www.MarkII.org
Care and Feeding of new MK II and 22/45s,
New Pistol, Now What?Ref: MoHiPwr · Savage · bad69 · WizTech
em905069 · Posted: Dec 13 2003, 04:31 AM
Member: 493My much beloved 22/45 stainless arrived yesterday morning. Since I had never held a 22/45 before I was nervous that I would not like the "fit" of the gun. Luckily I found that it fit my hand like a glove. The 22/45 has the Bull Barrel just like the Mark II I have been shooting at the range.
So, what the hell do I do now? Do I have to clean the gun entirely? I have seen a link to one of your homepages that takes you through the disassembly process. I have never taken a gun apart before. I also have never cleaned a gun before. I will not be firing the gun until after X-mas so
"how do I break this gun in and maintain it for many years of fun."
Radar · Posted: Dec 13 2003, 07:03 AM
Member: 11I am going to take this opertunity to create a "care and feeding guide" to pin at the top for all of the new owners to read.
Cleaning/Lubing
The first thing that you want to do with your new pistol is to field strip it and clean off all of the protectant they apply to the gun at the factory.
For field stripping instructions, check out Yzguy's site for the Mark II or Stilgar's site for the 22/45.
Once you have the gun field stripped clean the bolt, recoil spring assemble, inside of the receiver and especially the bore. Use your favorite gun cleaner or non-chlorinated brake cleaner works great. The grip frame should not need to be cleaned other than wiping down the outside.
Before reassembly, the gun will need to be lubed. The following is my recommendations. Others may have other ideas, and if so, they are welcome to share them here, but this should get you started.
Place a drop or two of of gun oil on the side of the bolt. Smear this oil over the entire length of the bolt. Do not get any oil on the face bolt (the part with the extractor sticking out of it and the recess for the base of the cartridge). Ordinarily, on a broken in gun, I place two small drops on the bolt. Each drop is about 1/8th inch in diameter. But with a new gun that needs to be broken in, a little (and I do mean a little) excess can help float any loosened particles away.
Then place a drop of oil on the recoil spring so that the oil is on the bar that the spring is wrapped around. You probably want to put the recoil spring assemble back on the bolt before you do this.
A little oil on the face of the hammer where it contacts the bolt would probably be a good idea as well.
Then reassemble the pistol. Rack the bolt several times to spread the oil on the recoil spring assembly.
Straight from the factory you probably don't need to lube anything in the grip frame, but after later cleanings, you may want to add a drop of oil between the frame and the bolt release. Also, you may want to add a drop of oil in between the disconnector (the flat bar that runs along the right side of the frame from the trigger back to the hammer area) and the frame. This may effect the feel of the trigger, so try it with and without oil on the disconnector.
After shooting for a while, the trigger pull may start to feel gritty. Spraying down the trigger area with non-chlorinated brake cleaner and then blowing it out with compressed air can help this problem.
For the Mark II owners, the On Target Guns trigger shield will protect the trigger area and keep it much cleaner.
Ruger considers the internal parts of the grip frame as "non user serviceable" so if you can't reach it with a patch or Q-tip, you're probably OK if you don't clean/lube it. Although many owners remove all of the internal parts periodically and clean and lightly lube them.
How often should you clean your pistol? There has been much debate on this subject. Some clean after every shooting session. Some clean only when their gun starts to malfunction. The residues left over after shooting do not harm the gun, and in fact the waxy lube used in the bullets can actually serve to protect the bore of your gun. Also, many believe that a dirty gun shoots more accurately. So there is probably no right answer for everybody. Clean the ammount that makes you comfortable or suites your needs.
If you do decide to clean the gun infrequently, you may want to lube in between ckeanings. It was suggested to me when I first got mine to lock the bolt back and spread a little oil on the bolt and a drop on the recoil rod between shootings.
Break In
The main thing to be aware of in the break in procedure is that there may be some feeding/ejection problems at first. These problems generally go away when the gun is fully broken in. Generally, it is recommended to shoot two bricks (1000 rounds) of high velocity ammo before you consider the gun fully broken in. Shooting Standard Velocity (Subsonic or most Target rounds) will not harm anything, but may extend the break in period due to the less vigorous cycling action.
Extra cleaning sessions during the break in process, would probably be a good idea, though.
Ammo
Pistols are individual and different individual pistols may prefer different ammo. So if you are having some type of feeding or extraction problem, you may solve it by changing ammo. With that said, my Mark II is not a picky eater. Of the ammo I have tried, I only have trouble with CCI Blazers. After a couple of hundred rounds, the waxy lube used in that ammo coats the inside of my receiver and leads to failures to fire.
