Manual

10
Slide Stop: When the last shot has been fired and the magazine is empty, the
slide stop automatically holds the slide open. When there is an empty magazine
in the pistol and the slide is retracted manually, the slide stop will automatically
hold the slide open. If a loaded magazine is inserted in the pistol when the slide
is closed and the slide is then retracted fully, the slide stop will not automatically
hold open the slide. The user can actuate the slide stop mechanism to hold the
slide open at any time by retracting the slide and pushing up the slide stop.
The slide stop can be released by drawing back slightly on the slide and depress-
ing the slide stop thumbpiece. When the slide is released, it will move forward
under pressure from the recoil spring.
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 user
should always be careful to keep fingers away from the trigger, keep the safety
on, and always keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction.
Magazines:
The Ruger 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45 Auto magazines are not inter-
changeable with Ruger pistol magazines of any
other caliber even though they
may appear similar and may hold other cartridges. Use of incorrect magazines in
any pistol will result in malfunctions. Ruger 9mm magazines are either
unmarked as to caliber or are marked “9mm”. All other Ruger centerfire pistol
magazines, which are similar in appearance, are marked as to caliber.
DAMAGED, NON-STANDARD, OR IMPROPERLY
ASSEMBLED MAGAZINES SHOULD NOT BE USED.
THEY CAN CAUSE THE PISTOL TO MALFUNCTION.
OPERATION OF MANUAL SAFETY
The model you have selected is equipped with special manual ambidextrous safe-
ty levers that also allow you to decock (uncock) a cocked pistol without manipu-
lating the trigger. Conventional thumb decocking procedures are therefore not
necessary and should not be employed with this pistol.
To apply the manual safety and decock the pistol, point the pistol in a safe dir
ec-
tion. Move either the right- or left-hand safety lever fully to the “safe” position.
When the safety is moved fully downward to the “safe” position, the white dot is
exposed through the hole in the side of the safety and the letter “S” is completely
visible. See Figure 1, p. 11. In this position (1) the firing pin is blocked from
moving forward, (2) the hammer is blocked from contacting the firing pin, and
(3) the entire firing mechanism is completely disengaged from the trigger. At this
point, the hammer will fall to its forward (decocked) position.
The safety mechanism provides that the hammer cannot contact the firing pin
unless the safety is disengaged. With the hammer cocked, actuating the safety
mechanism automatically drops the hammer onto the slide without contacting
the firing pin. Thus, the safety also serves as a decocking lever.