Ruger MK IV problems

[ChestnutLouie]

hope this is the correct location for this post.

I recently purchased a used Ruger MK IV standard at a LGS and it fails to eject from time to time? most of the time empty cases fly out of the ejection port a couple of feet. Sometimes only a few inches, sometimes a stove pipe and sometimes the bold opens a little bit and needs me to clear it.

When I first brought the gun home I looked inside and it looked clean so I put a little bit of Tetra gun grease on the bolt and went to the range and it jammed alot.

Cleaned everything carefully but this time I lubed the bolt with a little bit of Rem Oil and it was better (see my first sentence of this post).

I am shooting Federal Auto Match LR ammo that shoots great in a friend's MK III. It is rated at 1200fps. Any suggestions???

thanks
Francis

 

[Brad]

Use a light oil and little of that.
I would make sure the chamber is really clean. Matter of fact make sure the entire action and bolt are really clean.
I would maybe try a bulk type HV 22 LR ammo and see if it does any better.

 

[Bret4207]

Yup, ammo change will likely cure it.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Personal experience a new to me used gun as your describing, everything is subject.

but those problems reak of bolt issues.Have you completely disassembled the bolt and flushed degreased?

if so next would be a new extractor and spring. Check the plunger for burrs while it’s out.
Mostly those guns work well. But abuse from a lack of cleaning can fatigue springs from debris.

good luck

cW

 

[dale2242]

I have the target model.
I started having issues only after shooting 500-600 rounds through it.
A good cleaning solved my problems.
I had no problems with any ammo I tried until the gun got dirty...dale

 

[Ben]

Shoot some CCI Mini Mags in the pistol and report back.

Ben

 

[Winelover]

Might be why it was on the used gun rack. My Mark II and Mark IV are dead nuts reliable with any and all 22 LR ammo. I mostly shoot the inexpensive promotional stuff.

 

[CZ93X62]

Shoot some CCI Mini Mags in the pistol and report back.

Ben

Yessir. CCI SGB and Blazer are decent also. My balky Steak & Lobster Debutante 22 LRs thrive on these cartridges, and choke on about everything else. The Winchester 290 comes from a time when all makers turned out good rimfire ammo, the SIG Mosquito is notorious for being balky. All 22 LR ammo is not created equal.

 

[Ben]

All 22 LR ammo is not created equal.

Amen to that !

 

[ChestnutLouie]

I took the pistol back to the gun shop that I bought it from, a week later and only two stove pipes in 90 rounds. I am happy.

 

[popper]

Brake cleaner sprayed into the action, then light oil. 22is dirty stuff.

 

[JWFilips]

problemsYes Rugers can be Finicky to the Fodder it is fed! However I shoot Ruger 1, 2 and 3 with no problem
As to cleaning seldom maybe 1000 plus loads with most type of 22's but i do not shoot standard velocity or lighter

 

[Petrol & Powder]

I've owned several Ruger Mark II pistols over the years. I have found them to be extremely reliable pistols
Most of the problems I've seen with these pistols are the result of never being cleaned or cleaned poorly. There are people that never take the guns apart because of the perceived re-assembly difficulties. Reassembling a Ruger Standard/MKII/MKIII is like riding a bicycle, once you get it - you don't even think about it. Assembly is not difficult.

IMO - the design of the Ruger .22 Standard and MKII is one of the best in the world. But even the best needs to be cleaned occasionally. Some bullet profiles will function in a clean pistol, but give problems in a dirty gun. Some cartridges are just troublesome all of the time.

 

[JonB]

I like Federal ammo, in the 1990s, I used Federal Match and ultra Match in League...with a Ruger MkII. ...with that said...
Federal Auto Match LR is bulk pack "seconds"...and not match ammo, like they ellude to. They just changed the packaging of their other bulks paks after the 2013 shortage, it's just a new name and package for their previous package of Bulk seconds (my Uncle is a retired, lifelong Federal cartridge employee.)
You could run that Federal Auto Match LR in a perfectly functioning gun and still get FTF and FTE, 2+ percent of the time.
As others said, try other ammo, CCI blazers (standard or HV) seem to be reliable in most finicky guns...if your gun was even finicky? which I doubt.

 

[freebullet]

Fluff & buff Kel Tec style

 

[Dale53]

Years ago, my S&W .22 Auto pistol, started giving me fits after years of perfect performance. My pistol smith was a retired Marine Advanced Marksmanship Gunsmith. I had cleaned this pistol very well with no performance improvement. Constant jams, etc.

He took one look at the barrel, and picked up a chambering reamer. He placed the chambering reamer in the barrel, turning it by hand, as I remember, and the reamer removed a layer of lead from the front end of the chamber. The lead was polished by cleaning, and really was not visible to the untrained eye. After that bit of work, the pistol resumed it's perfect operation.

Over the years, a near microscopic layer of lead built up in the bullet seat causing failures to eject, etc.

FWIW
Dale53

 

[RBHarter]

Had a FEG HP9 that packed lead in the slide like that . It took a long time to find the reason for more and more frequent failure to battery .
Once I found one place I found 3 more that were just packed full in the slide . Got it cleaned up runs like a champ now , no more new buildup .

 

[dale2242]

Dale53, That one is worth remembering.
I have never heard of lead buildup in the front of the chamber...dale

 

[L Ross]

I like Federal ammo, in the 1990s, I used Federal Match and ultra Match in League...with a Ruger MkII. ...with that said...
Federal Auto Match LR is bulk pack "seconds"...and not match ammo, like they ellude to. They just changed the packaging of their other bulks paks after the 2013 shortage, it's just a new name and package for their previous package of Bulk seconds (my Uncle is a retired, lifelong Federal cartridge employee.)
You could run that Federal Auto Match LR in a perfectly functioning gun and still get FTF and FTE, 2+ percent of the time.
As others said, try other ammo, CCI blazers (standard or HV) seem to be reliable in most finicky guns...if your gun was even finicky? which I doubt.

Thread drift warning, warning! Federal Auto Match, man I don't know what to think. My friend and I just built a couple of heavy barreled 10-22's. His sports a 16.5" Feddersen barrel and I got a deal on a lovingly maintained 20" SS Tony Kidd bull barrel that has been in storage for 12 years. I'll skip all the accessories but we did a social distance approved shooting session on Friday and were just gob smacked at how well Auto Match shot at 210 yards. We were shooting 9" steel discs off the rail and that got boring. The discs were fresh painted white and in our scopes we could see the impacts. Many were right under where the cross hair had been. I don't think we ever missed a 9" disc from a rest. Now off hand, that was another matter. So I put up a couple of 22 BPCR scale pigs, a couple of 4" squares, and 2 of the little 50 yard chickens. The chickens finally showed us the elevation difficulties from velocity variations, but even the 4" squares were toast pretty darned easily. Lots of cheap shooting right there, when you can shoot three, or four, or five shots for the cost of one premium round and still can blame most misses on yourself.

 

[JonB]

L Ross,
That's some good shoot'n ...210 yards
With Federal Auto Match, I wouldn't expect BIG failure, or Super Bad accuracy ...but I would expect to see one or two fliers, in a 10 shot string at a 50 yard target from the bench.