Ruger 22/45 Possible Slamfire

Andrew DG · October 27, 2014, 05:59 PM

I bought a ruger Mark III 22/45 Target Stainless about 5 years ago as my first gun. My best estimate is that in that time I have put about 20,000 rounds through it, but I haven't really been keeping track. The first time it gave me any issues was a few weeks ago. It was giving me very light primer strikes and was only able to actually fire a few rounds. I took the firing pin out after I got home and noticed that the rebound spring was broken. I ordered and installed a new rebound spring, new firing pin and a new recoil spring assembly and when back to the range.

This range trip, about 9 out of every 10 rounds fired normally, and about 1 out of 10 I would pull the trigger and it felt like it hadn't been reset. I wouldn't hear any click, and it felt like the trigger started out farther back than it should have. I attributed this to the new recoil spring assembly, and assumed the spring was a little too tight and my cheap ammo wasn't pushing the bolt all the way back. What should have been a red flag for me was the fact that when I ejected the round that didn't fire, it looked like it had and extremely light primer strike, even though I didn't feel the gun fire. I know I should have stopped shooting it then and there but I kind of wrote it off as "Maybe my buddy put some rounds that didn't fire last time back in this box and I didn't notice" and I kept going. A few rounds later I pulled the trigger and the brass seemed to blow out the back of the chamber. I thought that there was some defect in the brass, made sure that my barrel was unobstructed, and kept shooting. A few rounds later it happened again, I started trying to put 2 and 2 together and thought that maybe I had one round that I had fired normally and a second round that had slamfired, but it happened so quickly I wasn't sure, and by this point I finally learned my lesson and stopped shooting it.

I thought I must have done something wrong putting in the firing pin and rebound spring so I came home and took the bolt back out, but as far as I can tell everything is in there correctly.

Attached is a picture of one of the shells of a round that I believe slamfired. I circled what I believe is a light primer strike that shouldn't have happened. Also I've attached a few pictures of the bolt and firing pin. I would like to maybe set a fired brass in the chamber and release the bolt onto it, then check for a new primer strike, but I don't know if that is a good idea or not.

Any ideas what I did wrong here? Is the new recoil spring playing a bigger role in these problems than I thought? Have I completely misdiagnosed what is going on here? I look forward to any insight you guys could provide.

Snyper · October 27, 2014, 06:45 PM

I think I'd send it back to Ruger.
All it will cost you is the initial shipping charges.

I've never known them to charge for repairs or return shipping

tangolima · October 27, 2014, 08:16 PM

Sounds like you have hammer follow-down. Did trigger job lately?

-TL

Andrew DG · October 27, 2014, 08:57 PM

No, I put in a Volquartsen Trigger and Sear, but that was probably 3 or 4 years ago and I didn't experience any of these issues until immediately after installing the rebound spring, firing pin, and recoil spring assembly. All of which are in the bolt assembly, so I wouldn't think that would affect the hammer, but I am by no means an expert.

I don't know how clear this was from the original post, but part of what has me confused is the fact that the two rounds seem to have gone off before they were fully seated into the chamber. I don't know what problem that points to exactly, but it seems worth mentioning.

Sharkbite · October 27, 2014, 09:43 PM

It looks like you had a round go off before it was fully chambered. Called an out of battery detonation.

The gun SHOULD not allow the hammer to strike the fireing pin until the bolt is fully closed.

Im guessing this has something to do with the new recoil spring you installed.

Id send in to Ruger and let the pros figure it out

tangolima · October 27, 2014, 10:10 PM

You clearly had an out-of-battery ignition. The firing pin protrudes prematurely.

You replaced the firing pin and the return spring. You may want to recheck to make sure the pin moves freely in the bolt. The return spring always should retract the pin with no hesitation. If the pin has any tendency to get stuck in the channel, it may cause out-of-battery ignition. You may even want to put the old pin back for comparison.

Hammer follow-down happens if the hammer slips off the sear when the bolt is going forward. It may also caused out-of-battery ignition. You mentioned that the pistol occasionally uncocked. It sounds like a hammer follow-down. It shouldn't have anything to do with the new firing pin, so coincidental it could be.

If you are unfamiliar how sear engagement works, you certainly should seek professional assistance.

-TL

**4V50 Gary** · October 27, 2014, 10:49 PM

I'd clean the firing pin channel, firing pin and the firing pin spring.

If that doesn't work, then I'd put the Ruger parts back in and test again. It could be the aftermarket stuff stopped working.

James K · October 27, 2014, 11:23 PM

Also clean the chamber and check for anything in it that could stop the round from fully seating. It looks to me like the round fed OK, but was not fully seated when the hammer fell and the firing pin struck the rim. If the round is seated enough that the rim resists the firing pin, the round will fire, even if the front of the rim is not seated fully on the edge of the chamber.

(Yes, those Rugers, like many other self-loading guns, will fire even if the bolt/slide is a little out of battery.)

If your recoil spring is not strong enough, the rounds may not be seating fully, but I suspect either a dirty chamber or a bullet shape that is keeping the round from seating. If the recoil spring you installed is not factory, I suggest replacing the factory spring and see what happens.

