Ruger Red Label Instructions Manual

							12
ASSEMBLING THE SHOTGUN
The Ruger Over and Under Shotgun is shipped partially disassembled. To
assemble, proceed as follows:
1. After unwrapping the barrel/forearm assembly and receiver/stock assembly,
wipe excess rust preventative oil from the monobloc and inside surfaces of the
receiver. Swab the bores with a clean cloth patch on a cleaning rod to remove
any excess oil.
2. To Correctly Remove Forearm (See Figure 5):
a. Unlatch forearm by pulling down on latch lever.
b. Carefully pull down on tip of forearm until slight resistance is felt -
APPLICATION OF EXCESSIVE FORCE AT THIS POINT CAN RESULT IN
BREAKAGE.
c. While holding forearm tip away from barrels, carefully pull forearm toward
the muzzle and remove forearm from barrels.
Do not attempt to attach barrel assembly to receiver with the forend attached!
31
2
Figure 5
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
WARNING – LEAD EXPOSURE 
						

							3. To attach the barrel assembly to the
receiver, hold the stock by the pistol
grip in one hand as shown in Figure
6. Make sure the top lever is opened
to the right in order to accept the
barrel assembly. Hold the barrel
assembly in the other hand and
engage the integral trunnions in the
receiver with the corresponding
recesses at the front end of the
monobloc. Be sure the small lugs
(indicated by the arrow in “A” in
Figure 6.) on the outer surfaces of
the ejectors engage their corresponding slots inside the front end of the
receiver BEFORE CLOSING THE GUN! The foregoing caution must be
followed otherwise the receiver will be damaged by the ejectors as the gun is
closed.
4. Swing the muzzle end of the barrels upward, pivoting the rear end of the
monobloc downward to seat in the receiver as shown in Figure 7. The barrel
assembly is seated and locked into the receiver when the top lever snaps to its
centered position.
5. Place the rear end of the forend iron over the ends of the ejectors as shown in
Figure 8, and swing the front end of the forearm upward until the forend latch
lever catches the forend latch hook on the underside of the lower barrel, and
the forend assembly snaps into its locked position.CAUTION
“A”
13 Figure 7
Figure 8 Figure 6 
						

							14
INSTALLATION OF SCREW-IN CHOKES
Make sure the shotgun is unloaded!Either open the action or dismount the
barrels completely from the action assembly. Lightly coat the threads of both the
barrel and the desired choke insert with good quality gun oil. Carefully start the
choke insert into the barrel threads by hand, taking care that the choke insert is
not cross-threaded. Using the choke wrench (supplied), carefully hand tighten
the choke insert into the barrel until it is tightly secured in the barrel, and so
that the choke insert is fully bottomed into its recess in the barrel. Take note
which choke you are inserting into each barrel. The choke inserts are stamped
either “FULL’, “MODIFIED”, “IMPROVED CYLINDER”, or “SKEET”. Remove the
choke wrench from the barrel after tightening.
CHOKE WRENCHCHOKE INSERT
(TUBE)
26, 28 OR
30 BBL.
NOTE:  Stainless Steelchoke inserts may protrude slightly from muzzle when
fully seated. This is normal and helps protect the muzzle of the barrel from
damage.
To minimize the possibility of damage to the screw-in choke inserts and the
barrel threads, it is recommended that a set of choke inserts be kept correctly
tightened into the barrel at all times, including storage and cleaning. Cleaning
the barrels without the choke inserts in place can push dirt and other fouling
into the barrel threads, which will interfere with proper installation of the choke
inserts.
Rifled Slugs— Do not fire slugs unless a choke insert is installed (see “Screw-In
choke Warnings”, p. 15).
Steel Shot— Steel shot loads manufactured to U.S. Industry Standards can be
used with Ruger Screw-in choke inserts with no special precautions other than
those listed above. 
						

