Mark II problem

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Scotsman1886

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 4, 2003
Messages
69
Location
Albuquerque,NM,USA
I had something potentially tragic happen today.
I had picked up a low number Mark II target in great shape. Before shooting it I took it apart and, obviously, reassembled it. I had a few issues getting it together due to my inexperience with it but it seemed OK after and functioned OK.
I shot a magazine through it today with no issues, bolt locked back and I had a heck of a time getting the magazine out. Once I did, the bolt wouldn't
t close.
I took it home and took it apart, which was a bear since I had to force the bolt closed.
It looks like the recoil spring guide is bent at the rear. Not the rod so much as the "Y" end piece.
More disturbing is a frame pin just below the hammer strut is now in two pieces.
Taking it to the gunsmith tomorrow but has anyone had any similar issues?
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
KInda of 'odd' that it did function after the re-assemble, and then "took a dive" .BUT without seeing it before us, my guess the recoil spring guide assembly "let go" ( the tab on the end finally broke off?? bent? jammed in place?? and as for the frame pin breaking ??? NEVER ,EVER, had one break and I worked THOUSANDS of them over the past 60 years of owning and shooting and working on, the RST/Mk I and up (II, III,etc)
just maybe someone "forced" it back together, put it together 'wrong' ( but then it would NOT work,..???)....so,,,,,
got a new recoil spring guide assembly and the pin, and start over, the frame pin is thinner than the 'pivot' pin........ 8) :roll: :wink:
 
Joined
Dec 1, 2007
Messages
2,703
Location
Texas
I can't tell you how many of those pistols I have had brought to me as a bag of parts that some curious person succumbed to the temptation to disassemble. It's a bunch. It really isn't necessary to take them down very often for cleaning. I tell people to remove the grip panels, use Gun Scrubber (or carb cleaner) to spray it down, run a Bore Snake through the barrel, and lube it lightly.
 

SGW Gunsmith

Blackhawk
Joined
May 15, 2010
Messages
966
Location
Northwestern Wisconsin
Scotsman1886 said:
I had something potentially tragic happen today.
I had picked up a low number Mark II target in great shape. Before shooting it I took it apart and, obviously, reassembled it. I had a few issues getting it together due to my inexperience with it but it seemed OK after and functioned OK.
I shot a magazine through it today with no issues, bolt locked back and I had a heck of a time getting the magazine out. Once I did, the bolt wouldn't
t close.
I took it home and took it apart, which was a bear since I had to force the bolt closed.
It looks like the recoil spring guide is bent at the rear. Not the rod so much as the "Y" end piece.
More disturbing is a frame pin just below the hammer strut is now in two pieces.
Taking it to the gunsmith tomorrow but has anyone had any similar issues?

The 3/32 diameter pin that acts as a stop for the longer leg of the sear spring, sounds like that's the pin that broke, most likely from the hammer strut being forced forward.
Mark II recoil spring assemblies are no longer available, but the Ruger Mark IV assembly will work if Ruger will part with one of those. The current version of the recoil spring assemblies are relegated for Mark IV assembly.
Can you get the latch down on the back of the mainspring housing assembly, and will it swing backward so that assembly can be removed?
 

hittman

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
16,915
Location
Illinois
Folks who have never taken them apart have never complained about these kinds of problems.

They also have never complained that the gun won't function because it's too dirty.

Member arfmel nailed it

Good luck with your repair, no doubt experts here will lead you in the right direction or if all else fails, the mother ship will take good care of you.
 

Scotsman1886

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 4, 2003
Messages
69
Location
Albuquerque,NM,USA
After consulting with my gunsmith, we determined the recoil spring guide rod end was bent. Most likely during my swear filled reassembly. The pin was in fact broken but no way of knowing if it was by me or was preexisting.
He shares the opinion that disassembly is unnecessary for most cleaning so I'll work with that.
Thanks for the info and sorry for the lack of pics.
 

