I'm taking the plunge for the 22/45 upgrades

[3strokes]

Following Bullseye's instructions (posts and maintenance pages) and having watched God-knows how many Youtube videos,
I decided to take the plunge.
I got all my VQ parts (received the last today) and will try to do the following

Remove hammer and replace it with Mark II VQ hammer and Mark II bushing.
Replace sear with VQ Target sear
then moving to the front, remove trigger.
Replace magazine ejector button with the longer one (from Majestic Arms?)
Install target trigger.

Then I'll move on to the bolt and
replace extractor with Exact Edge Extractor
and the firing pin with the VQ one.
This last one (extractor and firing pin) I've done before.
Everything else is a first time.

[Bullseye]

Take your time and it will go right. If for some reason it doesn't, I can talk you through most anything that arises.

R,
Bullseye

[3strokes]

Take your time and it will go right. If for some reason it doesn't, I can talk you through most anything that arises.

R,
Bullseye

Thanks.
Yes: slow but sure. I try to apply something I read about: When going into new terrain, always keep looking back to see how things look from the other angle, coming back to your origin.
As I take pieces off, I try to think "what would I do here to put it back together?"
Anyway it's very reassuring to know that your assistance is there if (when?) I need it.

[Bullseye]

Some folks like to use their cell phones to take pictures as the process of disassembly steps through. This way you can see the sequence that something came apart and should go back together in the inverse order. But there's always that one little part that shows up not quite wanting to go back where it belongs - that's where I'll come in to help. I've tried to break down all the steps in a simple logical order but not everyone see's things the same way. Another reason why I have pictures with descriptions super-imposed upon them. Each thumbnail picture is a link to a larger view, all you have to do is mouse over and click to enlarge.

R,
Bullseye

[3strokes]

Some folks like to use their cell phones to take pictures as the process of disassembly steps through. This way you can see the sequence that something came apart and should go back together in the inverse order. But there's always that one little part that shows up not quite wanting to go back where it belongs - that's where I'll come in to help. I've tried to break down all the steps in a simple logical order but not everyone see's things the same way. Another reason why I have pictures with descriptions super-imposed upon them. Each thumbnail picture is a link to a larger view, all you have to do is mouse over and click to enlarge.

R,
Bullseye

Hey
I've been home since 1730. It's now 1906
and I can announce partial (major for me) victory. Mostly
thanks to your pictures. I had enlarged and printed them.
Of course I had read all your instructions till I almost knew
them by heart (in spite of my 70-year old memory.)

I can proudly announce that at this point in time
Extractor and firing pin replaced. (The extractor installation is what took
up most of the time. Last gun it was just sweet)

Reassembled the gun to make sure it was working (just clicks)

Then
VQ Target sear installed (without even removing the sear pin and
spring all the way. Hemostats to the rescue. I didn't even drop the
sear into the cavity.
Then bloody magazine safety removed. Mark II bushing installed in Target Hammer and back in.
Re-assembled and trigger pull seems to have dropped by 50% at least. I never did measure the trigger weight/pull.

Now I'll have my dinner before I decide
if I want to face the trigger and the magazine ejector button tonight or tomorrow.

I feel like I've grown wings and could fly. I cannot thank you enough
for the details you have put in your website (not only the tech part but from reading most of your 5,000+ posts (well, only the ones that had keywords 22/45, sear, hammer, trigger and "The Heck with it. I'm giving up and throwing my 22/45 out the balcony" and similar posts.)

Talk to you later.

[greener]

Congrats. Looks like you are sailing right along. Don't forget to add a drop of blue Loctite to VQ pretravel adjustment screw

[3strokes]

Congrats. Looks like you are sailing right along. Don't forget to add a drop of blue Loctite to VQ pretravel adjustment screw

At this stage, I realize that to replace the trigger, I have to undo the trigger connector bar (and thus the hammer). I am a bit too tired to see if the trigger will come out if I only remove the trigger prin and keep the bard disconnector connected to the hammer pin. But I read somewhere that the hammer is wide and has be coaxed in at a 90 degrees angle. Plus I'll have to play along with the travel screws (and then blue loctite them.)
I'd rather shoot it as is tomorrow. With the magazine disconnect OUT , mags fly out of there.
I do have a shooting session tomorrow (ISSF). I want to see how it will perform. I've only put some 240 rounds through that gun, so far.

[Bullseye]

Congrats! I agree you should shoot it first before tackling the trigger and extended mag release.

The trigger will rotate out of the frame on the disconnector bar.



You may have a little competition for room when you rotate that trigger pin spring upward. It may take a little tweaking to get the trigger spring alongside the disconnector bar far enough to allow the mag release to be slid out of the frame. Usually I take the hammer and bushing out then remove the trigger. Once those are out there's plenty of room for the spring to rotate back and release the button.

