Ruger P97 Decocker Instructions Manual

							ANY GUN MAY FIRE IF DROPPED
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
pistol 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
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. 
Finally, depress the decocking lever until the hammer drops -- now the pistol can
be fired in the double-action mode. Single-action firing is possible by manually
cocking the hammer. Note that the slide will not automatically remain open if
the pistol is fired without the magazine in place. The ejector must always be piv-
oted to its rearward (upward) position when firing the pistol without the maga-
zine.
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 12)
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!
11 
						

							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 chamberto be sure it 
is empty. 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. Decock the pistol by depress-
ing the decocking lever until the hammer drops (See Figure 1, p. 7).
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 visually
double check that the chamber, breech-face, and the interior of the frame areclear 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.
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.
GUN WILL FIRE WITH MAGAZINE OUT 
12
! 
						

							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
13
!
CORRECT UNLOADING SEQUENCE
2
13 
						

							14
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 inward from the left side of 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 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.
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, depress the slide stop, and release
the slide. A cartridge will be chambered when the slide shuts. WARNING:The
pistol is ready for instant use in the single-action mode once the slide moves for-
ward. If the pistol is not to be fired immediately, depress the decocking lever
until the hammer drops -- in this position, the pistol is ready to fire double
action or can be recocked to fire single-action.
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. 12. 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 theslide 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
magazine-well of the grip frame or remain held to the breech-face by the 
extractor.
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
15
!
TO CLEAR A MALFUNCTION (“JAM”)
1.  Be certain the muzzle is continually pointed in a safe direction and that the
hammer has been decocked.
2.  If possible, first 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 cartridge 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.
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 ammuni-
tion of the correct type.
2.  If changing ammunition does not at once eliminate malfunctions, then the
following steps should be taken:
WARNING - MALFUNCTIONS  
						

							Always unload a firearm
before cleaning, lubrication,
disassembly or assembly.
UNLOAD BEFORE DISASSEMBLY
WARNING - DISASSEMBLY!
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 
correct 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 21.)
f.Alterations to the pistol or use of non-Ruger magazines and accessories
may cause malfunctions. See “Alteration Warning” on page 4.
16
2
13
TO DISASSEMBLE
Be sure pistol is unloaded!
1.  Keep pistol pointed in a safe direction. If the pistol is cocked, depress the
decocking lever until the hammer drops. Press inward on the left side of 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 3, p. 17) until it locks in its lower position. This will permit 
forward movement of slide. Further disassembly is impossible unless this is
done. 
						

							4.  Remove fingers from ejection port. Grasp slide tightly. Now press down on
slide stop and allow slide to move slowlyforward until the vertical disassembly
line on the frame is aligned with the vertical disassembly line on the slide (See
Figure 4, below). Press in on right-hand end of slide stop and pull slide stop out
of frame to the left until it is withdrawn completely out of the frame. (See Figure
5, below).
5.  Push slide forward and remove entire slide assembly to the front.
6.  Note:Camblock is under strong spring tension. With slide held upside down,
lift rear end of camblock/recoil spring assembly to disengage it from its seat
against the barrel lug. Withdraw the camblock/recoil spring assembly to the rear
of the slide.
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
recommended and should only be undertaken by the factory.
17
DEPRESS
EJECTOR
REMOVE
MAGAZINE2
1
3ALIGN
INDEX MARKS
PULL OUT
SLIDE STOP4
DISASSEMBLY
NOTCH
FIGURE 3
Press slide stop up. Depress ejector.FIGURE 4
Index marks aligned.
FIGURE 5
Slide stop in disassembly position. 
						

							TO REASSEMBLE
1.BE CERTAIN CHAMBER AND MAGAZINE ARE EMPTY.
2.  With slide held upside down, replace barrel and push it rearward into its
locked position.
3.  Replace camblock and recoil spring into position. Rear end of camblock seats
against barrel lug. 
4.  Be certain that ejector is locked in its lower (forward) position and that
hammer is in its fired (uncocked) position.
5.  Replace slide onto frame. Par
tiallyinsert slide stop into frame.
6.  Pull slide back until disassembly line on frame is aligned with disassembly
line on slide stop. Now push slide stop all the way through the frame to the
right.
7.  Allow slide to move fully forward.
8.  Replace empty magazine in frame through butt of pistol. This action
returns the ejector to its working position. This pistol will not function
normally unless the ejector is in its upward (rearward) position.
MAGAZINE INSPECTION AND CARE
Check the magazine frequently. The magazine follower must move freely and
have adequate spring tension so that each cartridge is quickly raised to the feed-
ing position. The magazine lips should be clean and free of cracks, dents, or
nicks, so that cartridges are held in their proper feeding position.
If the magazine becomes dirty, it should be disassembled and thoroughly
cleaned.
Snap-On Base- Use a punch to press in on the magazine spring seat where it
protrudes into the hole in the magazine floorplate. Slide the magazine 
floorplate toward the front of the magazine, taking care to prevent the forcible
ejection of the magazine spring seat and compressed magazine spring.
Withdraw magazine spring seat and magazine spring from magazine body.
Turn magazine upside down and remove magazine follower. Reassemble 
in reverse order.
When cleaning is necessary, use a solvent that will not rust the metal compo-
nents or adversely affect the magazine follower. After the magazine has been
soaked in solvent to loosen foreign matter, be certain to shake it vigorously (with
the loading opening away from you) to remove solvent or residue from within
the magazine. Penetrating oils and solvents inside a magazine can “kill” or weak-
en cartridge primers, which can result in failures to fire or other possibly dan-
gerous malfunctions, such as leaving a bullet in the bore!
After cleaning, check to be certain that the magazine follower movement and
spring tension are correct, and that no solvent or debris remain. Improper
reassembly of the magazine spring can cause a potentially dangerous malfunc-
tion. If cleaning does not restore proper tension, or if you experience a problem
with the magazine, don’t use it. Get a new one.
18 
						

