Help get my buddy's 22/45 working!

[virtus]

So, my buddy's wife got him a Ruger MK III and he messed it up already

Originally the slide was locked half open, the mag wouldn't release from the gun, and the pin directly above the grips (between the slide release and the safety) was removed. He says that the problems all started when he pulled the pin. From that point he was messing around with it but he says he didn't really do anything besides beat on the slide in an attempt to get it to move

So far, the pin has been put back in, got the mag to release, and freed up the slide (sort of). He can pull it back with a bit of force, and it will lock to the rear. If bumped, it will spring closed. However, this doesn't charge the weapon. He looked at how to strip the gun online, but when he pulls the latch on the back of the grip, the piece that is supposed to pivot up towards the slide moves a bit but won't completely release.

Any ideas where to go from here?

Appreciate any help!

 

[rouchna]

I have a 22/45. Looking online for directions did nothing but frustrate me. I can't say this enough, have him read the manual and follow EVERY step. Do NOT skip a single step.

 

[hvymax]

I must say things like this are why I don't have one. Once you know all the tricks they are great but I am not a fan of Booby Traps.

 

[wilcam47]

So, my buddy's wife got him a Ruger MK III and he messed it up already

Originally the slide was locked half open, the mag wouldn't release from the gun, and the pin directly above the grips (between the slide release and the safety) was removed. He says that the problems all started when he pulled the pin. From that point he was messing around with it but he says he didn't really do anything besides beat on the slide in an attempt to get it to move

So far, the pin has been put back in, got the mag to release, and freed up the slide (sort of). He can pull it back with a bit of force, and it will lock to the rear. If bumped, it will spring closed. However, this doesn't charge the weapon. He looked at how to strip the gun online, but when he pulls the latch on the back of the grip, the piece that is supposed to pivot up towards the slide moves a bit but won't completely release.

Any ideas where to go from here?

Appreciate any help!

he probably thought it was a takedown pin which it is NOT...as for the second part...make sure its unloaded obviously and dry fire the pistol. This should release the hammer and allow the pivoting portion to drop free. The thing to remember with these if you are using excessive force something is wrong. They are a little more complicated but fun guns!

 

[wilcam47]

also pull the trigger while shaking it slightly and pull on the take down lever...it should release.

 

[virtus]

he probably thought it was a takedown pin which it is NOT...as for the second part...make sure its unloaded obviously and dry fire the pistol. This should release the hammer and allow the pivoting portion to drop free. The thing to remember with these if you are using excessive force something is wrong. They are a little more complicated but fun guns!

Trigger is in the fired position. It won't reset when the slide is racked.

Regarding the excessive force bit, I'm worried that he may have made things worse when he was manhandling the gun after the problems started. I've told him to check with Ruger and see what they are willing to do for him.

also pull the trigger while shaking it slightly and pull on the take down lever...it should release.

I'll have him give this a try. I'm thinking if he could get it stripped and reassemble it correctly he should be in the clear, but like I said, I'm worried about any damage he may have caused when he was thrashing it. Another member said something before about bending parts on his gun.

He is supposed to be contacting Ruger today, so I guess things will depend on what they say.


Thanks for the replies so far

 

[wilcam47]

Trigger is in the fired position. It won't reset when the slide is racked.

Regarding the excessive force bit, I'm worried that he may have made things worse when he was manhandling the gun after the problems started. I've told him to check with Ruger and see what they are willing to do for him.



I'll have him give this a try. I'm thinking if he could get it stripped and reassemble it correctly he should be in the clear, but like I said, I'm worried about any damage he may have caused when he was thrashing it. Another member said something before about bending parts on his gun.

He is supposed to be contacting Ruger today, so I guess things will depend on what they say.


Thanks for the replies so far

the 22/45 is a little finicky...basically what is locking up right now is the little lever behind the hammer...it has to be in the right position in the take down lever to operate/unlock. shaking it and pulling the trigger and simultaneously pulling on the lever should release it... just make sure those pins above the grips dont come all the way out..that would be a mess. theres really nothing wrong with it right now...IMO its just out of sequence/ position.

 

[virtus]

just make sure those pins above the grips dont come all the way out..that would be a mess

He pulled the pin above the grips completely out already. That's what started the whole mess.

The pin went back in but it was a struggle and I'm assuming things may have been misaligned at that point. For reference, I'm talking about part #43 in the exploded view below.

If he tries shaking it to get things in place, should he hold the gun any certain way (eg barrel pointed up or down etc.)

