22/45 cycling issues

Chopperdoc · Post by **Chopperdoc** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:03 pm

A friend has a 22/45 that locks the bolt open in the middle of a fully loaded magazine. We shoot rimfire matches every month. Last month it happened at every stage of the match. He has owned this gun about 7 months. The problem just recently started.

Today he fired 300 rounds and it happened just about every magazine. He tried each magazine in his wife’s 22/45; they functioned fine in her gun.

Any ideas are appreciated.

Thanks

Vic

blue68f100 · Post by **blue68f100** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 9:51 pm

When was the last time it was detailed cleaned? That where I would start.

Post by **Bullseye** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:36 am

Sounds to me like the detent ball in the bolt catch is weak or ineffective. I have encountered this lately with the newest 22/45 versions of the Mark III pistol. What I have found is that the hole drilled in the bolt catch has been drilled too deeply and that reduces the effectiveness of the bolt stop detent in its job of preventing the catch from randomly engaging during firing operations. I have been filling these bolt catches with enough epoxy to reduce the depth of the detent hole by about 1/8th inch and that cures the problems. Another alternative is to install one of Tandemkross' Kane Wolf Slingshot bolt catches which has a spring and detent plunger positioned in such a way that forces the bolt catch downward and keeps it there. https://www.tandemkross.com/KaneWolf-Sl ... _p_69.html

R,
Bullseye

Chopperdoc · Post by **Chopperdoc** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:20 am

Just spoke with the gun's owner. He said he did the slingshot mod to it but that it was done way before the problems began.

I told him time come over to my house and I'd detail strip it and run it thru my ultrasonic cleaner.

Thanks

Post by **Bullseye** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 8:50 pm

Which slingshot mod did he do? The one with the spring loaded plunger in a replacement bolt stop lever or the one where you just take out the detent ball? I have found several of these 22/45's where there is enough inertia in the recoil process to cause the catch to engage just far enough upward to catch and hold the bolt in mid-magazine.

Dirt or grit caught in behind the stop lever could cause some failures but they should be more across the board than just mid-way through a magazine.

R,
Bullseye

Chopperdoc · Post by **Chopperdoc** » Fri Jan 09, 2015 11:57 am

He did the one where he removed the spring and ball.

Post by **Bullseye** » Fri Jan 09, 2015 5:27 pm

So he may be experiencing a 'bounce' effect during recoil which is causing the bolt stop lever to elevate enough to catch the bolt during the process of emptying the magazine. The Kane Wolf Slingshot mod may cure the problem for him.

R,
Bullseye

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Fri Jan 09, 2015 10:34 pm

Bullseye, remember many years back I asked your opinion on the original slingshot mod, by removing the spring and detent. I may have been the first to ever try that mod. Did it to of my MarkII 22/45's and have necer had a problem. Someone questioned a while back, thinking it may sop the bolt if the gun was not vertical? Tried it vertical upright, horizontal left and right and also vertical inverted and never had a problem using a full mag very rapid fire.

Post by **Bullseye** » Sat Jan 10, 2015 1:10 am

True Len, but we were testing the bulkier framed original 22/45's, not these lighter, thinner Mark III ones. I have encountered several of these over the last few years that are affected by recoil enough to engage the bolt stop during firing operations. Some of them even engage with the bolt stop detent and spring in place, due to a weaker detent spring being used and the bolt stop lever being drilled too deeply by the factory for the detent ball to perform its task properly. I have one in the shop right now that I cannot get through a single magazine without physically holding down the bolt stop button with my thumb while firing or the latch will engage during the string. This is where the spring loaded top detent feature of the Kane Wolf Slingshot device has its advantages. The spring action acts like a thumb holding down the button but its not strong enough to overpower the follower button when the contents of the magazine are discharged allowing the bolt to lock open properly at the end of the mag.

R,
Bullseye

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Sat Jan 10, 2015 7:34 am

Right you are my young friend, this old man has never handled, much less shot a MarkIII Ruger in any form. That Kanewolf setup does make a lot of sense.