Ruger P345 Instructions Manual

							11
OPERATION OF MANUAL SAFETY
The model you have selected is equipped with special, manual, ambidextrous
safety levers that also allow 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 apply the manual safety and decock the pistol, point the pistol in a safe
direction.Move either the right- or left-hand safety lever downward and fully to
the “safe” position. When the safety is moved fully downward to the “safe”
position, the white dot is exposed through the hole in the side of the left safety
lever. In this position: (1) the firing pin is blocked from moving forward; (2) the
hammer is blocked from contacting the firing pin; (3) the trigger cannot be
pulled back far enough to release the hammer (at this point, the hammer will fall
to its forward (decocked) position); and (4) you can engage the internal lock. (See
p. 27.)
The safety mechanism provides that the hammer cannot contact the firing pin
unless the safety is disengaged. With the hammer cocked, actuating the safety
mechanism automatically drops the hammer onto the slide without contacting
the firing pin. Thus, the safety also serves as a decocking lever.
Add
itionally, the pistol has a separate internal firing pin block which will not allow
the firing pin to move forward and contact the cartridge until the operator pulls the
trigger with the safety off (in its “fire” position).
The pistol can and should be loaded and unloaded with the safety engaged in its
“safe” position (lever fully down, white dot exposed).The safety should be in its “safe”
position at all times except when the user is deliberately positioned to fire at a
selected target. When the safety is in the “fire” position (safety lever up) the red dot
is exposed through the hole in the left safety lever. See Figures 2 and 3, below, which
illustrate the two positions of the safety.
OPERATION OF MANUAL SAFETY
SAFE  POSITIONFIRE  POSITION
White dot exposedRed dot exposed
FIGURE 2FIGURE 3     
						

							12
WARNING - MANUAL SAFETY
Placing the safety in an intermediate
position between “safe” and “fire” can result
in the user thinking the pistol is in a safe or
fire position when it is not. Pulling the
trigger with the safety in an intermediate
position may cause the pistol to fire.
Therefore, always move the safety fully
to its
intended position and then checkto be sure
it is where you want it to be. Unless the
white dot is fully visible, the safety is not
“ON.” Unless the red dot is fully visible, the
pistol is notabsolutely ready to fire.
NEVER PUT SAFETY 1/2 ON
AMMUNITION
The RUGER®P345TMpistols are chambered for the .45 Auto (.45 ACP)
cartridge. Do not attempt to load any other .45 caliber cartridges into the
magazine or chamber of the pistol. 
The Ruger P-Series pistols are compatible with all factory ammunition of the
correct caliber loaded to U.S. Industry Standards, including high-velocity and
hollow-point loads, loaded in brass, aluminum, or steel cartridge cases. No .45
Auto 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.
WARNING —AMMUNITION
IMPROPER AMMUNITION
DESTROYS GUNS
Death, serious injury, and damage can result
from the use of wrong ammunition, bore
obstructions, powder overloads, or incorrect
cartridge components.
Always
wear shooting glasses and hearing
protection.!        !   
						

							13
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.
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  !   
						

							TO LOAD AND FIRE
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 35.)
2.Move either the right- or left-hand safety lever fully downward to its “safe”
position so that the white dot is fully exposed.(See Figures 2 and 3 on page
11.)
3. 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, the slide is locked open 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.
4. Place eight (8) or fewer .45 Auto cartridges into the magazine from the top.
5. 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.
6. Hold the pistol firmly in the shooting hand but do not touch the trigger. Keep
the pistol pointed in a safe direction and the safety “on.” With the thumb and
forefinger of the other hand grasp the r
earof the slide and pull the slide to
the rear as far as it will go (see Figure 5, below and “Slide Retraction
Warning”, p. 20). When released, the slide will fly forward to strip the top
cartridge from the magazine and chamber it. The safety mechanism drops the
hammer automatically as the slide moves forward while simultaneously
blocking the firing pin. 
The trigger is inoperable when the safety is fully engaged in its “safe” position
(lever fully down and white dot exposed; see Figure 2 on page 11). WARNING:
The pistol is ready for instant use in the single-action mode once the slide
moves forward if the safety is in the “fire” position. Be careful!
14
FIGURE 5
Slide in Retracted Position   
						