R,
Bullseye

[3strokes]

Congrats! I agree you should shoot it first before tackling the trigger and extended mag release.

This was going to be my next question: (and BTW that spring and plunger in the image below look disturbingly like the extractor plunger. No?)

The trigger will rotate out of the frame on the disconnector bar.

You may have a little competition for room when you rotate that trigger pin spring upward. It may take a little tweaking to get the trigger spring alongside the disconnector bar far enough to allow the mag release to be slid out of the frame. Usually I take the hammer and bushing out then remove the trigger. Once those are out there's plenty of room for the spring to rotate back and release the button.

R,
Bullseye

If rotating the disconnector with the trigger group proves to be too tight, I guess I'll have to free the hammer and its bushing.

However the extended mag release is no longer a needed improvement since magazines eject or are propelled out after the magazine safety was removed. So, I might even skip that one (mag eject button) and wait until I get more familiar with the "new" gun before trying on the new trigger with its screws and screw settings.

Once again, thank you Bullseye.

[Bullseye]

No problem. If you look closely that is a metal framed Ruger .22 Auto, it was the only stock photo I had with the trigger swung out of the frame on the disconnector bar. The 22/45 version works similar but as you noticed does not have the bolt stop plunger and spring. I probably should have mentioned the different frame when I posted the picture. In any case, if you decide to do the release button swap you have the information you need to swap it out. I may later add in a section on the 22/45 maintenance page that includes this procedure since I've had a few inquires about this procedure over the last month or so. Doing the change requires me to make a script, take the photos, annotate them, check the process to verify I have all the steps, and then convert everything over to HTML format for the web page. The swap isn't overly difficult, on par with replacing a sear as I see it, but most folks aren't familiar enough to attempt it without some visual references. Since no one has them available on the web I see it as a worthwhile endeavor but finding the time to put it all together will be a little tricky.

R,
Bullseye

[3strokes]

No problem. If you look closely that is a metal framed Ruger .22 Auto, it was the only stock photo I had with the trigger swung out of the frame on the disconnector bar. The 22/45 version works similar but as you noticed does not have the bolt stop plunger and spring. I probably should have mentioned the different frame when I posted the picture. In any case, if you decide to do the release button swap you have the information you need to swap it out. I may later add in a section on the 22/45 maintenance page that includes this procedure since I've had a few inquires about this procedure over the last month or so. Doing the change requires me to make a script, take the photos, annotate them, check the process to verify I have all the steps, and then convert everything over to HTML format for the web page. The swap isn't overly difficult, on par with replacing a sear as I see it, but most folks aren't familiar enough to attempt it without some visual references. Since no one has them available on the web I see it as a worthwhile endeavor but finding the time to put it all together will be a little tricky.

R,
Bullseye

Thank you (and that would be a welcome addition to your treasure trove of info).
One last question.
I take it that the one spring that holds the trigger pivot pin in place and does double duty as the mag release button spring, does NOT do a triple duty and has nothing to do with the bolt stop lever. That spring seems to be on the right hand side of the frame. Is there any fear that that spring will catapult out of the frame, all over the room? How is it anchored to the frame?
The bold stop lever however is connected to the trigger pin and is on the left-hand side of the frame (naturally.)

[Bullseye]

The piano spring is not under any tension in its closed position. The trigger pivot pin has a groove in it that when installed depresses the end of the spring and causes the spring to rebound into the groove to lock it in place, the tension is then gone. On the other end where the spring contacts the magazine release button the back of the button has a groove in it that when the button is depresses causes the spring to go under tension sideways. Releasing the button causes the spring to rebound and move the button out to the left and latch the magazine. The spring is anchored on the lowest end by a 90° bend. This bend is directed into the polymer frame; you can see the end of the spring when you look at the right side of the frame where a small 1/16" circular hole is located directly below the semi-circular metal of the magazine release button. When you swing the spring upward on the trigger end, it will actually pivot on the small 90° bend backwards and clear the mag release button groove allowing you to remove the button all the way to the left side of the frame.

The 22/45 mag button


Trigger pivot pin retainer spring (also holds in the 22/45 mag release button)



R,
Bullseye

[3strokes]

The piano spring is not under any tension in its closed position. The trigger pivot pin has a groove in it that when installed depresses the end of the spring and causes the spring to rebound into the groove to lock it in place, the tension is then gone. On the other end where the spring contacts the magazine release button the back of the button has a groove in it that when the button is depresses causes the spring to go under tension sideways. Releasing the button causes the spring to rebound and move the button out to the left and latch the magazine. The spring is anchored on the lowest end by a 90° bend. This bend is directed into the polymer frame; you can see the end of the spring when you look at the right side of the frame where a small 1/16" circular hole is located directly below the semi-circular metal of the magazine release button. When you swing the spring upward on the trigger end, it will actually pivot on the small 90° bend backwards and clear the mag release button groove allowing you to remove the button all the way to the left side of the frame.

