The folks at Ruger would like to caution owners of the Ruger American Pistol chambered in 9mm that they've identified a pattern that affects some of those pistols. They've learned that at round counts over 10,000, some Ruger American Pistols in 9mm may exhibit premature wear of the locking surfaces between the slide and barrel. If ignored, this wear can result in a crack developing near the ejection port of the slide.
There's no reason to panic: The condition is easily identified during routine maintenance and cleaning, and the crack should be visible long before the pistol becomes unsafe to shoot. Ruger is committed to safety and is asking owners of Ruger American Pistols chambered in 9mm to inspect their pistols for excessive wear or cracks and, if necessary, sign up for a FREE retrofit. (Ruger American Pistols chambered in .45 Auto are not subject to this Safety Bulletin.)
Here's how to tell if yours might be affected: All Ruger American Pistols chambered in 9mm with serial number prefixes "860" and "862" are subject to this Safety Bulletin and should be inspected. Ruger American Pistol owners should visit the Ruger American Pistol Retrofit Website at Ruger.com/APRetrofit to look up the serial number to determine if their Ruger American Pistol is subject to the Safety Bulletin, learn how to inspect their pistol to determine whether the retrofit is necessary, obtain additional information, and sign up for the retrofit if required.
Ruger assures consumers that replacement components are being built and consumers who sign up for the retrofit will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Those consumers will be sent a U.S. Postal Service box with a prepaid shipping label and detailed packaging and shipping instructions. You should return only the barrel/slide assembly to Ruger. Ruger will inspect the barrel/slide assembly and install new components as needed, free of charge. The Company will make every effort to return each barrel/slide assembly within one week of the day it arrives at Ruger.
Ruger reminds consumers that periodic inspection of any firearm is important to ensuring its safe operation. You should clean and inspect your firearm after each range session. Proper maintenance increases the longevity of your firearm and will allow early detection of worn or broken parts.
