Posted: 11/25/2025 9:49:57 PM EDT
[Last Edit: DisposableHero][Edited]
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[Edit for future reference] This issue was solved with a new bolt from Volquartsen. I'm not sure what the original issue was, and it was likely a problem of tolerance stacking with the original Ruger bolt. The new one runs much smoother and has better retention of the spent case. [/update] I've had this Mark IV for about a year and a half. Overall I enjoy it, but its had fits with a particular malfunction that's driving me nuts. I didn't care as much when it was just a range gun, but I'm wanting to use it for steel challenge and other rimfire stuff, and jamming up this frequently just won't do. Pic below, but the gist of it is that it locks up in a strange type of stovepipe. The spent case extracts, but fails to exit the gun. The case turns sideways, laying across the top of the magazine..as the bolt moves forward again, the spent case gets wedged in between the bolt, the receiver, and the new cartridge coming up the ramp. I've replaced the extractor, tried many different magazines, lubed everything, different ammo, etc. An RO was looking at it and thinks there isn't enough tension on the extractor spring, which might lead to it not being able to hold on the spent case long enough to reliably eject. What else could be going on? Edit: I cannot get it to replicate when hand cycling. Everything works perfectly when I do that. 
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Originally Posted By BuddyChryst: Always start with ammo. Try higher quality ammo and see if the problem goes away. If it happens with various brands, next check magazines. Eliminate one thing at a time. That was where I've started. The problem has happened with everything from cheap bulk 22 up through CCI target, Eley Match, and SK standard. I bought more magazines, too, and it persists with all o fthem. |
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Originally Posted By _DR: Seems like an extraction problem. Do they make a high performance or Wolff extraction spring for that? Extractor hook is a stamped piece of junk. I’d buy an aftermarket one and a spring with it just for extra insurance. i’d look at Volquartzen parts but there are others as good I’m sure. My anecdote…… I have a Nordic .22 upper that they don’t make anymore. It’s an AR on the outside but on the inside the machining is for a 10/22 style bolt. I had like you, the same jams with the casing like yours captured sideways and when I go to clear it, it would often fall to the left of the magazine lips and be even harder to clear. That stupid upper sat unloved and unused for several years because it was a pain in the ass. Finally I mentioned it in a thread here on arfcom and someone told me that it uses 10/22 bolt parts and I could try filing the extractor hook or simply replacing it. I did both, ordered an aftermarket and worked on mine while I waited for the new one. My filed on one that adjusted the hook tip was better but not perfect. The new one came in and all my jams went away. Night and day difference. Clean cut part versus a die stamped part with little to no cleanup on the working surfaces that had a ragged inner surface and too blunt a point at the nose. |
The only hyphenated names I like are cartridge names......30-06, 30-40, 38-55 etc.
Joined:
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CA, USA
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Originally Posted By Tejas1836: Your chamber may be hanging onto the expanded spent shell for some reason. Try placing a spent casing into the chamber and see if fits smoothly, is easily removed. Maybe try polishing the chamber A spent casing is always gonna be a tight/rough fit, even in a clean chamber, because it's been expanded against the walls of the chamber. I think a better test would be to see if an unfired round drops in and out easily. If it plunks in and out easily, then the chamber should be good enough under normal circumstances after the round is fired. However, rough chamber is still a possibility regardless. Clean chamber well, test. Polishing it is not a bad idea, just make sure to clean all the compound out before shooting it again. Maybe the extractor is a little out of sorts? Although I've always heard rimfires really don't even need them since they are blowbacks and the extractor is really for extracting an unfired round. |
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All the ammunition appears to be subsonic which is iffy in many 22 LR rimfires. Try running some CCI Mini Mag which should produce a stronger push on the blow back bolt. The failure to extract in that Ruger is typical of when the bolt doesn’t have enough reward momentum to push the bolt far enough to the rear to get clean ejection. Slight variation from one cartridge to the next can produce random failure to extract. The pistol might someday function reliably with subsonic ammo in the current configuration as it gets more wear. I wouldn’t try cutting recoil springs because 22 LR semi autos run a fine line between functioning and not being reliable. Most High Velocity rimfire ammo will be subsonic out of 5.5” Ruger barrels. If I really wanted to shoot subsonic 22 rimfire I would polish the Chamber and contact surfaces of the bolt with Flitz polishing compound. I use Flitz on a barrel mop on a short cleaning rod spun by a hand drill to polish the chamber. Don’t knock it till you try as it can’t hurt and will probably help. I suggest lubing the bolt as you want to reduce friction in the blow back pistols. Volquartsen supposedly sell the best Ruger pattern extractor, spring and detent. |
