Ruger Trap Instructions Manual

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4. Swing the muzzle end of the barrel upward, pivoting the rear end of the
monobloc downward to seat in the receiver as shown in Figure 4. The barrel
assembly is seated and locked into the receiver when the top lever snaps to its
centered position.
5. Push the rear end of the forend iron back over the ends of the ejector as
shown in Figure 5. Then carefully 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 flush
with the stock.
Figure 4
Figure 5 
						

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INSTALLATION OF SCREW-IN CHOKE INSERTS
Make sure the shotgun is unloaded!Either open the action or dismount the
barrel 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, so that
the choke insert is fully bottomed into its recess in the barrel. Take note which
choke you are inserting into the barrel. The trap choke inserts are stamped
either “FULL” or “MODIFIED”. Remove the choke wrench from the barrel after
tightening.
CHOKE WRENCHCHOKE INSERT
(TUBE)
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CONTROLLED PATTERN
BARREL
NOTE:  Stainless Steeltrap choke 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 choke insert be kept correctly tightened
into the barrel at all times, including storage and cleaning. Cleaning the barrel
without the choke insert in place can push dirt and other fouling into the barrel
threads, which will interfere with proper installation of the choke insert.
Be sure you only use the correct choke insert (tube).The screw-in choke inserts
for the newer Ruger “easy open” shotguns, including the Ruger Trap Model
shotgun, are stainless steel and stamped on the side either “FULL” or
“MODIFIED”. They are not interchangeable with the shorter, blued steel choke
tubes of older Ruger shotguns which have identification slots on their muzzle
end. A general rule of thumb is that if the choke tube screws in significantly
below flush with the muzzle, or if the choke sticks more than slightly out of the
muzzle when completely tightened, you are using the wrong choke tube!
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. (See “Ammunition” and “Steel Shot” instructions and
warnings, pp. 9 - 10). 
						

							14
Do not peer directly into the shotgun muzzle!
This is dangerous and unnecessary. Do not
change choke insert in a loaded shotgun. Never
fire the shotgun if a screw-in choke insert is not
fully and tightly bottomed into the barrel
threads, or if the insert is 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 insert 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
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
®TRAP MODELShotgun 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. (See “The
Basic Rules of Safe Firearms Handling”, pp. 39 - 42)
Never fire the shotgun without a correct screw-in choke insert 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.  
						

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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 downward. The ejector will snap rearward with a “click”
to its extended position.
2. Look through the barrel from the rear to be sure the barrel is completely free
from any obstruction (See Rule 4, p. 40). Note that, unlike other smoothbore
shotguns, inside the barrel you will see the straight grooves of the Ruger
controlled pattern bore system.
3. With the gun opened, insert a 12 gauge 2 3/4” shot shell, in good condition
loaded to U.S. Industry specifications and appropriate for trapshooting, into
the chamber. Keep your finger off the trigger and completely outside the
trigger guard until you are actually firing!
4.ONLY WHEN YOU ARE READY TO FIRE IMMEDIATELY, 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, call for your
target (“pull”),and fire at your selected clay target by pulling the trigger.
5. Fired shell cases will be automatically ejected when the barrel is fully opened.
IF A SHOT IS NOT TO BE FIRED IMMEDIATELY, THE SHOTGUN MUST
BE OPENED AT ONCEby pushing the top lever fully to the right and
swinging the barrel downward. The live shell should be manually extracted
immediately. An open, empty action is the only safe handling and carrying
position for break-open target shotguns designed for trap shooting.Always be
certain that the shotgun is pointed in a safe direction! Trap shooting rules
require that the action be fully opened at all times except when you are on the
trap line and are the shooter whose turn it is to shoot. Only then should you
drop a shell into the chamber, close the action, mount the gun, call “pull” for
the bird, and fire at it. Open the action and be sure the chamber is empty
immediately after shooting, or if a “cease fire” is called, or if any condition
prevents you from firing immediately.
WARNING: DO NOT TOUCH THE TRIGGER
UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO FIRE. 
						

							The 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
the gun smartly, manually remove the
cartridge,and visually check chamber to
be sur
ethe chamber is unloaded and
empty. See “Unloading Sequence”, p. 17.
MAKE SURE GUN
IS UNLOADED
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WARNING – UNLOADING
After firing, move the top lever completely to the right, and pivot the barrel
downward to open the action and eject the empty
shot shell. Keep your face away
from the action when ejecting the empty shell, in order to avoid being struck by
it as it leaves the gun. Vigorously opening the barrel downward will assist in
ejecting the empty shell. If the action is opened with an unfired (“live”) shotshell
in the chamber, it will be elevated (but not
ejected) sufficiently to be easily
extracted with the fingers. You must remove a live (unfired) cartridge manually!
Visually inspect the chamber to be sure the shotgun is completely
unloaded prior
to closing the action when you are finished shooting, and again before putting
the gun away.
TO UNLOAD
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. See “Ammunition Warning”, p. 10.
ALWAYS WEAR EYE AND
HEARING PROTECTION  
						

