Solution for stuck mainspring on Ruger Mark II?

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Anonymous

Hey y'all,

My grandfather gave me his Ruger Mark II to clean today and I'm having a hell of a time with it.

I've looked up and seen the instructions on takedown procedure. I understand them well also. Hammer uncocked, pull out mainspring housing, remove bolt, remove barreled receiver, etc.

My problem right now is the mainspring housing. I used a paper clip and swung it open but it is being a devil coming out of there. I've pulled as hard as I could, smacked the "button" on top with a claw hammer, stuck the gun in a vice and tugged on the mainspring. I just can't get it to come out. There is a small amount of movement; maybe an 1/8"-1/4" or so. Right now it is sitting on the table with the mainspring soaking in CLP.

Do y'all have any advice for getting this sucker out? I've watched the several Youtube videos on it and they seem to just pull right out with little effort. My grandfather did say this gun had never been cleaned and I have no idea how many rounds are through it. I would imagine several hundred though. I guess it could be a little tight if this is it's first takedown but it seems a little ridiculous. I smacked that dimple on top with a claw hammer for crying out loud though. I thought it would have popped right out after that.

Thanks in advance.
 

mattsbox99

Hunter
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
3,391
Location
Montana 'Merica
Put it back together and clean from the muzzle if you deem it that necessary. It doesn't need to come apart to clean it. You can wipe down and flush out the bolt area. There is no reason to take it all the way apart unless its absolute trash inside.
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
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Ohio , U.S.A.
sounds like the gun is in the 'cocked" position, gotta get the hammer to drop to take off the pressure on the mainspring, OR maybe one of the pins slid out from the side of the 'housing' and is jammed agasinst the inside, rear of the frame...wouldhave to really "see" to make an "exact" diagnosis.
Hope this helps.......................
 

actionflies

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
86
Location
Oregon
It should look like this when pulling the MS housing out.
m3msswingopen.JPG

Go to this link for help.
http://www.guntalk-online.com/fsprocedures.htm
 

Bkat

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 26, 2008
Messages
577
Location
Spring, Texas
After making sure the gun is uncocked, use a drift punch with that hammer. Place a cleaning patch over the top of the pin to avoid scratching it and then give it a smack. I've had various Marks where the mainspring housing pin slides right out and others that require this process every time they're dissasembled.

Bkat
 

SL1

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
39
I called Ruger, and they said that the pin had moved to the side and was hanging-up on the frame. That is why you are getting a little motion, but not getting it free. The pin is stopping the assembly from moving past where it contacts the frame. The Ruger folks tried to tell me how to get a thin piece of metal in there to push the pin back into its hole. But, the thickest thing I could fit into the slot was too thin to puch the pin. Maybe if I had soaked it for some time in some solution, the pin would have been loosened enough to move it with the shim. Anyway, I eventually sent it to Ruger and THEY fixed it fine.

My gun had gotten really dirty, but it was from firing some Aguila 60 grain subsonic bullets. I still don't know if it was dirt or extra-hard recoil that was the basic cause of my problem.

SL1
 

Chris

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 4, 2008
Messages
674
Location
New Jersey
Tyler
The mark II and III are built to such tight tolerances that this is a common problem. I have a Mark III that did the same thing, don't fret. Use the picture that actionflies posted in that positon, if you have a GUN vise available place it in the vise, if not you are going to need some help.
Get someone to hold the gun by the grip and barrel, get a dowel wood is good plastic is better. Place the dowel directly on top on the bolt stop pin ( the dimple) and give it a solid strike. DON"T SMASH IT but hit it firmly with a plastic or rubber hamer,it will release.
I know the video that you saw on youtube looked as if a 2 year old could remove the bolt stop pin, but sometimes they are a real pain.
Also
Sometimes observing the disassembly is much better than reading about it and you will not find yourself saying oh thats how the did it.
Let me know how you make out, you should have no problem, but in case you dohere is a video link from Ruger for the mark III...mark II and III are basically the same disassembly wise.

http://www.ruger.com/resources/videos.html#

In the event you can not see the video go to Ruger.com Go to the News and resources tab scroll down click on video go to the Tech Tips Tab and there are assembly and disassembly videos for almost every ruger product. Hope I helped, let me know how you make out