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Originally Posted By DisposableHero: I've had this Mark IV for about a year and a half. Overall I enjoy it, but its had fits with a particular malfunction that's driving me nuts. I didn't care as much when it was just a range gun, but I'm wanting to use it for steel challenge and other rimfire stuff, and jamming up this frequently just won't do. Pic below, but the gist of it is that it locks up in a strange type of stovepipe. The spent case extracts, but fails to exit the gun. The case turns sideways, laying across the top of the magazine..as the bolt moves forward again, the spent case gets wedged in between the bolt, the receiver, and the new cartridge coming up the ramp. I've replaced the extractor, tried many different magazines, lubed everything, different ammo, etc. An RO was looking at it and thinks there isn't enough tension on the extractor spring, which might lead to it not being able to hold on the spent case long enough to reliably eject. What else could be going on? Edit: I cannot get it to replicate when hand cycling. Everything works perfectly when I do that. https://everydaymarksman.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mk-ivstovepipe.jpeg I'm having that exact same issue with my MkIV 22/45. White box Federal. Aguila red/gold Super Extra. Older CCI MiniMags. Current production MiniMags-30gr Varmint load. Before changing out the magazine springs, all of these loads exhibited 1-5ish malfunctions per magazine. The CCI Varmint load did it less. It was either the empty case in the action sideways-ish over top of the next round or failure to extract with the empty still in the chamber. Both of these are classic extractor/spring issues in semi pistols in general. After changing the mag springs with these, MidwayUSA Tandemkross springs I still saw malfunctions with the Aguila, which is 100% in my other pistols, the white box federal. The older MiniMag ammo, standard lead bullet from about ten years back worked 100 percent with the new mag springs as did the current production MiniMag varmint rounds. Next that pistol's gonna get new extractor/spring and recoil spring & we'll see. |
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I'm not sure it's the extractor itself. I ditched the standard Ruger one a while ago and replaced it with the Tandemkross version. I'll give the chamber a good cleaning and see what happens. I could see ammo velocity being an issue, too. I'll give all of this a shot at the next session. |
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Originally Posted By Ewald: Do you know anyone else with a Mark II up to IV? Clean the gun and swap bolts. See what happens. If I had to guess I would bet the extractor plunger is binding somehow. You can buy complete bolt assemblies on Ebay for under $30 plus shipping BTW. I don't mind investing where needed. If i'm going to replace the bolt, then, I feel like I'd just go for a Volquartsen. What I don't want to do is go that route and then still have it be an issue because it was somewhere else, like the barrel or magazine. |
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If you have a snap cap, load it into the gun and slowly pull the bolt to the rear. Pay particular attention to whether the round starts to eject off the magazine's feed lips. There is a fix old enough to be called the MKII magazine fix, that involves rounding off the leading edge of the right side of the magazine if the rounds are ejecting off the mags. I have a MKIII that gave me fits until I landed on that. It would do it with any ammo, and any of the magazines I had, including the extras I bought. I happened to be hand extracting a drummy round when I saw it kick off the mag. I could get it to do it repeatedly with all mags. As soon as I rounded them off, the gun has been 100% reliable. |
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Originally Posted By backbencher: It should eject w/o the extractor, no? Have you tried MiniMags or another premium high speed load? It should, but not all guns do. Ruger's claim was that some guns were on the high end of tolerance. I always wondered if the mag release was cut wrong, but never had much proof other than having to mod mags. The fix goes all the way back to the MK II though, and those were heal release guns. The MK III and IV have the frame frame mounted release like every normal American gun. |
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Prepping for a range test tomorrow. I have several lots of HV ammo from Federal, SK, Eley, etc. I've given it a very thorough cleaning, as well. Today I was hand cycling at different speeds, and observed that regardless of ammunition, magazine, or speed that I cycle the bolt, the ejection seems erratic. It always extracts cleanly, but sometimes it seems that when the bolt makes contact with the hammer during the cycling process, the extractor hook just lets go of the round. When it does that, the round either ends up staying on top of the magazine, or it falls of onto the left (closed) side of the receiver. In both cases, it ends up in a position to cause a stoppage. I also tested with the magazine removed (load it, remove magazine, then cycle it). It's the same behavior. I don't think the magazine lip is causing the problem. When the hook does keep hold of the rim, it seems like everything works fine and it ejects out of the port cleanly. There seems to be no pattern about what causes it. Even doing the same exact cartridge multiple times has different results from attempt to attempt. |
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When the cartridge is flush on the breech face, how much space should there be in between the rim and the extractor? I'm accustomed to my other pistols, where the extractor holds the rim pretty firmly. In this case, there is a healthy gap between the rim and the extractor (see photo). The only thing holding the round in place is the lateral pressure from the hook pressing into the case. The round is very easy to bump out of position to where the extractor loses alignment with the rim. 
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also, make sure the area where the extractor claw goes into on the chamber face is clear of debris. It may prevent the claw to fully grab the shell. I've seen this on really filthy Model 60s. |
Chris
11M 84-87
Dare to be different - Arrogance Diminishes Wisdom
Oh cruel fate, to be thusly boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones, it bones for thee.
The answer to 2024's leftist problem is 1973.
11M 84-87
Dare to be different - Arrogance Diminishes Wisdom
Oh cruel fate, to be thusly boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones, it bones for thee.
The answer to 2024's leftist problem is 1973.