Ruger Mark I "sticky" trigger reset

[jasons]

I recently picked up a very dirty 1978 vintage Ruger Mark I on a whim. I field stripped it according to the manual and gave it a very thorough cleaning (probably pulled 20 years of grime out of it.) I gave it a light lube job, reassembled, and took it to the range.

I put 200 rounds through it and noticed that the trigger didn't always reset after every shot. It seems to "stick" internally. If I drop the mag and rack the bolt a bunch of time it eventually resets and I'm good for a while but eventually it happens again. This happens enough to be annoying. (Sometimes after 2 shots, sometimes after 20.)

So - did I miss a spot when I cleaned it (unlikely, but possible) or is there some sort of trigger reset spring or something that needs to be replaced? Or is there something else that I should look at? This pistol was made in 1978 and based on the amount of grime it looks like it's seen plenty of rounds over the years. I would imagine springs could loose tension over time?

Other than that it shoots beautifully and is very accurate. If I could just get that trigger reset tuned in it would be a great plinking gun. This is my first Mark I so if any gurus out there could point me in the right direction I would appreciate it greatly!

Thanks,
-Jason

 

[Mike-Mike]

MY dad has a mkI, I have mkII's and mkIII's. Sounds like a week spring or something is just a little sticky or dirty. The exploded drawings for these models are good. I bet you can fix this issue in about an hour at your kitchen table.

Good luck with the gun.

 

[BossHarley]

I just recently put in an aftermarket trigger/sear kit in my MKIII. It can be a little frustrating, but very doable with just a little patience.

There should be good pictures/instructions for any and all work you might like to do on the pistol on www.rimfirecentral.com.

Lots of good resources and people there to help out.

 

[MassMark]

As an honor to the banned Scrivener, I will add that in my old Mark II, I use non-chloronated brake cleaner. I hose it down over a trash can in the garage. Works like a charm at keeping the gunk out of the trigger....

 

[Another_David]

the trigger spring would seem like the first thing to check. google for a parts diagram: ruger mark 1 parts diagram

If it were me I would strip and clean the lower completely, then replace the springs. Given the age you might as well replace them with the "spring kit" if you're going through the trouble of stripping the lower.

 

[jasons]

Thanks guys. I cleaned and lubed it again and it's not sticking nearly as much. I went ahead and ordered the Volquartsen trigger and sear kit just to freshen up the guts a bit.

 

[jasons]

So I swapped in the VQ trigger, sear, mag catch and associated springs. Just FYI for the next guy, the Mk II sear DOES NOT "drop in" to the Mk I like I was told. It fits just fine but it's just a tiny bit shorter on the right side, which is the side that the disconnecter mates with. Basically it all goes back together but pulling the trigger won't create enough movement to release the sear, even with the stock trigger or with the set screws on the VQ trigger backed all the way out. (Maybe it would work if I also used the VQ disconnecter, but I'm not going to go that far.)

The trigger and mag release fit just fine. I really like the trigger - much better adjustment than the original. The extended mag catch is really nice too. Fina verdict - 300 rounds, nice groups, and not one sticky reset.

One final note - the "lock washer c-clip thing" that holds the trigger pivot pin in place is a real pain. There's really no easy way to get it out without going a little "caveman" on it. If you're like me you'll probably mangle it when you remove it. You might want to order one ahead of time so that you don't have to try to bend the mangled one back into shape like I did.

 

[griffinwerks]

In general if the trigger on a mark is "sticking" or not resetting it's prob the trigger bar spring if you have the factory trigger without pretravel adjustment. It's the spring that sits in the top of the trigger under the bar running back to the sear. The hole in the trigger is kind of a close fit and is subject to allot of contamination. If the spring sticks the trigger bar will not be pushed back up into position to release the sear, this is the disconnector function in these pistols, the bolt pushes down on the bar to allow the sear to reset. To clean it remove the hammer and sear, lift the bar and remove the button and spring from the trigger.

 

[jasons]

In general if the trigger on a mark is "sticking" or not resetting it's prob the trigger bar spring if you have the factory trigger without pretravel adjustment. It's the spring that sits in the top of the trigger under the bar running back to the sear. The hole in the trigger is kind of a close fit and is subject to allot of contamination. If the spring sticks the trigger bar will not be pushed back up into position to release the sear, this is the disconnector function in these pistols, the bolt pushes down on the bar to allow the sear to reset. To clean it remove the hammer and sear, lift the bar and remove the button and spring from the trigger.

+1 on this. While I had everything apart I figured I might as well throw in the VQ trigger, but I think simply swapping out the trigger spring probably would have fixed the reset issue.