yipchoy

Hi Folks,
really enjoying my Mark II Slabside Competition. I have dissambled and reassembled approximately half a dozen times now and have it down pretty good. Except (there is always an Except isn't there) sometimes I seem to have inserted the mainspring/bolt assembly incorrectly. So although everything goes together well, two things do not do so well.

1. I do not get the small amount of tension/resistance during the final insertion of the mainspring into its housing (it just slips into place)

and 2. The bolt will not pull all the way out in order to cock the hammer. I fudge around with it blindly for a few tries and will eventually get everything put together correctly, but I'm not sure what is the cause of the miss-assembly.

I'm suspect that it has something to do with the hammer strut and its relationship to the hooked end of the mainspring assembly but I'm not sure.

The Ruger re-assembly video does address the importance of having that small bit of resistance during the last bit of insertion of the mainspring but he never specifies the cause of it and how to achieve the tension.

I would greatly appreciate any thoughts on the matter.


Thanks folks,
Alan

mishtub

Read the instructions carefully, the strut has to be positioned correctly or will cause the problem you describe. IIRC, pointing the muzzle up before closing the mainspring assmbly is the trick. I know I always watch to make sure it is in the correct spot before closing.

Captains1911

When you don't feel spring tension when closing the mainspring, you know the hammer strut is not in the correct position. Make sure it's not stuck behind that cross-pin in the frame, and try again. It usually helps to have the pistol pointed in an upwards position during this final step.

gmsoapy

As Captains1911 Said make sure the muzzle pointing up. But make sure the hammer strut is hanging free you should be able to hear it rattle if you shake the gun.But just look in the main spring well and make sure it's hanging free. Then sent the main spring home you should then feel the tension just before it closes.

James6591

You have to follow the directions "explicitely".

Axel

Hold the gun up at a forty-five degree angle and look into the area under the mainspring housing. When you can see the hammer strut dangling there, tilt the gun to what ever degree is necessary to place it on the mainspring plunger as you close the housing into place.

Also, if the strut is bound up rather than dangling freely, point the gun downward, and while holding the trigger back, lightly strike the muzzle against a solid but padded surface in order to rotate the hammer forward to free up the strut.

Once you've done it this way sucessfully, it will be easy thereafter.

Bullseye

I don't notice the "tension" anymore when closing a mainspring housing. I use the upside down frame method for ensuring the pistol's hammer strut rides the top of the mainspring housing all the way to the mainspring cap and stays put when closed. To make this method work you must tilt the grip back rearward, slightly at an angle, and that keeps the strut in place until the housing is fully closed. Like this-



R,
Bullseye

KillDevilBill

Just recently bought my MKIII, read what a pain reassembly is, so I've taken it down many times already for practice. I've noticed a few things.

Make sure the horseshoe on the recoil spring is aligned on the bolt.
Parts come apart and reassemble easier the more times its taken down. I no longer need to "hammer" on the bolt lock pin to get the main spring out or back in.

And like others have said, it really is all about getting the hammer strut in the correct position.

A little practice goes a long way, happy shooting!!!

gmsoapy

Oh no now I'll have to go to Bullseye's way. I think Bullseye knows more about these guns then some of the people at Ruger. He's the MK master.

Kenny Lee

I tell people to learn how its done by putting it together without the upper receiver, so you can watch what is happening when you are trying to line up the strut into the cup.

The position of the hammer is also important, hammer flat to insert bolt and up to insert main spring (if you look thru the MSH slot you can see the position of the hammer and push it up if needed).

When you have it all back together test by pulling the bolt back, if you feel any resistance (about a 3/8 of an inch of travel) stop pulling, the strut is not in the cup and pulling the bolt back is just going to jamb it.

Unlatch the MSH point the muzzle up pull the trigger, then re-latch the MSH, and check that the bolt pulls back with out resistance.

Bullseye

I'll break it down into even simpler terms - the biggest problem most folks have is the hammer strut slipping off of the mainspring cap when the mainspring housing assembly is closed and latched. With the "upside down" method there is nowhere for the strut to slip to as the assembly is closed, except directly onto the mainspring cap by gravity. This is not rocket science, it is just simple machines.

R,
Bullseye

North country gal

Nothing hard about it. Just a matter of remembering to do it.