Was at the LGS for another S&W and this caught my attention.

RUGER 22/45 MK III Target Model (brand new for $299).
5 1/2" BBL...2 mags...accessory rail.

Has nice weight to it.Feels like you're holding a 1911.Can't go wrong at that price.Right?

Got it home and started reading the manual.Started to second guess my purchase when I got to the instructions for disassembly.

Seemed strange to list tools needed for disassembly as a paperclip,wooden dowel and rubber mallet.Was I going to clean it or take out my aggressions on it??

A video on RUGER's website was informative but I don't think I'll ever remember all of the steps you have to take to accomplish what should be a simple task.To reassemble it seems to be even more critical to follow the steps exactly.

Should I add a bottle of Excedrin to the list of tools needed??

LOL, no just don't take it apart. That's the easy part.

Try re-assembling it !

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SWCA #2817

Do not take it apart.

Just use some toothbrushes and one of those aerosol/spray cleaners.

Take a look at the Hornady One Shot product that is a cleaner and lube.

It leaves a dry lube behind.

That is the number one "gun in a bag" at the local LGS. Most cannot put it back together, and many break a part on the gun trying.....but....if you read/follow the instructions, you will be allright.

BTW, can you post a copy of the instructions..............?

Is this for complete disassembly or a field strip. If this is for a field strip something like that would be going back the the LGS 1 second after reading that. Not my thing, especially in a 22lr. For an extra $50 I can pick up a Glock in a real caliber

Link to instructions on the Ruger web site.

http://www****ger.com/service/product...45MarkIII.html

Sent from my Galaxy Note II

That's for a field strip to take the bolt out.The slide can be left on but you wont be able to clean the receiver.The main issue in the instructions seems to be making sure the hammer is in the proper position at each step or else you end up with a non-functioning gun.You also might have trouble taking it apart again to fix your mistake.

Yea definitely something I would stay away from.

Ah. I thought, when I read "paper clip", that you needed a thin piece of wire. You use the loop of the clip to grab the take-down thing. Some people (that don't bite their nails) use their thumbnail. I use the awl on my pocketknife.

The hammer and wooden dowel is because they are so damn tight. One of mine comes apart with simple hand strength. One requires a piece of 2x4 across the back of the receiver, and a tap with a claw hammer. It's tight.

I think it's cool they suggest the "plastic hammer and wooden dowel", that may or may not be needed, rather than not implying the gun is tight and some moron getting a big screwdriver to use as a prybar.

Only problem I have with the Mark III is that stupid magazine disconnect. Every time you wish to pull the trigger, you need to stick a magazine up the spout, and disassembly and reassembly requires two or three trigger pulls.

Stupid dang lawyers and their stupid dang "safety features".

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I always take precautions

Here's a .pdf file of the instructions.

https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/...ls/markIII.pdf

My MKII is the same way -
Gotta hold it upside down, at a 45 degree angle, so the internals are positioned correctly.

Dang engineers - oh, I r one.

BTW - mine stove-piped constantly until I installed one of the Volquartsen exact edge extractors. Runs like a sewing machine now.

Watched a lot of videos on YouTube and hopefully the fun I'll have shooting it will outweigh the aggravation cleaning it.

Mine only has to come apart for cleaning every 1000 rounds or so, if that. With plentiful .22 ammo and a McFadden mag loader, that could be every other day, but under current conditions, it's only once or twice a year. That's rare enough that I won't tackle it without a copy of the instructions in front of me.

But it's worth it.

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Not in jail.

Thanks for the warning. I can't afford one, but thanks anyway.

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Oh well, what the hell.

The field strip of the 22/45 the first time can be confusing. I watched some youtube videos on it before I attempted it. When putting it back together I didn't get the hammer strut in the correct location so it didn't work. Once I realized my error it was easy to fix.

I have done the full detail strip as well. It is much harder, but manageable. I installed a full complement of Volquartsen trigger parts and the Tandemkross bushing to remove the mag disconnect. The first upgrade on any of the 22/45 MK III's should be removing the mag disconnect as it makes the field strip much easier.

My first handgun was a Ruger MKI Standard I bought at age 17, 1978, paid $67.50 for it. My Mother had to do the paperwork....

