Slack in Ruger Mark III trigger, what can be done?

[lshel]

The first shot from a fresh magazine, the trigger has alot of slack to take up.

After the first shot the slack is gone. Does this have anything to do with magazine disconnect

in the Mark III?

I don't remember this occurring in previous Mark II's.

How can magazine disconnect be removed?

thanks

[Dolomite_supafly]

You can drill and tap the top portion of the trigger and install some setscrews. That way you can adjust the pretravel. It is easy and realitvely cheap to so. I do not believe it has anything to do with the magazine disconnect, the weight maybe but not the travel.

Here is what I am talking about:

http://www.guntalk-online.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12

Although rather than at an angle I prefer to drill straight into the trigger rather than an angle. You might have to take the trigger out a few times until you get it set but after that it is set. The angled hole allows you to adjust it from outside the gun.

Dolomite

[gnmwilliams]

Or you can grab a new trigger and return spring from Volquartsen that has the holes predrilled. I'd also recommend their target sear. Don't bother with the target hammer.

[lshel]

If you remove magazine disconnector parts(3) , I assume you will need a metal sleeve spacer to fill the space for hammer bushing?

I might look into Volquartsen trigger and return spring with holes predrilled, are the set screws included?

[gnmwilliams]

If you remove magazine disconnector parts(3) , I assume you will need a metal sleeve spacer to fill the space for hammer bushing?

I might look into Volquartsen trigger and return spring with holes predrilled, are the set screws included?

Yes. And as far as replacing the bushing I believe you can swap it with a Mark II bushing to fix the mag disconnect issue. Doing so will also help your trigger pull. Just be cautious when setting the screws for the trigger reset and make sure you leave yourself enough return travel to engage the sear. Once you've got it set, put a little blue loc-tite on it and you're done!

Edited February 29, 2012 by gnmwilliams

[Will Carry]

Send it to Iowa and let Volquartsen accurize it. I sent my Mark III Hunter to them and it came back a Mark II with a 2.5lb trigger that is awesome. $45 plus S&H for the accurizing. They did a few more things for me so mine cost a little more. Call them, they have excellent customer service.

[lshel]

I have ordered the Volquartsen trigger from Brownell's and have their tech disassembly and assembly

instructions. I will leave in magazine disconnect and try new trigger.

thanks TGO

[gnmwilliams]

Good luck and don't forget to keep an eye on the little bitty parts such as the ball detent in the safety. They like to run away on ya. Ask me how I know this!

Edited February 29, 2012 by gnmwilliams

[graycrait]

I have done this to at least a dozen MKIIIs.

Replace the sear and trigger with VQ stuf. Recommend tossing the mag disconnect and replacing the space with a MKII bushing. Removing the mag disconnect improves trigger pull and makes dis and re assembly easier. It is best to put the gun in a vice as that "third" hand comes in handy. Watch out for losing safety detent plunger and the trigger bar plunger and spring. Best have a none marring hammer, punches, small allen wrench to push down trigger pin retaining spring. I also find a small but longish needle nose helpful in replacing the sear. MKIII 22/45s can be a booger because they are so tight. When replacing the the mainspring mechanism, ensure you have the hammer in the forward position and know where the hammer strut is so that you can hold the gun at the correct angle to ensure that the last step is successful. Don't forget blue loctice on the set screws of the trigger. I've done this in the passenger seat of a car but recommend against this.

[gnmwilliams]

I have done this to at least a dozen MKIIIs.

Replace the sear and trigger with VQ stuf. Recommend tossing the mag disconnect and replacing the space with a MKII bushing. Removing the mag disconnect improves trigger pull and makes dis and re assembly easier. It is best to put the gun in a vice as that "third" hand comes in handy. Watch out for losing safety detent plunger and the trigger bar plunger and spring. Best have a none marring hammer, punches, small allen wrench to push down trigger pin retaining spring. I also find a small but longish needle nose helpful in replacing the sear. MKIII 22/45s can be a booger because they are so tight. When replacing the the mainspring mechanism, ensure you have the hammer in the forward position and know where the hammer strut is so that you can hold the gun at the correct angle to ensure that the last step is successful. Don't forget blue loctice on the set screws of the trigger. I've done this in the passenger seat of a car but recommend against this.

So many things one could do in the passenger seat of a car.....however this wouldn't have ever crossed my mind. ðŸ˜

[graycrait]

So many things one could do in the passenger seat of a car

Yeah, I also did that back in the early 70's in a VW Beetle and a Galaxy 500. Nowdays I get about as much fun as "Old Craig" putting in a good trigger as "pulling" one. Pitiful......

Edited March 1, 2012 by graycrait

[lshel]

New VQ trigger and Mark II hammer bushing to be delivered 3/5. Do I have to disassemble Hammer, sear and trigger groups to install, or can I just remove hammer pin part way, remove Magazine disconnector and spring, raise disconnector, then remove trigger group, install new trigger, lower disconnector, install Mark II hammer bushing, then install trigger pin and hammer pin? It looks like just pulling hammer pivot pin and trigger pivot pins part way out that this can be done.

comments

Edited March 4, 2012 by lshel

[smopoim86]

New VQ trigger and Mark II hammer bushing to be delivered 3/5. Do I have to disassemble Hammer, sear and trigger groups to install, or can I just remove hammer pin part way, remove Magazine disconnector and spring, raise disconnector, then remove trigger group, install new trigger, lower disconnector, install Mark II hammer bushing, then install trigger pin and hammer pin? It looks like just pulling hammer pivot pin and trigger pivot pins part way out that this can be done.

comments

It might work that way. I did it the fun way. Pull the pins and dump it all out! I always do work with any kind of springs in a plastic bag. Find a large clear plastic bag and then you don't have to worry about the springs flying across the room.

Edited March 5, 2012 by smopoim86

[lshel]

I installed VQ trigger, removed magazine disconnector, spring and Mark III hammer bushing and installed Mark II hammer bushing.I lost safety detent for a while. I crawed around on floor and finally found it. Put gun back together and adjusted overtravel screw and trigger screw, then used blue loctite on threads. Trigger feels alot better. I will put some ammo thru it tomorrow and see if bullet impact group tightens up.

thanks TGO for help

[graycrait]

Ishel,

Sounds like you are well on the road to MKIII excellence. That safety detent plunger is easy to lose track of. A friend gave me a MKIII a couple of days ago to reassemble for a friend of his whose teenager had taken apart the MKIII and couldn't get it back together. He also lost the the detent plunger and sear spring. Fortunately detent plunger only cost 2.95 and I had an extra sear spring.

Do you ever get to the Viola Valley Shooting range?

Craig

[lshel]

I found Viola range but never shot there. I have a 25 yd and 100 yd range cleared on my back 5 acres. So I can shoot

so long as weather is good. Thanks for the trigger advice.

[lshel]

Group size was much better after VQ trigger and Mark II hammer bushing. I shot three different brands of ammo:

CCI Mini-Mag average score 92.5, PMC Scoremaster average score 91.5, and Remington Thunderbolt average score 89.0.

On standard 25 yd target at 12 yards, all 40 grain bullets.

Might install my red-dot optics to see if I can get more 10's, but I hate to add more weight.