Ruger P89DAO Double Action Only Instructions Manual

INSTRUCTION
MANUAL 
FOR
STAINLESS
STEELCALIBERS
9MM & .40 AUTO
For Product Service on This Model Please Call:
(928) 778-6555 (See p. 25)
STURM, RUGER & Company, Inc.
Southport, Connecticut 06890 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
V & KV 12/02
R1
*DO NOT USE THIS MANUAL FOR PISTOLS EQUIPPED WITH
MANUAL SAFETIES OR “DECOCKER MODEL” PISTOLS
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS...

2
WARNING!
“Children are attracted to and
can operate firearms that can
cause severe injuries or death.
Prevent child access by always
keeping guns locked away and
unloaded when not in use. If you
keep a loaded firearm where a
child obtains and improperly uses
it, you can be fined or sent to
prison.”
ADVERTENCIA!
State-By-State Warnings
Certain states require by law that their own specified warning
notices in larger-than-normal type be conspicuously included by
the manufacturer, distributor, or retail...

Maine:
“ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD IS A
CRIME. IF YOU LEAVE A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION
WITHIN EASY ACCESS OF A CHILD, YOU MAY BE
SUBJECT TO FINE, IMPRISONMENT OR BOTH. KEEP
FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION  SEPARATE.  KEEP
FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION LOCKED UP. USE
TRIGGER LOCKS.”
Maryland:
“WARNING: Children can operate firearms which may cause
death or serious injury. It is a cr
imeto store or leave a loaded
firearm in any location where an individual knew or should
have known that an unsupervised minor would...

New Jersey:
“IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO LEAVE A LOADED
FIREARM WITHIN EASY ACCESS OF A MINOR.”
New York City:
“THE USE OF A LOCKING DEVICE OR SAFETY LOCK IS
ONLY ONE ASPECT OF RESPONSIBLE WEAPONS STOR-
AGE. ALL WEAPONS SHOULD BE STORED UNLOADED
AND LOCKED IN A LOCATION THAT IS BOTH SEPARATE
FROM THEIR AMMUNITION AND  INACCESSIBLE TO
CHILDREN AND ANY OTHER UNAUTHORIZED PER-
SONS.”
North Carolina:
“IT IS UNLAWFUL TO STORE OR LEAVE A FIREARM
THAT CAN BE DISCHARGED IN A MANNER THAT A
REASONABLE PERSON...

WHY ARE WE INCLUDING A FIRED CARTRIDGE CASE
WITH EVERY RUGER PISTOL AND REVOLVER?
Certain states and jurisdictions now require that all newly manufactured pistols
and revolvers must be accompanied by a cartridge case, which has been test fired
from that gun at the factory. The case must be placed in a sealed container bear-
ing certain information concerning this test cartridge.
At the time of retail sale in those jurisdictions, firearms dealers must forward
such test cartridge to a designated...

This Instruction Manual is designed to assist you in learning how to use and care
for your RUGER®P89DAO, P91DAO, P93DAO, P94DAO and
P944DAO “Double Action Only” Model Pistols properly. Please contact us if
you have any questions.
Only when you are certain you fully understand the Manual and can properly
carry out its instructions should you practice loading, unloading, etc. with live
ammunition. If you have any doubts about your ability to handle or use a partic-
ular type of gun safely, you should seek...

WARNING - ALTERATIONS
WARNINGS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE ARE
FOUND ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES:
OTHER CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS APPEAR
THROUGHOUT THE MANUAL.
DO NOT ALTER ANY GUN
Locking Devices 5 Unloading 15
Alterations 7 Slide Retraction 16
“Double Action Only” 10 Malfunctions 18
Lead Exposure 10 Disassembly 21
Ammunition 12 Lubrication 23
Firing 13 Storage 24
Handling 14 Parts Purchasers 26
FIREARMS ARE DANGEROUS WEAPONS -
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS
IN THIS MANUAL THOROUGHLY AND
CAREFULLY BEFORE USING.
This...

NOMENCLATURE
Action:The action of the Ruger “double action only” model pistols is of the U.S.
M1911 type that utilizes a tilting barrel design in which the barrel and slide are
locked together at the moment of firing. After firing, the barrel and slide recoil
to the rear a short distance while still locked together. After this initial move-
ment, the barrel tilts downward from its locked position, permitting full recoil of
the slide and the extraction and ejection of the spent cartridge case.
The user of...

9
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...

10
CAUTION: When firing the double-action-only pistol,be sure that the 
trigger is released completely to its fully forward position before
attempting to pull the trigger for a subsequent shot. If the trigger finger is
allowed to interfere with the full recovery of the trigger (preventing it from
moving through about the last one-eighth inch of its forward movement),
pulling the trigger will not fire the pistol. The trigger must be fully
released
after each shot is fired. This characteristic is also...