Are my Old eyes playing tricks on me? Please confirm!

[NH Rugerman]

I have never disassembled a Ruger MKIII 22/45 pistol before today but I made a trade and one came in the deal...probably gift it to one of the girls.

My question is when did Ruger switch to a roll pin (hollow)from a solid pin for the firing pin stop on the MKIII pistols? i thought the pin was gone until I disassembled the bolt and couldn't remove the firing pin...sure would be nice if Ruger differentiated in their instruction manual for the MkIII...

The Mk III's a PITA, point muzzle up...point muzzle down, insert magazine, remove..the MK IV will be a revelation for anyone who ONLY owns a MKIII

 

[22/45 Fan]

Are you sure the previous owner didn't switch the pin himself? Maybe he lost the original and just used what he could find as a substitute. My new MkIV has a solid firing pin stop pin just like my older MkII 22/45 so I expect the roll pin was added by the previous owner.

And yes, the MkIV is indeed a revelation for older Mk owners with the MkIII being the worst of the lot because of the complications caused by the magazine disconnect.

 

[NH Rugerman]

I suppose it is possible that the previous owner lost the original and had the roll pin installed or installed it himself, I don't like it and I will make it right.

I can disassemble and reassemble the Standards, MK I's and MKII's with no issues..the MKIII is ridiculous...no wonder they came up with the push button MKIV..the MKIII would have killed off the pistol if it stayed in production!!

Thanks

 

[SGW Gunsmith]

Ruger doesn't make the solid firing pin stop pin, they farm that work out to a local machine shop. If you do have a split roll pin in the bolt, I'd recommend that you do not shoot your pistol until you replace that split pin with a solid steel pin that Ruger normally uses. For a spate of time when Ruger ran out of the solid stop pins they substituted the shorter split roll pin. Many of the Ruger Mark III pistols developed "chamber mouth dings" due to the split in those pins being positioned at 12:00 or 6:00 in the bolt. The force from the hammer blows delivered to the firing pin collapsed that slot and the firing pin went too far and hit the chamber mouth. those split roll pins are around 1/8-inch shorter than the solid pins, so the split pins were less supported on each end and bent in the middle much easier.

Replace that roll pin ASAP. Ruger charges a bunch for shipping, so try here: www.saronagunworks.com

 

[Mobuck]

That's a very definitive answer. Good job.

 

[22/45 Fan]

Replace that roll pin ASAP. Ruger charges a bunch for shipping, so try here: http://www.saronagunworks.com

I expect a call to Ruger Customer Service explaining the situation would get you a replacement solid pin at no cost for either the pin or shipping.

 

[NH Rugerman]

Ruger doesn't make the solid firing pin stop pin, they farm that work out to a local machine shop. If you do have a split roll pin in the bolt, I'd recommend that you do not shoot your pistol until you replace that split pin with a solid steel pin that Ruger normally uses. For a spate of time when Ruger ran out of the solid stop pins they substituted the shorter split roll pin. Many of the Ruger Mark III pistols developed "chamber mouth dings" due to the split in those pins being positioned at 12:00 or 6:00 in the bolt. The force from the hammer blows delivered to the firing pin collapsed that slot and the firing pin went too far and hit the chamber mouth. those split roll pins are around 1/8-inch shorter than the solid pins, so the split pins were less supported on each end and bent in the middle much easier.

Replace that roll pin ASAP. Ruger charges a bunch for shipping, so try here: http://www.saronagunworks.com

D A Wood
That is 100% accurate, the roll pin isn't flush on either side of the bolt and it just didn't look right to me...my instinct was 'this needs to be a solid pin'. Thanks for confirming my thoughts.

Is Ruger CS aware of this issue? If yes, I will give them a call and ask them to send me a new solid pin, otherwise...I will get one myself.....

Thanks!!