ruger P89DC, P90DC, P91DC, P93DC, P94DC User Guide

INSTRUCTION

MANUAL

FOR

BLUED &	CALIBERS
STAINLESS	9mm,
STEEL	.40 Auto & .45ACP

RUGER® P-SERIES

P89DC, P90DC, P91DC, P93DC, P94DC, P944DC

DECOCKER MODEL PISTOLS*

*DO NOT USE THIS MANUAL FOR PISTOLS EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL

SAFETIES OR “DOUBLE ACTION ONLY” PISTOLS

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND

!WARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS FIREARM

For Product Service on This Model Please Call: [phone] (See p. 20)

STURM, RUGER & Company, Inc.

Southport, Connecticut 06490 U.S.A.

THIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL SHOULD ALWAYS ACCOMPANY THIS FIREARM AND BE TRANSFERRED WITH IT UPON CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP, OR WHEN THE FIREARM IS LOANED OR PRESENTED TO ANOTHER PERSON

V & KV 2/98 R2

FIREARMS SAFETY - YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

SAFETY MUST BE THE FIRST AND CONSTANT CONSIDERATION OF EVERY PERSON WHO HANDLES FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION.

This Instruction Manual is designed to assist you in learning how to use and care for your RUGER® P89, P90, P91, P93, P94 and P944 Decocker Model Pistols properly. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Only when you are certain you fully understand the Manual and can properly carry out its instructions should you practice loading, unloading, etc. with live ammunition. If you have any doubts about your ability to handle or use a particular type of gun safely, you should seek supervised instruction. Such personalized instruction is often available from gun dealers, gun clubs or police departments. If none of these sources can help you, write to the National Rifle Association, 11250 Waples Mill, Fairfax, VA 22030-7400. They will assist you.

The person possessing a gun has a full-time job. You cannot guess; you cannot forget. You must know how to use your firearm safely. Do not use any firearm without having a complete understanding of its particular characteristics and safe use. Remember: There is no such thing as a foolproof gun.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

General Information and Mechanical Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Special Feature - Decocking Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 To Load and Fire (with magazine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 To Uncock (Decock) The Pistol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 To Load and Fire (without magazine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 To Unload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 To Reload The Pistol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 To Extract and Eject a Chambered Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 To Clear a Malfunction (“Jam”) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 To Minimize Malfunctions (“Jams”) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 To Disassemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 To Reassemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Magazine Inspection and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Care and Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Sight Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Service and Parts Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Parts Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27, 28, 29 & 30 The Basic Rules of Safe Firearms Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Ruger® is a registered U.S. trademark.

P89, P90, P91, P93, P94 and P944 are Sturm, Ruger trademarks.

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WARNINGS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE ARE

!FOUND ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES:

Alterations	3	Slide Retraction	12
Decocking Lever	6	Malfunctions	14
Lead Exposure	7	Disassembly	15
Ammunition	8	Lubrication	19
Firing	9	Storage	19
Handling	10	Parts Purchasers	21
Unloading	11

OTHER CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS APPEAR

THROUGHOUT THE MANUAL.

FIREARMS ARE DANGEROUS WEAPONS - READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL THOROUGHLY AND CAREFULLY BEFORE USING.

!WARNING - ALTERATIONS

This product was designed to function properly in its original condition. Altertions can make it unsafe. Do not alter any part or add or substitute parts or accesories not made by Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc.

DO NOT ALTER ANY GUN

GENERAL INFORMATION

AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The RUGER® P89DC, P90DC, & P91DC* pistols are centerfire, double action, “decock only” magazine-fed, autoloading, recoil-operated pistols. The P89DC is chambered for the caliber 9mm Parabellum (9mm x19) cartridge, the P90DC is chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge, and the P91DC is chambered for the .40 S & W cartridge. The P93DC has a shorter, “streamlined” slide and is chambered for the 9mm Parabellum (9mm x 19) cartridge. The P94DC has a full length “streamlined” slide configuration and is chambered for the 9mm Parabellum (9mm x 19) cartridge, while the P944DC is chambered for the .40 S&W cartridge. They comply with the requirements of the National Institute of Justice Standard - 0112.00. They include the following features with which users should be thoroughly familiar:

* The P91DC is no longer in production - this manual is for reference only.

