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Mk3 lockup

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 8:03 am
by onapar
Hi my first post here but I have been reading and learning a lot for a while.
I took my mark3 to the range wednesday for the first time.Gun is used but new to me.it came with a quick strip kit already installed which is a new bolt pin stop and hammer. The action seemed rough but I thought a few thousand rounds might cure that. I fired about sixty rounds when I had a fte which lodged behind the next round loading.I pulled the bolt back to clear it when the bolt locked up I determined that the hammer strut went behind the frame cross pin. I took it home removed the grips and drove out the cross pin freeing the hammer strut.While I was at it I removed the speed strip kit and replaced the original hammer and bolt stop pin. The action is now very smooth no more roughness which I blame on the kit.
What causes the hammer strut to lodge behind the cross pin? Can this be prevented? Has any one else had this problem?
Thanks

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:08 am
by blue68f100
Being rough to start out, my guess it was not correctly installed. Like the hammer strut was not where it was suppose to be.

I see no need at all for the quick strip kit. You have to have tools with you to break the gun down.

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:56 pm
by greener
blue68f100 wrote:Being rough to start out, my guess it was not correctly installed. Like the hammer strut was not where it was suppose to be.

I see no need at all for the quick strip kit. You have to have tools with you to break the gun down.
I don't recall seeing anything in the speed strip kit that would make the pistol rough. Agree that the hammer strut was not where it is supposed to be.

I carry all the tools I usually need to strip a Ruger: fingernail, heel of palm, shoe heel etc. I think the speed strip kit is a neat idea, but with a little practice the Ruger will come apart or go back together in a minute or so.

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 12:07 am
by Bullseye
Welcome to the forum. Another likely cause was someone opened up the mainspring latch with the hammer partially cocked and that caused it to slide off the mainspring cap some. Later it managed to slip off the rest of the way and jam itself behind the crosspin.

R,
Bullseye

mk3 lock up

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 7:58 am
by onapar
thanks for the welcome and bullseye I think what you discribe is what happened. If I run in to another jam I definitly will not try to remove the mainspring latch.

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 1:48 pm
by Bullseye
A new member Bill Beamon sent me this photo on his modification for a hung hammer strut behind the crosspin.

Image

He took out the crosspin and inserted a small cotter pin to secure the long leg of the sear spring.

R,
Bullseye

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 5:32 pm
by greener
That's a neat idea.

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 7:01 pm
by bearandoldman
greener wrote:That's a neat idea.
Sounds like a winner to me, can't get on the wrong side of the pin, if the pin is not there.