My new pistol

K

Kathryn

New member
Keeps jamming. I have sent it back to the manufacturer once, and will a second time. Do they ever just replace the gun? It's a Ruger 50th anniversary commemorative 22.

The empty shell doesn't seem to eject well enough, and the new bullet can't get into the chamber.

Thanks for your input,

Kathryn
 
Most feeding problems are either magazine
or ammunition related. Have you tried various brands of ammo? Winchester and Federal both make excellent .22 LR ammo.
You may also want to try using a different
magazine. It after all of this, try a local
gunsmith. If it still doesn't work, your
only recourse is to sell it. Wish you the
best of luck.

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Never do an enemy a minor injury. Machiavelli
"Stay alive with a 45"
 
If Ruger says they couldn't find a problem, the odds are that the ammo they used functions better than the ammo you are using.

Those pistols are intended for the Long Rifle high velocity cartridges. I'll weasel a little and say they -generally- seem to work better with the high-speed...Dunno about some of this newer "high" high-speed.

Anyhow, try some different ammo.

FWIW, Art
 
Overlubrication can cause jams too. Remove the bolt and wipe it off, take a dental pick and clean out under the extractor AND in the recess for it in the breech face. Wipe out the reciver and try again with a variety of ammunition.

Hope it helps,

Dr.Rob
 
I second the suggestion to try different ammo, especially if you've been using Remingtons. Have you tried CCI Blazer? It's very cheap ($10/500) but it's proven very accurate and reliable in the three different Rugers I've owned.

Of course, you could have a defective pistol. Ruger cranks out thousands and thousands of .22 pistols so it's possible that one with an over-tight chamber or an improperly aligned barrel could leave the factory.

Have you tried contacting Ruger by phone? I'd be interested in what they have to say.
 
I have tried different ammo. Was using the cheap "wildcat" bullets my son has been using steadily with no problems. Then "american eagle", with copper plated bullets.

Odd that you should say to sell it. What kinda sucker would want a gun that jams?

I take it that none of you have gotten a new gun from the mfr to replace a defective one. It'll be hard for me to take the leap and plunk down $250 or more for a new firearm... can't even try it before you buy it.

I have written a lengthy letter to Ruger to accompany it this next time. Asked them to run 100 rounds through it and report the results, among other things.
 
Greetings Kathryn; First off, I agree with
Dr. Rob's comment's. My input would be for
you to pack an old toothbrush in your range
bag; so your next trip won't be in vain.
Open the bolt, and brush out the debris
after every 100 rounds or so, as Ruger's
in the .22LR caliber MUST be kept clean!!!

Regards,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
Hi Kathryn, I'm sorry to hear of your trouble. I have a friend who purchased a Ruger Mark I second (third, fourth ?) hand that proved to be defective. He sent the gun accompanied with a detailed letter even stating he was not the original purchaser back to Ruger. A couple of weeks later he received a letter from Ruger telling him if he would supply the name and address of a dealer they would send him a new replacement free of charge. He complied and in another week a new gun arrived post paid to his dealer. :)
I had a similar experience with Marlin several years ago with a new 39A.
Hopefully you will have the same luck with Ruger with your gun.


------------------
Gunslinger

We live in a time in which attitudes and deeds once respected as courageous and honorable are now scorned as being antiquated and subversive.
 
It might just be dirty. My Mk I lets me know it is dirty by malfunctioning. I wait till it tells me to clean it before I do. The culprit appears to be crud on top of the bolt, up around the firing pin and the spring that runs beside it. It has to be field stripped to clean this area.
 
I've a Ruger 22/45, and it hates American Eagle ammo. Oddly enough, it likes the cheap and dirty Remington Thunderbolt. CCI seems to be the best and most consistent, though, and all my .22s like it, so that's what I'm going to buy more of.
 
May I make a suggestion? Try a box of CCI Mini-Mag .22 LR's. This ammunition has never jammed in any .22 I have ever tried it in...

Just a thought...




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"No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority" - Thomas Jefferson
 
Morgan, looks like we had the same thought at the same time... look at the posting times... scary...

