MK II Government Target question

[R1150r]

I recently got one of these in really good condition. I took it to the range and tried a variety of ammo in it. It seemed to have a higher that expected level of failures to feed, across all ammo types. I have two questions.

One, does this problem sound like something that might be improved or eliminated with an aftermarket part(s)?

Two, if it were yours, would you just keep it original and get another MK II to shoot?

 

[marlin1881]

Shoot it. I would not consider it a collectible gun, and it was designed to shoot quite accurately, so shoot it.

First, I would field strip it and clean it well, and then lightly lube it as specified in the Ruger manual. Personally, I use Hornady one-shot dry lube which is a solvent cleaner and a dry lube, that dries completely in about 30 seconds. It's the only lube I use on my Ruger MKII and Springfield 45ACP that I use in bullseye competition.

For accuracy, I use CCI Standard Velocity 22 shells. They cycle just fine, and group quite well.

 

[gb6491]

... It seemed to have a higher that expected level of failures to feed, across all ammo types...

Were the failures with one particular magazine or different ones?
Regards,
Greg

 

[R1150r]

Did not seem magazine related...I was using about five different ones, and they were all working fine in another MKII.

 

[marlin1881]

As a general rule, making sure the MKII is clean and properly lubed, it should work well across a range of ammo types. Mine will shoot standard velocity through high-velocity just fine, with no malfunctions. Again, be careful on how you lube a MKII, as the 22LR round is filthy, and that grit/grime collects in the lube. That's one of the main reasons I use a dry lube, as it doesn't collect residue.

Now, also well-known, Rugers are a very tough gun and the trade-off for their price point, is that they can be a bit rough in fit/finish. Bottom line, shoot that rascal and it will smooth out after a while. You will not wear out a Ruger 22 by shooting it. Be careful with cleaning it, especially the bore and muzzle. I've seen mis-shaped muzzle crowns from improper use of a cleaning rod.

 

[gb6491]

Did not seem magazine related...I was using about five different ones, and they were all working fine in another MKII.

OK.
In addition to a through cleaning that the others have recommended (good advice), pay particular attention to the bolt face and the extractor. Look for damage/ debris on the extractor or breech face. During the feed cycle the rim of the shell must slide up the breech face and slip under the extractor. While on extractors, I think the Volquartsen or Power Custom aftermarket extractors are a significant upgrade over the OEM extractor.

Another thought would be to apply some upward pressure on the magazine to see if the magazine latch or spring might be faulty and not hlding the magazine high enough.

You might want to remove the recoil spring (wouldn't hurt to remove the firing pin as well) and try feeding some rounds by hand to help diagnose the problem.

Regards,
Greg