Ruger 77/50 Instruction Manual
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INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR RUGER® MODEL 77/50 TM INLINE MUZZLELOADING BLACK POWDER PERCUSSION RIFLE For Product Service on This Model Please Call: (603) 863-3300 (See p. 38) STURM, RUGER & Company, Inc. Southport, Connecticut 06490 U.S.A. THIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL SHOULD ALWAYS ACCOMPANY THIS FIREARM AND BE TRANSFERRED WITH IT UPON CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP, OR WHEN THE FIREARM IS LOANED OR PRESENTED TO ANOTHER PERSON. 77/50 - 3/98 R1 READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS FIREARM ! BLUED & STAINLESS STEELCALIBER .50 Round or Conical Ball BLACK POWDER OR PYRODEX ONLY
FIREARMS SAFETY-YOUR RESPONSIBILITY SAFETY MUST BE THE FIRST AND CONSTANT CONSIDERATION OF EVERY PERSON WHO HANDLES FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION. This Instruction Manual is designed to assist you in learning how to use and care for your RUGER®MODEL 77/50TMmuzzleloading rifle properly. Only when you are certain you fully understand the Manual and can properly carry out its instructions should you practice loading, etc. with live ammunition. If you have any doubts about your ability to handle or use a particular type of gun safely, then you should seek supervised instruction. Such personalized instruction is often available from gun dealers, gun clubs or police departments. If none of these sources can help you, write to the National Rifle Association, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-7400. They will assist you. The person with a gun in their possession has a full-time job. You cannot guess; you cannot forget. You must know how to use your firearm safely.Do not use any firearm without having a complete understanding of its particular characteristics and safe use. Remember: There is no such thing as a foolproof gun. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Operation of Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Eye and Ear Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 To Load and Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 To Unload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Basic Disassembly and Reassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Care and Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Regarding Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 To Clear a Malfunction (“Jam”) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Maintenance of Stainless Steel Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Attaching Scope Rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Sight Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Service and Parts Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Parts Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 The Basic Rules of Safe Firearms Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 “Ruger ®” is a registered U.S. trademark. “77/50TM” is a trademark of Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 2
WARNING–ALTERATIONS This product was designed to function properly in its original condition. Alterations can make it unsafe. Do not alter any part or add or substitute parts or accessories not made by Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. DO NOT ALTER ANY GUN ! 3 ! FIREARMS ARE DANGEROUS WEAPONS – MUZZLELOADING BLACK POWDER FIREARMS REQUIRE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL THOROUGHLY AND CAREFULLY BEFORE USING. GENERAL INFORMATION AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS The rifle you have chosen, the RUGER®MODEL 77/50 muzzleloading rifle, is an original Ruger design. It is manufactured to our regular standards of strength and reliability entirely in modern Ruger factories in the U.S.A. High quality steels and coil springs are used throughout, the same as in our centerfire rifles. It is a bolt-action, single shot, muzzleloading black powder rifle of modern design. It gives the black powder shooter many of the convenience and safety features of modern Ruger centerfire rifles, combined with traditional muzzleloading rifle characteristics. It is particularly useful for black powder hunting and target shooting. WARNINGS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE ARE FOUND ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES: Alterations 3 Firing 17 Manual Safety 7 Reloading 18 Lead Exposure 7 Mishandling 19 Ammunition 8 Disassembly 22 Black Powder 9 Lubrication 29 Percussion Caps 11 Storage 30 Loading 13 Malfunctions 35 Handling 17 Parts Purchasers 39 OTHER CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS APPEAR THROUGHOUT THE MANUAL.
