Author Topic: So, my brand new Ruger Mark III target doens't work!?!?! (Read 3511 times)

teddy12b · « **on:** January 10, 2010, 08:32:08 AM »

Yesterday I was at the shooting range. While there I got out my brand new Ruger Mark III Blued Target pistol and proceeded to start shooting. I made it through about a magaszine or two before something just quit working. It was beloew freezing yesterday, but I don't think that should have mattered.

I could put in a new full factory mag, release the slide, chamber a round, and with the gun on fire nothing would happen when I pulled the trigger. No dent on the case, no clicks, nothing. I cleaned the gun before use by spraying carbon cleaner on it, then reoiling it, and I've done all that again since yesterday.

I've owned this exact gun in the past except in stainless and never had a single problem with it. I don't know if there is something I did wrong or what, but I'm up for taking it to my local gunsmith or sending it back to Ruger if I can't do a simple fix myself.

What do you all think I should do?

kitchawan kid · « **Reply #1 on:** January 10, 2010, 09:38:33 AM »

We have seen alotof that at the range,the mag disconnect and loaded chamber indicator are a real problem,many just get rid of both,but not P.C.

fr3db3ar · « **Reply #2 on:** January 10, 2010, 10:31:22 AM »

It may be that you have debris along the firing pin. Give it a good cleaning and give it another try. The LCI should never interfere with it firing and the debate is on about the mag disconnect. That being said....neither of those are still in my MK III. It's pretty easy to remove the metal part of the LCI and put the plastic part back in place to fill the hole. Personally, I don't trust any device to tell me my gun is loaded....I look. I got a replacement spacer for the mag disconnect just because I don't care for lawyers deciding how my gun should be made and maintained.

scott cudworth · « **Reply #3 on:** January 10, 2010, 11:02:06 AM »

Sounds like the spring on the striker has broken or slipped past itself. If it doesn"t click at all its not cocking.

teddy12b · « **Reply #4 on:** January 10, 2010, 11:36:10 AM »

Today I have hosed it in both carbon cleaner and WD40. I figured between the two of them they should be able to break something free. I have worked the action over and over and over and still no luck. This thing is starting to tick me off.

Brett · « **Reply #5 on:** January 10, 2010, 12:43:51 PM »

I checked with Ruger's legal dept. about your situation... they tell me your MkIII is working perfectly.

All kidding aside I'ld be willing to bet it's the Mag. disconnect. Ditch it and the loaded chamber indicator as someone else had suggested.

Flash · « **Reply #6 on:** January 10, 2010, 01:14:06 PM »

Quote from: scott cudworth on January 10, 2010, 11:02:06 AM

Sounds like the spring on the striker has broken or slipped past itself. If it doesn"t click at all its not cocking.

I agree. The same problem that happened to my Hunter. It wasn't cocking at all after a few magazines full. The gun had to go back to Ruger and after three weeks, it came back perfect.

teddy12b · « **Reply #7 on:** January 19, 2010, 07:46:24 AM »

As luck would have it. I called my local gunsmith and stopped by his place on the way home. I brought the gun taken apart as I had planned to ship it, but we put it together and of course it worked just fine for him. I was relieved to see that my gun was functioning perfectly, but it was frustrating like taking a car with a problem to a mechanic and then it runs fine. We did a couple test fires and the whole time I just couldn't believe it. I'm glad my gun is working now, but even the gunsmith said he didn't know what he did. I hope some little piece of crud got knocked loose or a burr smoothed out somehow.

In any case, next time I go to the range I want to put about 1000 rounds though the gun before I feel any confidence in it. I may look into a speed loader for the mark iii mags. I like the one I have for my 10-22.

Thanks for all the help guys.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #8 on:** January 19, 2010, 08:38:58 AM »

How cold was it ? could some lube or cleaner have frozen it in place ?

teddy12b · « **Reply #9 on:** January 19, 2010, 08:48:28 AM »

It was a little below freezing the day at the range, but I had cleaned it out fairly well the day before. It was still not working right after I got it home and it was warmed up. Once the gunsmith and I put it back together it must have wiggled something just right. I'm not to try to torture test it next time I'm at the range.

teddy12b · « **Reply #10 on:** April 12, 2010, 07:46:23 AM »

**Update**

I was informed to give the pistol a little tap on the back of the receiver with a rubber mallet to get the trigger to reset. I did this and it worked! After I did this I went to the range, where the gun got gummed up again and again. Each time I cleared the gun and smacked it against a wood pallet on the range. Thankfully nobody else was there to see me doing this or they would have thought I was nutts. Anyway, after that trip to the range I got home and sprayed it with the carbon cleaner, then oiled it, then repeated it all. The last two trips to the range the gun has worked flawlessly. I have a couple mags and an ultimate clip loader so I've been trying to put a lot of rounds through the gun to get it hot and really work it in and I'm glad I did. I just thought I'd update this thread and let you all know how it was working out.

