New Mark III Target - PAINFUL!!

I grew tired of the trigger on my Sig Mosquito so I traded it for a new Mark III Target (blued, 5.5" bull barrell). I've shot a Mark III before and liked it. And I've read nothing but positive reviews on this gun (of course there are some gripes in forums about the additional chamber indicator and mag safety features -- but I'm okay with those). Overall I thought it was good choice for a 22LR semi-auto in the price range I was looking at.

I tore it down and cleaned it, but have not shot it yet.

Going in I've heard these were a pain to assemble / disassemble, but the YouTube videos make it look soooo easy. It was a HUGE pain in the axx!! I was seriously regretting my purchase. I like to clean my guns after every outing -- but not if it's gonna be like this!! I'm hoping that over time the pistol will break-in and become easier.

Any thoughts / helpful hints / words of encouragement on the disassembly / assembly process?

I do not own one, but I have heard/read about what you are going through. From what I gather it becomes easier the more you do it.

It will become easier.....

In time you will be wondering what everyone is crying about.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by talldrink

It will become easier.....

In time you will be wondering what everyone is crying about.

---

+1 In the future it can become second nature. Then, you can show everyone else how easy it is to field strip and reassemble.

I have 4 Mark 111 and with time it becomes very easy and you will laugh and wonder what all the fuss was about.Some of the videos has some good points to remember,all in all once you dissassemble it a couple times you will catch on to the feel and trick and it will become a breese.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cowboy2

I have 4 Mark 111 and with time it becomes very easy and you will laugh and wonder what all the fuss was about.Some of the videos has some good points to remember,all in all once you dissassemble it a couple times you will catch on to the feel and trick and it will become a breese.

---

The real problem areas for me are:

1) Removing and reinserting the mainspring pin to/from the barrel. It is super tight and requires a hammer -- which makes me nervous. It's hard to hold / place the gun where the sights are not going to be damaged while trying to get a solid hit with the hammer in the proper location. Plus I feel like I have to hit it pretty hard.

2) Removing and reattaching the barrel to/from the frame. Again, it is super tight and requires a hammer.

In both situations I am very careful about the trigger block and the dangling part / pin (whatever it's called) -- making sure they are in the proper position. It's just that these pieces are extremely tight.

I fear that the continued use of a HAMMER on a target pistol will, sooner than later, leave you with a not so targety-target pistol. It just takes some effort, not a hammer. Please at least tell me it's a rubber mallet.

They are built tight for a reason. Removing the barrel from the frame is way overkill for a standard cleaning session, btw.

Personally, I believe it to be a waste of time to break down a 22 like your Ruger after every range trip. I have several semi auto 22's, and about the only time I break them down is when they begin to have feeding or accuracy issues.

In fact, my days of cleaning any gun after every range session if just a distant memory now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zhurdan

I fear that the continued use of a HAMMER on a target pistol will, sooner than later, leave you with a not so targety-target pistol. It just takes some effort, not a hammer. Please at least tell me it's a rubber mallet.

They are built tight for a reason. Removing the barrel from the frame is way overkill for a standard cleaning session, btw.

---

Actually, it's a plastic non-marring mallet just like what is used on the YouTube videos produced by the Ruger company. The Ruger company video demonstrates a disassembly for cleaning into 4 major components - the mainspring housing, bolt, frame, and barrel. Here's the disassembly video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGEtudNJua4

There's are similar videos for cleaning and one for reassembly.

I'm following the videos, it just takes a lot more effort than what this dude expending. All that said -- I hate any kind of hammering in this process. I hope it gets easier.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by James NM

Personally, I believe it to be a waste of time to break down a 22 like your Ruger after every range trip. I have several semi auto 22's, and about the only time I break them down is when they begin to have feeding or accuracy issues.

In fact, my days of cleaning any gun after every range session if just a distant memory now.

---

You're probably right. But actually, the more I break it down for cleaning (ie, every trip to the range), the easier it must become... right? So maybe I should be fanatical about cleaning -- at least until it loosens up and breaks in. Then I can settle into more relaxed cleaning regimen.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zhurdan

They are built tight for a reason. Removing the barrel from the frame is way overkill for a standard cleaning session, btw.

---

+1
I feel that removal of the bolt for cleaning is a good thing, but the removal of the barrel/receiver from the frame is only needed if you're going to do a complete detail strip cleaning. It's not needed everytime, and to be honest I'll put aproxamately a few thousand rounds though both of my MKs before even thinking about it. Now, if you get crazy with the oil which ends up dripping down into the lower you can end up with sludge in you trigger group, then you'll want to clean that out.

All the Ruger .22 autopistols I've owned over the last three decades could be disassembled and reassembled without any kind of a hammer, but most of them were well-broken-in after just a week or two. I do like shooting accurate rimfire pistols.

I'll offer a few tips that I've found to be useful. For the vast majority of weapons I've worked with (both my own, and other folks'), you can remove the barrel from the frame by turning the grip in your hand so the weapon is pointing upward (but not at your head), and pressing the top-rear edge of the receiver tube on a soft piece of wood or plastic on the edge of a table or workbench. Grip the frame tightly and lean on the grip frame, with all the pressure concentrated on the tube (not the rear sight), and the barrel assembly will usually pop right off. To reassemble, use the same wood or plastic block, grip the frame in a normal shooting grip, start the barrel assembly onto the frame, point the barrel straight down into the block, hold the barrel aligned on the frame with one hand and lean on the grip frame with the other hand. It will usually snap back into place. Much less jarring than pounding on your gun, IF it will work for you on your weapon.