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NOMENCLATURE

(P91DC Shown)

Sights have high-visibility	Slide’s open top design minimizes possi-	Grooved, exposed hammer
white dots both front and	bility of jamming, enables shooter to	spur enables the shooter to
rear. Rear sights can be	clear any malfunction easily by hand.	cock the hammer easily for
adjusted for windage.	Cartridges can be loaded singly if desired.	accurate single-action fir-
		ing if desired.
		To decock the pistol, depress
		the decocking lever until the
		hammer drops. This action
		moves the firing pin forward
		into the slide. This temporari-
		ly places the firing pin out of
		reach of the hammer stroke
		and locks the firing pin a neu-
		tral position, preventing it
		from moving toward the car-
Frame is precision investment cast		tridge.
in lightweight aluminum alloy,		RELEASING EITHER
hard-coated for toughness.		DECOCK LEVER WILL

		ALLOW THE LEVERS TO
	Double-action mechanism and strongly curved	SPRING UPWARD TO
		THEIR ORIGINAL
	trigger provide that cocking and firing can be
		POSITION, PLACING THE
	accomplished with a single pull of the trigger.
		PISTOL IN A FIRING
	Oversize trigger guard permits shooting with gloved	CONDITION.
	hand. Recurved trigger guard bow accommodates non-
	shooting hand in two-hand hold.
	The ambidextrous magazine latch permits positive
	retention and quick removal of magazine.

Slide stop holds the slide open and is activated automatically when last shot is fired (if magazine is in pistol), or can be manually operated.

Lanyard loop provides security for carrying in the field or police use.

Action: The action of the Ruger decocker model pistols is of the U.S. M1911 type that utilizes a tilting barrel design in which the barrel and slide are locked together at the moment of firing. After firing, the barrel and slide recoil to the rear a short distance while still locked together. After this initial movement, the barrel tilts downward from its locked position, permitting full recoil of the slide and the extraction and ejection of the spent cartridge case.

The user of this or any autoloading pistol must always remember that when fired, it automatically reloads and recocks itself, so that simply pulling the trigger will fire the pistol again. Therefore, an autoloading pistol user must be particularly conscious to always keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction.

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Slide Stop: When the last shot has been fired and the magazine is empty, the slide stop automatically holds the slide open. When there is an empty magazine in the pistol and the slide is retracted manually, the slide stop will automatically hold the slide open. If a loaded magazine is inserted in the pistol when the slide is closed and the slide is then retracted fully, the slide stop will not automatically hold open the slide. The user can actuate the slide stop mechanism to hold the slide open at any time by retracting the slide and pushing up the slide stop.

The slide stop can be released by drawing back slightly on the slide and depressing the slide stop thumbpiece. When the slide is released, it will move forward under pressure from the recoil spring.

The slide stop is spring-loaded to move downward. Therefore, when there is a loaded magazine in place and the pistol is jarred, the slide can fly forward and chamber a cartridge. For this reason and as an essential safety practice, the user should always be careful to keep fingers away from the trigger and always keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction.

Magazines: The Ruger 9mm, .40Auto, and .45 ACP magazines are not interchangeable with Ruger pistol magazines of any other caliber even though they may appear similar and may hold other cartridges. Use of incorrect magazines in any pistol will result in malfunctions. Ruger 9mm magazines are either unmarked as to caliber or are marked “9mm cal. only”. All other Ruger centerfire pistol magazines, which are similar in appearance, are marked as to caliber (“.40 Auto Cal.,” etc.).