							Do not peer directly into the shotgun muzzles!
This is dangerous and unnecessary. Do not
change choke inserts in a loaded shotgun,
regardless of the position of the safety. Never
fire the shotgun if the screw-in choke inserts
are not fully and tightly bottomed into the
barrel threads, or if the inserts are improperly
installed or “cross-threaded”, or if the threads
of either the barrel or the choke insert are
damaged. Under these conditions, the barrel
will be damaged and the screw-in choke inserts
can be propelled out of the muzzle with great
velocity when the gun is fired, with resultant
risks of property damage or injury to the
shooter or bystanders. Do not attempt to alter
or modify existing fixed choke Ruger shotgun
barrels for screw-in choke inserts. This can
seriously weaken the barrel and may be
dangerous. See “Alteration Warning” elsewhere
in instruction manual.
DO NOT PEER INTO MUZZLES
OR CHANGE TUBES ON A
LOADED SHOTGUN
15
WARNING – SCREW-IN CHOKES
OPERATION OF THE SHOTGUN
Always check to be sure the gun is unloaded before handling, “dry-firing”, take-
down, cleaning or storage.
Every Ruger Over and Under Shotgun is inspected before shipment to ensure
that it conforms to our standards of finish and performance. WE ASSUME NO
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ITS
INTENTIONAL OR ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE. No mechanism can prevent
injury caused by careless or thoughtless handling of a loaded firearm.
Be sure you only use the correct choke inserts (tubes).The screw-in choke
inserts for the newer “easy open” shotguns are stainless steel and stamped on the
side either “FULL”, “MODIFIED”, “IMPROVED CYLINDER”, or “SKEET”. They
are not interchangeable with the shorter, blued steel choke tubes of older Ruger
shotguns which have the identification slots. A general rule of thumb is that if
the choke tubes screw in significantly below flush with the muzzle, or if the
chokes stick more than slightly out of the muzzle when completely tightened,
you are using the wrong choke tubes!
Never fire the shotgun without the screw-in choke inserts in place. Doing so will
cause an erratic shot pattern and may irreversibly damage the choke insert threads
in the barrel, making correct installation of the screw-in choke inserts impossible
without expensive re-barreling. Do not attempt to use screw-in choke tubes of any
other make or manufacture in Ruger shotguns. They will not function properly.  
						

							16
TO LOAD AND FIRE
Practice the important aspects of gun handling described below (with an
unloaded gun) until you can perform each of the steps with skill and confidence.
But before loading the shotgun, please read completely through this manual, and
be certain the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction. Do not load the shotgun
until you are ready to use it!
1. With the gun assembled, move the top lever completely to the right and open
the action completely. The ejectors will snap rearward with a “click” to their
extended position. Make sure that the safety is moved rearward to the safe (S)
position.
2. Look through the barrels from the rear to be sure that both barrels are
completely free from any obstruction (See Rule 4, p. 34).
3. With the gun opened, insert a shot shell of the proper gauge in each chamber.
4. Close the action and check to be sure it is securely locked and that the top
lever has moved fully to its centered position. Keep the gun pointed in a safe
direction and the safety on ‘S’. You may now select which barrel you prefer to
fire first by moving the barrel selector either to the right (bottom) or the left
(top). Most shooters fire the more open-choked barrel first, followed by a
tighter choke, if a second shot is necessary at a target that is moving away
from the shooter.
5. Only when you are ready to fire immediately, move the top safety thumbpiece
forward to its “off”, or “fire” position. The gun is now ready to fire.
6. Pulling the trigger will fire the barrel you have selected to fire first — ‘T’ (top)
or ‘B’ (bottom).
7. After firing the first barrel, the trigger must be allowed to return to its fully
forward position to permit firing the second barrel. Pull the trigger again to
fire the second barrel. It will fire regardless of a failure to fire in the first
barrel or if you have failed to load a cartridge into the chamber of the first
barrel, since the Ruger shotgun trigger mechanism does not depend upon the
recoil of the first shot to “set” the second barrel for firing (as on some
competing shotguns).
8. If a second shot is not to be fired immediately, return the safety to its rearmost
“S” position. The shotgun may be opened by pushing the top lever fully to the
right and swinging the barrels downward. Any remaining live shells can be
manually extracted, and fired shell cases will be automatically ejected when
the barrels are fully opened. This is the preferred safe carrying position for
break-open shotguns. Always be certain that the shotgun is pointed in a safe
direction!
WARNING: DO NOT TOUCH THE TRIGGER
UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO FIRE. 
						