 

[wilcam47]

He pulled the pin above the grips completely out already. That's what started the whole mess.

The pin went back in but it was a struggle and I'm assuming things may have been misaligned at that point. For reference, I'm talking about part #43 in the exploded view below.

If he tries shaking it to get things in place, should he hold the gun any certain way (eg barrel pointed up or down etc.)

he may have got lucky an none of the pieces are misaligned...I couldnt tell you without seeing it...but I'm not that close to where you live...I would point it up and pull the trigger. Then try pointing down... part #35 is the hammer the little lever on the end of it moves and jams things up/makes things not work right. I would suggest however taking the rest of it apart in a gallons ziploc bag so if any of the pieces are loose you dont lose them!

 

[mrozowjj]

If you can't get it figured out call Ruger, their customer service is fantastic. They will pay for shipping both ways and fix the gun for you.

 

[diesel-man]

I would recommend getting on youtube and following closely the proper way to take it apart...and hope that this straightens it out. It appears that you must hold it this way, dry fire it put the bolt in, turn it upside down, yada yada. watch this video... if this doesn't do it, search on youtube for another one...
MK 2 and MK 3 are different...mags don't interchange etc.

 

[clandestine]

Take it to a gunsmith. He put it together wrong, especially if it has a Mag Disconnect.

If not that call ruger and have it shipped back. SOmething like this cant be explained and I know those guns like the back of my hand.

 

[sgt23preston]

Sgt Preston here...

Hopefully his wife bought it from a local dealer who was an "Industry Partner"..?

If so take it back to the dealer & ask them to help you...

Chances are they can disassemble & re-assemble it on the spot...

However if she bought it over the internet & got a good deal well, be prepared to pay for a gunsmith to fix it for you...

After it has been fixed, read the owners manual & follow each step &...

Practice, Practice, Practice or...buy a revolver...

Hope this is helpful...

 

[HT4]

If this is like the MKII (and I suspect it is), then I had the same problem once. For me, the rod that went between the main spring and the hammer (attached to the hammer) got caught up on a frame pin. Since the hammer could not go all the way back, it stopped the slide half way. When putting the main spring assembly back into the grip, it helps if you point the gun directly up. This helps line things up.

This took me a while to figure out. Thank god for the intertubes!

 

[virtus]

Thanks for all the responses. I told him to contact Ruger the other day so I'm waiting for an update. It's good to hear that their customer service is top notch.

His wife bought it at Bel Air Gun and Pawn. He hasn't talked to them about it, but if Ruger will take care of him, I guess that would be the best way to go.

Those videos are great. He should have watched them BEFORE he tried to take his gun apart He never even had it stripped. He pulled the one pin, realized he messed up, put it back in, and now it won't break down. If we could get it stripped, I'm sure it could be reassembled properly.

I did get to shoot it once before he jammed it up and I really enjoyed it. I've been thinking about picking one of these up. Glad he learned the lesson the hard way so that I don't have to.

Thanks again for the help guys.

 

[Tim460]

For a general field strip this video helped me out a ton on my 22/45 mk III. Explains the process much better than the manual.

 

[Wheaton Hills Sportsman]

Once I took apart my Ruger Mark II, I couldn't get it back together and took it to Atlantic Guns in Silver Spring where the gunsmith looked at what I had and did me a big favor, he told me I almost had it, I just needed to take it all apart and reassemble it. Slowly, without forcing anything. It sounded, at first, like he couldn't be bothered, but he seemed to be serious. So I did it. For a lot of these things it is best to put it aside, rest your gun assembly mind, and then try again. Consulting a good set of instructions and a good exploded diagram help.

 

[virtus]

Gentlemen, many seem to be missing the fact that the gun was never stripped and reassembled improperly. He never had it apart; he just pulled the one pin, and now it can't be broken down.

He hasn't contacted Ruger yet. I'm still hoping he gets good news from them.

 

[wilcam47]

Gentlemen, many seem to be missing the fact that the gun was never stripped and reassembled improperly. He never had it apart; he just pulled the one pin, and now it can't be broken down.

He hasn't contacted Ruger yet. I'm still hoping he gets good news from them.

I would hope that Ruger has good customer service...They might say take it to a gun smith....since nothing is technically broken.

 

[CrabbyMcNab]

Don't let this deter him or anyone else from buyig one of these pistols. It took me several months of assembly/disassembly to finally be able to do a complete take-down and cleaning.

Practice, practice, practice...as the sarge said