How to Field Strip a Mark I Ruger Pistol

The Mark I Ruger pistol is renowned for its accuracy and reliability. Keeping a Mark I in top working condition requires a thorough cleaning after each use. To clean the gun well, you must know how to field strip it. Field stripping a Mark I Ruger involves breaking the gun down to its five main components: barrel and receiver, magazine, mainspring housing, frame and bolt. With two simple tools and a few minutes, you can field strip your Mark I Ruger pistol.

Things You'll Need

  • Straightened paper clip or piece of stiff wire
  • Plastic hammer
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Grasp the pistol in one hand and locate the magazine latch. The magazine latch is the knurled metal piece at the bottom of grip. Use your other hand to push the magazine latch rearward, while simultaneously pulling downward on the magazine to release it from the rest of the pistol.

    • 2

      Grasp the pistol in one hand and locate the grooved bolt ears just behind the rear sight at the top-rear of the pistol. Grasp the bolt ears with the thumb and forefinger of your free hand and pull it rearward as far as possible.

    • 3

      Look into the now-open chamber to make sure that it does not contain a cartridge.

    • 4

      Release the bolt. Point the gun toward the ground and pull the trigger to uncock the hammer. The hammer must be uncocked to disassemble the pistol.

    • 5

      Locate the mainspring housing latch inside the oval recess on the back of the grip. Insert the tip of a straightened paper clip or similar stiff wire into the oval recess and pry the mainspring housing latch upward as far as it will go, releasing the mainspring housing.

    • 6

      Rotate the now-loose mainspring housing outward and pull it downward to remove it from the rest of the pistol.

    • 7

      Grasp the pistol in one hand and strike the rear face of the bolt in a forward direction to

      disengage the barrel and the receiver from the frame and grip. It may take several blows for the barrel and receiver to loosen enough for removal.

    • 8

      Pull the bolt rearward to remove it from the receiver. The pistol is now field stripped.