Ruger P89DAO Double Action Only Instructions Manual

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AMMUNITION
The RUGER®P89DAO, P93DAO & P94DAO pistols are chambered
for the 9mm x 19 Parabellum (9mm Luger) cartridge. Do not attempt to load
any other 9mm cartridges (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 cartridges in a 9mm pistol. The .40 S & W cartridges will
jam the pistol.
The RUGER
®P91DAO & P944DAO pistols chambered for the .40 S&W
cartridge should never be used with 9mm ammunition.
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 or .40 S & W ammu-
nition 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
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. 
						

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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 35)
2. Press the 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.
3. For the 9mm P89DAO, P93DAO and P94DAO pistols, place ten (10) or fewer
9mm x 19 Parabellum cartridges into the magazine from the top.
For the .40 Auto P91DAO and P944DAO pistols, place ten (11) or fewer .40
S&W cartridges into the magazine from the top.
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.
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
!  
						

							13
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 r
earof the slide and pull the slide to the rear as far
as it will go (See Figure 1 and “Slide Retraction Warning”, p. 16). When
released, the slide will fly forward to strip the top cartridge from the maga-
zine and chamber it. The “double action only” mechanism drops the hammer
automatically as the slide moves forward while simultaneously blocking the
firing pin. There is not “full-cock” position for the hammer, and the pistol
cannot be fired in the “single action” mode.
6.Remember that once you load the chamber, a pull on the trigger will cause
the pistol to fire. Be Careful!
7.The pistol is now ready to fire by a long “double-action” trigger pull for each
shot. Every time the trigger is pulled, the hammer will move backward. If the
trigger is completely pulled, the hammer will then fall forward and fire a car-
tridge in the chamber.
8. Subsequent shots are all fired “double-action” until the magazine is empty,
the chamber being reloaded as the slide recoils from each shot.
FIGURE 1
Slide in Retracted Position
WARNING - FIRING
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.
! 
						

							14
9. In the event of a misfire, keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction,manually
retract the slide and eject the misfired cartridge. Then let the slide fly for-
ward to chamber another cartridge from the magazine. The pistol can them
be fired by a normal “double-action” trigger pull.
10.Immediately following the firing of a shot, and if a subsequent shot is not to
be fired at once, remove your finger from the trigger while the pistol is still
pointing in a safe direction downrange.
11. 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 (see Figure 1, p. 13). 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 is loaded. Visually inspect the
magazine and
chamber to be sure.
12. During firing, you may notice that between shots the hammer comes to rest
slightly to the rear of its full forward position. This is normal and assists in
the accurate firing of subsequent shots in the “double-action-only” mode. Do
not try to further “decock” a loaded pistol! (See “Double Action Only”
Warning, p. 10)
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
! 
						

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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.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, 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 direct-
ly 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 for-
ward into the firing position. WARNING:The pistol is ready for instant use in
the double-action mode once the slide moves forward. Keep your finger off the
trigger until you are ready to fire! 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.
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).
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.
! 
						

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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, inspec-
tion, or clearing a malfunction.
KEEP HANDS
AWAY FROM MUZZLE AND
FINGER OFF TRIGGER
!
CORRECT UNLOADING SEQUENCE
2
13 
						

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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 pressing forward on the 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 shooter’s fingers should always be fully
outside the trigger guard except when the shooter 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. WARNING:The pistol will be reloaded
and is ready to fire “double-action” by a complete pull of the trigger. Be care-
ful! When you are finished firing the pistol, unload it completely.
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 4, above. 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 car-
tridge 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: 
						

							18
1.Always visually check the chamber and the breech-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
eclearing 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
!WARNING - MALFUNCTIONS
TO CLEAR A MALFUNCTION (“JAM”)
1.Be certain the muzzle is continually pointed in a safe direction.
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 
to clear the jam. Drawing the slide fully to the rear may bring the jammed car-
tridge along. Keep your face away from the ejection port during this operation.
When attempting to clear a jam, use only wood “tools” so that the cartridge
will not be damaged or the primer ignited. A 3/16” wooden dowel with a point
on one end is useful.  
						

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3. Visually check to make sure that all cartridges have been removed from the
pistol. Safely dispose of any cartridges involved in a malfunction incident. Do
not use damaged ammunition in any firearm.
TO MINIMIZE MALFUNCTIONS (“JAMS”)
1. If it appears that the jam was caused by the type of ammunition being used,
try another brand, type, or lot number. Remember — use only factory ammu-
nition of the correct caliber.
2. If changing ammunition does not at once eliminate malfunctions, then the
following steps should be taken:
a. Thoroughly clean the pistol, paying particular attention to the removal of
accumulated grease and dirt. Use a bristle brush and solvent to remove
grease and fouling from the breech-face, extractor, chamber, and feed
ramp area immediately behind the chamber.
b. Check to be sure that the magazine spring firmly returns the magazine
follower to the top of the magazine.
c. Check the magazine lips to be certain that they are free of nicks and burrs
and that they are not deformed or cracked.
d. Remove excess oil and solvent from all cleaned components, load the
magazine, and try the pistol again. Make sure you are following the cor-
rect loading and firing sequence as described in this manual.
e. If none of the above steps is effective, try a different magazine of Ruger
manufacture. If a new magazine does not function correctly, return the
pistol and magazines to the Ruger Product Service Department. (See
“Shipping Firearms For Repair” on page 25)
f.Alterations to the pistol or use of non-Ruger magazines and accessories
may cause malfunctions. See “Alteration Warning” on page 7.
TO DISASSEMBLE
1.Keep pistol pointed in a safe direction. Press in on the magazine latch and
withdraw magazine from butt of pistol.
2. Pull slide to rear and lock in open position by pressing upward on rear end of
slide stop. Again, be sure chamber is empty!
3. Keep upwar
d pressure on slide stop to prevent forward movement of slide.
Open slide is under strong spring tension and could injure fingers if allowed
to slam shut. Insert finger through top of slide and push ejector downward  
						

							and forward (see Figure 2, below) until it locks in its lower position. This will
permit forward movement of slide. Further disassembly is impossible unless
this is done.
20
DEPRESS
EJECTOR
REMOVE
MAGAZINE2
1
FIGURE 2
Press slide stop up. Depress ejector.FIGURE 3
Slide stop in disassembly position.
4. Remove fingers from ejection port. Grasp slide tightly. Now press down on
slide stop and allow slide to move slowly
forward until the slide stop spring
retainer pin is aligned with the slide stop notch. Press in on right-hand end
of slide stop and pull slide stop out of frame to the left until it locks in its
withdrawn position. (See Figure 3, above). Do not attempt to pull it com-
pletely out of the frame. 
5. Push slide forward and remove entire slide assembly to the front.
6. With slide held upside down, lift rear end of guide rod to disengage it from its
seat against the barrel lug. Withdraw spring and guide rod to the rear of the
slide. CAUTION:Spring is under tension!
7. Pull barrel upward out of slide slightly and withdraw to the rear.
8. This completes normal fieldstripping for routine cleaning and lubrication
purposes. Further disassembly of slide or frame components is not recom-
mended and should only be undertaken by the factory.
PULL OUT
SLIDE STOP4
DISASSEMBLY
NOTCH
3ALIGN NOTCH
WITH PIN