Ruger Mark III Reassembly - Can't Get Bolt Stop Pin In

[edritchey]

No love on that. The alignment pin I ordered should be arriving today (yay for overnight delivery!) so I'll be trying that method next.

Well how did you make out?

[PaleDriver]

I have cleaned mine a few times now, I would be willing to meetup with you to see if I can get it going for you.

[heili]

Thank you all for your help and support during this epic battle. Today was a killer day at work, and I did not begin work with the new alignment pin until about 40 minutes ago.

I am, however, pleased to report that the alignment pin has saved the day! I pushed it through from the top (with the hammer giving it gentle suggesting taps) about four times and then I very slowly followed it back up through with the bolt stop pin and it went in.

Once I got everything sealed up, my bolt wouldn't come all the way back, so I opened up the mainspring part again and determined that my hammer (the cheese) wasn't the issue. The strut (dangly bit) was not perfectly in the center. I used my paperclip to move it over to the middle and closed things up again.

This time when I pulled the bolt back it worked as expected!

Thank you so very much for your patience and help, all of you.

[ar15jules]

Thank you all for your help and support during this epic battle. Today was a killer day at work, and I did not begin work with the new alignment pin until about 40 minutes ago.

I am, however, pleased to report that the alignment pin has saved the day! I pushed it through from the top (with the hammer giving it gentle suggesting taps) about four times and then I very slowly followed it back up through with the bolt stop pin and it went in.

Once I got everything sealed up, my bolt wouldn't come all the way back, so I opened up the mainspring part again and determined that my hammer (the cheese) wasn't the issue. The strut (dangly bit) was not perfectly in the center. I used my paperclip to move it over to the middle and closed things up again.

This time when I pulled the bolt back it worked as expected!

Thank you so very much for your patience and help, all of you.

I put several thousand rounds through mine a year practicing and shooting bullseye league. Do yourself a favor and get a .22 caliber bore snake. I clean mine only when it gets sluggish. That is well over 1,000 rounds. Keep the outside and the bolt lubed and your gun will run fine.
Jules

[heili]

Here is quick video I put together for you guys. Once the pin is in make sure that bottom lever is seated properly (where I tap it against the table). Be sure to manipulate the trigger with the magazine engaged if the slide does not work properly (as featured in the video)

This is awesome because I did have the dangly bit problem that you illustrated, and I can definitely relate to wanting to chuck the whole thing out the window. You're right, it's a crazy design from a maintenance standpoint. This is the only pistol I have that has required tools for basic disassembling. It's so odd, since my P95 takes me 15 seconds to reassemble on a bad day.

I have some scratches because i can't seem to open up that lever thing without having put a few on it, but I'll live. This is a gun to use, not to hang in a museum in pristine condition like some freaking relic.

I put several thousand rounds through mine a year practicing and shooting bullseye league. Do yourself a favor and get a .22 caliber bore snake. I clean mine only when it gets sluggish. That is well over 1,000 rounds. Keep the outside and the bolt lubed and your gun will run fine.
Jules

Yeah, I figure that's a good idea for me too. Now that I know how to do it thanks to all of you helping me, it shouldn't be quite as bad the next time. I will definitely get the bore snake. It sounds like it will save a lot of aggravation.

[c45man]

What a great gun. Unfortunate that an "epic battle", as one poster put it, has to take place to disassemble it. The same complaint since the late 40s when the gun came out. One would think that the same smooth feel to the gun along with the accuracy could be accomplished with a modification(s) that would avoid the epic battle. Local dealers that sell those guns to their customers land up being a tutor in the instruction of the breakdown/assembly process. Older broken in guns are challenging enough. Newer guns would make mother theresa lose faith during the epic battle.
I am neither mechanically inclined or given to patience. As such, I would not own one. Government 45s, 2206, and 22A smiths are as about the limitations of my epic battles.

[CHEMICAL]

This is awesome because I did have the dangly bit problem that you illustrated, and I can definitely relate to wanting to chuck the whole thing out the window. You're right, it's a crazy design from a maintenance standpoint. This is the only pistol I have that has required tools for basic disassembling. It's so odd, since my P95 takes me 15 seconds to reassemble on a bad day.

I see an ultrasonic cleaner in your future!...lol

[Zeeba]

Heili~
Some day, but I don't know when, you'll be able to assemble the Mark without the use of tools. I got a kick out of some videos where the "cleaner" would actually PUSH THE BARREL OFF WITH THEIR THUMB!!! I've had my Mark III for 16 months, disassembling it once a month, plus the three times when I originally got it to develop some repetition. The gun is still pretty much as stiff as that day in March 2011.
But OH! How well it shoots!
The other alternative is a Majestic Arms bolt kit which would allow you to clean the barrel from the breech end, as you should. The one drawback I see with the kit is you can't really clean all the poop-shit that accumulates down on the trigger mechanism from that grungy .22 ammunition.
Anyway, I'm glad the T-pin was a success, and I wish you more to come.

[bugout]

Also, watch out for the mainspring housing issue that is typical with 22/45...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEQVARq5dLM

I used a book (not a rubber mallet) and tapped it into submission back into place.

[bruiser645]

get rid of the mag safety on that it makes life so easy