The RUGER®MODEL 77/50 is a muzzleloading, percussion rifle intended for use with black powder, percussion caps, soft lead and jacketed “saboted” projectiles. It has a precision rifled barrel with a 1-in-28” rifling twist. It does not fire conventional cartridges, but is instead loaded from the muzzle of the barrel. It is of bolt-action operation, and must be cocked and capped by opening the bolt, placing a cap on the nipple, and then closing the bolt before normally firing the rifle by pulling the trigger. Like any such rifle, it is to be USED WITH BLACK POWDER OR PYRODEX ONL Y, and its safe use requires that the shooter be thoroughly familiar with the special characteristics of these firearms. Other notable features of the RUGER ®MODEL 77/50 rifle include: A three-position safety; in-line bolt action ignition; a fast lock-time trigger mechanism (non-adjustable); a flush positioned bolt stop (bolt release); a hardwood stock with a rubber recoil pad; and studs to which sling swivels can be attached. The receiver of the RUGER ®MODEL 77/50 rifle incorporates integral scope mount bases (see illustration next page). It also comes with open sights –a gold bead front sight and a folding leaf rear sight which is adjustable for elevation and windage. Disassembly of the rifle to its major components is readily accomplished by removal of two screws and the barrel band. The bolt assembly can be quickly disassembled for cleaning. All mechanical components are made of heat-treated chrome-molybdenum or stainless steel, with music wire coil springs throughout the mechanism. The mechanism of the RUGER ®MODEL 77/50provides for security against accidental discharge when properly handled. As with any other firearm, however, it must be used with strict attention to correct safety practices, some of which are unique to muzzleloading firearms. In addition, the rifle should be inspected frequently to assure that it is working properly. The RUGER ®MODEL 77/50 Officer’s Modelhas the same mechanism and operation as the standard Model 77/50, but is furnished with a special straight-gripped walnut stock with cut-checkered grip and forend and a curved butt plate reminiscent of the “Officer’s Model” Springfield rifles privately purchased by Calvary officers over a century ago. The RUGER ®MODEL 77/50is also available in stainless steel construction with a laminated stock, for increased corrosion resistance and protection from the elements. 4
Figure 1.Components frequently referred to are identified. In these photographs the cocking piece is shown cocked (protruding from the rear of the bolt sleeve) revealing the disassembly hole in the lower portion of the cocked piece. The bolt stop (on the left side of the receiver) permits the bolt to be withdrawn simply by pressing down lightly with the thumbnail. The safety selector (show in the “Safe” position) should be in the “Load-Unload” position when the bolt is being removed or being installed. NOMENCLATURE 5 Ramrod Front Sight Rear Sling Swivel Rear Sight Bolt Handle Bolt StopTrigger Trigger Guard Striker/Cocking Piece Disassembly Hole ReceiverBolt Sleeve Safety (Shown “ON”) Bolt Scope Mount Bases Nipple Front Sling SwivelRamrod Thimble Stock Ramrod Tip Barrel Band Recoil PadMuzzleBarrel
6 OPERATION OF SAFETY The RUGER®MODEL 77/50 rifle has a three position safety. The safety selector is located at the right of the bolt sleeve. The safety selector can be moved from the “Fire” position to its two other positions (“Load-Unload” and “Safe”) only when the striker is cocked. Fully raising the bolt handle cocks the striker. The bolt handle can be raised and lowered only when the safety selector is in either the full forward “Fire” or the middle “Load-Unload” position. When the safety selector is in the full rearward “Safe” position, the bolt handle is locked in the closed (fully down) position in order to prevent inadvertent lifting of the bolt handle and to ensure that the rifle will be ready to fire when the safety is taken “off”. Practice (with an unloaded rifle) moving the safety selector to the three positions until you know the position of the safety selector for the three modes– “Fire,” “Load-Unload,” and “Safe.” WARNING: When manipulating the safety selector, DO NOT HAVE ANY FINGER INSIDE THE TRIGGER GUARD! When the safety selector is in the “Fire” position and the trigger is pulled, the rifle will fire. The safety selector should always be in the “Safe” position except when the gun user is actually firing or unloading the rifle. The safety selector should unfailingly be moved to the “Safe” position whenever the gun user ceases firing. Figure 2.Safety selector in “FIRE”(full forward) position. The safety selector should be moved to this position only when the gun user is actually firing the rifle.When the safety is in the fire position, it is referred to as being “off.” (When the safety is in the “SAFE” position, shown in Figure 4, it is referred to as being “on.”)Figure 3.Safety selector in “LOAD-UNLOAD” (middle) position. The safety selector should be in this position when the bolt is being cycled, to place a percussion cap on the nipple, to remove a percussion cap from the nipple, or when unloading the rifle. As soon as the bolt is closed, the safety selector should be moved fully rearward to the “SAFE” position shown in Figure 4, unless the rifle is to be fired immediately.Figure 4.Safety selector in “SAFE”(full rearward) position. The safety selector is fully nested in the groove in the cocking piece. When the safety selector is in this position, the bolt handle cannot be raised. The curved arrow on the bolt sleeve indicates the direction and motion of the safety selector to bring it to the “SAFE” position. Keep the safety in this position except when actually loading, capping, unloading, or firing. SAFETY POSITIONS
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,” “LOAD-UNLOAD,” and “FIRE.” Never depend on a safety mechanism or any other mechanical device to justify careless handling or permitting the rifle to point in an unsafe direction. The only “safe” rifle is one in which the bolt is open, the barrel is empty of both powder and projectile, and the nipple is uncapped. KNOW HOW TO USE THE SAFETY The safety selector is held in each of its positions by a plunger that is under spring tension. Therefore, the gun user should frequently check the position of the safety selector to be certain it has not been inadvertently moved. If the safety does not function properly, or if the selector seems to move too easily, or if the safety selector does not seem firmly positioned in any of its three positions, the rifle should be discontinued from use and returned to the Newport Product Service Department for repair (See p. 38). !WARNING – MANUAL SAFETY 3 2 1 SAFELOAD- UNLOADFIRE 7 !WARNING – LEAD EXPOSURE 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 AMMUNITION BLACK POWDER OR PYRODEX ONLY The RUGER®MODEL 77/50is a single shot muzzleloading percussion rifle intended solely for use with Black Powder or Pyrodex.It should never, under any circumstances, be loaded with any type of smokeless powder as the result could be damage to the rifle and injury to the shooter or bystanders. Be aware that certain smokeless powders may appear black in color even though they are not Black Powder! Never use any powder that you are not certain is actually Black Powder. The best way to do this is to only use powder from clearly marked original cans of Black Powder or Pyrodex.
Death, serious injury, and damage can result from the use of wrong ammunition, bore obstructions, powder overloads, or incorrect components. Always wear shooting glasses and hearing protectors. Never use smokeless powder in any muzzleloader! Never fire an unknown powder charge. If you are uncertain as to which components your rifle is loaded with, do not fire it -- you must unload your rifle and remove the unknown components. IMPROPER AMMUNITION DESTROYS GUNS 8 Black Powder is usually classified by powder grain size, with “Fg” being the largest granulation and “FFFFg” being the smallest granulation normally available. Use only “FFg” (sometimes called “2F”) grain size black powder in the RUGER ®MODEL 77/50rifle. Replica Black Powder such as Pyrodex RS may be used, so long as suggested loading data is strictly adhered to. Note that Pyrodex RS is less dense than FFg black powder and must only be used as a measur e-for-measuresubstitute for FFg black powder. If you substitute Pyrodex RS for FFg black powder on a weight-for -weightbasis, you will overcharge your rifle and risk serious injury. POWDER CHARGE Since Black Powder is sold in bulk, you are in complete control over how you load your rifle. Be sure to weigh each charge, or use a dipper which holds the exact weight of powder you wish to load. Check to be sure the dipper holds the correct amount of powder by weighing a dipper-full of powder befor eyou begin loading your rifle from the dipper. Never load powder into the barrel directly from a flask or other powder container -- you run the serious risk of explosion and severe personal injury. A good starting accuracy load, using a pure lead .50” diameter ball or conical projectile, is 40 grains of FFg black powder. You may find that adjustment of this charge upward or downward is more accurate in your rifle. A good starting hunting load for deer-sized game with the same projectile is 70 grains of FFg black powder. Consulting a black powder loading manual for recommended target or hunting loads is essential. Never exceed the maximum powder charge listed for the specific projectile you are using! Never exceed a powder charge of 120 grains of FFg black powder, r egardlessof the projectile you are using! ? POWDER? Never Use Unknown or Smokless Powder WARNING – AMMUNITION!
