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Geezer

Geezer

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This morning, I stopped by to see my pawn shop buddy, Perry. We talked a few minutes and said he had a gun that he wanted me to look at. He said he sold it to a guy and the guy brought it back the next day saying it wouldn't work. Perry said he knew for a fact that it would function when the guy bought it. He said it was now locked up.

He went into the back and came out with a Ruger Standard, some people call them a MK I. I laughed and asked him what he wanted for it just like it was. I told him that I knew exactly what was wrong with it, the guy took it apart and assembled it wrong. He asked if I could fix it. I told him that I was sure I could.

I took the mainspring out of it and tilted the gun to get the hammer strut to swing into place. It was so dirty and gummed up, the strut wouldn't move freely. I went ahead and took it all apart and cleaned everything up and put it back together. Perry was waiting on customers while I was doing this. When he came back over I handed him the gun. He worked the bolt and shook his head. He wanted to know what I did. I explained that you had to be very careful to get the hammer strut in the right place. He couldn't believe that I fixed it so quickly.

Perry offered to pay me. He said he was going to have to take it to a gunsmith anyway. I declined saying I was happy to help him out. He told me he'd make it up to me. I know he will.

Honestly, it had been so long since I had disassembled and reassembled one of the Rugers, I had my doubts that I'd remember how to do it. Luckily, it all came back to me and it went very smoothly.
 
If there's one gun I hate breaking down more than any other, it's the Ruger MK series. I've lost count of how many times I've done it, and I still have to YouTube it nearly every stinkin' time!
 
Once you do it a few times it's a piece of cake. But the new ones with mag disco and other crap make it more difficult.
The older ones are broke in a bit and easier, imo.
 
Geezer said:
This morning, I stopped by to see my pawn shop buddy, Perry. We talked a few minutes and said he had a gun that he wanted me to look at. He said he sold it to a guy and the guy brought it back the next day saying it wouldn't work. Perry said he knew for a fact that it would function when the guy bought it. He said it was now locked up.

He went into the back and came out with a Ruger Standard, some people call them a MK I. I laughed and asked him what he wanted for it just like it was. I told him that I knew exactly what was wrong with it, the guy took it apart and assembled it wrong. He asked if I could fix it. I told him that I was sure I could.

I took the mainspring out of it and tilted the gun to get the hammer strut to swing into place. It was so dirty and gummed up, the strut wouldn't move freely. I went ahead and took it all apart and cleaned everything up and put it back together. Perry was waiting on customers while I was doing this. When he came back over I handed him the gun. He worked the bolt and shook his head. He wanted to know what I did. I explained that you had to be very careful to get the hammer strut in the right place. He couldn't believe that I fixed it so quickly.

Perry offered to pay me. He said he was going to have to take it to a gunsmith anyway. I declined saying I was happy to help him out. He told me he'd make it up to me. I know he will.

Honestly, it had been so long since I had disassembled and reassembled one of the Rugers, I had my doubts that I'd remember how to do it. Luckily, it all came back to me and it went very smoothly.
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YOU DA MAN @Geezer
 
LMAO. I had a buddy do the same thing. I’d never had one but had heard about the issue.

He showed it to me and I looked it up on YouTube. He had cleaned it when he took it apart so I just took it back apart, watched the short video and put it back together correctly.

He offered to sell it to me on the spot.
 
rufrdr said:
I've never cleaned my MkIII. Still works just fine. A gunsmith told me to not take my Mk II HB apart until it didn't function so I stopped cleaning it too.
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We had them as range rentals and qualification guns for classes. Sometimes it would get so busy we couldn't take them out of rotation for cleaning, but they would build up fouling where the bolt meets the barrel, which would not allow them to go into battery. We would get a little flat head screwdriver and dig the fouling out of the breech and put them right back on the line. I would bet you could shoot cases of ammo before getting one too gummed up.
 
What you did will come back … next time he gets something “special” he will remember you and let you know before he puts it out for the public … maybe nice S&W Registered Magnum in you future?

Last time I cleaned a Mk I/II I swear I almost had to stand on my head to get the Ruger Gods to align the parts for reassembly.

As to going back to a gunsmith … I remember a sign from years back “Bag of Gun = $50” … and he charged it!
 
The Ruger MK 1-3 series is why I bought a Smith & Wesson target pistol. Single button takedown FTW. Then those aholes went and made the MK4....but it's now so expensive I would still buy a Victory over it
 
First time I took one apart was a friend's gun; it was in a safe, under salt water during hurricane Sandy and they didn't get into the safe for a week or two. I YouTubed it, got it cleaned, and had the hardest time getting it back together. I've accumulated a few of these now, and I put an aftermarket part inside that keeps the strut in place during reassembly - which helps.
 
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I had a MKII Government Target Model 6 7/8” bbl I got for Christmas when I was 16. It took me one evening of fiddling with the mainspring and hammer strut to get the process down. What worked for me was holding the gun up to where I could watch the strut fall into it's stirrup (?) when you let the latch back in. Once you see it and get it you got it. Wish I had that one back. It was lost in some family malfeasance. Btw, a loop of 14# test fishing line slipped behind the latch is an easy way to pull it out without scratching things up with a screwdriver or paper clip.
 
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Supermatch said:
If there's one gun I hate breaking down more than any other, it's the Ruger MK series. I've lost count of how many times I've done it, and I still have to YouTube it nearly every stinkin' time!
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I’m just the opposite. I love taking these apart and reassembling them. Same with a FULL breakdown of a 1911.
I just love when things work.
 
I've owned a few, still own a couple. Got so frustrated the first time I tore it down that I kept doing it until I had it down pat. Still, my preferred
method is to spray the crap out of it with brake cleaner and not take it apart :)
 
I’m pretty good taking things apart, but to this day, I’ll never take my MK II Ruger apart!
 
I never understood the complaints. It took me a while the first time, but after I figured it out, it was fine. I think that vertical bolt that has to pop behind the recoil spring can be finicky and needs a tap sometimes, but otherwise pretty straight forward. But, I had a gun, I don't remember which model, that had springs held in by the grips. I'd always forget and when I would take the grips off, springs would fall out. You had to juggle the springs and grips to get it to stay together. That was a pain.
 
Mk II slabside was my first Bullseye pistol - crazy accurate but had to clean it constantly.
I had this down in my sleep 25 years ago - as I recall flipping it upside down as part of the secret.

Model 41 is just a tad easier to field strip . . .
 
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