ruger p97 User Guide

RUGER

®

P97DC

DECOCKER MODEL PISTOLS

*

INSTRUCTION

MANUAL

FOR

BLUED &

STAINLESS

STEEL

CALIBER

.45ACP

*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. 21)

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 (P97DC) 6/01 C

R2

WHY ARE WE INCLUDING A FIRED CARTRIDGE CASE

WITH EVERY RUGER PISTOL AND REVOLVER?

Certain states and jurisdictions now require that all newly manufactured pistols
and revolvers must be accompanied by a cartridge case, which has been test fired
from that gun at the factory. The case must be placed in a sealed container bear­ing certain information concerning this test cartridge.

At the time of retail sale in those jurisdictions, firearms dealers must forward
such test cartridge to a designated destination such as their State Police
Laboratory. As independent Ruger Distributors have nationwide markets without
territorial restrictions, we have decided to include a fired cartridge case with all
new Ruger pistols and revolvers, to minimize the possibility of inadvertent non­compliance with these laws.

Retail customers located in other states, where laws or regulations do not require
the dealer to so act, may be assured that the fired cartridge case they receive with
the firearm at the time of retail purchase is proof that your new Ruger firearm
has undergone our normal test firing procedures during manufacture.

WARNING – LOCKING DEVICES

DO NOT INSTALL

INSIDE TRIGGER GUARD

INSTALL LOCK

AS SHOWN HERE

This firearm was originally sold
with a key-operated locking
device. While it can help provide
secure storage for your unloaded
firearm, any locking device can
fail. All guns are designed to fire
if they are loaded and the trigger
is pulled. Therefore, never install

the locking device inside the trig­ger guard or in any way that it
can possibly pull the trigger! Do

not leave the keys in the lock.

The ultimate responsibility for
secure storage of any firearm
must depend upon its owner and
his or her individual circum­stances. Guns should be securely

stored unloaded, in a secure
location, separate from their
ammunition.

See “Storage Warning”, page 20.

NEVER INSTALL

LOCKING DEVICE

INSIDE TRIGGER GUARD

2

!

This Instruction Manual is designed to assist you in learning how to use and care
for your RUGER®P97 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 Road, 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Special Feature - Decocking Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

To Load and Fire (with magazine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

To Uncock (Decock) The Pistol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

To Load and Fire (without magazine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

To Unload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

To Reload The Pistol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

To Extract and Eject a Chambered Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

To Clear a Malfunction (“Jam”) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

To Minimize Malfunctions (“Jams”) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

To Disassemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

To Reassemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Magazine Inspection and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Care and Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Sight Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Service and Parts Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Parts Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

The Basic Rules of Safe Firearms Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

“Ruger” is a registered U.S. trademark.

FIREARMS SAFETY - YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

SAFETY MUST BE THE FIRST AND CONSTANT

CONSIDERATION OF EVERY PERSON WHO

HANDLES FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION.

3

WARNINGS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE ARE

FOUND ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES:

OTHER CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS APPEAR

THROUGHOUT THE MANUAL.

Locking Devices 2 Unloading 12
Alterations 4 Slide Retraction 13
Decocking Lever 7 Malfunctions 15
Lead Exposure 8 Disassembly 16
Ammunition 8 Lubrication 19
Firing 10 Storage 20
Handling 11 Parts Purchasers 22

FIREARMS ARE DANGEROUS WEAPONS -

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS

IN THIS MANUAL THOROUGHLY AND

CAREFULLY BEFORE USING.

GENERAL INFORMATION

AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The RUGER®P97DC pistols are centerfire, double action, “decock only”
magazine-fed, autoloading, recoil-operated pistols chambered for the caliber
.45ACP cartridge. They incorporate a different “linkless” design in the barrel
locking/unlocking system than earlier Ruger P-Series pistols, and feature a
streamlined slide and Isoplast

®

polymer grip frame construction. 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:

4

!

WARNING - ALTERATIONS

DO NOT ALTER ANY GUN

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.

!

NOMENCLATURE

Action: The action of the Ruger P97 decocker model pistols is of the 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
is cammed downward from its locked position, permitting full recoil of the slide
and the extraction and ejection of the spent cartridge case. Upon return of the
slide to its forward position by the recoil spring, the barrel is cammed back
upward into its locked position in the slide.

