ruger p97 User Guide

INSTRUCTION

MANUAL

FOR

BLUED &	CALIBER
STAINLESS	.45ACP
STEEL

RUGER®

P97DC

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. 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

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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® 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.

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WARNINGS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE ARE

!FOUND ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES:

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

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® 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:

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NOMENCLATURE

Sights have high-visibility	Slide’s open top design minimizes possibility	Grooved, exposed hammer
white dots both front and rear.	of jamming, enables shooter to clear any	spur enables the shooter to
Rear sights can be adjusted for	malfunction easily by hand. Cartridges can	cock the hammer easily for
windage.	be loaded singly if desired.	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 temporari-
		ly 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 car-
		tridge.
		RELEASING EITHER
		DECOCK LEVER WILL
		ALLOW THE LEVERS TO
		SPRING UPWARD TO
		THEIR ORIGINAL
		POSITION, PLACING THE
		PISTOL IN A READY TO
		FIRE CONDITION.

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.

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.

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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 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.

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 direction. 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 “dou- ble-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® 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

! 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

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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 HAND-LOADED (RELOADED) AMMUNITION, OR OF CARTRIDGES OTHER THAN THOSE FOR WHICH THE FIREARM WAS

ORIGINALLY CHAMBERED.

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.

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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

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)

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