							15
WARNING - FIRING
7.If the pistol is not to be fired immediately, the safety should remain in its
“safe” position (see Figure 2, p. 11).
8. If the pistol is to be fired immediately, the manual safety can be rotated
upward to its “fire” position (see Figure 3, p. 11). The firing pin is still
blocked at all times by the internal firing pin block unless the trigger is
pulled all the way to the rear.
9.The pistol is ready for instant use once the safety is disengaged.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 single-
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.
10. For greater accuracy and consistent trigger pull, the hammer may be
manually cocked by the shooter before the first shot is fired once the safety is
“off.” Keep your finger off the trigger while cocking the hammer!The
hammer will be automatically cocked as described above for subsequent
shots.
11.Immediately following the firing of a shot, and if a subsequent shot is not to
be fired at once, put the safety in its “safe” position (lever fully down and
white dot exposed) while the pistol is still pointing in a safe direction
downrange. This will also uncock (decock) the pistol.
12. 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.
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.  !   
						

							16
OPERATION OF
LOADED CHAMBER INDICATOR
You should always treat every gun as though it is loaded and always keep the
muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Never rely upon any safety or mechanical
device to justify unsafe or careless gun handling.  In order to assist you in
determining the presence of a cartridge in the chamber of your RUGER
®
P345TMpistol, it is equipped with a loaded chamber indicator.  The indicator
appears on the top of the slide. (See “Nomenclature,” p. 9.) 
When the chamber is empty, the loaded chamber indicator should be flush with
the top of the slide.  (See Figure 6A, below.)
When the chamber is loaded, the forward portion of the loaded chamber
indicator should protrude from the top of the slide. When the chamber contains
a cartridge, a red dot and the word “loaded” should be visible on either side of
the loaded chamber indicator. (See Figure 6B, below.)
Figure 6A
OPERATION OF LOADED CHAMBER INDICATOR
Chamber Empty
Figure 6B
Cartridge in Chamber
NEVER RELY ON YOUR MEMORY OR ANY LOADED CHAMBER
INDICATOR TO KNOW IF A GUN IS LOADED. ANY MECHANICAL
DEVICE CAN FAIL. ALWAYS VISUALLY CHECK THE CHAMBER BY
RETRACTING THE BOLT AND EXAMINING THE CHAMBER TO BE SURE
WHETHER IT IS EMPTY OR LOADED.
Indicator
Flush
With Top
Indicator
Protrudes
From
Top -
Red Dot
and
Loaded
Visible    !   
						

							TO UNCOCK (DECOCK) THE PISTOL
With the muzzle pointed in a safe direction,engage the safety fully. The hammer
will drop near the end of the safety’s travel. Although this may appear startling, it
is important to note that the firing pin is cammed forward into the slide and
locked in a neutral position thus preventing forward movement toward the
cartridge; therefore, the pistol will not fire when the safety is applied. Manually
decocking the hammer with the thumb is neither necessary nor recommended.
Always use either the right- or left-hand safety lever.  Remember
that when you
return the manual safety to the firing position, the pistol can fire when the
trigger is pulled if a cartridge is in the chamber and the magazine is in the gun.
17
OPERATION OF MAGAZINE DISCONNECT
Your RUGER® P345TMpistol is equipped with a magazine disconnect.  This
device prevents firing if the magazine is removed from the pistol.  You will not be
able to use your P345
TMpistol as a single loader or to fire the pistol with the
magazine out of the pistol. 
Do not load the pistol until you are ready to use it, and
unload it immediately when you have completed shooting.
(See “Warning - Unloading” on page 18.)
If dropped or struck, the pistol may fire. Keep chamber
empty unless actually firing! Use the safety 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
or cock the pistol.
The user should never depend on any mechanical device
to 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.
WARNING - HANDLING
ANY GUN MAY FIRE IF DROPPED
REMEMBER THAT A ROUND MAY STILL BE IN THE CHAMBER ANDTHAT THE PISTOL MAY STILL BE LOADED EVEN IF THE MAGAZINE ISREMOVED.AS SOON AS AN EMPTYMAGAZINE IS INSERTED, A
ROUND IN THE CHAMBER CAN BE FIRED BY PULLING THE TRIGGER.
BE CAREFUL!AS ALWAYS, YOU SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THE MAGAZINE
DISCONNECT OR ANY OTHER MECHANICAL DEVICE OR SAFETY TO JUSTIFY
CARELESS OR UNSAFE HANDLING OF ANY FIREARM.
Don’t rely on your memory to know if a gun or magazine is loaded. Visually
inspect the magazine and the chamber.  !  !   
						

