My GF has expressed a desire to own a gun. To start her off down the right path I am taking her to an NRA "First Steps" class this weekend. To that end, she needs something to use for the range portion of the class. I have two suitable rimfire autoloaders - a S&W 422 / 6" and a Ruger MK I Target bull barrel 5.5". These were inherited from my father and probably hadn't been cleaned in a decade. The 422 went OK - a little tricky to disassemble (need a fired .22 case), but OK.

 

The Ruger.....well need I say more? After downloading the owner's manual and viewing multiple You Tube files, I figured, "Looks pretty simple, how hard can it be?" Never quite got to the throw the gun against the wall stage, but it was together and apart about six times before I got it right. I was getting real good at getting the bolt retention pin through the lower receiver/bolt/upper receiver and just got way frustrated when the gun didn't work. Finally after a careful analysis of the situation - I realized the key was positioning the hammer strut in the little "pocket" on the take-down lever (Ruger calls it the mainspring housing - don't know why - no spring in it), and it worked just fine. Curious whether this is the same problem you MK II & III owners encounter with these Rugers? Or did they "improve" it

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

Said it once.... I will say it again....

 

I will NEVER clean it again....LOL

 

Either Matt will clean it..... or I will sell it....

Talk to Wolfy and have him show you the video he used to learn his tricks. He can take his Ruger apart and put it back together in about a minute.

Matt has a video posted that as much as it hurts to say this was quite helpful.

Matt has a video posted that as much as it hurts to say this was quite helpful.

 

my video rocks. I will make a new one when I have someone around to hold the camera for me since I only have my cellphone that takes video.

 

And yes Bob, that mainspring housing is what gives everyone the problems. I definitely need to make another video.

 

But once you figure out the Ruger's, they are so easy to put together and take apart.

Matt has a video posted that as much as it hurts to say this was quite helpful.

 

my video rocks. I will make a new one when I have someone around to hold the camera for me since I only have my cellphone that takes video.

 

And yes Bob, that mainspring housing is what gives everyone the problems. I definitely need to make another video.

 

But once you figure out the Ruger's, they are so easy to put together and take apart.

no, we can not handle another one. :shock:

I don't understand why the Mark II has such a bad repuation for reassembly. I know the Ruger directions are useless but then I watched a video of a guy dissassemble and reasseble a Mk II in something like 32 seconds. Once you know to put the hammer strut in the pocket with the hammer in the right position, it's easy. My only problem is I had to write myself a good note so I would remember how I did it. My Buckmark is a much bigger problem to disassemble as the barrel screw has to be removed and it's got Loctite on the threads. You have to heat the screw to get it out the first time and many people have stripped the head, broken allen wrenches off and snapped the head off the barrel screw. I would much rather clean the Mk II than the Buckmark. I should note some Buckmarks can be field stripped by only removing the back rear-sight screw but on most models, the recoil rod will be bent if only the rear screw is removed.

It's not "hard" per say, it's just the tolerences are so damn tight it's near impossible to do anything without beating the gun to death