The type of shooting you do may influence your selection of ammo. If you are just plinking and don't care if you get an occasional misfire, then the cheep $10 per brick ammo such as the Federal 550 round bulk packs may be the answer. If you need the ammo to fire every single time you pull the trigger, or the smallest possible groups, or both, then more expensive ammo is for you.
If you are worried about accuracy of cheep ammo, check out this topic. I tested several of the cheeper brands of ammo with a rifle scope and a rest. I got about 1.5" to 2"groups at 50 yards with all of them. I an sure the groups would have been quite a bit smaller if I had been able to use a Ransom rest.
Some types ammo have plain lead bullets and some have a copper wash over the bullet. The copper wash (not a jacket) is used as a lubricant. Copper or lead fouling is not generally a problem with .22 rimfire, and both types of bullets work well.
Hollow points generally aren't a problem either.
Everybody make sure you add anything that I have missed (or that you disagree with). Also, if there is anything you would do differently with a 22/45, let us know.
chim · Posted: Dec 13 2003, 08:23 AM
Member: 154Here's something you may find useful. I picked up two livestock-type syringes at a local farm store. The yellow one has a smaller needle, and is filled with moly based oil. The blue one has a larger diameter needle and has Superlube PTFE grease. I use the oil for parts that move on pins, and the bolt surface. The grease is for places like where the bolt and hammer interface. On other guns, the grease is also used on slide rails, etc.
The plastic syringes have been in use for several years without any detectable deterioration from the lubricants. I DID Dremel off the sharp points after getting stuck a few times (DUH).
They make it easy to control the placement and amount of lube. A 4 oz. bottle of lube is almost a lifetime supply...........................chim
ledavatar · Posted: Dec 13 2003, 06:26 PM
Member: 436QUOTE (Radar @ Dec 13 2003, 08:03 AM)
Some types ammo have plain lead bullets and some have a copper wash over the bullet. The copper wash (not a jacket) is used as a lubricant. Copper or lead fouling is not generally a problem with .22 rimfire, and both types of bullets work well.I ordered a couple of bricks of Aguila ammunition from Proload. The prices are pretty decent compared to what you get elsewhere online. What I found was that the "copper wash" on the coated bullets is much lighter than what you would find on MiniMags - so light that the color is just an amalgamation of lead and copper (you see spots of exposed lead here and there). Is that a quality control issue or is it just meant to be like that? I mean, they were pretty much all like that.
I remember a couple of years ago when I rented a 10/22 from a range to shoot and bought a box of MiniMag hollow points. The copper coating was similar to what I see on Aguila now so I always had a negative look on them. It wasn't until now that I've used the MiniMag solid points did I notice that the copper coating is actually the best one out there (very smooth, thick, and evenly distributed). Is there a difference between the coating on HP and HS MiniMags? I have't seen any HPs lately.
Bang · Posted: Dec 25 2003, 12:50 AM
Member: 593Yzguy's site is great. Got my new Slabside apart and back together again before I had time to finish one beer. No problems with his pix's.
herman · Posted: Dec 25 2003, 08:01 PM
Member: 565On my new MK-II target I noticed that the barrel is not all that tight i can turn it about a 1/16 of inch sideways back and forth is this susposed to be that way, I took it apart and cleaned it before I noticed this. If that is susposed to be that way doesn't seem like it would be too accurate. Haven't tried a round in it since but it will cock and fire after putting it back together.
I am going to take it back tomorrow and see if the dealer knows. Thanks for any help.
Stilgar · Posted: Dec 25 2003, 09:16 PM
Member: 81If you have any fail to fire, load, or eject's and it happens more than you like, change your ammo and/or clean the bolt face and the hole in the barrel that the ejector goes into and that fixes a bunch of problems.
This gun is great for plinking stock but their are a few items you can add to it to make it better. They are usually easy to put in and there are a lot of people here that can help.
the most popular part replacements are: sear, extractor,
trigger (Clark or Volquartsen, shooters personal preference)Both of these places sell the parts above and have been used by most members on this forum many times. onTargetGuns.com -and- RimfireSports.com
Radar · Posted: Dec 26 2003, 04:59 AM
Member: 11That is another area that varies from gun to gun. With my Mark II, for example, I still need a mallet to get the grip frame off of the receiver.
It should not effect the accuracy because the sights are mounted to the receiver and the end of the barrel, so a small ammount of slop between the frame and the receiver shouldn't matter for accuracy.
It has been reported that the On Target Trigger Shield slightly tightens the receiver/frame fit.
But if this bothers you or turn out to cause problems with the function of the gun, I am sure a gunsmith or the Ruger Factory can tighten up the fit for you.
Unless you mean there is play between the barrel and the receiver? That would be a problem.
herman · Posted: Dec 26 2003, 05:55 AM
Member: 565Thanks Radar,I haven't took it to the range and shot it but once since I had it .,brought it home and cleaned it and practiced a few times taken it apart and putting it back together.Didn't notice the sloppiness in it then.I can hold the receiver in my right hand and push the barrel off with little pressure.I have a 2 power scope on it and I can feel the looseness in the rear of the barrel and the receiver when I handle it.