DAMAGED, NON-STANDARD, OR IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED MAGAZINES SHOULD NOT BE USED. THEY CAN CAUSE THE PISTOL TO MALFUNCTION.

SPECIAL FEATURE - DECOCKING LEVER

The model you have selected is equipped with a special manual decocking lever that allows you to decock (uncock) a cocked pistol without manipulating the trigger. Conventional thumb decocking procedures are therefore not necessary and should not be employed with this pistol.

To decock the pistol, point the pistol in a safe direction. Depress the cocking lever until the hammer drops. The decocking lever blocks the hammer from the firing pin while simultaneously blocking the firing pin from movement towards the cartridge (see Figure 1, p. 6). To return the pistol to firing condition, simply release the decocking lever (see Figure 2, p. 6). It will spring upward to its original position. The pistol is then ready to fire by a “double-action” pull of the trigger. The hammer can also be manually cocked immediately before shooting a “single-action” firing. The trigger pull is both shorter and relatively lighter in the “single-action” mode, which is preferred for more accurate shooting.

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Additionally, the pistol has a separate internal firing pin block that will not allow the firing pin to move forward until the operator pulls the trigger.

Never carry or holster the pistol with the hammer cocked, as a relatively light pull of the trigger will fire the pistol. When not actually shooting, always immediately decock (uncock) the pistol by use of the decocking lever.

"DECOCK" POSITION

"FIRE" POSITON

DECOCK ONLY

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

The decock lever will only attain this position when held down by the user. This decocks the pistol.

The decock lever will automatically spring back to this firing position when released.

! WARNING - DECOCKING LEVER

"DECOCK" POSITION
WHEN HELD		Operating the decocking lever does not
		prevent firing when the trigger is pulled.
		Like a double-action revolver, the pistol
		will fire whenever the trigger is pulled.
		Therefore, never touch the trigger,
DECOCK ONLY		whether the pistol is cocked or not,
		unless you wish to fire the pistol. Do not
"FIRE" POSITION
		decock the pistol manually - always use
WHEN RELEASED
		the decocking lever.

DECOCKING LEVER

AUTOMATICALLY RETURNS TO “FIRE”

POSITION WHEN RELEASED

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!WARNING - LEAD EXPOSURE

Discharging firearms in poorly ventilated areas, cleaning firearms, or handling ammunition may result in exposure to lead and other substances known to the state of California to cause birth defects, reproductive harm, and other serious physical injury. Have adequate ventilation at all times. Wash hands thoroughly after exposure.

SHOOTING OR CLEANING GUNS

MAY EXPOSE YOU TO LEAD

AMMUNITION

The RUGER® P89DC, P93DC & P94DC pistols are chambered for the 9mm x 19 Parabellum (9mm Luger) cartridge. Do not attempt to load any other 9mm cartridges (examples: 9mm short [.380], 9mm Steyr, 9mm Bergmann, etc.) into the magazine or chamber of the pistol. Never attempt to use caliber .40 S & W cartridges in a 9mm pistol. The .40 S & W cartridges will jam the pistol.

The RUGER® P90DC pistol is chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. Do not attempt to load any cartridges other than .45 ACP into the magazine or chamber of the pistol.

The RUGER® P91DC & P944DC pistols are chambered for the .40 S&W cartridge. Do not attempt to use 9mm ammunition in this model.

The Ruger P-Series pistols are compatible with all factory ammunition loaded to U.S. Industry Standards, including high-velocity and hollow-point loads, loaded in brass, aluminum, or steel cartridge cases. No 9mm x 19, .45 ACP or .40 S & W ammunition manufactured in accordance with NATO, U.S., SAAMI, or CIP standards is known to be beyond the design limits or known not to function in these pistols.

