Biggest PITA to reassemble?

[Cameramonkey]

After tearing down my 22/45 to take a look at something, then taking 5+ minutes to get the thing reassembled (10x longer than should be for the number of steps), I got to thinking.

Is there any other gun as insanely finicky to put back together after a basic field strip? (relying on gravity to position dangly parts, etc)

For those that arent aware, You have to:
Insert the bolt.
Insert the magazine
pull the trigger with the barrel pointed straight down in order to allow gravity to let the hammer fall.
insert the bolt pin.
remove the magazine
rotate it so the barrel is now pointing straight up.
carefully close the latch.
(dont do any of those contortions and it wont work... seems I have to break out the manual every time I clean it because I forget the exact steps)

 

[singlesix]

Been there, but it does get easier and faster the more you do it.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Been there, but it does get easier and faster the more you do it.

if you have the manual handy or tear it down often you are correct. Its not HARD per se, but tricky. If you dont do it precisely, it wont happen.

 

[Sheepdog Gear]

Install the Tandemkross bushing. Eliminates the dumb steps and allows your magazine to drop free for reloads. Takes about 10-15 minutes to do and cost about $10-$15.

 

[engineerpower]

The Legend of Bill Ruger

"The story goes that Bill Ruger wanted to make the greatest .22 semi-auto pistol ever manufactured. So for years he tried and continuously failed to achieve his goal. Supposedly, one dark moonless night, Bill Ruger was working in his garage, on the .22 pistol he wished to create, when he severely cut his hand. He quickly threw a towel over the wound and at the same time exclaimed, “ Damn Gun! To Hell with you!”
Just by coincidence, the clock struck midnight, and as this happened, Bill Ruger heard a noise from behind him. “ I can help you with that gun.”, said a voice from the darkness outside the garage.

“Huh... Who’s out there?”, Bill asked.

“Just a man passing by.”, the stranger replied as he stepped into Bill’s shop. “ I heard what you said and I have here the plans for the perfect .22 semi-auto pistol.”

Bill, the shrewd business man he was, looked at the man and said, “What will it cost me?”

The man replied, “Your Soul.”

Bill said, “Well let me take a look first, I wanna see what I’m gettin.”

The man rolled out the prints and showed Bill Ruger the design for the greatest .22 semi-auto pistol ever. Bill looked them over real close and studied them as quick as he could, but before he could see how the Takedown Mechanism worked, the Stranger rolled up the plans.

“Now sign here if you want to see the rest.”, The man pointed his boney finger to the bottom of a 2,871 page contract.

Bill looked at it and said, “Heck NO! What do you think I am? CRAZY?"

Bill reached over and grabbed a gun that was leaning against the wall and pointed it at the stranger, “Now get out of here before I blast you with this shotgun.”, he said in a threatening voice.


The man backed out the doorway into the night and as he did he said, “ I Curse you Bill Ruger and your .22 semi-auto pistol. Anyone who tries to take your gun apart and put it back together again, will suffer pain and agony beyond anything on earth.”

Before he could forget what he saw, Bill quickly set to work on making the pistol, but soon ran into problems. Everything was going along perfect until he got to the Takedown Mechanism. Since the stranger had rolled up the plans before he saw how it was assembled, he could not figure out how to make it work. So he made the pistol as close to perfect as he could get it.


For years people have struggled to take their Ruger .22 semi-auto pistols apart and reassemble it. Many Gunsmiths have been put to shame and even quit their jobs because they could not reassemble the pistol. Some of the greatest Gunsmiths on the planet have even taken on the quest to remove Excalibur from the Stone and solve the problem of the Takedown Mechanism, but their Holy Grail eluded them."

DrFrankenRuger - Legend of William Ruger

 

[1911ly]

The Legend of Bill Ruger

"The story goes that Bill Ruger wanted to make the greatest .22 semi-auto pistol ever manufactured. So for years he tried and continuously failed to achieve his goal. Supposedly, one dark moonless night, Bill Ruger was working in his garage, on the .22 pistol he wished to create, when he severely cut his hand. He quickly threw a towel over the wound and at the same time exclaimed, “ Damn Gun! To Hell with you!”
Just by coincidence, the clock struck midnight, and as this happened, Bill Ruger heard a noise from behind him. “ I can help you with that gun.”, said a voice from the darkness outside the garage.

“Huh... Who’s out there?”, Bill asked.

“Just a man passing by.”, the stranger replied as he stepped into Bill’s shop. “ I heard what you said and I have here the plans for the perfect .22 semi-auto pistol.”