I shot it for years without disassembling it, when I tried to take it apart for cleaning I couldn't get it back together. It sat in my sock drawer for a year until I got the nerve up to take it to a gun shop for help, within a minute the clerk had it back together. I determined then never to take a Ruger .22 pistol apart unless I had to.

A few years ago, I was helping teach an NRA Basic Pistol Class at my gun club, at the end of the class and shooting session, one of my fellow club members was teaching the gun cleaning part of the class, and asked if any student wanted their gun cleaned during the demo. A student with a brand new Ruger MKIII said he'd like a clean, at this point the gun had maybe 50 rounds fired in it. I cautioned my friend and fellow club member not to attempt taking the Ruger apart, "Relax" he said, I know what I'm doing....

An hour later, the Ruger owner demanded his disassembled pistol back and drove the 70 miles back to the gun shop he had bought it from and had them re-assemble it.

I had another Ruger pistol, a 22/45 MKIII that I bought with the intent of shooting the stuffing out of it in practice, to take the strain of my Smith and Wesson revolvers. Took me about three years to run over 65,000 rounds through it, never took it apart and never did more cleaning than the occasional patch through the bore and a dose of gun scrubber. After 65,000 rounds, it started having malfunctions, failures to fire, stove pipes, failure to feed, etc. I sent it back to Ruger, and they replaced every wear part in the pistol, keeping only the frame and barrel. For this they only charged me $60, including shipping the pistol back to me.

So, shoot the dickens out of that gun, and don't try to take it apart unless you have too....

These are great firearms; and have been around, what, over 50 years?

They are (and have been known to be) difficult to disassemble/reassemble.

General cleaning is all you really need on something like this. Have a relative who owned one since the late 50's I believe. Never took it apart. Just cleaned what he could access. Shot it a lot. No issues... YMMV

BTW, they are very natural pointing and excellent target/woods guns.

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Rather be outdoors

The trick with the Ruger is to take it apart and reassemble it several times over several days and burn it into your memory lol.youTube is a big help with this.
Edit: Watch that the firing pin stop doesn't fall out of the bolt when you field strip the gun.I think this is more of a problem with the Mark I,but a burr in the chamber mouth is annoying 😠

After watching numerous videos and rereading the instructions it is making more sense.I'll have to make sure I have a weekend set aside when it's time to clean it.

What doesn't make sense is why RUGER has to be so different from the other manufacturers.I have a 5906,45 RECON,XDS .45 and KELTEC PMR-30.Each of them disassembles and reassembles the same way.

Still not disappointed that I bought it.I want to get some more mags before heading to the range.

Just got done reading about cautions when reinstalling the bolt.Could end up with a permanent paperweight.

Oh it can be fixed with a needle file Though a chamber iron is better

Five is the optimum number, IMO. The McFadden speed loader holds a 50 rd. box. I won't bore you with the math.

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Not in jail.

Are we talking about the same thing?

Instruction manual...page 25...section 5...firing pin flying forward causing irreparable damage?

Thank you! Will check it out.

Once you've got all the assemblies figured out,you can install a Volquartsen trigger and sear.Makes a world of difference.My mark III,which Ive done, has a much cleaner break than my mark Is.

Stupid dang Ruger and their stupid dang overly complicated reassembly procedures. My S&W 41 is a lot easier to disassemble, and I shoot it better than the Ruger.

I got bushings for both the MKIII's and removed the mag disconnect. It also allows the mags to fall free ( they almost shoot out ). We have been shooting both with cans and have not yet cleaned, sounds like a winter project!! Be Safe,

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I BACK OUR BLUE

Not sure the Mk3 is much different, but I have an old Mk2, and yes the first few dis-assemblies/re-assemblies were "fun". But after a few times, you get the knack of it, it also loosens up so hammering's not necessary. Now it's no biggie, and takes just a few minutes to get it done. Granted I've been doing it for 25 yrs now LOL.

It's a great shooting, reliable and very accurate pistol.

Congrats on your purchase coltle6920.

Be well all...

Absolutely. It is not as hard to take down and reassemble as some would have you think. You just have to follow the instructions to a T. I did have problems putting my Mark I back together when I first got it in 1978. I am very grateful we have Youtube now and I have the video book marked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkPN87hRgbE

Just ordered 10 mags from CTD ($19.95ea).Everyone else wanted $29 or more.

