About never got my MKIII put back together last night....

[mdewitt71]

First time I took down my MKIII Hunter 22/45 last night.
WOW, I heard horror stories but, didnt think much of them.
I had youtube and the manual in front of me, still had a hard time getting it all back together...hopefully it gets easier with time.

 

[contender]

Yep, it does get easier with time. Do it a few more times, while the memories are fresh & you have the stuff in hand.

 

[mdewitt71]

It's getting the rear pin back in seated all the way and the lever to lock down correctly back into the housing....man it's a booger.

 

[contender]

It's easy,,, once you figure out how to get the hammer strut in place!

 

[SAM2]

I feel your frustration. I traded for a Mark I some years back and just recently got around to shooting it. It was just about the most ill tempered gun in all my experience. It didn't go full auto but I was expecting that next. Nothing worked the way is should and cleaning it didn't help. Armed with some YouTube and good advice from others on this forum, I stripped it down completely and discovered that the sear pivot pin was bent and I'm talking really bent. While waiting for new pins and springs from Ruger, I had time to practice re-assembling the Mark and to contemplate the previous owner's frustration. Just how big was that hammer or did he put it in a press. How is it possible to bend the sear pin?
By the time the parts arrived, I was getting much better at it and the final re-assembly took less that a half hour. It is a marvelous design and I love shooting it but I can understand why some send them back to Ruger out of frustration.

 

[pistol pete]

I don't normally take my MarkII apart. Use a patch worm or bore snake and small brush. I did field strip it last year and installed a new firing pin and recoil spring. This eliminated my misfire problems-- so far. Great pistols just a total pain to take apart and put back together.

 

[BigBull]

I totally understand your frustrations. I just tore mine down and cleaned it reall good. The take down went smooth, the reassemble went smooth too, so I thought. When testing to make sure all was well I discovered the bolt was hard to pull back. It would come back real smooth about half way, then it has some noteable resentance. It'll come back all the way and lock back but the bolt release won't trip it. I decided I must have not dotten things lined up so I decided to tear it back down. The problem is I can not get the mainspring housing back out. I can get the locking lever released and it will come out about 1/4" to 3/8" but no futher.

Does anyone have any idea what I need to do now? If I can't get it figured out I think I'll swallow my pride and take it to a local gunsmith. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Randy

Never mind, I got it.

 

[Carry_Up]

Congratulations. You bought the politically correct version of the original Ruger MKI pistol. Ignore the post about a MKI with bent parts - that is obviously why someone sold the pistol. The original design is simple and straightforward. It does not lock back like the MKII so you might wish to look for that feature. MKIII and beyond is a perfect example of how to ruin what was originally a great design, in fact one that put Ruger on the map. Now days, a safe gun is one that can't be fired. If it can be disassembled, it can't be reassembled. That's safe. Take that pistol to the nearest gun shop and trade it in for a MKI or MKII and you won't regret it.
-cu

 

[Soggybottomboy]

I had the same problem. However, I did a video to show how to fix the problem.

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

 

[Tommy Kelly]

Yes I have gotten several of these brought to me in a bag to be put back together. I own 2 now and have owned many in the past. So I learned the hard way back before I even had a computer or knew about a forum. The proper way to assemble them. Once you figure it out it's a piece of cake and no problem you just have to know what to do in what order and it will almost fall together

 

[meshugunner]

I had a tough time with my MKIII at first too. There were two main problems: Getting the hammer strut in the right place and getting the receiver with the frame aligned so that the bolt pin would slip in.

The receiver problem is worst at first because the fit is so tight. I used the non working end of a 5/16" drill bit to a align the parts. Get it close and then tap the drill bit through.

Getting the hammer strut in the right position was a black art until I invested some time in understanding how it worked together with the hammer. What helped alot was to assemble the pistol without the the barrel/receiver - just reassemble the main spring housing into the grip frame. You can see how the hammer strut has to go to drive the hammer. The mechanism will work fine without the receiver. Once I had that figured out, doing it blind with the receiver in place was simple.

Afterthought: The MKIII is even more tricky than the MKII because of the mag safety. During stripping and assembly, the trigger may have to be fired a few times which means inserting and removing the magazine. Normaly I like mag safetys but on this gun it was too much of a nuisance

 

[Sam Summey]

Ya put the magazine in, ya snap it, ya take tha magazine out. Ya doo tha Hokie Pokie and shake ya butt about. That's what it's all about!

 

[berettapistols]

I've got a buddy that has a KMK10, MK10, & a KMK678GC & I clean them for him when I'm over visiting..
I've had MKIs & MKIIs for many years & learned the secrets long ago & never have any trouble, BUT a new one can be tough & need a tap from the rubber shot hammer sometimes to get the mainspring housing out & totally seated + knowing what the hammer is doing when your latching it back in place is the key..
With the MKIII you just need the magazine to drop the hammer forward..

If I had a Dollar for every Brick I've ever shot threw a MKII I could buy myself another.. Ruger really built a great gun with that design IMO..