Bill, the shrewd business man he was, looked at the man and said, “What will it cost me?”

The man replied, “Your Soul.”

Bill said, “Well let me take a look first, I wanna see what I’m gettin.”

The man rolled out the prints and showed Bill Ruger the design for the greatest .22 semi-auto pistol ever. Bill looked them over real close and studied them as quick as he could, but before he could see how the Takedown Mechanism worked, the Stranger rolled up the plans.

“Now sign here if you want to see the rest.”, The man pointed his boney finger to the bottom of a 2,871 page contract.

Bill looked at it and said, “Heck NO! What do you think I am? CRAZY?"

Bill reached over and grabbed a gun that was leaning against the wall and pointed it at the stranger, “Now get out of here before I blast you with this shotgun.”, he said in a threatening voice.


The man backed out the doorway into the night and as he did he said, “ I Curse you Bill Ruger and your .22 semi-auto pistol. Anyone who tries to take your gun apart and put it back together again, will suffer pain and agony beyond anything on earth.”

Before he could forget what he saw, Bill quickly set to work on making the pistol, but soon ran into problems. Everything was going along perfect until he got to the Takedown Mechanism. Since the stranger had rolled up the plans before he saw how it was assembled, he could not figure out how to make it work. So he made the pistol as close to perfect as he could get it.


For years people have struggled to take their Ruger .22 semi-auto pistols apart and reassemble it. Many Gunsmiths have been put to shame and even quit their jobs because they could not reassemble the pistol. Some of the greatest Gunsmiths on the planet have even taken on the quest to remove Excalibur from the Stone and solve the problem of the Takedown Mechanism, but their Holy Grail eluded them."

DrFrankenRuger - Legend of William Ruger

As amusing as this story sounds, those up us with 22/45 don't fine it to far fetched. Lot's of practice helps. I loned mine to my brother so he could take a gun safety course. He said I'll clean it for you before I bring it back. Needless to say I got it back in a shoe box

 

[USA#1]

I spent more time than I care to admit cursing the first time I had mine apart. Good to know I'm not the only one.

 

[planedriver]

I guess we are all going to vote for the Ruger. I don't remember how many year ago it was but when I finally got mine put together I sold it never to own one again.

 

[Sheepdog Gear]

As bad as it sounds, I inherited a Remington Model 10. I couldn't get hold of any instructions, and it was HOURS to take apart, clean, and reassemble.

 

[DocIndy]

Install the Tandemkross bushing. Eliminates the dumb steps and allows your magazine to drop free for reloads. Takes about 10-15 minutes to do and cost about $10-$15.

+10 for the Tandemkross bushing. Makes a world of difference. Well worth the money. I'm adding a Volquartsen trigger and sear to mine to complete the mods.

 

[Hookeye]

Mastered the Ruger, about the 3rd try..........when I was a kid.
Involved yes, troubling no.
Now on the 22/45 that somebody gets stuck................it too is an easy fix. But wiggling the SOB enough to pop free can be hard on the hand.
They are a bit annoying (if you've got the MK teardown ingrained), what with that mag in and out routine.
New guns can be a little stiffer, take two shakes instead of one.

 

[Vendetta]

Oh the Stevens 66b. It took me 6 months to put mine back together. When you have to reassemble my driving a crosspin through a spring thats loaded with tension you will understand frustration. When I finally got that POS back together I immediately sold it.

 

[Lefty64]

Took me 45 minutes to get mine back together first time.

 

[red_zr24x4]

The worst one I did was a JC Higgens 9 shot .22. revoler.I received in pieces .

 

[d30carls]

I tore apart the lower receiver on my marlin model 60 the 1st time to replace an ejector and was thinking it did not look too hard i ended up spending 10 hours and still did not get it back together took it to a smith and he slipped it together in 10 minutes from a pile of parts. now that I have seen how he did it I can take it apart and put it back in 10 minutes

 

[Hop]

Another +100 for that Tandemcross bushing AND the magazine bumpers. Not only is it easier to strip but easier to load.

 

[6mm Shoot]

When I saw the title of this post I knew what gun you were talking about. The first time I cleaned mine I think it took better than an Hour to get it back together.

I read about a conversion that changes to just screwing in a part and doing away with the lever. I can't find who makes it any more. I knew I should have gotten it then. Guess I will just have to fight with it.

 

[Rookie]

Ruger MK III Speed Strip Kits by Majestic Arms - Easy Take-Down Speed Strip Conversions for Ruger MK I, Mk II, Mk III, and 22/45

 

[6mm Shoot]

Rookie thanks you much for the information. I will order it before it gets away from me again.