I have the blue model going to go this morning and see if there is a difference in mine and another one he had if he still has it.If there is noticeable difference I will have him to send it back.
At first I thought maybe I hadn't put it back together right ,but it works when I put it back together but just feels loose in the rear of the barrel and the receiver.
Plan on getting a trigger shield and better trigger later,I don't shoot any competition but am a stickler for accuracy in all my guns,this one has a 41/2 lb trigger on it now which I want to get it down too.
herman · Posted: Dec 26 2003, 10:12 AM
Member: 565Took my MK-II target model back to the dealer,said he had seen some with a little play in them but not as much as the one I bought.Said he was going to send it back to Ruger and have it checked out.
Went to a gun show today and looked at several older ones that had been used all of them were very tight compared to mine.
em905069 · Posted: Dec 29 2003, 10:43 PM
Member: 493Hey Folks, at 3am yesterday morning I finaly decided to try to field strip my new 22/45. I had never even SEEN a gun being taken apart before. I should have read my owners manual.
I should have learned the names of the parts from online sources. But I didn't. I clicked on one of the trusty links that Radar mentioned. Whammo, within minutes my gun was in pieces. It did not go back together as quickly though.
I found a couple of the websites photos to be a little too dark for me to figure out. Again, if I had done my homework I would have known what parts they were referring too in the dark photos.
Also, I am technically challenged...to say the least. Regardless, the website link taught Mr Unteachable here how to field strip and put the gun back together...and with no extra parts!!!
I found it difficult to get the main housing spring in far enough to appear at the top of the barrel. At some point I discovered if I wiggled it a bit, it would pop all the way up. I guess this is due to the parts being so tight and new.
If Stilgar and Yzguy had not provided the field strip information I would have been Royaly frigged. Thank You very much. Radar's epic long breakdown of cleaning, lubing, and ammo information is a great introduction for all new 22/45 owners. Your words and time are not wasted and I am following them carefully. Well I must get back to work ( it is 12:40 am here at my familys motel.) I am certainly looking foward to shooting my 22/45 alot this winter. biggrin.gif
Radar · Posted: Dec 30 2003, 04:29 AM
Member: 11I should also mention that at the top of the disassembly pages on Yzguy's site are links to video that show Yzguy (or his hands at least) field stripping his Mark II. The video might help with those parts where you just aren't sure what to do from the pictures.
Also, after field stripping a couple of times, it gets easier to get parts like the bolt stop pin through it's holes.
Bh122lge · Posted: Dec 30 2003, 11:04 PM
Member: 19I can promise you one thing, when you get it back it will be 10 times better than when you sent it. From my experince, Ruger has excellent service and will go above and beyond if need be.
Stilgar · Posted: Apr 29 2004, 01:43 PM
Member: 81For those wanting to know what the names of the parts are on a 22/45 or already took it apart and not sure if you are holding the safety or bolt stop, their are pictures of the parts with names beside them, under diagrams on the 22/45 Instructions page.
Radar · Posted: Feb 25 2005, 04:05 PM
Member: 11QUOTE (Whirlybird @ Feb 25 2005, 10:50 AM)
I'm afraid if I can figure out how to take this pistol apart, despite the links/photos, that I won't be able to properly fit it back together. Is field stripping absolutely necessary? Some people I know do it, some say it isn't necessary. From the posts here it sounds like it is standard to do so.I would say that it is necessary, especially if you use some of the dirtier brands of ammo. But no matter what, eventually, you will need to clean the crud off the bolt and out of the chamber, although, I suppose you could get most of it with the bolt pulled back.
But field stripping is really pretty easy, once you have done it a few times.
First, look at Yzguy's detailed instructions. At the top are two links for videos. Click on the one that says "MPEG format 4 Megs." That shows Yzguy field stripping his Mark II and putting it back together in 31 seconds.
However, it will probably be a little harder the first time than it shows in his video. Most of the new ones require a rubber mallet, or similar non-marring hammer, to seperate the receiver from the frame. But even if you can't get the receiver off the first time, you will still have much better access for cleaning.
If you have problems with Yzguy's instructions, he also has a troubleshooting page here. And if you still can't figure it out, let us know and we will type you through it!
KernelKrink · Posted: Mar 6 2005, 11:44 AM
Member: 1880Herman, if you want to tighten up the gripframe to receiver fit, just pad the jaws of a vice and squeeze the top of the gripframe slightly. I do mean SLIGHTLY, a few thousandths is all that is usually required. Go too far and you WILL be using a mallet to remove and install the gripframe.