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Removing magazine disconnect for MarkIII 22/45

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J

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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
I have searched through all the threads about removing the magazine disconnect for a markIII 22/45. It has been mentioned, but I haven't found anyone giving specific details on how to do it and what parts to change out.

I read that you remove the mag disconnect and spring and then switch the hammer and hammer bushing with one for a mark II. Can anyone who has done this tell me if that is all you do? I have looked and see that Volquartsen makes a mark II target hammer and also a mark II hammer bushing but I'm unsure of whether the parts are interchangeable to work with a mark III 22/45.

If I do the procedure I want to do it right and have a safe, reliable gun like it already is. I read that you can modify a washer and install another with it to take up the space left behind by removing the mag disconnect but I would rather substitute the proper parts if they are indeed interchaneable and feel comfortable about the replacement. I don't really want to rig up my gun and have to keep adjusting the rig to make sure it is functional.

I would appreciate if someone could explain the procedure and the exact parts needed to get rid of the magazine disconnect for the mark III 22/45.

Thanks
 
J

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Discussion Starter · #4 · (Edited)
I actually purchased the accurizing kit from Volquartsen for the mark II. It includes a mark II target hammer and I ordered a mark II hammer bushing from Volquartsen also. I think everything will work well plus the mark III should have an improved trigger after the parts are replaced. When the parts arrive and I install and test them I will give a review of how it all turned out. Thanks for the suggestions so far.
 
Iowegan

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#8 ·
high_caliber, Here's how the mag disconnect works .... when there is no magazine in the pistol, the spring on the mag disconnect holds the trigger bar up. The back end of the trigger bar will not contact the sear when you pull the trigger. When you insert a magazine, the magazine disconnect lever pulls the spring down, which allows the trigger bar to drop into position and contact the sear. Now if you pull the trigger ... bang.

If you remove the bottom section of the mag disconnect (lever), the gun acts like there is no magazine in place and will not fire. The MK III hammer has a "cutout" on the right side to accommodate the mag disconnect and spring so to disable the mag disconnect, you must remove both the spring and the lever then use a spacer to take their place or the hammer will drift sideways. The better solution is to replace the MK III hammer and hammer bushing with a MK II hammer and bushing.
 
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J

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Discussion Starter · #9 ·
I installed the Volquartsen accurizing kit for a Mk II in my Mk III 22/45 and also a Volquartsen MkII hammer bushing. It also came with a couple parts you don't need. The kit comes with a adjustable target trigger, polished sear, hammer, trigger spring, trigger plunger and a slide release which you don't use if you are putting the kit on a mark III. I replaced the trigger, sear, hammer, hammer bushing and magazine disconnect and mag disconnect spring. Now the magazine drops free the way it should when you press the magazine release. The sear that comes in the kit is way smoother and polished compared to the stock one which has sharp edges and burrs on it. I also replaced the stock extractor with a Power Custom extractor. The procedure is rather easy, all you need is a 1/8" punch and a pair of needle nose pliers.

I think the target trigger is a lot nicer than the stock trigger. The stock trigger is more rounded and is silver. The target trigger is smooth, black, and has a flatter profile that feels more comfortable. It has two screws, one to limit pre-travel of the trigger and the other is a trigger stop that stops the trigger just after the sear releases the hammer. I adjusted the screws so there wasn't much pre-travel anymore and the trigger was stopped just barely after the hammer was released.

I shot 40 rounds from the pistol after installing the kit and it worked good at first, but after about 25 rounds the gun wouldn't fire after squeezing the trigger and the trigger had to be reset manually. What happened was that the trigger screws were working their way too far into the trigger and not allowing the trigger to travel far enough to reset itself. So my shooting session ended for the day. When I got home I noted where the screws should be after adjusting them to be functional again then used blue loctite to secure them in place. The directions for the trigger suggested using loctite and I found it is definitely needed.

The Power Custom extractor worked great. Brass casings were flung much farther and more forcefully than with the stock extractor, which was getting worn after several thousand rounds being shot out of the gun. Just feeling the extractor you can tell it has a very sharp, hard edge that grabs hold of the casing better than the stock extractor.

I'm going to shoot the gun again today to test its function and performance after letting the loctite set overnight. Overall I'm very pleased with the change to one of my favorite guns to shoot. Everything I did cost about $115. I removed the screw lock, removed the magazine disconnect so the magazine drops free, and have a target trigger that is short and crisp. After working out all the bugs I think the setup will work great. I will post more about the performance after shooting it a little more.
 
E

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#10 ·
Yeah, you definitly need loctite on the trigger screws, my pre-travel worked its way in some more and was not letting the disconnector reset. Luckly i brought the allen wrench with me to the range so it was an easy fix till I got home.

I have my old Mk II hammer sitting doing nothing since I upgraded with the VQ kit. Looks like I might be modifying my Mk III 22/45 as you have. Time to place another order at midway!
 
J

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Discussion Starter · #13 · (Edited)
Here is the update on the performance of removing the mag disconnect in the markIII 22/45, replacing it with the Volquartsen accurizing kit for a mark II and replacing the hammer bushing with a markII bushing.
Since I have made the switch and shot a couple hundred rounds out of the gun, I think the switch is way better than how the gun was in stock form. The gun has functioned excellent and I have never liked it better than now. The mags drop free for quick mag changes and with the Power Custom extractor I don't even see the brass casings anymore because they are flung so far. The target trigger allows me to shoot tight, fast groups as fast as I can pull the trigger.
One modification I failed to list before is that I rounded off the sharp front edges on the rear lips of my magazines. Before, the edges were pointed and sharp but after a few minutes of grinding them down with a Dremel they are nice, rounded and smooth.
I have only been using up the remainder of Remington gold bullets that I have on hand. Before I had more jamming issues with them but it seems that since the changes to the gun, even those bullets have worked better. I would recommend installing the accurizing kit for the mark II and hammer bushing for mark II on the markIII if you want to make a great gun even better.
 
deltamud

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#14 ·
Sam Lam bushing

Is the route I took. I installed the VQ kit for the Mkiii and the bushing I got from Sam. Works great
 
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DirtySCREW

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#19 ·
Decado said:
Great product and a good guy to deal with!
Click to expand...
utahusker said:
I highly recommend this^
Click to expand...
Another vote for the Sam Lam bushing!!!!! $10 dollars well spent!

I just installed a VQ sear and the Sam Lam bushing yesterday in my 22/45 threaded barrel.

Everyone keeps asking how hard it is etc. The job really isn't that hard....you just need to be an octopus and have 8 hands!!! With that said, it took me 2 hours and 45 minutes.

I had print outs of pics and two you tube videos paused and referenced what I needed.

2245 Maintenance Page

Volquartsen Trigger Installation, Ruger 22/45 by Nutnfancy - YouTube

Ruger Mark III Trigger Modification - YouTube

It took me a little while trying to figure out if I NEEDED parts I took out...which turns out was Mag Safety parts. I wish I had this:

GunTalk-Online.com :: View topic - Replacing Mag Safety Parts With a Mark II Bushing

cause it would have save me at least 30 minutes!!!!


And use this Vid for reassembly

http://www.1bad69.com/ruger/field_strip.htm


---DirtySCREW
 
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donwalk
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