							Never carry the shotgun loaded.
Always keep the action open
unless actually firing!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. Never point the gun
at another person, or allow the
muzzle to point at any part of
your body. The only safe gun is
one in which the action is open
and the chamber is unloaded
and empty.
ANY GUN MAY FIRE
IF DROPPED
LOADED
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WARNING – HANDLING
1
2
3
CORRECT UNLOADING SEQUENCE 
						

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TO EXTRACT AND
EJECT A CHAMBERED SHOT SHELL
If a shell fails to fire or if the shooter wishes to remove a chambered shell
manually, follow the procedure “To Unload” p. 16. When the action is opened
there can be a failure to extract the shot shell from the chamber, or a failure to
eject the shell clear of the shotgun. These failures usually are the result of the
barrel assembly not being opened vigorously, or an excessively dirty or
unlubricated action. Poor quality, damaged, or reloaded ammunition may also
not eject correctly. From the foregoing, it is clear that the user must:
1.Always visually check the chamber after opening the action to eject a
chambered shell, and be sure it is empty.
2. Thoroughly clean and correctly lubricate the chamber and the extractor as
often as necessary.
3.Only use quality 2 3/4” 12 ga. ammunition in good condition loaded to U.S.
Industry specifications which is appropriate for trapshooting.
If a shot shell fails to eject, it may remain on the extractor. Then, when the
action is closed, the cartridge will be chambered again! REMEMBER -- always
visually check to ensure that no shell remains in the chamber before closing the
action.
WARNING – BORE OBSTRUCTIONS
Before loading or shooting the Ruger Trap Model
shotgun, be certain the bore is unobstructed.
Firing the shotgun with any obstruction in the
bore may result in severe damage to the shotgun
and serious injury to the shooter and other
persons nearby.
A MISFIRE or unusual report (sound) upon firing
is always a signal to cease firing immediately and
after waiting for one minute, examine the
chamber and bore of the firearm. It is not
sufficient to just open the action and examine the
chamber. You must clear the chamber and inspect
the bore visually - and with a rod if necessary - to
be certain it is completely clear of any
obstruction. Failure to detect and correctly
remove a bore obstruction can result in serious
injury to the shooter  and bystanders, and damage
to the firearm.
DO NOT “SHOOT OUT” 
A BORE OBSTRUCTION 
						

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TO REMOVE A BORE OBSTRUCTION
Use of poor quality ammunition may leave a wad or other shot shell component
in the barrel when fired, and your shotgun may be damaged from subsequent
firing if the bore is obstructed. Dropping a shotshell of smaller than 12 gauge
into the chamber can also create a dangerous bore obstruction. Excess oil,
grease, water, or raindrops may also form an obstruction which could cause
damage and injury. If you suspect that your shotgun may have a bore obstruction
of any kind, excess oil, grease or a shot shell wad in the barrel, or if it may have
been exposed to humid conditions which could cause condensation, or to rain,
mud, or snow which might have entered the bore, open the action and clean out
the barrel. Inspect the bore visually from the breech end to be sure that it is
perfectly clear before firing.(See “Ammunition Warning” p. 10 and “Care and
Cleaning” section p. 23)
A shotgun user should recognize that a lodged shotshell wad is a fairly common
form of bore obstruction. Therefore the following information on how a wad may
become lodged in the bore, and how it should be removed, deserves most careful
reading and heeding!
When firing, a wad may become lodged in the bore if the shell contains no
powder, or the powder fails to ignite and only the primer charge ignites,
producing insufficient force to propel the shot or wad completely out of the bore.
This generally produces an unusual sound, sometimes called a “blooper”, due to
its incomplete report. The shot charge usually is propelled only weakly out of the
barrel. This condition occurs most frequently with reloaded ammunition.
If this situation occurs, proceed as follows with the shotgun pointing in a safe
direction:
a) Press the top lever all the way to the right and open the action completely.
Doing so should eject the fired shell, but check to be certain.
b)Keep the shotgun pointed in a safe direction throughout this process.
c)After making sure that the shotgun is unloaded,inspect the bore from the
br
eechend of the barrel. If the bore is obstructed, insert a proper size
cleaning rod (without a tip or brush) into the bore from the br
eechand
carefully dislodge and remove the wad or other obstruction. If the
obstruction does not readily dislodge, it may be necessary to lightly
tap the
handle end of the cleaning rod. If such efforts fail to dislodge the
obstruction, take the shotgun to a gunsmith. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
REMOVE A LODGED WAD OR OTHER OBSTRUCTION USING A BLANK
CARTRIDGE, OR A SHELL FROM WHICH THE SHOT CHARGE HAS
BEEN REMOVED, OR BY SHOOTING IT OUT, OR BY ANY MEANS OTHER
THAN THE  USE OF THE PROPER SIZE CLEANING ROD AND
REASONABLE FORCE APPLIED TO THE ROD. BE CERTAIN ALL LOOSE
POWDER HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE BORE AND ACTION BEFORE
INTRODUCING THE ROD INTO THE BORE. NEVER TRY TO SHOOT OUT
A BORE OBSTRUCTION!See “Bore Obstruction Warning”, p. 18.
d) Reinspect the bore and run a cleaning patch down it to be certain it is free
of unburned powder particles or any other debris. At the same time clean
the action, ejector, and other areas of the mechanism of any unburned
powder grains. 
						

