Ruger MKIII jams

cheryld · Post by **cheryld** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 7:11 pm

I went to the range today and had some issues with my new Ruger MKIII Hunter. First, sometimes the first round in the magazine wouldn't feed. This happened with different magazines. Also had problems with the bolt not cycling fully at times causing the gun to jam. Any ideas or advice? The gun was cleaned good, but not oiled very much. Could this be part of my problem? Thanks for any advice. Cheryyl

Post by **Bullseye** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 7:46 pm

The first round of every magazine should have the bullet nose tilted upward to prevent misfeeds. This takes a conscious effort to ensure that the first round is tilted properly. Here's a picture to help:

The differences appear subtle but it does make a difference, especially if your pistol has a 22/45 frame.

Next, the pistol when new is tighter than one that has been shot a lot. Friction causes the parts to wear or break-in and they operate smoother. Too much oil can cause a similar problem as too little. This is because excessive oil attracts and holds the powder residue and rapidly gums up the action of the pistol. I just wipe a cloth with a few drops of oil on it over the bolt and that is sufficient for lubrication.

Another cause for short cycling can be caused by the shooter's wrist tension. If the wrist is kept loose some of the recoil energy is absorbed by the arms and this causes the pistol to not cycle fully. A shooter must keep tension on the wrists to allow the bolt to have the necessary force to cycle fully.

Hope this helps.

R,
Bullseye

greener · Post by **greener** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:37 am

Take a look at where your left hand is relative to the bolt release and other moving parts. You could be interfering with the free movement of the bolt.

PS. Let a guy shoot my Buck Mark today. That pistol tends to jamb if you put your left thumb behind the slide. A Ruger will probably do that if your thumb is behind the bolt but I didn't have one for him to try. I suggested a slightly different grip and the jamming dropped off dramatically.

blue68f100 · Post by **blue68f100** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:55 am

I would suggest shooting the heavier 40 gr bullets for breakin. The heavier bullets will work the slide easier than the 36 gr. Also make sure your slide is locked back when you insert the mags also helps with the 1st round.

A tight wrist is required for all autos to work the action correctly like suggested.

Hakaman · Post by **Hakaman** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:56 am

I think there was another post dedicated to this issue.
Some ammo, by virtue of it's physical size characteristics,
doesn't feed like others. I think the photo actually represents
the theme of that other thread. Some ammo does not
point up while in the mag like others, and can happen half
way through the mag firing.
H

cheryld · Post by **cheryld** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:18 am

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am using CCI Minimags. I did run 50 rounds of PMC ammo, but that did not jam the gun. I will make sure the round is like it is in the picture above and see if that helps. Still concerned about the bolt issue. I just cleaned it good and lubed it a little more than before to see if that helps. I am just learning to shoot a semiauto. I am used to revolvers, so I am not to sure if my grip is exactly right. I have Hogue grips with a right thumb rest. All of your input is appreciated.

Cheryl

blue68f100 · Post by **blue68f100** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:34 pm

I almost run my bolt dry. I only use a single drop of Amsoil MP and I wipe the bolt and receiver down with it. I have also used CLP and Hornady One Shot Dry lubricant. The One Shot is very good because it is a dry lube. The light ends evaporate leaving the dry lube behind. The lighter the oil the better on the bolt.

Curmudgeon · Post by **Curmudgeon** » Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:06 am

My Mark III 22/45 did too it until it got a complete detail strip and clean. The packing grease is too heavy for the gun to operate correctly.

The Volquartsen upgrade was another rung up the ladder.

Jack D · Post by **Jack D** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:07 pm

Finished firing all those ^%$#^^&* Remington Thunderbolts this morning. Never had a feed problem (just lots of misfires). Then I loaded CCI MiniMags and the trouble starts. I'm getting 3-4 FTF (smiley points) in each mag full. It's been over 1000 rounds without cleaning, so this may be the problem. Time to clean. But I wasn't having any trouble with FTF with the Thunderbolts or a bulk pak of unknown brand.

Somewhere I read in this forum about a mag mod which I think was to solve this problem. I've searched for it but haven't been able to locate it. It had something to do with rounding corners slightly??????

Maybe someone can point me to this thread?

Post by **Bullseye** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:07 pm

Here's a link http://www.1bad69.com/ruger/stovepipe.htm

R,
Bullseye

Jack D · Post by **Jack D** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 7:35 pm

Thanks, Bullseye. Not what I thought it was for. My problem is FTF, putting a little mouth on the bullet tip. Somewhere I read a fix for this on this site, but can't find it. I did clean the piece and tried again. Same result. And it, so far, only happens with CCI Mini Mags.

recumbent · Post by **recumbent** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:00 pm

So stop shooting mini mags........

Try some CCI Blazers for another 1000 rounds or so for break in then try some more mini mags.

Post by **Bullseye** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:42 am

Jack - what bullet style are those Mini-Mags?

R,
Bullseye

Jack D · Post by **Jack D** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:51 am

They're HP. And, yes, all the others were solid. Maybe that's the problem? I bought them when ammo was very hard to find and when I did, choices were few. Didn't even know they were HP's until you asked.

Post by **Bullseye** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:19 pm

Jack I suspect that as the cause especially if your pistol is a 22/45 model. 22/45's have a tendency to not feed HP ammo very well.

R,
Bullseye

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