Dand · « **Reply #11 on:** April 14, 2010, 09:16:01 PM »

If you are working below freezing ease up on the oil. Or get something like Beeman's MP-5, Birchwood Casey's sheath or other really light dry lubricant designed for low temps - tiny bit of Rem Oil maybe. DON"T use WD 40 - it will gum.

I'd take it apart and look at the channel for the firing pin etc too. I have a Mark II and it doesn't have some of those new features of the MK 3.

Good luck.

Dee · « **Reply #12 on:** April 15, 2010, 02:26:56 AM »

Lose the WD40 on your guns. It is trouble down the road, in the way of gunk buildup. I made a lot of money over the years with WD40 guns brought in. Had to be completely disassembled to get the varnish like build up out.

teddy12b · « **Reply #13 on:** April 15, 2010, 05:21:39 AM »

The WD40 was out of desperation and sprayed out by later by a carbon cleaner. When I had taken this gun to my local gunsmith he couldn't even find anything that would be wrong with the gun. That's why I just kept giving it a tap at the range and trying to put rounds through it to break it in. Now that it's up and running I won't be using WD40 on the gun. I'll give it a little shot with the carbon cleaner, then brush it out, and finally some oil. Now that the gun is actually function at 100% I really really like it!

Dee · « **Reply #14 on:** April 15, 2010, 09:24:22 AM »

I wonder what the deal was? I suspect the magazine safety disconnect like some one said. I don't have ANY experience with that pistol.

teddy12b · « **Reply #15 on:** April 15, 2010, 10:13:19 AM »

I asked the gunsmith about the disconnect while he was looking it over. He couldn't find anything wrong with it. I think it just ended up being one of those "bugs" that had to work itself out. Over 1000rds later the gun is working fine, go figure.

Dee · « **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2010, 12:23:31 PM »

Good deal.

Bearcat 74 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 17, 2010, 12:16:55 AM »

I took the mag disconnect out, loaded chamber indicator out, and did the slingshot mod on mine as it would not run worth a hoot. Since doing the mods I have had zero issues. Mine is crazy accurate also.

teddy12b · « **Reply #18 on:** April 17, 2010, 04:33:20 AM »

I'm not familiar with the slingshot mod. Could you explain this?

The one saving grace this pistol has had is the accuracy. It shoots very well and I can't complain one bit.

Bearcat 74 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 17, 2010, 09:22:16 AM »

I did this: http://www.guntalk-online.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1857&highlight=sam+lam

Slingshot mod: http://guntalk-online.com/2245detailstripping.htm#ssmod

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221089

rvtrav · « **Reply #20 on:** April 06, 2011, 03:22:49 PM »

teddy12b,

I read through your postings, I bought a Ruger MKIII today and had almost exactly the same issues. I looked up "ruger MkIII and there was your posting.
I kept messing around with removing the magazine and loaded round, working the bolt and trigger. dissassembled and thoughly cleaned- reassembled and messed with the magazine and bolt some more.
Eventually (I think parts just needed 'worked in') the gun began behaving and functioning, I went through a carton of shells today, after about 250 rounds, the gun began to function flawlessly. think I'll try another carton tommorrow to confirm that I've cured the problems. In the meantime I'm gonna look through the modification strings and links I know it was the magazine safety relationship that was causing my problems.

Hope it all worked out okay for you, Rvtrav

teddy12b · « **Reply #21 on:** April 07, 2011, 04:18:17 AM »

Shame on me, but I never did give a final update/review of what happened with the gun on this forum. I did write a lengthy review of the gun and my experiences with it on Budsgunshop.com's website where I had bought it from. You can check it out there under the name Adam.

The bottom line is that the gun has been working flawlessly for me now for quite some time. I still don't know what was causing the problems and I doubt I ever will. I know at this point the gun is still built like a tank and I don't think I'll ever sell it. I just checked and I have just shy of 2500 rounds through mine so far. In the big picture, that's not that many rounds through a 22lr and that reminds me that the gun is overdue for another trip to the range.

As a side note the one tool that has really helped me out with testing this gun has been that ultimate clip loader. I've got six mags for my mark III and that thing will fill them up very quickly. That thing allows me to put so much more ammo downrange with such little reloading effort. Now that I've bought and used one, I don't think I'd ever buy another 22lr pistol that couldn't use one.

rvtrav · « **Reply #22 on:** April 07, 2011, 04:08:09 PM »

teddy12b,

Years ago when they first came out, I bought several 'thumb savers' for .22 auto pistol clips, man did it help out. I put one in every vehicle and range bag, so I had one when I needed it. They helped put plenty of ammo through several MKII's and a browning buckmark back in the day. I would be seriously thumb sore after just a short time at the range before I bought them, and they were cheap (couple of bucks) too.

I bought two spare clips with the MKIII yesterday (giving me 4 total) and it still seems like I spend a lot more time loading than shooting. I'll have to look up the ultimate loader and see what it's like.

Thanks, Rvtrav

teddy12b · « **Reply #23 on:** April 09, 2011, 05:01:26 PM »

Look up a video of one on YouTube. It's been a game changer for me. I don't think I'd like the gun as much without it.