Ruger P89 Instructions Manual

							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 and the letter “S” are
both
fully visible, the safety is noton. Unless
the red dot is fully visible, the pistol is not
absolutely ready to fire.
NEVER PUT SAFETY 1/2 ON
11
!
WARNING - LEAD EXPOSURE
Discharging firearms in poorly ventilat-
ed 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 ventila-
tion at all times. Wash hands thoroughly
after exposure.
SHOOTING OR CLEANING GUNS
MAY EXPOSE YOU TO LEAD
! 
						

							AMMUNITION
The RUGER®P89 & P94 pistols are chambered for the 9mm x 19
Parabellum (9mm Luger) cartridge. Do not attempt to load any other 9mm car-
tridges (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 car-
tridges in a 9mm pistol. The .40 S & W cartridges will jam the pistol.
The  RUGER
®P90 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
®P944 pistols chambered for the .40 S&W cartridge should
never be used with 9mm ammunition.
The KP89X pistol is a stainless-steel Convertible Model chambered for both 9mm
and .30 Luger barrels. Do not attempt to load 9mm cartridges in the pistol when
the .30 Luger barrel is installed and do not attempt to load .30 Luger cartridges
in the pistol when the 9mm barrel is in place. The pistol will not function cor-
rectly. See “Ammunition Warning”, p. 13.
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 stan-
dards 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
12
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.Be certain the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction. (See “The Basic Rules of
Safe Firearms Handling,” page 39)
2.Move either the right- or left-hand safety lever fully downward to its “safe”
position so that the letter “S” and the white dot are fully exposed.(See
Figures 1 and 2 on page 10).
3. 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.
For the 9mm P89 and P94 pistols, place ten (10) or fewer 9mm x 19 Parabellum
cartridges into the magazine from the top.
For the P90 pistol, place eight (8) or fewer .45 ACP cartridges into the magazine
from the top.
For the .40 Auto P944 pistols, place ten (10) or fewer .40 S&W cartridges into the
magazine from the top.
For the KP89X Convertible Model, the 9mm and .30 Luger barrels use the same
magazine. The magazines provided with the pistol (which are marked 9mm) are
suitable for use with both 9mm and .30 Luger cartridges.
13
WARNING - AMMUNITION
Death, serious injury, and damage can 
result from the use of the wrong
ammunition, bore obstructions, powder
overloads, or incorrect cartridge compo-
nents. 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
!  
						

							CAUTION: Firing the KP89X Convertible Model with the incorrect 
barrel and recoil spring combination could result in malfunction or
damage to the firearm. Instructions for removing and replacing the barrel
and recoil spring/guide rod assembly are contained in the “Disassembly”
instructions on page 21.
When firing 9mm cartridges, the barrel marked with the caliber “9mm x 19”
must be used. The correct recoil spring and guide rod combination for 9mm use
is the spring that extends a little over an inch beyond the guide rod when this
assembly has been removed from the firearm and the guide rod that has a
tapered section about 1/3 from its front end. See illustration below left.
When firing .30 Luger cartridges, the barrel marked with caliber “.30 Luger”
must be used. The correct recoil spring and guide rod combination for .30 Luger
use is the captive spring which is attached to the untapered guide rod and does
not extend beyond the rod when the assembly has been removed from the
firearm. See illustration below right.
.30 Luger
.30 Luger Spring and Guide Rod Assembly
.30 Luger
Barrel
!
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 3, p. 15 and “Slide
Retraction Warning”, p. 18). 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 simultane-
ously blocking the firing pin. 
14
9mm
Barrel
9mm
9mm Recoil Spring and Guide Rod Assembly   
						

							WARNING - FIRING
The trigger is inoperable when the safety is fully engaged in its “safe” position
(lever fully down, white dot and letter “S” exposed; see Figure 1 on page 10).
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!
7.If the pistol is not to be fired immediately, the safety should remain in its
“safe” position (see Figure 1, p. 10).
8. If the pistol is to be fired immediately, the manual safety can be rotated
upward to its “fire” position (see Figure 2, p. 10). 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 pis-
tol 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 manu-
ally 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.
SLIDE OPENS FAST -
HOT BRASS EJECTED
FIGURE 3
Slide in Retracted Position
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.
15
! 
						