							CARE AND CLEANING
Be Sure Gun Is Unloaded!
BEFORE CLEANING, BE CERTAIN THE PISTOL AND ITS MAGAZINE CONTAIN
NO CARTRIDGES. (See “Unloading Warning”, p.12)
At regular intervals, or whenever the pistol has been exposed to sand, dust,
extreme humidity, condensation, immersion in water, or other adverse condi-
tions, disassemble, clean, and oil it. Proper periodic maintenance is essential to
the reliable functioning of any firearm.
To clean the pistol, proceed as follows:
1.  Disassemble (fieldstrip) the pistol to the extent described on pages 16 & 17.
2.  Using a cleaning rod, run a solvent-wetted patch through the bore several
times. Then attach a solvent-wetted bristle brush to the rod and run it back and
forth the full length of the bore as many times as necessary to remove 
grease and dirt from the bore and chamber. Clean bore with dry patches and
examine. Bore fouling can contribute to reduced accuracy, and grease
accumulation in the chamber can interfere with proper feeding of cartridges
from the magazine.
3.  Using powder solvent on a clean patch or bristle brush, remove powder
residue from all components of the mechanism. After cleaning, run a dry patch
through the bore, then follow with a patch that is very lightly oiled. Wipe all
surfaces clean with cloth, then wipe all surfaces with a patch or cloth that has
been very lightly oiled.
4.  NOTE:Only a light application of oil is needed to provide adequate
lubrication of moving parts and to prevent rust. Excess accumulations of oil
tend to attract particles of dust and dirt and may congeal in cold weather,
which can interfere with the safe and reliable function of the pistol.
5.  Before firing, remove all oil and grease from the bore.
19
WARNING - LUBRICATION
IMPROPER LUBRICATION
DESTROYS GUNS
!
Firing a pistol with oil, grease, or any other material
even partially obstructing the bore may result in damage
to the pistol and serious injury to the shooter and those
nearby. Do not spray or apply lubricants directly on
ammunition. If the powder of a cartridge is affected by
the lubricant, it may not be ignited, but the primer fir-
ing may push the bullet into the bore where it may be
lodged. Firing a subsequent bullet into the obstructed
bore may damage the pistol and cause serious injury or
death to the shooter and those nearby.Use lubricants
properly. You are responsible for the proper care and
maintenance of your firearms. 
						

							Never place or store any firearm in such a
manner that it may be dislodged. Firearms
should always be stored securely and
unloaded, away from children and careless
adults. Use the locking device originally
supplied with this firearm for storage.
The use of a locking device or safety lock is
only one aspect of responsible firearms
storage. For increased safety, firearms
should be stored unloaded and locked in a
location that is both separate from their
ammunition and inaccessible to children
and any other unauthorized person.
STORE SECURELY & UNLOADED
20
STORAGE
GUNS SHOULD NOT BE STORED LOADED!
USE THE LOCKING DEVICE SUPPLIED WITH THE PISTOL FOR STORAGE.
(SEEPAGE2)
Do notkeep the pistol stored in a leather holster or case. Leather attracts mois-
ture, even though the holster or case may appear to be perfectly dry.
TO RENDER THE PISTOL INOPERATIVE FOR SAFE STORAGE
With the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, remove the magazine, retract the
slide, and check the chamber to be sur
e the pistol is completely unloaded! Keep
the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, and press upward on the slide stop. Insert a
finger into the action and press the ejector assembly fully forward. Next, pull the
slide stop pin out the left side of the pistol frame until it stops. Now remove the
slide and barrel assembly forward off the front of the frame.
Store the pistol’s frame and the barrel/slide assembly in different locations. When
disassembled in this manner, this pistol is inoperable. It is impossible to fire the
pistol until the barrel/slide assembly and frame have been correctly reassembled.
To reassemble the pistol for firing, carefully slide the barrel/slide assembly onto
the frame. Align the disassembly marks on the frame and slide, and then push the
slide stop pin fully into the receiver from the left. Either reinsert an empty maga-
zine or lock the slide open and push the ejector back upward and rearward with a
finger. The pistol is now reassembled and can be loaded and fired normally.
While the pistol is less likely to be used by unauthorized persons when disas-
sembled in the above manner, it is always safest to store any firearm with the
supplied locking device correctly installed, or to store the firearm in a gun safe
or other secure location away from children and unauthorized adults. Guns
should always be stored securely, unloaded
and separate from their ammunition.
!WARNING–STORAGE