Most Infuriating Firearm to Reassemble

[Kick]

Ok, I am the kind of guy who has always taken EVERYTHING apart just to see how it works. There are plenty of times I have purchased firearms and taken them apart (just to see how they worked) before I even shot them! One time I even purchased a .40 S&W Sigma and a "new" SW40VE just to take them apart and see how S&W "fixed" the sigma. I am also a Glock armorer, a 1911 armorer, an Ar15 armorer, and a one of the general armorers for the department I work for.

With all of the above said, a couple weeks ago, my new Ruger MK III starting jamming (FTE) at the range. I only had about 500 rounds through it but, it had never been cleaned. I decided to take it down and clean it when I got home from the range. It was different in design and function from most current production firearms but, I found it interesting. I took it down, cleaned it, and got it 90% reassembled without any issues. However, when it came time to get the mainspring housing back in, well I got so mad I had to put it down and walk away. Today I finally had a little bit of time and got the chance to mess with it again. After about 45 minutes of messing with it, I finally figured out that not only did I have to pull the trigger while pushing forward on the hammer (with a screwdriver), I had to have an empty magazine in the firearm (due to a safety feature on the newer production MK IIIs).

I guess that it really was not that overly complicated and I feel ridiculous that it even took me so long to figure out something so simple but, I am sure that we all have those stories.

LET'S HEAR THEM
​

 

[Fordtough25]

I had fun getting the barrel off and back on the first time for my brother. What a major pain in the you know what!

 

[CVMA544]

Model 10 Remington pump shotgun makes me crazy

 

[bman1962]

Ruger MKIII for sure. Reading the instructions helps a bit.

 

[Kick]

Ruger MKIII for sure. Reading the instructions helps a bit.

It prolly would have but, before I even started, my wife said, "Shouldn't you read the instructions?" To which, I replied, "Do you have any idea how many guns I've taken apart? I didn't think so." Soooo.... yeah, after that, it was a question of my manhood.

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

I am sure that we all have those stories.

LET'S HEAR THEM ​

Well, OK, I suppose it's confession time. I felt so stupid I didn't want to post this story, but since you are an armorer and had trouble, I feel a little less stupid (about all but one part of my story.)

On my second trip to the range with my new Mark III (I had not attempted to clean it after my first trip to see how it did.) I started having frequent FTEs & FTFs. When I got home the other day, I decided to break it down and clean it. Field stripped it OK (although I didn't have a mallet to disengage the barrel/receiver assembly. I mean, come on... a plastic hammer????)

Anyway--- I had watched a video already about field stripping and reassembling the Mark III so I figured I'd follow the written instructions in the manual. I did get it apart, except as already noted, and cleaned it.

Then, I had the same trouble as you. I tried to remove the bolt to see if I had it in incorrectly, and couldn't get it out. After some stomping around and cussing, I brought the firearm to my computer and started watching a video on reassembling the thing and at some point, I fiddled with the hammer enough that the bolt did come out. Still having trouble, and getting increasingly frustrated, I really should have walked away for a bit. Then I realized the same thing that you did, about the magazine needing to be in, but I had my eyes on the video and my hands on the mag and pistol, and suddenly....

I had put the magazine in backwards and it jammed in the well. I took the grips off, tried everything, and realized that the only way to get the mag out now is to completely disassemble the pistol. I'm not about to do that, since I couldn't even put the bolt and mainspring housing assembly back together properly.

So my new Mark III paperweight is in a box waiting to be sent back to Ruger for repair and reassembly as a pistol again. The service rep said, "Oh no, don't try it yourself. It's even hard for the techs to do that. You have to start by taking all the pins out of the pistol and completely disassemble it."

Grrrrr. Boy, am I mad at myself. Maybe reading the isntructions would have helped YOU but it sure didn't help me.

 

[Dargasonus]

Ez Pz Lemon Squeezy!

detailstrip
http://www.1bad69.com/ruger/internals.htm

 

[Kingrat]

Ruger MK3, TARGET model....tighter tolerances than the standard models, good luck

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

Ez Pz Lemon Squeezy!

detailstrip
http://www.1bad69.com/ruger/internals.htm

NO.

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

Ruger MK3, TARGET model....tighter tolerances than the standard models, good luck

Yes, that's the model

 

[BlueEagle]

Yep, I've got one of those too.

I took it apart; once.

Now I settle for just dumping CLP into it when it acts up. Its a target pistol, so if it jams occasionally, I'll deal with it. Its easier than trying to take it apart.

One of the best .22 pistols out there....except for this whole "disassembly" thing...

 

[shooter521]

Personally - Kel-Tec SUB2000. Ask KEHO about that one.

Witnessed - FNH Five-seveN. Do NOT try to detail-strip this one at home kids!

 

[J10]

The only gun i've ever had trouble with was the MKIII as well. When i disassembled it i thought i had broken it. To the computer for a tutorial read, after which i had it fully apart in no time. Re-assembly was.. um... interesting. It was a friends that was having a FTF problem consistently (like every round). Solved the problem. Works great now

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

After detail stripping my formerly owned Walther P22...

Detail stripping my Ruger Mk II 22/45 was a cake walk.


-J-

 

[Dargasonus]

NO.

I don't get the big fuss over them I guess. As long as you pay attention to the hammer strut when putting the mainspring housing back in the rest is cake.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I don't get the big fuss over them I guess. As long as you pay attention to the hammer strut when putting the mainspring housing back in the rest is cake.

A field strip is a far cry from a detail strip!

 

[ViperJock]

After my first cleaning "episode" with my Ruger MK3, I was in the market for some C4 and blasting caps. Ok, seriously though, I have a love hate relationship with that pistol. Everytime I clean it I wonder how much I can get for it on the boards....

 

[redpitbull44]

I too have had a harder time with Ruger products than anything. Coming from a Savage 64 (which I love) to the 10/22 (which I hate), I was very frustrated by the reassembly procedure.

 

[gunrunner0]

I cant speak for MKIII but I have standard model MKII though I had trouble the first few times but after that you kinda learn how to get apart and back together pretty quickly. As for taking the barrel off, I've found that if you take the barrel off every time you clean the gun its alot easier to get off. My dad has the target model MKII and i've found the same thing to be true on his gun as well.

 

[MrSmitty]

Gosh ....and I wanted a Ruger Mklll..........