Mark II two piece bolt

[Kevin]

I didn't want to hijack the other thread about the nice 1989 Mark II. And just wanted some follow up conversation about the two piece bolt on the Mark II.

Did ALL Mark II's come with the two piece bolt?

Someone raised the question why can't the ears be TIG welded on? If not, what are the other options? Well, before this, is the separation always an issue? As in, do the bolts always fail?

I just haven't heard of this being a problem ever.

 

[SGW Gunsmith]

I didn't want to hijack the other thread about the nice 1989 Mark II. And just wanted some follow up conversation about the two piece bolt on the Mark II.

Did ALL Mark II's come with the two piece bolt?

Someone raised the question why can't the ears be TIG welded on? If not, what are the other options? Well, before this, is the separation always an issue? As in, do the bolts always fail?

I just haven't heard of this being a problem ever.

Well, you seen the picture. How often does it happen? The Customer Service Manager in Prescott told me they get between 3 and 5 bolts returned per year. Is it ALL Ruger Mark II bolts that are two piece? Nope. But those Ruger Mark II stainless pistols that have the two-piece bolts also have the one-piece mainspring housing body rather than the three piece laminated type. I have seen the two-piece bolts on the Ruger Mark II pistols in KMK 10, 6-7/8 ths inch stainless heavy tapered barrel Target versions and the 5½ stainless Target versions. Haven't seen that type bolt on the 5 ¼ Heavy tapered barrel Target though.

Do all the Ruger Mark II two-piece bolts fail? Apparently not, but one never knows when they will come off............or not.

I feel the best fix involves prevention. I've been told that when Ruger encounters a two-piece bolt on any Ruger Mark II 5 ¼ heavy tapered barrel version though.
I don't know of anyone "tig welding" separated ears back in place on the bolt successfully. I have been told that if Ruger encounters a Ruger Mark II sent back to the factory for drilling & tapping, or any repair work, two-piece bolts are replaced with the Mark III style having smaller diameter ears. Maybe now they'll use the Ruger Mark IV bolts.

Mine have been fixed so that the ears won't come off, and if I ever need to send it back to Ruger (doubtful) the bolt will not go along with it.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks for the info. I read a lot of your posts here and over on rimfire central. I don't post too much over there, mostly just read.

Thanks.

 

[eveled]

I was blissfully unaware of the two piece bolts. I just checked, I have 4 stainless bolts, and thankfully only one is two piece.

What is the preventive measure?

 

[Kevin]

I'm not sure of any preventive measures myself, but I do know Volquartsen sells an aftermarket bolt. But they look different, I'm sure you've seen them. I don't know if I'm sold on the looks or not. That knob would look better on a kitchen drawer I think.

By the way, I only have two Mark II's but only one with a two piece bolt.

 

[SGW Gunsmith]

I was blissfully unaware of the two piece bolts. I just checked, I have 4 stainless bolts, and thankfully only one is two piece.

What is the preventive measure?

When I first came across these two piece bolts, and a customer who brought me one that had separated, I contacted Ruger Customer Service for some answers. We discussed my idea of a preventative measure, and he agreed my thought about that would work. So far, I've "pinned" over 20 two-piece bolts and not one of them has separated. Just lucky? Maybe, but the Mark II 10-inch pistol I own has not had the bolt go bad, neither has the Ruger Mark II 5 ½ inch Bull Barrel Target version my son has. Would they have gone bad without the preventative fix? Can't say. I can only say the ears are still clinging onto the back end of the bolt and I sure as hell don't want a Mark III bolt for my Mark II.

I've been told that alignment of the bolt ears to the bolt body, once separated, is hard to get right afterward, and then welded. I've never tried it. I did make a holding fixture used to hold the bolt in a position to be pinned. These bolts are harder than a witches heart, so some care needs to be exercised during the preventative fix.

 

[eveled]

Thanks D A WOOD.

 

[Coop]

Hi RF guys,

I give up. Dumb question here. How do you know if your bolt is one piece or two piece?

I have two Mark II pistols, a 6-7/8" Gov't model S/N 219-X... Target model from 1995, and a 50th Anniversary 222-X... Mark I copy (red case) from 1999.

I have examined both of them and I cannot find any evidence of either being a "one piece" or "two piece" bolt. How is that identification done? And, do I need to be concerned? The Gov't Model has had about 15,000 .22 LR rounds shot thru it. The Anniversary model, not so much.

Many thanks guys.

 

[Dan in MI]

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=252671

 

[Bricktop]

Did ALL Mark II's come with the two piece bolt?

I suspect that the two-piece bolts ended when production shifted to Arizona in 1993. (That's also when the Mark II began to be packaged in the gray plastic "locking case.") My 1990-vintage Mark II has a two-piece bolt, while my 2000-vintage Government Target Model and my two integrally suppressed Mark IIs (2000-vintage and 2005-vintage, respectively) are Arizona-produced guns and all have one-piece bolts.