Surprise when reassembling a Ruger Mark III

**Bang** · April 15th, 2010, 11:34 PM

Field-stripped and cleaned a friend's new (to him) Mark III stainless target Bull today, and when I tried to insert the mainspring assembly it would not enter the hole. I puzzled over it for a while, then realized the receiver was rotated (clocked) a degree or two, creating a mis-match.

I used the pin of the mainspring assmbly, inserted down into the top of the receiver, to rotate the receiver slightly to achieve the match, and then assembly went as it should.

I am a bit astounded at the lug allowing this rotation. Never happens on my Mark I or Standard. No wonder some say the Ruger is a pain to asemble. They are probably fighting that misalignment that can occur.

**Mity2** · April 16th, 2010, 01:56 AM

Are you sure it wasn't because of hammer stout not in the right spot?
MKIII reassembles different then MKII or MKI, due to mag safety.
You have to point the gun up, down, insert the mag, remove the mag to assembe them. And if you don't do it just right while messing with mag, hammer stout can easily get out of position.

The reason I say that is that bolt do rotate a bit, but bolt stop pin is sort of self centering the bolt as you insert the bolt...

When I got my first MKIII after owning a MKII, it puzzled me before I realise hammer stout was moving while me messing with mag...

**redeye202** · April 16th, 2010, 07:34 AM

Having both a MKIII 22/45 and a MKII standard,i cannot wait till i have the fun of stripping them down and reassy.

You say they are different because of the mag safety,oh boy,am i in for fun.

**Wiley-X** · April 16th, 2010, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by Mity2

Are you sure it wasn't because of hammer stout not in the right spot?.

It's not stout, it's just big boned.

**Dave_n** · April 16th, 2010, 10:07 AM

Once you learn the trick with the MkII, you can reassemble them blindfolded.

If as I do, you disassemble the barrel assembly from the frame for cleaning, then simply push fit the barrel into the frame, insert the round "rod" part of the mainspring assembly from the top to align the frame and breech, remove the rod/mainspring.

Insert the bolt with gun horizontal, point roughly 60 degrees up, pull trigger, the hammer strut will be visible and loose below the horizontal pin and then you simply push the rod at the top of the mainspring housing through the previously aligned holes and swing the mainspring assembly in to place. If you wish, you can push the rod through the holes before pulling the trigger and swinging the mainspring assembly in. Do it slowly a few times and then as I said, you can do it blindfolded.

I taught my son when he was 6 (26 years ago) to field strip and clean a Mk II, so it is literally "child's play". Dave_n

**Mity2** · April 16th, 2010, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Wiley-X

It's not stout, it's just big boned.

Sorry, I meant to say "hammer STRUT"

**rwb1500** · April 16th, 2010, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by redeye202

Having both a MKIII 22/45 and a MKII standard,i cannot wait till i have the fun of stripping them down and reassy.

You say they are different because of the mag safety,oh boy,am i in for fun.

Oh yes, you are in for tons of fun. Well, the good thing is you can go quite a while without doing it, if you'd like too.