							It is absolutely essential that steps (a) through (d) be followed if there is any
suspicion that a wad or other obstruction has been lodged in the bore because
of the situations described above. Remember that a wad can be lodged in the
bore and a live shotshell can still be chambered and the action closed and
locked. This can give the shooter the impression that the loaded shotshell has
chambered normally, but firing any gun with an obstructed bore can result in
serious personal injury or property damage to the shooter or bystanders!
Always check the bore for an obstruction if you experience difficulty in
chambering a shotshell, experience a failure to extract, have a misfire, or the
shotgun does not make a normal loud report on firing.
RELOADERS SHOULD USE ONLY CORRECT COMPONENTS AND BE SURE TO
CRIMP THEM SECURELY IN THE SHOTSHELL. NOTE: Sturm, Ruger & Co.
specifically does not
recommend the use of reloaded, hand-loaded or
remanufactured cartridges. Please see “Ammunition Notice” p. 10.
TO CLEAR A MALFUNCTION (“JAM”)
Before “doing something”, study the situation to determine the nature of the jam
and how best to clear it. Any firearm may occasionally malfunction. If it does:
1.Be certain the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction. Keep fingers away from
the trigger. Carefully open the action and keep it open.
2. If a shell is stuck in the chamber or ejector, proceed as follows:
a) If a fir
edcase is in the chamber, after opening the action, carefully use a
cleaning rod to knock the fired case out from the muzzle end.
b) If an unfir
edshell is stuck in the chamber, remove it from the breech-end,
rather than trying to dislodge it with a cleaning rod inserted from the
muzzle. Use a piece of 3/16” brass rod which has one end shaped flat like a
screwdriver tip. Insert the tip under the rim of the shell, use the face of
extractor as a fulcrum and carefully pry out the shell. Be careful not to
strike the primer area of the live shell!Vigorously brush-clean the
chamber with solvent after clearing any jam involving the chamber.
3. When attempting to free a jammed shell, do not use any type of tool that is
likely to act as a “firing pin” and discharge the shell, should the tool impact on
the primer. Never use a shell as a “tool”.
4. After clearing a jam, inspect the gun mechanism to determine if dirt or debris
might be the cause of the problem. Excess lubricant or grease can cause
shotshells to chamber or extract and eject with great difficulty, or make the
action hard to open or close. An accumulation of grease, dirt or powder grains
can contribute to the same conditions.
5. After clearing a jam, inspect all shells that have been removed from the gun.
Safely dispose of any shells which are dented, nicked, bulged, corroded, or
damaged. Most jams are caused by ammunition which exhibits such
conditions.
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							6. If it appears that the shotgun is not at fault and that the jam was caused by the
type of shell being used, try another type or brand of ammunition.
7. If the above procedures do not result in a smooth and reliable firearm, don’t
use the gun. It should be returned directly to our Newport Product Service
Department for repair. See the “Service and Parts” section p. 32, for packing
and shipping information.
Another precaution: Form the habit of examining fired shell cases from time to
time. If fired cases have bulged heads or show splits on any part of the case, stop
using that ammunition and return the shotgun to the factory for inspection. (See
page 32)
TO MINIMIZE MALFUNCTIONS (“JAMS”)
Firearms of all makes and types occasionally malfunction when a cartridge or
shell fails to fire, or when a cartridge or shell fails to properly extract and eject.
To minimize the possibility of such occurrences the gun user should:
1. Use good quality factory ammunition of the correct gauge and type which is
loaded to Industry Specifications. Avoid reloads, remanufactured shells, and
shells that are dirty, corroded, or deformed. (See “Ammunition Warning”, p. 10)
2. Clean and lubricate the gun in accordance with the instructions in this manual.
(See “Care and Cleaning”, p. 23)
3. If the mechanism shows signs of not functioning correctly, or if a part is
damaged or broken --  don’t use the gun. Have it inspected and repaired. (See
“Malfunction Warning”, p. 22)
4. If a shell does not fully chamber, do not ‘pound’ on the barrel assembly or
buttstock to force the action closed. Rather, open the action, carefully remove
the shell from the gun and determine the cause of the problem. (See “Bore
Obstructions Warning”, p. 18)
Alterations to the shotgun or use of non-Ruger accessories may cause
malfunctions. (See “Alteration Warning” on p. 5). If the above procedures do not
result in a smooth and reliable feeding firearm, don’t use the gun. The shotgun
can be returned directly to our Newport, New Hampshire Product Service
Department for repair. See the “Service and Parts Policy” section, page 32, of this
manual for packing and shipping information.
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