Jim

Andrew DG · October 28, 2014, 02:25 PM

Thanks for all the input. The replacement parts I put it were all from ruger, but I believe the only thing that needed to be replaced was the rebound spring. I didn't see any wear or damage on my original firing pin, but it was cheap enough that I thought I would get a new one along with the rebound spring. The recoil spring assembly also had not been giving me any problems, it just wasn't as tight as it used to be. So it sounds like my next steps are to put the old recoil spring and firing pin back in, make sure the firing pin is not getting held up by anything in the channel, make sure the breach and barrel are all nice and clean and then see what happens.

Could a recoil spring that is too heavy cause hammer follow down? Something with the bolt not coming back quite far enough after a round is fired?

Dixie Gunsmithing · October 28, 2014, 04:11 PM

Was the old firing pin defective? If not, put it back in with the new rebound spring. Did you check the rebound spring support, to see if it was damaged? I'm wondering if the new firing pin may be a shade too long also.

If a rebound spring was too stiff, then the bolt may not go rearward enough to cock the hammer. However, it doesn't take much rearward movement to cock the hammer on these, if I recall, and since Ruger supplied the spring, it is the right size for LR ammo.

October 27, 2014, 06:45 PM	#2
Snyper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 3,047	I think I'd send it back to Ruger. All it will cost you is the initial shipping charges. I've never known them to charge for repairs or return shipping __________________ One shot, one kill

October 27, 2014, 10:49 PM	#7
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,841	If the firing pin is sticking forward.... I'd clean the firing pin channel, firing pin and the firing pin spring. If that doesn't work, then I'd put the Ruger parts back in and test again. It could be the aftermarket stuff stopped working. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 27, 2014, 08:16 PM	#3
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 3,828	Sounds like you have hammer follow-down. Did trigger job lately? -TL

October 27, 2014, 08:57 PM	#4
Andrew DG Member Join Date: July 27, 2013 Location: Central Maryland Posts: 17	No, I put in a Volquartsen Trigger and Sear, but that was probably 3 or 4 years ago and I didn't experience any of these issues until immediately after installing the rebound spring, firing pin, and recoil spring assembly. All of which are in the bolt assembly, so I wouldn't think that would affect the hammer, but I am by no means an expert. I don't know how clear this was from the original post, but part of what has me confused is the fact that the two rounds seem to have gone off before they were fully seated into the chamber. I don't know what problem that points to exactly, but it seems worth mentioning.

October 27, 2014, 09:43 PM	#5
Sharkbite Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2013 Location: Western slope of Colorado Posts: 3,679	It looks like you had a round go off before it was fully chambered. Called an out of battery detonation. The gun SHOULD not allow the hammer to strike the fireing pin until the bolt is fully closed. Im guessing this has something to do with the new recoil spring you installed. Id send in to Ruger and let the pros figure it out

October 27, 2014, 10:10 PM	#6
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 3,828	You clearly had an out-of-battery ignition. The firing pin protrudes prematurely. You replaced the firing pin and the return spring. You may want to recheck to make sure the pin moves freely in the bolt. The return spring always should retract the pin with no hesitation. If the pin has any tendency to get stuck in the channel, it may cause out-of-battery ignition. You may even want to put the old pin back for comparison. Hammer follow-down happens if the hammer slips off the sear when the bolt is going forward. It may also caused out-of-battery ignition. You mentioned that the pistol occasionally uncocked. It sounds like a hammer follow-down. It shouldn't have anything to do with the new firing pin, so coincidental it could be. If you are unfamiliar how sear engagement works, you certainly should seek professional assistance. -TL

October 27, 2014, 11:23 PM	#8
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Also clean the chamber and check for anything in it that could stop the round from fully seating. It looks to me like the round fed OK, but was not fully seated when the hammer fell and the firing pin struck the rim. If the round is seated enough that the rim resists the firing pin, the round will fire, even if the front of the rim is not seated fully on the edge of the chamber. (Yes, those Rugers, like many other self-loading guns, will fire even if the bolt/slide is a little out of battery.) If your recoil spring is not strong enough, the rounds may not be seating fully, but I suspect either a dirty chamber or a bullet shape that is keeping the round from seating. If the recoil spring you installed is not factory, I suggest replacing the factory spring and see what happens. Jim

October 28, 2014, 02:25 PM	#9
Andrew DG Member Join Date: July 27, 2013 Location: Central Maryland Posts: 17	Thanks for all the input. The replacement parts I put it were all from ruger, but I believe the only thing that needed to be replaced was the rebound spring. I didn't see any wear or damage on my original firing pin, but it was cheap enough that I thought I would get a new one along with the rebound spring. The recoil spring assembly also had not been giving me any problems, it just wasn't as tight as it used to be. So it sounds like my next steps are to put the old recoil spring and firing pin back in, make sure the firing pin is not getting held up by anything in the channel, make sure the breach and barrel are all nice and clean and then see what happens. Could a recoil spring that is too heavy cause hammer follow down? Something with the bolt not coming back quite far enough after a round is fired?

October 28, 2014, 04:11 PM	#10
Dixie Gunsmithing Moderator Emeritus Join Date: April 27, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,923	Was the old firing pin defective? If not, put it back in with the new rebound spring. Did you check the rebound spring support, to see if it was damaged? I'm wondering if the new firing pin may be a shade too long also. If a rebound spring was too stiff, then the bolt may not go rearward enough to cock the hammer. However, it doesn't take much rearward movement to cock the hammer on these, if I recall, and since Ruger supplied the spring, it is the right size for LR ammo.