							The selective ejector mechanism only ejects
fired shells. It does noteject live
ammunition. Do not rely upon the ejector
mechanism to unload the gun. Simply
opening the gun does not unload it. To
unload, open gun smartly, manually remove
all cartridges,and visually check both
chambers to be sure both
chambers are
unloaded.
MAKE SURE GUN IS UNLOADED
17
WARNING – UNLOADING
After firing, move the safety to the ‘S’ position, move the top lever completely to
the right, and pivot the barrels downward to open the action and eject the empty
shot shells. Vigorously opening the barrels downward will assist in ejecting
empty shells. If the action is opened with unfired shot shells in the chambers,
they will be elevated (but not
ejected) sufficiently to be easily extracted with the
fingers. You must remove live (unfired) cartridges manually! Visually inspect
both
chambers to be sure the shotgun is completelyunloaded prior to closing
the action when you are finished shooting.
WARNING – FIRING
All persons must be a safe distance to the
rear of the shooter when a shotgun is being
fired. Particles of shot, lead, powder,
lubricant, accumulated bore deposits and
particles of clay targets can be blown in a
wide area – particularly if the wind is
blowing – into the eyes and face of the
shooter and those nearby. For that reason
shooters and bystanders must wear shooting
glasses or similar eye protection. Hearing
protection must also be worn because
exposure to shooting noise can damage
hearing.
ALWAYS WEAR EYE AND
HEARING PROTECTION
TO UNLOAD  
						

							18
WARNING – HANDLING
T
1
2 4
3
CORRECT UNLOADING SEQUENCE
Never carry the shotgun loaded with the
safety “off”.Never place a loaded gun
against any object (wall, fence, vehicle,
tree, etc.) because there is always the
possibility that the gun will be knocked
or jarred from its standing position and
fall with sufficient force to be discharged.
Keep the safety on (S) unless actually
firing. Never point the gun at another
person, or allow the muzzle to point at
any part of your body, whether the safety
is on or not. The only safe gun is one in
which the action is open and unloaded.
ANY GUN MAY FIRE IF
DROPPED 
						

							19
DISASSEMBLY PROCEDURE
WARNING – DISASSEMBLY
To take down the Ruger Over and Under Shotgun, proceed as follows:
1.Check both chambers to be sure that the gun is unloaded.
2. Pull out the forend latch lever and separate the forend assembly from the
barrels as in Step 2, page 12 (See Figure 5, p. 12).
3. Push the top lever all the way to the right and open the gun, pivoting the
muzzle end of the barrels downward and lifting the barrel assembly out of the
receiver as the integral trunnions are disengaged from their corresponding
recesses at the front end of the monobloc.
4. Replace the forend assembly onto the barrel assembly by aligning the forend
latch hook with the forend latch lever and snapping together.
This completes the takedown required for all normal cleaning and maintenance
purposes. Further disassembly of component parts should only be undertaken by
persons qualified in shotgun repair and is not recommended.
GUNS SHOULD NOT BE STORED LOADED!
USE THE LOCKING DEVICE SUPPLIED WITH THE SHOTGUN FOR STORAGE.
(SEEPAGE4)
CAUTION: THE RUGER OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN SHOULD
NOT BE FURTHER DISASSEMBLED BY PERSONS
UNQUALIFIED IN SHOTGUN REPAIR. IMPROPER
FUNCTIONING AND DAMAGE TO THE GUN MAY RESULT.
IF THE BUTT STOCK IS REMOVED FROM THE FIREARM, UPON
REASSEMBLY, IT MUST BE RETORQUED TO A MAXIMUM OF 4 FT/LBS.
EXCESSIVE TIGHTENING OF THE STOCK BOLT (PART S-37), MAY
RESULT IN THE STOCK CRACKING.
Never clean, lubricate,
disassemble or work on a
firearm while it is loaded.
UNLOAD BEFORE
DISASSEMBLY
1
2 4
3 
						