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"No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority" - Thomas Jefferson
 
Kathryn, I had a problem with jamming, too until a kind soul at the range advised me not to rest the magazine on the bench or to put my hand underneath the magazine. In some guns where the magazine fits loosely, you can push the magazine up too high, where it interferes with proper feeding/cycling. So if you put a hand underneath the pistol while firing, or rest the bottom of the pistol on a rest, stop doing that and try again. It cleared up my troubles.
 
Kathryn, all the comments so far have been good except that the factory probably told you to try them before the first time you sent it in, right? If not, try 'em. For the record, I bought a Mk1 in November that wouldn't go through 5 rounds without jamming. I did the following:

1. Switched to Winchester "Dynapoints" from Kmart. I know, I know, but they work. one of my magazines now occasionally got through all 9 rounds. This is apparently not your problem.

2. Cleaned the gun thoroughly. Had previously done this but had over-oiled. Most of my other guns are shotguns which apparently are less sensitive since they're so much more powerful. With less oil, the gun cycled noticeably better and the stovepipes and other ejection problems ceased.

3. Played with the lips on all the magazines. This took me what would amount to about an hour of messing with the mags. I used a pair of pliers and kept a box of magazines (the paper type) next to me in dad's shop to function fire as I went along (dad has had the box for years.) This helped a great deal since I could test it immediately but didn't have to work at the range, but depends on how well insulated your house is. :) Now, I haven't had a malfunction since. Couldn't be happier with it, except that one magazine goes in tight and sticks in the gun. Come to think of it, I'm going to ask about that.

Hope this helped a little bit. Maybe you should also check out http://www.rugerforums.com and see what they have to say over there. Good luck. Also might want to point Ruger to this thread if you think they'll look?
 
Whew! A lot of ideas! I'll print them out and do a process of elimination. AFTER Ruger takes a 2nd look at it.

The bottom of the pistol grip is free and clear when I fire. The pistol couldn't be dirty, it's new with about 60 rounds total. The pistol wasn't over-oiled, unless I was supposed to clean it before using it the first time. I didn't clean it after the first time, becuz I thought I was going to the store to get my money back. Ha ha.

The Ruger folks repaired this: the ejector, extractor and receiver assembly. They also replaced the sight pin. Maybe it was made at 4:55 on a Friday afternoon...

Thanks, again & wish me luck. I enjoy plinking...

Kathryn
 
Kathryn--

Sorry to hear about the trouble with your Mark II. It's a modern classic that should function reliably. Ruger has a good service department, although it can and does make mistakes. Also, Ruger stands behind its products, so replacement may be an option. I think Ruger will eventually make good, whatever it takes. So for now, I personally would stick with the gun rather than sell it.

That said, when I experience stoppages such as you describe, the extractor is at the top of my list of usual suspects. Does the extractor keep a firm grip on the case until the case hits the ejector? Some extractors have weak spring tension and drop the case before it is ejected, leading to extraction and ejection failures. As other posters have said, dirt and lubrication (too much or too little) are also common trouble spots.

Whatever you find that is wrong, you are right to describe it in detail in a letter to Ruger. BTW, other than cleaning, I personally would not attempt any repairs or adjustments myself, but leave them to the factory, which hopefully will do better next time. You may be more mechanically adept than I am, but whenever I tinker with something I always wish I hadn't! ;)

HTH. Let us know what happens. :)
 
I dunno. It's possible you're supposed to clean out the extra lube--I know Glocks are overlubed and you're supposed to clean a new one--but you'd think they would have cleaned it at Ruger when they replaced all those parts. I'm sorry, I'm just out of ideas. Did they tell you whether they test fired the gun? Did they use YOUR magazines? If you're sending it back maybe you should ask about it.
 
Kathryn--

Just received your last post. It's a good idea to clean a gun before first using it. When a gun first comes from the factory, I'd assume it was "lubricated" more for rust prevention than for operation. Many new guns come dripping with oil = far too much oil.

BTW, sounds like the factory had the same extractor idea that I did. This may or may not be hopeful!

[This message has been edited by jimmy (edited February 22, 2000).]
 
I'm glad I answered your question with my last post Jimmy, 'cuz I didn't understand what you were asking!!! I'm just a newbie, ya know. :D

Will write you all back in about a month about this.
 
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