back
Top Bottom