							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, white
dot and letter “S” 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 hold-
ing 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,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 car-
tridge; 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 trig-
ger is pulled if a cartridge is in the chamber.
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 17)
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
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
!
16 
						

							GUN WILL FIRE WITH MAGAZINE OUT 
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, 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” posi-
tion when loading or unloading the pistol. Always
point the pistol in a safe direction when loading or
unloading.
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 pis-
tol can be fired with the magazine removed. To do so, keep the pistol pointed in a
safe direction, engage the safety(lever fully down, white dot and letter “S”
exposed), 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 and the safety is disengaged. Finally,
rotate either safety lever to the “Fire” position -- now the pistol can be fired in
the double-action mode. Single-action firing is possible by manually cocking the
hammer after the safety is disengaged. 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 with-
out the magazine.
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” posi-
tion (see Figure 1 on page 10) by rotating the safety fully downward until the
letter “S” is fully exposed and the white dot shows. 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
remaining in the chamber can still be fired (see “Unloading Warning”, above).
17
! 
						

							WARNING - SLIDE RETRACTION
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.
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, inspec-
tion, or clearing a malfunction.
KEEP HANDS
AWAY FROM MUZZLE AND
FINGER OFF TRIGGER
18
!
CORRECT UNLOADING SEQUENCE
3
2 14
SAFETY “ON” 
						

							19
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 car-
tridge 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, white dot and the letter “S”
exposed) and then pressing forward on either magazine latch with the thumb
or forefinger. The magazine will fall free of the pistol of its own weight. 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 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 safety of the pistol should always be
fully “on” except when the user is positioned to fire the gun at a selected tar-
get.
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 17 - 19).
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 proce-
dure “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  
						

							cartridge clear of the pistol. These failures usually are the result of the slide not
being pulled rearward vigorously. From the foregoing, it is clear that the gun
user must:
1.Always visually check the chamber and the br
eech-face after opening the slide
to eject a chambered cartridge.If the slide is not vigorously retracted when
being operated by hand, the extracted cartridge can be “ejected” into the mag-
azine-well of the grip frame or remain held to the breech-face by the extrac-
tor.
2. Thor
oughly clean the chamber and the extractor as often as necessary.
If an empty magazine is in the pistol when the slide is being hand retracted to
extract a cartridge, the cartridge may drop on top of the magazine or remain
held to the breech-face by the extractor. Then when the slide goes forward, the
cartridge will be chambered again! Remember — always remove the magazine
befor
e clearing the chamber, and visually ensure that no cartridges remain in the
gun.
Any autoloading pistol may occasionally malfunc-
tion. If a cartridge hangs up, jams, or binds when
being chambered, do not attempt to force it into
the chamber by pushing or striking the slide.
Carefully remove it.
Most failures of a cartridge to feed or to chamber 
properly are caused by a damaged magazine,
incorrect gun handling, insufficient lubrication,
or improper ammunition.
Whatever the cause, the user of the pistol must,
above all, recognize that any cartridge jam can
result in the very potentially dangerous situation
of a cartridge discharging before it is properly
chambered. If this happens, the cartridge case
may rupture and its fragments fly out of the ejec-
tion port of the pistol with sufficient force to
cause serious injury. Always wear shooting
glasses!
HITTING PRIMER
CAN BURST CARTRIDGE
20
!WARNING - MALFUNCTIONS
TO CLEAR A MALFUNCTION (“JAM”)
1.Be certain the muzzle is continually pointed in a safe direction and that the
safety levers are in the “safe” position (each lever fully down, white dot and the
letter “S” exposed).
2. If possible, remove the magazine. It may be necessary to manually remove a
jammed cartridge that has only been partially stripped from the magazine. If
so, use extreme care. Lock the slide open with the slide stop before attempting