i really want to remove the metal part of the loaded chamber indicator. i have no idea how to do it but ive seen some people mention that its possible. its held in by a pin. the pin is flush with the receiver, and there is no obvious access to the back end of the pin. it seems nearly impossible to imagine pulling out this pin, since there is no way to grip the head and no way to push the bottom. im a newb. can someone help? at this point, im thinking that i will have to leave the indicator's assembly in place and carefully dremel off the metal tip so that it no longer functions/comes in contact with the casings, but i'd rather not go that route because i dont want to scratch up anything in that general area.
Edit: Problem solved, I removed the metal part from the LCI, it feeds smoother than ever.
http://www.guntalk-online.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=398
"The little pin underneath is the part that holds the LCI in place. To remove it you have to remove the receiver, then press slightly on the LCI lever with one hand and either tap the receiver on a padded surface or tap the underside of the receiver, at the front lug well, with a rubber mallet. Once you get the pin out you can remove the LCI for cleaning. The return spring of the LCI lever keeps the pivot pin held in place."
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i also removed the magazine disconnecter safety, which allows magazines to drop freely when you push the magazine release, and allows you to dry fire without a magazine inserted/field strip with less hassle.
i used this page to get the general idea:
http://scromp.net/ruger/Site/HOWTO.html
i removed the disconnecter, filed off the small 'hook' overhang that it uses to latch onto the sear and lock up the trigger. the offending overhang is near the pivot pin running through the disconnecter. i also filed off the tip of the same little arm; the part that used to come in contact with the magazine. i replaced it in the gun without its spring since the part is now inactive. it is now essentially an elaborate washer, its arm cant hook onto the sear because the little 1/16th inch right-angle notch is flattened out, and now the arm/lever isnt long enough to contact the magazine (meaning that mags pop out freely and with no resistance when the mag release is depressed). hopefully this description is helpful (since you werent asking about this subject anyway). once I had mine stripped down to the grip, with none of the pivot pins removed, I just inserted and removed the magazine a few times until I could see exactly what to file off in order to defeat the magazine safety, I'm sure others have done the same. I just think its a really nice modification to make if you haven't done it yet.
I was a little unhappy with my MkIII after hearing about all the new misfeatures, but I'm quite happy with it now. In one afternoon, I've put it on par with a MkII. The fact that I've had to strip it a few times (and a bit further than the manual recommends) is sort of gratifying considering that after this small ordeal I'm now a pro at the stripping procedure, and I'm also noticing that the pistol breaks in and becomes easier to strip with each go. At first, I needed a mallet, but now that I've shot the pistol a bit and gone through the hassle of making these improvements, it strips like a charm and isn't held back by any of the PC features.
cheers
