OK, here is the Ruger .22 "trick", it is simple, once you get the correct info.
First, as is fairly obvious, the hammer goes up INSIDE the slide to hit the firing pin. So, to take out
the slide the hammer need be back (in the cocked position). You start the disassembly with the
hammer "fired" (forward), pulling the latch out and pivoting the mainspring housing outward. Some
guns need a pair of pliers gripping the latch (invisible surface when assembled, any scratches will
not show) to pivot it out of the frame slot.
Note the little dimpled inward cap in the top of the "ledge" on the mainspring housing as it pivots outward.
Pull the whole mainspring housing downward, sometimes takes a tap on the pin on the top of the
rear receiver, pulling this vertical pin out with the mainspring housing. Now, get a flashlight and
look up inside the pistol where you just pulled out the MS housing. Find the little dangling hammer strut
on the back of the hammer. If you tilt the barrel up at about 45 deg angle and rock back and forward,
you should see the strut dangle freely. It is attached to the back of the hammer, a lighter grey color,
and not too hard to see. If you see the strut, that is plenty.
You can't pull back the slide because the hammer is forward, remember? So, point the muzzle in the
air and pull the trigger. This pulls the sear away from the hammer and lets the hammer flop
rearward (down, in the muzzle up orientation). You can sometimes hear it flop. Now, look up again
and see the strut DANGLE FREELY. If you pulled the trigger with the muzzle level and held it in and
and THEN raised the muzzle, the strut will catch behind a cross pin and you need to free it up. To do this,
point the muzzle down, pull the trigger and shake the pistol a bit (get hammer back fwd), then release the
trigger (locks the hammer in place), raise the muzzle to 45 deg up and THEN pull the trigger again. Look
and see that the hammer is back and the strut flopping freely - it is almost hanging out of the mainspring
housing slot at this point if it is in the right position.
Now the slide is free to be removed, cleaned and reinserted. If you want to clean down in the frame,
remove the upper receiver from the frame by whacking the muzzle with plastic hammer or wooden
mallet. Put it back on the same way, after taking a bit of time to look at the hammer and strut and
let if flop backwards and forwards when you can see it clearly. Hammer back (down), slide on the
receiver, seat by a few smart whacks on the rear with non-marring thumper.
Next, you need the hammer forward to assemble the mainspring housing. Muzzle down, pull the trigger,
shake the gun. Release the trigger (sear holds hammer in place when trigger is released by spring
pressure) and raise muzzle, see that the hammer is fwd, strut dangling freely. Lower muzzle (finger stays
off trigger!) and push mainspring housing pin ALL THE WAY UP until it protrudes from the top of the
receiver. Getting the vertical pin seated may take a light whack on what will eventually be the front
of the mainspring housing to seat it fully. Some just slide in, some are tight.
Muzzle still level or down, start swinging the mainspring housing so that the hook (big square notch) gets
past the strut (strut is fwd, clear, with muzzle level or down) until the mainspring housing bottom front is about 1/4"
clear of the back of the frame, then stop, hold mainspring housing in that position . Raise muzzle to 45 deg
up (don't pull trigger!), gravity swings strut so it will hit the little mainspring cap's cup) and close the latch. Pull
the slide back to cock and see if it is OK. If you missed it, unlatch, swing the mainspring housing back just a
bit and set muzzle 45 up and close again.
The entire trick is understanding three things. 1) the hammer has to be forward to disassemble or assemble
the MS housing. 2) hammer has to be back to remove or insert bolt. 3) strut has to dangle from FORWARD
hammer at about 45 deg muzzle up to hit the mainspring housing cap as it is closed the last bit.
Catching the strut behind the pin - as explained above, is very frustrating and will absolutely stop the
process until you clear it. PITA until you know to look and verify that it is dangling freely. The
22/45 frames do not have this cross pin, so there is one less potential hangup.
Get out your Ruger .22 and try it. Really very easy ONCE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING ON AND
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, which you now know. I just did one of mine in about a minute, got it the first time.
Best wishes, this is a bear to the uninitiated, but a pussycat once you get it explained properly.
The price we pay for a very accurate, reliable and affordable pistol. Mr . Ruger was definitely
a genius on this one.
Takes 50 times as long to tell as to do.
Bill