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.

Sights have high-visibility
white dots both front and rear.
Rear sights can be adjusted for
windage.

Frame is a rigid one piece polyurethane
grip frame reinforced with long glass fiber.

Double-action mechanism and strongly curved trig-
ger provide that cocking and firing can be accom­plished with a single pull of the trigger.

Oversize trigger guard permits shooting with gloved hand.
Recurved trigger guard bow accommodates non-shooting
hand in two-hand hold.

The 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.

Slide’s open top design minimizes possibility
of jamming, enables shooter to clear any
malfunction easily by hand. Cartridges can
be loaded singly if desired.

Grooved, exposed hammer
spur enables the shooter to
cock the hammer easily for
single-action firing 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 temporari­ly places the firing pin out of
reach of the hammer stroke
and locks the firing pin in a
neutral position, preventing it
from moving toward the car­tridge.

5

RELEASING EITHER
DECOCK LEVER WILL
ALLOW THE LEVERS TO
SPRING UPWARD TO
THEIR ORIGINAL
POSITION, PLACING THE
PISTOL IN A READY TO
FIRE CONDITION.

6

SPECIAL FEATURE - DECOCKING LEVER

The model you have selected is equipped with a special manual decocking lever
that also 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 dir

ection. Depress the decocking

lever until the hammer drops. The decocking lever first moves the firing pin into
the slide far enough so that the rear end of the firing pin cannot be struck by the
hammer. Only then will continued depression of the decocking lever safely drop
the hammer to an uncocked position (see Figure 1, p. 7). To return the pistol to
firing condition, simply release the decocking lever (see Figure 2, p. 7). 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.

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 also
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 the slide stop up.

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 held in place by a spring detent. 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:

Ruger .45ACP magazines are not interchangeable with Ruger pistol

magazines of any

other caliber. Use of incorrect magazines in any pistol will

result in malfunctions. The RUGER

®

P97DC comes equipped with 8 round

capacity magazines. The 8 round magazine is identified by its’ stainless steel fol­lower, which is visible at the top of the magazine when it is empty. The

RUGER

®

P97DC will also function correctly with Ruger 7 round .45 ACP

magazines. These 7 round magazines use a black plastic follower, also visible at
the top of the magazine when it is empty. Ruger .45ACP magazines are
unmarked as to caliber. All other Ruger centerfire 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.

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,
whether the pistol is cocked or not,
unless you wish to fire the pistol. Do not
decock the pistol manually - always use
the decocking lever.

DECOCKING LEVER

AUTOMATICALLY RETURNS TO “FIRE”

POSITION WHEN RELEASED

7

!

WARNING - DECOCKING LEVER

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.

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

DECOCK ONLY

"DECOCK" POSITION
WHEN HELD

DECOCK ONLY

"FIRE" POSITION

WHEN RELEASED

"FIRE" POSITON

WARNING - AMMUNITION

AMMUNITION

The RUGER®P97DC pistols are chambered for the .45ACP cartridge. Do
not attempt to load any other cartridges into the magazine or chamber of the
pistol.

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 .45ACP 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

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

8

!

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

!

WARNING - LEAD EXPOSURE

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. Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. (See “The Basic Rules
of Safe Firearms Handling,” page 27.)

2. Press the magazine latch inward from the left side, 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. Place eight (8) or fewer .45ACP cartridges into an 8 round magazine, or seven
(7) or fewer .45ACP cartridges into a 7 round magazine (see p. 6 for magazine
identification).

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 “Slide Retraction Warning” p. 13). 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!

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. 7)

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 single­action 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.

9

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 HAND-LOADED

(RELOADED) AMMUNITION, OR OF CARTRIDGES OTHER THAN

THOSE FOR WHICH THE FIREARM WAS

ORIGINALLY CHAMBERED.

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.

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.

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 fir­ing pin block, 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 will then
fire when the trigger is pulled if a cartridge is in the chamber. (See “Special

Feature - Decocking Lever”, p. 6)

SLIDE OPENS FAST -

HOT BRASS EJECTED

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.

10

WARNING - FIRING

!