C
 

greener

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 29, 2006
Messages
132
Location
Glen Allen, VA, USA
If the mainspring housing only comes out 1/4", either the hammer hasn't decocked or the hammer strut pin is lodged behind the frame pin. Put the mainspring housing back in. Pull the trigger to decock the hammer. If this doesn't work, point the muzzle down, pull and hold the trigger and rap the muzzle sharply on a padded board or carpeted floor. This should release the sear and decock the hammer.
 

keithmo45

Bearcat
Joined
Oct 30, 2015
Messages
2
Just want to add to this post. I've struggled for months trying to get the mainspring housing to budge. The gun is dated to 1955 I believe. This is a ruger standard or as the barrel says, RUGER .22 CAL. LONG RIFLE AUTOMATIC PISTOL. I could get the arm up with a paperclip or such but the housing itself would barely move. The supposed process: Gun unloaded, make sure it is not cocked, lift the arm on the handle and the whole thing swings out, pull assembly down thus removing the main pin and allowing removal of barrel and such. The issue: arm comes up but housing stays put. Whats going on here is inside the frame where that arm pivots, theres a pin allowing the pivot. If that pin is slid to one side too much it binds on the frame of the gun inside the handle and it retains its position. The solution: REMOVE THE PLASTIC GRIPS AND PIN THAT HOLDS THE CLIP RELEASE AT THE BASE OF THE GRIP FRAME (NOT THE CLIP RELEASE SPRING PIN MIND YOU). THE CLIP RELEASE WILL SLIDE OUT. ITS OK, IT'LL GO BACK IN FINE. SHINE A LIGHT WHERE THE CLIP RELEASE USED TO BE AND DETERMINE WHICH WAY THE PIVOT PIN HAS SLID. USE A SMALL FLAT SCREW DRIVER TO CENTER THE PIN. This will allow the whole assembly to swing out as it should during normal disassembly. In the image posted by *actionflies* the pivot pin i refer to is located at a 45 degree angle northeast about an inch from the end of his yellow arrow. The clip release pin I refer to is the bottom pin closest to where the clip is inserted. This may have been touched on in this thread already but out of all the internet searching I have found nothing that really explains whats going on in a way I can understand it. I hope this saves some poor plinker from a huge headache
 

Bullseye57

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
372
keithmo45 said:
This will allow the whole assembly to swing out as it should during normal disassembly. In the image posted by *actionflies* the pivot pin i refer to is located at a 45 degree angle northeast about an inch from the end of his yellow arrow. The clip release pin I refer to is the bottom pin closest to where the clip is inserted. This may have been touched on in this thread already but out of all the internet searching I have found nothing that really explains whats going on in a way I can understand it. I hope this saves some poor plinker from a huge headache

The original photo you've cited from 2010 was provided from one of my Ruger web help maintenance pages. It is for a similar problem with a pivot pin that is not staked properly and has eventually drifted out of its proper location. The pin you have described is actually the main spring latch pivot pin.

mshousing3.jpg


This lower pin secures the latch to the mainspring housing and allows it to swing open and closed. It is staked in place much like the other pivot pin and can come loose if it doesn't get a strong enough staking to the end of the pin at the factory. Like you mentioned, if the pin walks to either side it will effectively lock the mainspring housing into the frame. In the Mark I/II and Mark III metal frame versions the magazine heel latch, or plastic block off spacer in the later model, sits in the bottom rear of the frame. There are two pins underneath the grip panels to remove the mag latch or the plastic spacer block. Once these pins are removed the bottom of the frame is open and the user can see up into the mainspring access area to view the mainspring latch pivot pin ends. You can work a small screwdriver up into this space and reseat the loosened pin to allow the mainspring housing to swing open once again. Once fully opened, the pin must be restaked with a couple of heavy dimples, either on the ends of the pin or in the metal housing immediately adjacent to the pin, to provide sufficient friction to bind the pin into the housing for normal operation and prevent any future pin walking.

Hope this helps.

R,
Bullseye
 
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