For getting the mainspring pin to pass through the receiver tube and slide, put a drop of lube on the pin and spread it around so it is well-lubricated, put it in from the bottom until it stops, then press upward with one hand while wiggling the mainspring housing side-to-side just a little bit with the other hand; the pin will work its way up and snap into place with firm effort on most guns. For removal, I can usually push on the tip of the pin with one hand (thumb), and wiggle the housing while pulling with the other hand, until it drops out. If you're nervous about swinging the mallet so close to the sight, you might try getting a non-marring nylon punch, and using a drill to put a slight dimple in the tip so it stays centered on the pin. I once knew a gunsmith who would clamp these Rugers in a wood-padded vise and use a nylon punch so-modified to quickly pop the pin out for cleaning or accuracy work.

I agree with all the other posters (above) who said it will get easier with time and practice. The MK-III guns added a few steps due to that dang magazine disconnect, but otherwise it's the same basic procedure that has been learned and used by hundreds of thousands (maybe over a million?) of Ruger pistol owners/users since the Standard model was first offered many years ago.

Hope you find this helpful.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ronmail65

You're probably right. But actually, the more I break it down for cleaning (ie, every trip to the range), the easier it must become... right? So maybe I should be fanatical about cleaning -- at least until it loosens up and breaks in. Then I can settle into more relaxed cleaning regimen.

---

I break my Mark III down and clean it after every range outing, which typically is maybe 250 rounds. Believe me, it DOES get easier, to the point where it quickly becomes second nature. I find my Mark III easier to reassemble (now that I've done it several times) than my 1911.

Thanks everyone for your comments -- and to DJ Niner for the detailed explanations / hints.

Although I still have not gotten to the range yet, I did go through the disassembly / reassembly process again last night just for practice. It was a little easier and more familiar, but still required some taps with the hammer. I guess it just takes a little time and practice. Thanks!

DJ niner made me think about this.

When you put your barrel/receiver back on the frame you still have to be sure you line up the mainspring pin holes just right. Too far forward or aft and You'll scream bloody murder trying to get the mainspring pin back into place. You'll swear that they're lined up, but just if they're off just a little the pin will hang up becuse it's not going in straight.

Shot it this weekend!!

WOW! This is a much better shooter than what I had experienced in trying my friend's Ruger (I don't know exactly which model he had, but it was very similar - same barrel length, but in stainless). Anyway.... my % of shots on target and overall precision has increased dramatically compared to the Sig Mosquito I traded for this gun. Trigger pull is light and smooth with almost no creep/slack to speak of. I was concerned that the sights might be off because of the hammering -- but they were spot on. I shot CCI Mini Mags - not a single FTE, FTF, or any other issue. I'm very pleased.

The cleaning was much easier too. Still needed to tap with a mallet, but it's definitely getting easier.

Glad to hear everything is going well! CCI is my favorite brand of rimfire ammo; I use many of their loads in a hand-full of different .22s.

Glad you are enjoying your Ruger. My own Mark III still likes a tap with the nylon mallet to separate the barrel from the grip housing. No big deal at all. I can have her disassembled, cleaned up, and reassembled in 15 minutes or less. The reassembly quickly becomes routine; I can do it in under a minute. It sounds like you already have it nailed, so congrats.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Redleg

Glad you are enjoying your Ruger. My own Mark III still likes a tap with the nylon mallet to separate the barrel from the grip housing. No big deal at all. I can have her disassembled, cleaned up, and reassembled in 15 minutes or less. The reassembly quickly becomes routine; I can do it in under a minute. It sounds like you already have it nailed, so congrats.

---

Yes, it is getting easier. I may have over-reacted when starting this thread. It took me more than 2 hours of fidgiting and hammering for the first cleaning. I'm used to 10 minute cleanings. The videos make it look so easy, I was really beginning to think something was wrong.

Anyway... it's a great shooter and I can see the cleaning is becoming/will get easier with time.

Just follow the directions. It is not a problem.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Teuthis

Just follow the directions. It is not a problem.

---

Following the directions was not a problem -- the process was fine. The problem was that the parts were fused together incredibly tight. Lots of hammering and fidgeting.

The first time I reassembled my MkIII 22/45 caused me minor consternation. I had to use a mallet to encourage marriage of barrel and frame. I used a mallet on my gun? Yup. I can't believe I hit my gun with a soft hammer. Good grief.
-sevensix

I have a Mark III 22/45 5 1/2" fluted barrel and I promptly removed the magazine disconnect safety to not only improve the trigger but to also make if easier to field strip the gun for cleaning. By removing this "feature", your magazine will also drop free instead of you having to pull it out. You might want to consider doing this. I bought the part needed from a man in Canada who machines them. It is a quality part and does make a difference.

Ruger 22/45 mag disconnect removal - YouTube

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zhurdan

I fear that the continued use of a HAMMER on a target pistol will, sooner than later, leave you with a not so targety-target pistol. It just takes some effort, not a hammer. Please at least tell me it's a rubber mallet.

They are built tight for a reason. Removing the barrel from the frame is way overkill for a standard cleaning session, btw.

---

Yeah, you don't want to use a hammer. I use a non-marring "hammer" which has hard rubber on one side and a semi-clear yellow plastic on the other. This is what you want to use to remove the barrel or for any other gun work which requires a little force.

I found a web site that offers a "Easy take down kit" for the Mark series. I have no idea if it works or what it involves but I will do a search to see it I can find more.
Frank.