Ruger 77/50 Instruction Manual

INSTRUCTION
MANUAL
FOR
RUGER®
MODEL 77/50
TM
INLINE MUZZLELOADING BLACK POWDER
PERCUSSION RIFLE
For Product Service on This Model Please Call:
(603) 863-3300 (See p. 38)
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.
77/50 - 3/98
R1
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND
WARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL CAREFULLY
BEFORE USING THIS...

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®MODEL 77/50TMmuzzleloading rifle properly.
Only when you are certain you fully understand the Manual and can properly
carry out its instructions should you practice loading,  etc. with live
ammunition.
If you have any doubts about your ability to handle or use a...

WARNING–ALTERATIONS
This product was designed to
function properly in its original
condition. Alterations can make it
unsafe. Do not alter any part or add
or substitute parts or accessories
not made by Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc.
DO NOT ALTER ANY GUN
!
3
!
FIREARMS ARE DANGEROUS WEAPONS –
MUZZLELOADING BLACK POWDER FIREARMS
REQUIRE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS.
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS IN THIS
MANUAL THOROUGHLY AND CAREFULLY BEFORE USING.
GENERAL INFORMATION
AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The rifle you have...

The RUGER®MODEL 77/50 is a muzzleloading, percussion rifle intended
for use with black powder, percussion caps, soft lead and jacketed “saboted”
projectiles. It has a precision rifled barrel with a 1-in-28” rifling twist. It does not
fire conventional cartridges, but is instead loaded from the muzzle of the barrel.
It is of bolt-action operation, and must be cocked and capped by opening the
bolt, placing a cap on the nipple, and then closing the bolt before normally firing
the rifle by pulling the...

Figure 1.Components frequently referred to are identified. In these photographs the cocking piece is
shown cocked (protruding from the rear of the bolt sleeve) revealing the disassembly hole in the lower
portion of the cocked piece. The bolt stop (on the left side of the receiver) permits the bolt to be
withdrawn simply by pressing down lightly with the thumbnail. The safety selector (show in the “Safe”
position) should be in the “Load-Unload” position when the bolt is being removed or being installed....

6
OPERATION OF SAFETY
The RUGER®MODEL 77/50 rifle has a three position safety. The safety
selector is located at the right of the bolt sleeve.
The safety selector can be moved from the “Fire” position to its two other
positions (“Load-Unload” and “Safe”) only when the striker is cocked. Fully
raising the bolt handle cocks the striker.
The bolt handle can be raised and lowered only when the safety selector is in
either the full forward “Fire” or the middle “Load-Unload” position. When the
safety selector...

Keep the safety on unless actually firing. Always
move the safety fully to its intended position and
check it. The safety has three positions –“SAFE,”
“LOAD-UNLOAD,” and “FIRE.” Never depend on a
safety mechanism or any other mechanical device
to justify careless handling or permitting the rifle
to point in an unsafe direction. The only “safe”
rifle is one in which the bolt is open, the barrel is
empty of both powder and projectile, and the
nipple is uncapped.
KNOW HOW TO USE THE SAFETY
The safety...

Death, serious injury, and damage
can result from the use of wrong
ammunition, bore obstructions,
powder overloads, or incorrect
components. Always
wear
shooting glasses and hearing
protectors.
Never use smokeless powder in
any muzzleloader! Never fire an
unknown powder charge. If you
are uncertain as to which
components your rifle is loaded
with, do not fire it -- you must
unload your rifle and remove the
unknown components.
IMPROPER AMMUNITION
DESTROYS GUNS
8
Black Powder is usually classified by...

Black Powder is an extremely sensitive
propellant and is readily ignited by heat,
spark, static electricity, friction, pressure,
impact, etc. Unlike smokeless powder,
Black Powder will ignite with great
violence and rapidity even when
unconfined.
Black Powder should be handled only in
very small quantities. Never pour powder
directly from a flask or powder horn intoany muzzleloading firearm!Never smoke
while handling Black Powder!
Many shooters pre-weigh single charges
into small containers for use on...

10
responsibility to select the proper lead ball/patch combination of a lubricated
conical lead bullet that fits securely in the bore, yet is not excessively difficult to
load, particularly after a shot or two of black powder fouling has built up in the
bore.
Never load multiple projectiles into the barrel. The rearmost projectile slamming
into the other projectiles when fired could cause a burst barrel and severe
personal injury. Use only one bullet at a time.
SABOTS
Some projectiles designed for...