Mainspring housing stuck (help!)

[rugerguy123]

Hello,

So I put about 1,000 rounds though my Mark I pistol today and I come home to field strip/clean, but I could not get the darn mainspring housing bolt out! I have striped it before and did not have any trouble but this time that darn mainspring bolt wont budge!

I did some research and found a guy on this forum about 2 years ago that was having the same problem. The problem being that there is a pin where the mainspring housing pivots (to swing out) has come out a little catching on the frame. Which in turn prevents the housing from coming out. I put a feeler gauge (piece of paper) down on the left side and sure enough there is something sticking out because I can't push the feeler down more than 1mm on the left side, but the right side goes down about a 1/2 inch or so.

I am pretty sure this little pin that partially slipped out is the problem. Shouldn't I be able to slide the gauge down about a 1/2 inch on both sides?

Anyways, how do I go about sliding the pin back into place. I tried hitting it on the opposite side (right side) of the frame but had no luck...

 

[rugerguy]

welcome to the Forum, the tapping against the opposite side usually works, after you spray the housing down "liberally" with something such as 'Kroil' to get into and help 'move' the parts, in this case the pin....or you can use another, thinner shim (feeler gauge??) and try to slip it over the pin and get it to go back into place, yes a bit tricky,but it works......use one of those "no bounce" plastic hammers.they're loaded with shot or some such stuff..........
gotta try to slip ther shim stock over at the same time you wiggle the housing in and out,as I said can get a bit "tricky"...YES you can "force" it (the housing, with the pin protruding) out, and after you get it out, tap the "bent, flaired" metal back into place and polish it smooth........had to do that more than a few times to get them apart for customers........

 

[rugerguy123]

So I tried to slip the shims (feeler gauge) in there but I can't get it to slide up over the pin. Also tried whacking the frame from the opposite side with no luck ):

My next approach is to take it out for another 500 rounds and see if it falls back into place at anytime while I'm at the range.

Final option will probably be an old gunsmith I know. Reminds me of the gunsmith who lives in Tennessee from the movie shooter. Guy knows just about everything there is to know about guns.

 

[rugerguy123]

UPDATE:

Took it out to the range this weekend and put 500 more rounds through it. Checked it every 100 rounds to see if the pin had gone the other way but it is still stuck out on the right side.

Funny thing is that I ran into a gunsmith while I was out there and told him about my problem. Figure I could take it to him since I am out of options.

Just wondering if I could get a quote from you guys on this website and see what I should expect to pay for this type of fix?

 

[gunman42782]

Are you, after making sure the gun is empty, pulling the trigger before you try to dis assemble? The trigger has to be pulled before you can field strip the gun.

 

[rugerguy123]

Are you, after making sure the gun is empty, pulling the trigger before you try to dis assemble? The trigger has to be pulled before you can field strip the gun.

Yes the gun is empty and trigger is reset/pulled when I am trying to pull the bolt pin down and out.

p.s.
I don't even think you can swing the housing out if the trigger has not been pulled.

Anyone got a quote for me?

 

[rugerguy]

no "set" charge for something like that,kind of a time and material type of thing, some shops charge a "bench charge" just to look at and examine, and then the clock starts ticking,some get Lucky on the first 'hit" and it moves over,but they will NEVER tell you it was that easy and charge accordingly at least a "minimum" hell what is "flat rate" at any auto dealer these days...wow, I think I retired way too early, and now we do it for "something to do"..................maybe I'll put a tin cup on the front of the work bench.......
Ruger would probably do it under a "warranty/customer service" type of thing but the shipping back and forth will more than off set "free".........

 

[rugerguy123]

So I went to harbor freight to pick up a par of dental picks to try and reach back there to push the pin back. After about 2 min. of trying I felt like I was getting nothing accomplished, I couldn't feel anything with the pick and didn't even know if I was reaching the pin.

So I gave the mainspring bolt one last tug before putting it back on the shelf, and it slipped out like butta!!!!

I can't say if I did anything with the dental picks but I don't care because it came out. Should I pound it back the other way? How should I go about this next so I don't get it stuck again?

Here's some pics I took...

This is the side that was sticking out...

Side view of the side that the pin was sticking out, doesn't seem to be sticking out that much...

Here is the opposite side, you can really tell there is some room to push it the other way on this pic!

 

[blume357]

What if you removed the pin and put a slight bevel on both ends so that when in moves over again the feeler gage would slide it back over?

 

[rugerguy123]

Interesting, but I think the edges right now are what keep it from moving, or supposed to keep it from moving in/out.