The 22/45 mag button


Trigger pivot pin retainer spring (also holds in the 22/45 mag release button)



R,
Bullseye

I did it. By God I did it. I said that I would do it and I did it.

A set of punches that I ordered arrived and I said, "I have no more excuses."
I unpinned the trigger pivot, pushed it enough to release the trigger.
I swung it up (not too much trouble) pivoting on the hammer end.
I could then see the mag release button and managed --eventually--
to figure out that I had to release the top of that spring from its
little niche to free the mag release button. It was released and I pushed in
the extra long one. And managed to swing that spring back and hook it where it was supposed to be. But..... There's always a but.
The mag release button was squishy, washy-washy, no spring to it. That's when I noticed the small plunger with its own spring that goes in the mag release button and provides the spring back. I was under the impression that the piano spring had a springy twist to it that would provide return travel to the mag rel button. I was wrong.
OK, start going back and wouldn't you know it, that spring sprung up in my face. I had the deuce of a time trying to engage that little 90 degrees 1.0009 mm (maybe less) bend into its hole. My flashlight, trying to light the hole from outside in order to guide the spring leg (if you can call it leg), dies on me and no fresh batteries. I was able to finally, use a jeweller's screwdriver from the outside to locate the hole from the inside. God bless whoever invented hemostats.
Replaced the stock trigger with the VQ target trigger. Didn't blue loctite (never mind red) the screw. Will see how it shoots tomorrow. The trigger feels even lighter than after I replaced the sear and before the VQ trigger. Travel is very very short.

Bullseye, that image you sent of the spring spared me from having to go to the gunsmith tomorrow, with my head bent in shame. In Canada I have a long-term ATT (Authorization to Transport) my handguns between my home and my clubs. But to go to the gunsmith or the Post Office, we need to call in the Chief Firearms Office for the Province and request a short-term ATT for the specific purpose. You're lucky if your on-hold (with awful music) is shorter than 90 minutes.

Thank you, again.

[Bullseye]

That's when I noticed the small plunger with its own spring that goes in the mag release button and provides the spring back. I was under the impression that the piano spring had a springy twist to it that would provide return travel to the mag rel button. I was wrong.

I'm glad you were successful in your 22/45 magazine release button swap.

You were not mistaken about the piano spring, you got that impression from my description. I apologize for not mentioning the little plunger and spring underneath the semi-circular portion of the button backing. Next time I won't describe a procedure from memory, as I can leave an important step out of the process, like this one. I knew it was there, I even mention it in the Mark III mag release button in this thread http://www.guntalk-online.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18

Along with this picture of the metal framed release button -


I just grabbed a pistol out of stock and disassembled it and performed the button removal and replacement just to see. It didn't take me more than a few minutes to accomplish the task but in all fairness I've done it a time or two before. The piano spring did separate from my frame as well but placing the 90° hook back into it's little hole underneath the semi-circular metal button backing was pretty easy for me. I oriented the plastic frame so that the button was facing upward, keeping plunger in the button until it was secured into the frame. Other than the unmentioned plunger and spring, the dis and reassembly went exactly as I had previously described.

Your new button did have the plunger hole but did not come with a plunger and spring. Apparently you used the retrograde spring and plunger in the new button.

I will say you really need to add a dab of Blue Locktite to the pretravel adjustment screw and let it cure. If you don't, the screw will vibrate loose and change positions under the forces of recoil. This situation will cause the hammer to fail to drop when the trigger is squeezed because the disconnector will fail to reset. If you cannot get it to adjust with the Allen Wrench from the outside of the pistol, you may have to accomplish a manual hammer release to complete disassembly of the receiver and the frame.

Again, please accept my apologies for the step I left out of the button removal procedure and any hardship this caused you. I am very pleased that you solved the problem and successfully completed the upgrade. Enjoy that pistol!

R,
Bullseye

[3strokes]

No need, ever, to apologize to me, Bullseye.
I am glad that with your help (even hinted at) I was able to do a job
I was scared stiff of trying even one small part of, just a few weeks ago.

Ruger should really produce two guns for every model
one, the CA-style (cheap)
the other
the VQ-parts.
I swear I have more VQ parts in the gun than original stock.

Original Lower
Frame, bolt lock open button, manual safety
Pivot Pins for sear, hammer and trigger.
The Piano spring (Trigger and mag release)

Original Upper
Bolt, barrel, LCI (I like it) and Bolt spring.
(Extractor and firing pin are VQ)