Ruger 12 Gaude Gold Label Instruction Manual

12
SPECIAL FEATURES
The RUGER®12 GAUGE SIDE-BY-SIDE shotguns are offered with
stainless steel receivers. The trigger and forend iron are made of stainless steel
with an attractive brushed finish. The trigger guard, top lever, and safety
thumbpiece, as well as barrels, are of heat-treated chrome-molybdenum steel,
polished overall and blued.
The top lever and its pivot directly engage the locking bolt both on opening and
closing motions. The lever and the locking bolt are driven to the closed position
by...

Practice (with an unloaded shotgun) moving the safety/barrel selector to the
three positions until you know the position of the safety selector for the three
modes – Safe (S), Fire left barrel first (L), and Fire right barrel first (R).
WARNING: When manipulating the safety selector, DO NOT HAVE ANY FINGER
INSIDE THE TRIGGER GUARD! Whenever the safety selector is in the “Fire”
position and the trigger is pulled, the shotgun will fire.
The safety selector should always be in the “Safe” (S) position except...

Keep the safety on unless actually firing.
Always move the safety fully to its intended
position and check
it. The safety has three
positions – “SAFE” (S), “FIRE (L) LEFT Barrel-
FIRST” and “FIRE (R) RIGHT Barrel - FIRST”.
Never depend on a safety mechanism or any
other mechanical device to justify careless
handling or permitting the shotgun to point in
an unsafe direction. The only “safe” gun is one
in which the action is open and the chambers
are empty.
KNOW HOW TO USE THE SAFETY
14
!WARNING – SAFETY...

Since steel shot generally patterns tighter than conventional lead shot loads, it
would be wise to avoid the use of steel shot altogether in conventionally choked
“full choke” barrels. Modified choke barrels generally deliver “full choke”
patterns when used with steel shot.
We do not recommend anyof our shotguns for use with reloads, steel shot or
otherwise.
!WARNING – AMMUNITION
AMMUNITION (CARTRIDGES) NOTICE
WE SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE
OR INJURY WHATSOEVER OCCURING IN...

3. To attach the barrel assembly
to the receiver, hold the
stock by the pistol grip in
one hand as shown in Figure
8. 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,
make sure both ejectors are
fully extended from the
chambers, and engage the
hinge pin in the receiver
with the corresponding
recesses at the front end of the monobloc. Be sure the small lug (indicated by
the arrow in “A” in Figure 8.) on the outer surfaces of...

3
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 9. The barrel
assembly is seated and
locked into the receiver
when the top lever
snaps to its centered
position.
17 Figure  9 – Closing Action  
Figure 10 – Attaching Forend
5. Place the rear end of the forend iron against the receiver as shown in Figure
10, and swing the front end of the forearm upward until the forend latch lever
aligns with the forend latch hook on...

18
CHOKE WRENCHCHOKE INSERT
(TUBE)BARRELS
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...

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...

20
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 snap rearward with a “click” to...

21
!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...