[Greyghost]

Despite my best efforts to follow Iowegan's manual, I missed a step somewhere. As a result, I left the magazine in during disassembly. Now the mag won't drop out, and I can't get the bolt back in.

I never did manage to get the receiver off the grip frame.

The pistol is brand new--less than 300 rounds through it.

Any suggestions for getting that mag out? If I could get the pistol back together, I could start over. . . .

 

[COFFEE POT]

You didn't say which MkIII you had, the steel frame or the .22/45. It makes a difference. Also you didn't say whether or not the bolt stop pin will fit back through the holes. If you jammed the magazine in place when trying to remove the barrel, you may have to drive the barrel to the rear to release the mag. It also sounds like the hammer strut is jammed in the frame. To remove the mag, the barrel must be fully to the rear. If you can't get the bolt back in, it's probably because the hammer isn't laying flat. That's usually caused by the strut being in the wrong place. Give us a little more information as to the exact model and stage of disassembly and what you have done so far. It will be of great help in assisting you. If we can't help you there's always the dealer/gunsmith or Ruger service route. But give us all the info you can and we'll see if we can help.

 

[Greyghost]

Thanks for your response, Coffee Pot.

The pistol is a Target 5.5" bull barrel. In response to your suggestions:

1. The bolt is out, but I can't get it back in, because the top of the mag is blocking it (I think).

2. I have pushed the hammer down--it looks flat to me.

3. How do I drive the barrel to the rear without scarring the front of the barrel?

 

[COFFEE POT]

There are a couple ways you can try. But first I must ask you a question. The barrel/receiver is supposed to overhang the frame on the back by about 1/16". If it's already there, you have a different problem. If not, then you can try putting the muzzle against a pice of wood and just try to push the grip frame forward. Another method is to pad the muzzle with a pice of wood and tap it back with a hammer. Or if you have a plastic, wood or deadblow hammer, just use that.

You can tell when the barrel/receiver is in the right place if you can slip the bolt stop pin down from the top all the way through the grip frame.

If the barrel is already correctly positioned and you still can't get the magazine out, it may be hung up on the mag disconnect. It's rare, but does happen. In which case, hold in the mag release and using a small screwdriver, gently try to pry the magazine out. It's really tough to analyze without having the gun in my hand.

Let me know how you progress and we'll keep at it. You can contact me by E-mail if you prefer.

 

[Greyghost]

Thanks very much, Coffee Pot!

The magazine came out as per your instructions. I thought of that, but was worried about breaking something while jimmying the mag.

Once the mag came out, one blow (not too hard) with a rubber hammer knocked the receiver off.

Now I can clean & lubricate.

Then I have to put it back together. . . .

Thanks again.

 

[John H. Fox]

Ruger Mark III field stipping procedures on google should help a lot in the future. Try it and let me know if you get the site.

 

[jimbo1096]

here is a link to a pretty good one. There are more pages here as well showing nomenclature and trigger removal, and other good stuff.

http://www.guntalk-online.com/fsprocedures.htm

 

[John H. Fox]

That's the one I was trying to point out. Good that you showed the address.

 

[COFFEE POT]

quote:Originally posted by Greyghost

Thanks very much, Coffee Pot!

The magazine came out as per your instructions. I thought of that, but was worried about breaking something while jimmying the mag.

Once the mag came out, one blow (not too hard) with a rubber hammer knocked the receiver off.

Now I can clean & lubricate.

Then I have to put it back together. . . .

Thanks again.

Inspect the back of the mag shell to make sure it hasn't been damaged. If it has, you'll have to get a new one or it may mess up your feed and/or eject.

Happy to hear all went well. If you have any problems with reassembly, give me a shout and I'll walk you through it.

 

[Greyghost]

Thanks to all who made suggestions.

I successfully reassembled the MKIII. I did have to tap the mainspring assembly to knock the pin back into place--and it was not easy to figure out (for a newbie) what to do about the hammer strut (the pictures in the recommended website were a bit murky). But the pistol was back together, and I could dry fire it successfully.

This morning I took it to the range and put 200 rounds through it without a hitch. I shot it pretty well, too, for a beginner: I could cover all the shots with the palm of my hand at 7 yards.

Once more, thanks to all. The folks on this site are quite helpful!

 

[COFFEE POT]

Happy to hear it. Now it's nothing but practice, practice, practice!!!