USE ONLY FACTORY AMMUNITION LOADED

TO U.S. INDUSTRY STANDARDS

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AMMUNITION (CARTRIDGES) NOTICE

WE SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY WHATSOEVER OCCURRING IN CONNECTION WITH, OR AS A RESULT OF, THE USE IN RUGER FIREARMS OF FAULTY, OR NON-STANDARD, OR “RE-MANUFACTURED”, OR HANDLOADED (RELOADED) AMMUNITION, OR OF CARTRIDGES OTHER THAN THOSE FOR WHICH THE FIREARM WAS ORIGINALLY CHAMBERED.

! WARNING - AMMUNITION

Death, serious injury, and damage can result from the use of the wrong ammunition, bore obstructions, powder overloads, or incorrect cartridge components. Even the strongest gun can be “blown up” as a result of excess pressure. Always wear shooting glasses and hearing protection.

IMPROPER AMMUNITION

DESTROYS GUNS

TO LOAD AND FIRE (WITH MAGAZINE)

Practice this important aspect of safe gun handling with an unloaded pistol until you can perform each of the steps described below with skill and confidence. But before you do anything with the pistol, first read completely through this manual.

1.Be certain the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction. (See “The Basic Rules of Safe Firearms Handling,” page 31.)

2.Press either magazine latch forward and remove the magazine from the frame. NOTE: The magazine is designed to fall free of the frame of its own weight when unloaded and the pistol is held in the normal firing position, but you should always prevent possible damage to the magazine by not letting it drop to the ground unless rapid reloading is absolutely necessary.

3.For the P89DC, P93DC or P94DC pistols, place ten (10) or fewer 9mm x 19 Parabellum cartridges into the magazine from the top.

For the P90DC pistol, place seven (7) or fewer .45ACP cartridges into the magazine from the top.

For the P91DC and P944DC pistols, place ten (10) or fewer .40 S & W cartridges into the magazine from the top.

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4.Insert the magazine into the frame, taking care that the magazine is locked in place by the magazine latch. Slamming the magazine into the frame forcibly is not necessary.

5.Hold the pistol firmly in the shooting hand but do not touch the trigger. Keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction. With the thumb and forefinger of the other hand grasp the rear of the slide and pull the slide to the rear as far as it will go (See Figure 3, below and “Slide Retraction Warning”, p. 12). When released, the slide will fly forward to strip the top cartridge from the magazine and chamber it. WARNING: The pistol is ready for instant use in the single-action mode once the slide moves forward. Be careful!

FIGURE 3

Slide in Retracted Position

6.If the pistol is not to be fired immediately, keep it pointed in a safe direction and depress the decocking lever until the hammer drops. Remember that the decocking lever will spring back to the double-action “fire” position when released. (See “Decocking Lever Warning”, p. 6).

7.When the pistol is in the “uncocked” mode (hammer forward), the first shot can be fired double-action by pulling the trigger all the way to the rear, which cocks the hammer and then fires the pistol. Subsequent shots are fired sin- gle-action until the magazine is empty, the hammer being cocked by the slide as it recoils from each shot. Note that the trigger pull is much lighter for these subsequent shots.

8.For greater accuracy and consistent trigger pull, the hammer may be manually cocked by the shooter before the first shot is fired. Keep your finger off the trigger while cocking the hammer! The hammer will be automatically cocked as described above for subsequent shots.

! WARNING - FIRING

The slide automatically opens and shuts quickly while firing. Keep face and hands away from rear. Hot brass is ejected quickly and can burn you. Always wear shooting glasses and hearing protection.

SLIDE OPENS FAST -

HOT BRASS EJECTED

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9.Immediately following the firing of a shot, and if a subsequent shot is not to be fired at once, depress the decocking lever until the hammer drops while the pistol is still pointing in a safe direction downrange. Remember that the pistol can still be fired by a full “double action” trigger pull.

10.When the last cartridge loaded into the pistol has been fired, the magazine follower presses the slide stop upward to engage the slide automatically holding the action open. If the slide is shut, the shooter should always assume that there is a cartridge in the chamber!