							WARNING - UNLOADING 
18
REMOVING MAGAZINE
DOES NOT UNLOAD CHAMBER 
Removing magazine does not unload pistol! To
unload, firstremove magazine, thenpull slide to
rear, eject chambered cartridge, and visually inspect
chamber to be sure it is empty.The safety should
always be in its “Safe” position when loading or
unloading the pistol. Always point the pistol in a safe
direction when loading or unloading.
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. Put the safety in its “safe”
position (see Figure 2 on page 11) by rotating the safety fully downward until
the white dot shows through the left safety lever. The safety can be engaged
whether the pistol is cocked or not.
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
may remain in the chamber. (See “Warning - Unloading,” below.)
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.!     
						

							19
WARNING - SLIDE RETRACTION
The slide should always be pulled
rearward (“retracted”) by pulling the
r
earportion of the slide in the vicinity
of the safety, the decock-only lever,
or the serrations (depending upon 
model). Always keep fingers away
from trigger!
Never put any part of your hands or 
body over the muzzle while retracting
the slidefor loading, unloading,
inspection, or clearing a malfunction.
KEEP HANDS
AWAY FROM MUZZLE AND
FINGER OFF TRIGGER
CORRECT UNLOADING SEQUENCE  !  3
2 14SAFETY “ON”   
						

							20
4. To close the slide, again check to be sure the chamber and breech-face are
empty.Pull the slide to its rearmost postion and release it. The slide will snap
forward. Keep fingers out of ejection port on top of slide!
5. If the magazine contains cartridges, they can be removed by sliding each
cartridge forward and out of magazine, one at a time, until the magazine is
empty.
6. Push empty (unloaded) magazine into frame until magazine latch locks it in
place.
TO RELOAD THE PISTOL
1. Firing all cartridges in the magazine and the chamber will cause the slide to
automatically lock open. Keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction.Reloading
can be accomplished by moving either the right- or left-hand safety lever fully
downward to the “safe” position (lever fully down and white dot exposed) and
then pressing in on the magazine latch with the thumb or forefinger. The
magazine will fall free of the pistol of its own weight if the slide is locked
open. To avoid the possibility of damage to the magazine, do not let it fall to
the ground unless rapid reloading is absolutely necessary.
2. Insert a loaded magazine. WARNING:The slide stop is held in place by the
slide pressing against the rear of the slide stop. 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
safety of the pistol should always be fully “on” except when the user is
positioned to fire the gun at a selected target.
3. Release the slide to move forward by either depressing the rear portion of the
slide stop or pulling the slide fully to the rear and release it. A cartridge will
be chambered when the slide shuts. If you are ready to fire immediately move
the manual safety fully upward to its “Fire” position. WARNING:The pistol is
ready to fire in the “double-action” mode once manual safety is disengaged. It
can also be recocked to fire in the single-action mode.
4. If the pistol is not to be fired immediately, depress the manual safety fully
until the hammer drops and keep the safety “on” at all times except when
actually firing.When you are finished firing the pistol, unload it completely
(see pages  18 - 20).
TO EXTRACT AND
EJECT A CHAMBERED CARTRIDGE
When the pistol is fired, the same gas pressure that drives the bullet forward also
acts through the cartridge case to push the slide to the rear. The action causes
extraction and ejection of the fired cartridge case. If a cartridge fails to fire or if
the shooter wishes to eject the chambered cartridge manually, follow the
procedure “To Unload” step 3, p.18. When the slide is operated by hand, there can
be a failure to extract the cartridge from the chamber, or a failure to eject the