Loose barrel to frame on Ruger Mark pistols.

[raw6464]

This procedure will fix a loose receiver to barrel fitting on Mark pistols by taking up all the space worn by wear and tear between the square receiver lug hole and the frame lug it attaches to.

Step 1. Break the gun down to receiver/barrel and frame.
Step 2. With alcohol or acetone clean out the square hole on the barrel that the lug on the frame fits into, no oil based solvents please.
Step 3. With a cotton swab place a film of oil on the lug in the frame… so nothing will stick to it.
Step 4. Mix a small amount putty epoxy, the kind you can form and shape.
Step 5. Place a small amount of the mixed putty epoxy in lug hole on the barrel.
Step 6. Reassemble the barrel to the frame and make sure you install the bolt stop completely in the assembled barrel receiver. You may have to bang the front of the barrel to get it far enough down to install the bolt stop. If you can't reassemble the bolt stop you've probably put too much epoxy in the lug hole and the receiver is not going far enough down on the frame… remove excess and retry.
Step7. After you've reassembled the gun, disassemble it again.
Step 8. Now remove any residual putty epoxy from the barrel and frame that spilled out of the lug hole. You just want the epoxy to be in the lug hole on the barrel.
Step 9. To let the epoxy fully cure leave the gun disassembled overnight before the final reassembling.

Edit: See my post dated Oct 4 for a follow up on the procedure.

 

[Baldy]

Well that's one way I have never heard of before. May I ask how long this method has held up for you :?:

 

[raw6464]

It's held up for me for over 5K rounds so far. Longevity is not an issue since it's so easy to repair it and it's very easy to remove the epoxy if needed. I inspect the quality of the epoxy in the barrel after each secession to catch any problems. So far so good.

 

[bruce]

Very COOL. I have a nice Mk. II that I shoot a lot. I have resisted the urge to separate the barrel/reciever from the frame out of concern that it would over time loosen up and thus fit poorly. I will not likely start disassembling it after each range session, but if there comes a time when it does get loose, I think this will be a good way to deal with any possible problems.

 

[raw6464]

Very COOL. I have a nice Mk. II that I shoot a lot. I have resisted the urge to separate the barrel/reciever from the frame out of concern that it would over time loosen up and thus fit poorly. I will not likely start disassembling it after each range session, but if there comes a time when it does get loose, I think this will be a good way to deal with any possible problems.

All things being equal, and your barrel was tight from the factory, you could probably take your gun apart a gazillion times without a problem.

My gun got loose AFTER I sent it out for re-bluing. They polished the barrel down to bare metal as part of the bluing process. The polishing took enough metal off to cause the barrel to be slightly loose... not enough to affect the function of the gun but enough that I didn't like. We're talking thousands of an inch tolerance here and probably why the epoxy works. Squeezing the frame in a vice also works... but risky. I tried the aluminum can spacer thing but a pain in the a$$. So the epoxy was the necessity of invention.

 

[raw6464]

I thought I'd follow up on the above procedure. After almost 2 years now and many many take downs and thousands or rounds the barrel is still tight to the frame.

On a secondary note while I'm here, my Mark III has not jammed or FTE at all on the 2 years. All I did was removed the metal tab in the LCI and polished the cartridge ramp into the barrel with a Dremel. I can't tell what did what but I can say this gun can work flawless.

 

[GeorgeP]

This procedure will fix a loose receiver to barrel fitting on Mark pistols by taking up all the space worn by wear and tear between the square receiver lug hole and the frame lug it attaches to.

Step 1. Break the gun down to receiver/barrel and frame.
Step 2. With alcohol or acetone clean out the square hole on the barrel that the lug on the frame fits into, no oil based solvents please.
Step 3. With a cotton swab place a film of oil on the lug in the frame… so nothing will stick to it.
Step 4. Mix a small amount putty epoxy, the kind you can form and shape.
Step 5. Place a small amount of the mixed putty epoxy in lug hole on the barrel.
Step 6. Reassemble the barrel to the frame and make sure you install the bolt stop completely in the assembled barrel receiver. You may have to bang the front of the barrel to get it far enough down to install the bolt stop. If you can't reassemble the bolt stop you've probably put too much epoxy in the lug hole and the receiver is not going far enough down on the frame… remove excess and retry.
Step7. After you've reassembled the gun, disassemble it again.
Step 8. Now remove any residual putty epoxy from the barrel and frame that spilled out of the lug hole. You just want the epoxy to be in the lug hole on the barrel.
Step 9. To let the epoxy fully cure leave the gun disassembled overnight before the final reassembling.

Edit: See my post dated Oct 4 for a follow up on the procedure.

I'm going to print and file your method in my "Gun Hacker" folder.... really like it. Several years ago, just after getting my MKIII 22/45, I ran across a similar situation on another forum (which I've never been able find again) and the poster recommended placing a small square of cellophane between the lug and hole when putting the gun back together. Sort of like a shim. That one is printed and filed also. Now I have two great methods if ever needed. However, I use the Majestic speed strip kit so the barrel only comes off once a year for deep cleaning. With the kit I can clean 85-95% of the gun after each range visit.

 

[raw6464]

George, I've tried the shimming route to take up the space. They all work to a degree and sooner or later they don't work as it get's worn or deformed from the frequent take downs and you need to re-fabricating the shim.

I'm from the school that cleans the gun after every shoot. Probably not necessary but I like taking things apart since I was a kid... hasn't always worked out never knowing the required expertise as springs and screws go flying never to be found :? But I learned... never take that apart again

Of all the guns I have/had the Ruger Mark series probably has one of the worst reputation for field striping and there's lots of print and videos to confirm it. Wearing between the barrel and frame from frequent field striping is also a concern and a reason why not to take the gun apart. I have not experienced any barrel to frame wear due to frequent field striping. My case was the person who did the re-bluing took too much off polishing the barrel for prep. As I have posted my barrel fits to the frame as good as it was 2 years ago.

 

[GeorgeP]

George, I've tried the shimming route to take up the space. They all work to a degree and sooner or later they don't work as it get's worn or deformed from the frequent take downs and you need to re-fabricating the shim.

I'm from the school that cleans the gun after every shoot. Probably not necessary but I like taking things apart since I was a kid... hasn't always worked out never knowing the required expertise as springs and screws go flying never to be found :? But I learned... never take that apart again

Of all the guns I have/had the Ruger Mark series probably has one of the worst reputation for field striping and there's lots of print and videos to confirm it. Wearing between the barrel and frame from frequent field striping is also a concern and a reason why not to take the gun apart. I have not experienced any barrel to frame wear due to frequent field striping. My case was the person who did the re-bluing took too much off polishing the barrel for prep. As I have posted my barrel fits to the frame as good as it was 2 years ago.

Raw, I tend to be an "over cleaner" also and can't help it. I love taking things apart. However, the metal to polymer interface did worry me, not to mention the stress of putting a MK back together, so I installed the Speed Strip Kit so I don't have to remove the barrel but can still clean 90% of the gun after every range trip. The Beretta NEOS was the world champ at easy disassembly, but it got caught up in a trade.......