							20
WARNING – LUBRICATION
CARE AND CLEANING
WARNING: BEFORE CLEANING, BE CERTAIN THAT BOTH
CHAMBERS OF THE SHOTGUN CONTAIN NO CARTRIDGES
Always check to be sure the gun is completely unloadedbefore cleaning.
1. Take down the gun. (See Disassembly Procedure, p. 19)
2. Using a proper cleaning rod, run a solvent-wetted patch through each bore
several times. Then run dry patches through the bore to remove all traces of
residue. The bore, as referred to here, includes the chamber.
3. If the bore is leaded to the extent that the above patch-cleaning procedure will
not remove the lead or plastic residue, then scrub the bore, full length, with a
solvent-wetted brass-bristle brush. When the leading has been scrubbed loose,
clean as described in Step 2 above.
4. The polished surfaces of the monobloc, ejectors, and inside surfaces of the
receiver where the monobloc rests should be coated with a very light film of
lubricating oil.
5. Reassemble the gun, and wipe exterior metal surfaces with a sparingly oiled
cloth. Accumulation of oil tends to attract dirt which can interfere with the
safe and reliable function of the gun. Swab the bores with an oily patch before
storing the gun. Do not apply excess oil.
Do notstore a shotgun in a leather scabbard. Leather attracts moisture even
though it may appear to be perfectly dry.
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE – At regular intervals, or whenever the gun has been
exposed to sand, dust, extreme humidity, condensation, immersion in water, or
other adverse conditions, take down and clean and oil as outlined above.
Lubricate contact area of forend iron and receiver with Stainless steel lubricant.
Proper periodic maintenance is essential to the reliable functioning of any
firearm.
Firing a shotgun with oil, grease, or any other
material even partially obstructing the bore may result
in damage to the shotgun and serious injury to the
shooter and those nearby. Do not spray or apply
lubricants directly on shot shells. If the shot shell
charge is affected by the lubricant, it may not be
ignited, but the primer firing may push shot or wads
into the bore where they may be lodged. Firing a
subsequent shot into the obstructed bore may damage
the gun 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.
IMPROPER LUBRICATION
DESTROYS GUNS 
						

							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 supplied
with the shotgun for storage.
STORE SECURELY & UNLOADED
21
WARNING – STORAGE
MAINTENANCE OF
STAINLESS STEEL COMPONENTS
Firearms and components made of stainless steel are relatively more resistant to
corrosion than those of blued steel. However, in the interest of proper operation
and long life of a stainless steel firearm, inspect it frequently and clean, lubricate
and apply an appropriate rust preventative.
Sometimes discoloration occurs from perspiration or from contact with some
types of gun cases. Rusting may occur as a result of the firearm being exposed to
moisture, salt air or chemicals.
Minor discoloration can usually be removed by rubbing the stainless steel area
with an abrasive ink eraser, crocus cloth, or a “metal polishing” compound.
When using any of these abrasives, proceed with care and use light pressure to
achieve a blending of “color” with those areas that are not discolored.
External surfaces most subject to rusting from handling, or from exposure to the
elements should be cleaned and wiped dry after use or after exposure to adverse
conditions. If the shotgun is to be stored, coat it with a light film of oil or
preservative. Where the shotgun is in continuing use, and the presence of oil or
grease would be objectionable, then the external surfaces can be coated (after
cleaning and drying) with a paste wax formulated for use on metals. Apply the
wax sparingly, allow time for it to dry hard, then buff lightly with a soft cloth.
When applying the wax, take care that it does not get into the mechanism or on
the functioning parts or in the bore.
SERVICE AND PARTS POLICY
If you have any question with regard to the performance of your RUGER®
OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUNplease write or call (603-865-2442) our
Product Service Department, 411 Sunapee Street, Newport, New Hampshire
03773, fully describing all circumstances and conditions involved. If you should
return your shotgun to the factory for repair, or order parts for it, please comply
with the following suggestions for prompt service.