Don’t rely on your memory to know if a gun or magazine is loaded. Visually inspect the magazine and chamber.

! WARNING - HANDLING

Do not load the pistol until you are ready to use it, and unload it immediately when you have completed shooting. (See “Unloading Warning” on page 11)

If dropped or struck, the pistol may fire. Keep chamber empty unless actually firing! Use decock lever to decock pistol before moving with pistol or when not actually firing.

For maximum safety when carrying the pistol with a loaded magazine in place, the chamber should be empty, the slide should be closed, and the pistol should be decocked. Never carry it cocked! If placed into a holster, check it to be sure that the slide is not retracted far enough to either chamber a cartridge from the magazine

cock the pistol.

user should never depend on any mechanical device justify careless handling or permitting the pistol to

point in an unsafe direction. The shooter should always be alert to the possibility of accidental discharge. The

only absolutely safe pistol is one in which the slide is open, the chamber is empty, and there is no magazine in the gun.

ANY GUN MAY FIRE IF DROPPED

TO UNCOCK (DECOCK) THE PISTOL

With the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, depress the cocking lever fully. The hammer will drop near the end of the lever’s travel. Although this may appear startling, it is important to note that the firing pin is securely blocked by the lever, and the pistol will not fire when the lever is depressed. Manually decocking the hammer with the thumb is neither necessary nor recommended. Always use the decocking lever. Remember that when you release the decocking lever, it will automatically return to the firing position, and the pistol can then fire when the trigger is pulled if a cartridge is in the chamber. (See “Special Feature - Decocking Lever”, pp. 5 - 6)

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TO LOAD AND FIRE (WITHOUT MAGAZINE)

In the event that the magazine is missing or for training purposes (where it is desirable that only one cartridge be loaded and fired at a time for safety), the pistol can be fired with the magazine removed. To do so, keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction, grasp the slide, and retract it fully to the rear. Next, push the slide stop upward so that the slide remains to the rear. Insert a single cartridge directly and fully into the chamber. Taking care to keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction, depress the slide stop. This will cause the slide to move vigorously forward into the firing position. WARNING: The pistol is ready for instant use in the single-action mode once the slide moves forward.

Finally, depress the decocking lever until the hammer drops -- now the pistol can be fired in the double-action mode. Single-action firing is possible by manually cocking the hammer. Note that the slide will not automatically remain open if the pistol is fired without the magazine in place. The ejector must always be pivoted to its rearward (upward) position when firing the pistol without the magazine.

!WARNING - UNLOADING

So that the pistol can be used as a single loader, it will fire whether or not a magazine is in the gun if a cartridge is chambered. Removing magazine does not unload pistol! To unload, first remove magazine, then pull slide to rear, eject chambered

cartridge, and visually inspect chamber to be sure it is empty. Always point the pistol in a safe direction when loading or unloading.

GUN WILL FIRE WITH MAGAZINE OUT

TO UNLOAD

WARNING: This sequence must be followed exactly as outlined. Failure to do so can result in the chamber being unintentionally loaded with a live cartridge!

1.The muzzle of the pistol must be pointing in a safe direction at all times, and fingers should be outside of the trigger guard. Decock the pistol by depressing the decocking lever until the hammer drops. (See Figure 1, p. 6)

2.Remove the magazine from the pistol by pushing in on the magazine latch. REMEMBER that even though the magazine has been removed, a live round remaining in the chamber can still be fired (see “Unloading Warning”, above).

3.Hold the pistol firmly and grasp the slide. Retract the slide to its rearmost position briskly to extract and eject any chambered cartridge. Always double check visually that the chamber, breech-face, and the interior of the frame are clear of any live rounds. When the slide is fully retracted, push upward on the slide stop, then allow the slide to move forward until it comes to rest with the rear projection of the slide stop resting in the notch on the lower left side of the slide.

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