Black Powder is an extremely sensitive propellant and is readily ignited by heat, spark, static electricity, friction, pressure, impact, etc. Unlike smokeless powder, Black Powder will ignite with great violence and rapidity even when unconfined. Black Powder should be handled only in very small quantities. Never pour powder directly from a flask or powder horn intoany muzzleloading firearm!Never smoke while handling Black Powder! Many shooters pre-weigh single charges into small containers for use on the range or in the field. Never fire the rifle near an open powder container, or an explosion may result. If you are not familiar with safe handling procedures for Black Powder and for muzzleloading firearms in general, you should obtain one of the authoritative muzzle loaders’ Manuals and study it carefully beforebeginning to shoot. BLACK POWDER IS EXPLOSIVE 9 !WARNING– BLACK POWDER Never Pour Powder Directly From Flask! PROJECTILES The RUGER®MODEL 77/50is designed to use a .500” diameter pure lead round ball or lubricated conical bullet of pure lead, a .490” round ball with a lubricated .010 - .015” thick cloth patch, or a smaller diameter projectile encased in a .500” diameter sabot. Bullets of either type can be purchased from your dealer, ready to use, or can easily be cast at home with a small investment in equipment. Information on bullet casting is available from the manufacturers of moulds and casting equipment and from various authoritative handbooks. Your dealer should be able to provide you with any equipment which you may require. (See “Lead Exposure” Warning, p. 7) The Ruger Model 77/50’s rifling twist (1 turn in 28”) is designed for best results with pre-lubricated soft lead conical projectiles, or jacketed or soft lead bullets encased in “sabots” (See p. 10). Patched round balls generally do not deliver as high a level of accuracy with this rifling twist, but may be safely used if correctly loaded (See p. 14). The use of non-saboted jacketed or alloy bullets is not recommended as accuracy is generally not as satisfactory as with the pure lead bullets. They may be difficult to load and may raise pressures to dangerous levels. Whatever projectile you select, you must remember that if it is not a tight fit in the barrel when loaded, it could shift forward off the powder charge and act as a bore obstruction, causing the barrel to bulge or burst when fired!It is your
10 responsibility to select the proper lead ball/patch combination of a lubricated conical lead bullet that fits securely in the bore, yet is not excessively difficult to load, particularly after a shot or two of black powder fouling has built up in the bore. Never load multiple projectiles into the barrel. The rearmost projectile slamming into the other projectiles when fired could cause a burst barrel and severe personal injury. Use only one bullet at a time. SABOTS Some projectiles designed for muzzleloading rifles are considerably undersized from the bore diameter and are encircled by a resilient synthetic or fibre “sabot” or “shoe”. An undersize sabot can easily release its projectile to become a bore obstruction, or the sabot itself can act as a bore obstruction. Never lubricate a sabot -- this can cause the saboted bullet to slip forward up the bore and act as an obstruction when fired, possibly resulting in destruction of the rifle and severe injury to the shooter or bystanders!If sabots are used, their manufacturer’s directions must be scrupulously followed. PATCHING .490” diameter round ball projectiles of soft lead must be fired with a lubricated round linen cloth patch of .010 - .015” thickness (about that of a gun cleaning patch) and about 1.5” diameter. However, many shooters prefer to use lubricated soft lead conical projectiles, and these often work best without a patch, particularly if they are hollow-based. Always follow the instructions regarding patches that are furnished by the manufacturer of the projectile (or bullet mold if you cast your own bullets) that you chose. The best lubricants for patches are vegetable-based greases, synthetic lubricants specifically designed for this use. Petroleum-based lubricants often char the patches when fired and may leave excess residue in the bore -- don’t use them to lubricate patches for bullets. PERCUSSION CAPS A percussion cap is a small metal cup, the interior top of which is coated with a priming mixture. This priming mixture is usually covered with a foil or paper liner. It fires when struck a blow. The cap is placed on the nipple and when struck by the striker, the priming compound explodes, igniting the powder charge. The cap should fit the nipple only tightly enough so that it does not fall off when the barrel is elevated with the bolt open. Do not attempt to use caps which ar e too tight or try to force or pound caps onto the nipples, as a premature discharge could result.Suggested cap size for the RUGER®MODEL 77/50 rifle is No. 11 (U.S.) or equivalent. Since percussion caps have an open end (which is placed on the cylinder nipple when you are ready to fire), they are susceptible to contamination. Be careful when handling percussion caps, especially with oily fingers, and try to keep water, grease, dirt and other contaminants out of the open end of the caps. Failure to do so is the main cause of misfires in percussion muzzleloading firearms.