SGW Gunsmith

Blackhawk
Joined
May 15, 2010
Messages
966
Location
Northwestern Wisconsin
Scotsman1886 said:
After consulting with my gunsmith, we determined the recoil spring guide rod end was bent. Most likely during my swear filled reassembly. The pin was in fact broken but no way of knowing if it was by me or was preexisting.
He shares the opinion that disassembly is unnecessary for most cleaning so I'll work with that.
Thanks for the info and sorry for the lack of pics.

I've never seen that sear spring pin, just all of a sudden break. Have seen them get bent, and sometimes break, but only if the hammer strut is caught behind that pin and excessive force is used to close the mainspring housing assembly. But then again, although I've never kept an actual count, I know I haven't work on "thousands and thousands" of the Ruger Mark pistols, but it certainly has been quite a few.
If owners would just follow the reassembly directions in the manual, they would indeed enjoy life that much better.
 
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
1,335
Location
Far West Valley, Phoenix Arizona
I hope you are able to get the new parts and reassembled. I consider the MKII to be the premier model. I have owned 4 of them in the past and I am down to 1 right now. Over the years, I have taken mine apart several times and they can be a challenge. If I did something incorrect in reassembly, I have always been able to discover the problem during a function check.

I think a trip to Ruger for service might be in order.

Bill
 

Pat-inCO

Hawkeye
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Messages
5,922
Location
In the AZ oven (Phoenix basin)
Pardon me for being hard nosed, but the approach of "if it doesn't fit, use a bigger
hammer" has proven to be a problem for virtually all of us. I had . . one . . MK-II that
was hard to reassemble, and that was from a main spring housing that was a bit too
wide (I bought it used) and all it took was to do some draw filing to narrow it a few
thousandths for it to become just as easy as my others.

Have I had problems? Sure did, but looking at the Ruger videos solved all of my
problems. Take your time, PUT IT DOWN, if it is not going well, and walk away.
When you are calm, the MK-II is quite easy to do what ever you need.

At least that is this old phart's observations. :wink:

:D
 

m657

Buckeye
Joined
Dec 1, 2007
Messages
1,419
Location
sunny Orygun territory
gotta celebrate a little on the reassembly of an actual unfired MkII bull barrel model, that I bought a couple years past. I determined to finally take it apart to clean/lube and LEARN to do the reassembly....have done a few times on previous well-worn units and 1 ultraLITE version.

This was still very stiff & required full attention. Even fired up the yooootooob instructions at the bench & had to run & rerun to confirm.

No big deal except the hammer spring reassembly was very tight & required numerous revisions of my labor....finally after 45 minutes of what I was sure was the right approach, actually FELL back together and seems to be operational. To the range tomorrow to confirm.

ETA: yes, worked perfectly on the falling plate rack. I'm pleased to have finally taken on this particular project. Had lots of effort trying to stuff the vertical locking bolt back up into the various holes-yet-to-be-aligned. What I think finally made the Big Difference, was rubbing a light coating of Ballistol over the head of the pin. Then it just fell together.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
RE: re-assembly
Here's a hint/trick I use often when dealing with the Ruger 22 pistols. I keep a couple of chopsticks on the bench-one with a wider/thicker flat screwdriver shaped end and one whittled much thinner. You'd have to really try to ding up a gun with either and it sure saves thumbnails.
 

Clovishound

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
802
Location
Summerville SC
hittman said:
Folks who have never taken them apart have never complained about these kinds of problems.

They also have never complained that the gun won't function because it's too dirty.

Member arfmel nailed it

Good luck with your repair, no doubt experts here will lead you in the right direction or if all else fails, the mother ship will take good care of you.

I would disagree with some of that. I have a Mark I that I purchased new in the mid 70s. After many thousands of rounds without disassembly I started having cycling issues and light strikes. I finally pulled it down and cleaned and reassembled it, and everything worked as advertised.
 
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