MK III Stuck magazine

Pat Nemes · Nov 29, 2013

While shooting my MK III Hunter today I found the magazine would not eject after firing of a 5 shot string in timed fire. I went though several attempts to remove it and finally ended up having to disassemble the entire gun trying to find out what was holding in the mag. I was able to then remove it but i'm not sure what I did to make it come out.

Has anyone had a similiar problem? If it happens again is there a better way to get it out short of complete disassembly? Anyone who has taken apart a ruger MK anything can appreciate what it takes to get one back together.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Mobuck · Nov 30, 2013

Snidely Whiplash comment recalled. Sorry.

Charon · Nov 30, 2013

Wild guess coming up. On my MK III 22/45 there seems to be an interlock between the trigger and the magazine. On the top left of the magazine there is a protrusion. On the left rear of the trigger is a protrusion. When the trigger is pulled the protrusion on the trigger moves under the protrusion on the magazine, and keeps the magazine from being removed. Is it possible your trigger had not completely returned forward?

Pat Nemes · Nov 30, 2013

As good a wild guess anything I could come up with. I did not know about the interface of the trigger and the magazine release. This could be a cause. The Ruger MK anything pistols are the Rube Goldberg of guns.

Thanks for the tip. If this happens again I'll look at that before I go through another disassembly/reassembly process.

Charon · Nov 30, 2013

There isn't an interface (that I know of) between the trigger and the magazine RELEASE; the interface is between the trigger and the magazine itself. My gun isn't convenient to hand, but as I recall the release will free the magazine, but the magazine will move only a very short distance before hitting the protrusion on the trigger and stopping. Only if the trigger is not fully forward, that is. Frankly, I can conceive of no reason for that interface, but it is there.

I discovered it when I was comparing my MK II and my MK III, both 22/45s. Either magazine worked in either gun, and either magazine properly worked the magazine safety interlock on the MK III. Either magazine could be removed from the MK II with the trigger pulled. The MK II magazine could be removed from the MK III with the trigger pulled, but the MK III magazine could not be removed from the MK III with the trigger pulled. The only possible reason I can see for this is to keep the magazine from falling out if recoil should release it during firing. Maybe - just maybe - the magazine would stay in place and be caught again by the regular magazine release after the gun settled down from recoil.

Ski · Nov 30, 2013

Pat Nemes said:
While shooting my MK III Hunter today I found the magazine would not eject after firing of a 5 shot string in timed fire. I went though several attempts to remove it and finally ended up having to disassemble the entire gun trying to find out what was holding in the mag. I was able to then remove it but i'm not sure what I did to make it come out.

Has anyone had a similiar problem? If it happens again is there a better way to get it out short of complete disassembly? Anyone who has taken apart a ruger MK anything can appreciate what it takes to get one back together.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

If it happens again, check that the hammer pivot pin has not slipped out of the right side of your grip frame. the only thing holding it in place is the left grip stock. I have a MK III target where the left grip had some slop in the location holding in the pivot pin. Once when shooting a steel match, the pivot pin worked its way out of the right side of the frame and I had the exact same issue. Apparently all the parts riding on the pivot pin became out of alignment enough to jam up the magazine...

DUNTOV · Dec 1, 2013

Charon said:
There isn't an interface (that I know of) between the trigger and the magazine RELEASE; the interface is between the trigger and the magazine itself. My gun isn't convenient to hand, but as I recall the release will free the magazine, but the magazine will move only a very short distance before hitting the protrusion on the trigger and stopping. Only if the trigger is not fully forward, that is. Frankly, I can conceive of no reason for that interface, but it is there.

I discovered it when I was comparing my MK II and my MK III, both 22/45s. Either magazine worked in either gun, and either magazine properly worked the magazine safety interlock on the MK III. Either magazine could be removed from the MK II with the trigger pulled. The MK II magazine could be removed from the MK III with the trigger pulled, but the MK III magazine could not be removed from the MK III with the trigger pulled. The only possible reason I can see for this is to keep the magazine from falling out if recoil should release it during firing. Maybe - just maybe - the magazine would stay in place and be caught again by the regular magazine release after the gun settled down from recoil.

The reason for the MKIII hump on the trigger that works with the hump on the magazine is to seat a partially seated magazine.
Only the MKIII series has this feature because the mag safety feature adds spring tension pushing down on the magazine.

Bullseye57 · Dec 1, 2013

While shooting my MK III Hunter today I found the magazine would not eject after firing of a 5 shot string in timed fire. I went though several attempts to remove it and finally ended up having to disassemble the entire gun trying to find out what was holding in the mag. I was able to then remove it but i'm not sure what I did to make it come out.

Does this pistol have any after-market upgrades installed, like a VQ adjustable target trigger?

R,
Bullseye

Pat Nemes · Dec 1, 2013

Yes it has a Clark trigger modification installed.

Bullseye57 · Dec 2, 2013

That eliminates one of my thoughts since a Clark Trigger doesn't have the Mark III spur on the back of it.

Do you have any aftermarket grips installed?

Another thing that can cause hang-ups is a piece of lead shavings in behind the magazine release button. Any particles caught in behind the release button can prevent the button from depressing fully inward. This condition will cause some magazines to not release, depending on how far out the mag locking dimple is sticking out from their body.

R,
Bullseye

MK III Stuck magazine

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