I went shooting with my Ruger Mk.II pistol (4" bbl, standard sights – I wanted the most basic, ‘classic’ model). The Remington .22LR I’m using did not want to feed properly. The round would not go all the way into the chamber, requiring me to press it in by pushing on the back of the bolt. This happened with both magazines. The pistol is virtually new, since I haven’t fired it much. After trying is a month or so ago I cleaned it thoroughly and lubed it. Same feed problems today. We added more oil, and it improved the operation but did not entirely eliminate the problem. (One magazine would load all ten rounds, the next would have a few that didn’t feed.) The Walther P22 and the Ruger 10-22 both digested these rounds without any difficulty.
My friend suggested polishing the ramp. Seems a bit much for a virtually new, well regarded pistol. Can anyone tell me if they’ve had similar problems with the Mk.II? If so, how did you fix it? Is there a brand of ammo that works better? Which?
I’ve heard several stories of “above and beyond the call” customer service from them. Unless they have changed a lot in recent years, they will solve the problem one way or another.
Doesn’t help you at the moment…but it sounds like you will eventually be talking to someone VERY familier with the product’s actual operation, rather than a service center droid.
BTW, I had a Mark I. Wish I’d kept it. You’ll be happy with the M-II once you get it sorted out.
No solutions to offer but please post after you talk to the tech. I have a Mark I that does exactly the same thing. Thorough cleaning and different lubes (and I even tried no lube) have not helped. No apparent difference with the ammo I’ve tried either. This was discussed in another forum I hang out at but I forgot to save the suggestions that were offered.
Return it for warranty service. Unless you are using some horribly bad ammunition, you should never have feed problems like those you describe. I’ve had a Ruger Mk. II for many years, and it has been extremely reliable and consistent, and never picky about ammunition.
Don’t start removing metal you can’t easily put back. Feed ramps are pretty safe but unless there is a burr or something I would leave it a lone. Do you have more than one magazine? Have you tried a brand new one? This is typically the best, first thing to try for feed problems.
Sounds like it might be a magazine problem. Obtain a new factory mag. If that doesn’t clear up the problems, then it is time to contact customer service. Feed problems in autos, more often than not, are due to magazine lip deformation or to soft magazine springs.
I’m sure that Ruger would take care of it, especially if it was a ‘factory’ problem. They have an excellent reputation in that regard. I’d thoroughly clean it since it might have gunked up while laying around for the past 10 years, and try to put some high velocity ammo through it. It might just need loosened up a bit to feed the Remington.
The pistol was cleaned before storage and lubricated before use. After the outing a few weeks ago it was disassembled and cleaned thoroughly and properly lubed.
I’m surprised to hear people saying SR&Co. may service the pistol ‘under warranty’, as it were. I looked for a warranty in the owner’s manual (yeah, all of the paperwork is still in its envelope in the case) and it says:
It really does sound like a magazine problem, and from a “troubleshooting” standpoint, that might be a fairly easy and inexpensive place to start looking for problems.
You know; as opposed to contacting Ruger, talking to them, boxing it up, shipping it off, etc. You can probably find replacement springs locally (then again, your lat/lon doesn’t look like it’s a “thriving metropolis” by MapQuest), or on the internet.
Sounds like the chamber is just a bit too tight for the ammo you’re using. Having a tighter chamber increases accuracy, but causes problems with chambering (as you know) and also requires that the gun be cleaned more-regularly.
There’s two options here:
— First is to ask on gun boards about what ammo brands and types others are using what will chamber easier in this gun. All 22LR ammo is not made to the absolute exact same dimensions – particularly with regards to case diameter. Some brands are thinner and some are relatively fatter.
— Alternately, you could have a gunsmith ease the chamber out a bit, which would allow the same ammo to feed much more reliably, but might possibly result in lower general accuracy. The decrease in accuracy might be practially so small that you never notice however.
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Lock the bolt back and hold the pistol barrel down. Try to drop a round directly into the chamber. If it doesn’t drop right in and you need to press it in, it’s either a buildup of crud in the chamber, or as mentioned slightly “fat” rounds.
Many .22 rounds are lubed with a wax or grease. This rapidly builds up in the chambers throat and can cause the problem described.
You mention that it was disassembled and cleaned. I assume you removed the bolt assembly and cleaned it that way.
At least one of the SR&Co. stories I know involved a 10-.22. It was given to a co-worker, as the barrell was literally worn out. No idea how old it was, but VERY would be an accurate term.
He contactacted Ruger regarding purchase of a replacement barrel. They advised him to send it in.
Within a couple of weeks, he was contacted with the address of dealer (firearms can only be shipped TO a licensed dealer) where he could pick it up.
Ruger had replaced the barrell, and the trigger assembly. Charge: Nothing.
Here’s the straight dope directly from Ruger’s technician.
Mk.II pistols all have ‘target chambers’ – even my rock-basic model. Remington ‘golden bullets’ tend to be .002 oversize. While they will feed nicely in ‘sporting chambers’ as on my 10-22, they do tend to have trouble feeding in the Mk.IIs. Ruger’s technician suggests using Federal 550 ammunition, which is made especially for Wal-Mart and sells for $8.99 for a 550-round brick.
The ‘target chamber’ may also explain the tighter groups I get with the Mk.II vs. the P22.
US gun companies are usually pretty easy about servicing their own weapons, even out of warranty–particularly if the gun is essentially unmodified, and especially where the trigger or safety functionality is concerned. The reason is that it’s better for them overall from a liability standpoint for someone to send a gun in and let the factory techs inspect it than it is to have them guess over the phone or email if the gun is safe to shoot or not. Often if you get a gun dealer to call them up and ask, the factory will send you a prepaid shipping label–so that the gun company will pay shipping both ways.
Also–the manufacturing of the parts of a gun actually cost very little–a regular Ruger 10/22 barrel costs Ruger less than $10 to make. They charge $72 or whatever for them, but that involves the liability offset cost. They decide what to charge you for of course but if your gun’s trigger is messed up at all and you send it in, most-all companies are going to just go ahead and put new trigger pieces in, very likely for free.
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