Thanks to Marshwheeling for the McFadden speedloader tip.Just ordered it from Midway.Product got tons of great reviews.

Now we'll see how long my hoard of ammo lasts!

I never take apart a working pistol, unless it's a military design, that's made for idiots to take apart.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

It strikes me that the MK series of pistols is built more like a rifle than a pistol. It certainly doesn't come apart like any other gun I know of. It is however a very reliable design, that does not have to be cleaned very often. Two traits that are extremely uncommon on a .22 pistol. One thing to be very careful of on the MKIII is to not put the magazine in backwards, it apparently get stuck pretty good and is near impossible to get out.

This guy has a special tool, and he takes a MK pistol apart and puts it back together in a minute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Reg6eoqlI

I like how these videos are on the 22/45 PLASTIC frame. When I first tried to do the takedown on my stainless MKIII, it was not easy at all. Plastic is much easier to come apart than two tight stainless pieces

If you think the Ruger Mark series is bad just look into what it takes to "field strip" an 1892 Winchester for a through cleaning. Then remember that the 1892 dates back to the Black Powder era when a complete detail cleaning was mandatory after every single firing, even if it was only 1 or 2 rounds. It sort of leads to a conclusion that most people were vastly more mechanically "intelligent" back when my grandfather was a young man.

I've heard several people complain about the disassembly/reassembly process on these guns. Enough complaints that I'll steer clear of them. I think Ruger may have lost its way with this pistol.

Errrm, actually, I think Ruger found its way with this pistol. Their first product in 1949 was the Ruger Standard; its success got the company off the ground.

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Not in jail.

There are 2 pts where reassembly gets tricky.The hammer needs to be all the way forward to start the mainspring housing into the frame.Point the muzzle straight down and pull the trigger to do this (on the mark III,the mag must be in the gun)
Before you shove the mainspring housing all the way into the grip frame,point the muzzle at the sky so the hammer falls to the rear.Often times the hammer strut will hang up on the sear pin at this point so you need to look in there to make sure it hasn't.
You should feel some spring tension when pushing the mainspring into the grip frame.If you don't,the hammer strut is not in position.
Edit: The easy solution to the mag disconnect which requires installing the mag to pull the trigger so the hammer goes forward,is to buy an after market hammer bushing and toss the mag disconnect in the parts box 👍

Bought a Mk1 in 1980, disassembled and reassembled it ONCE,
never again.

Gun scrubber, (carburetor cleaner) is my friend. No problem shooting.

I've never owned or even held one of these pistols, and with their rep I won't be any time soon. I have a Beretta Neos that looks like a water pistol, but it shoots well and is easy to clean.

This one is my new favorite and my son's, No reason at all to avoid the Ruger MK series pistols. They are not impossible to take apart and clean, just a little harder than some designs. They are well worth the extra effort,

As said already they are a little tricky but with practice they aren't so bad to take apart and together again.
My old friend Jim gave me his 1949 standard Red Eagle a number of years ago. Jim didn't know how to take it apart and shot and cleaned it best he could. First thing I did was take it apart and it was really dirty inside but had still functioned perfectly before cleaning. That says a lot for the design I think.
Jim's pistol was an early one and according to the Ruger factory was probably one built in Ruger's garage when they first started. Wish though I had the cod box it was shipped with but it got lost over the years.

Exactly why I bought a Browning Buckmark, taking it apart is a little more involved than most semi autos but much easier (for me) than the Ruger.

I have 2 of these Ruger pistols. Both are MK II. One is a standard model and one is a 22/45. True, disassembly and reassembly can be tricky on these but it's not impossible. With practice, you should get good at it. The main thing (as has already been pointed out) is the position of the hammer during reassembly. The good news is you really shouldn't have to do it that often. Swab out the bore and spray it sparingly with a good cleaner/lube and you should be OK. I use 'One Shot'.

I suppose if you're used to a Glock or a Beretta, anything would be hard to take apart and put back together. Why does everyone need everything to be so easy?

My MKII pistol gets taken apart, cleaned, and put back together after every shooting session. I have been doing this since 1980, and still cannot understand all the comments about "hard to take apart and put back together". It simply is not all that difficult. You just have to practice. I would take "well-built" over easy, any day.

The 10/22 is the same way - but I'll wager most people who have them never take the bolt out - because they bring them to me to clean after they stop working.