Editor's Note: We have received a safety notice from our friends at Ruger about their popular Ruger-57 pistol. Although only a small number of handguns appear to be affected, they are asking all Ruger-57 owners to perform a quick safety check. Their request is reproduced below:
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Ruger has discovered that a small number of Ruger-57 pistols may have right safety levers that do not meet our specifications and may be prone to cracking. Although only a very small number of pistols appear to be affected, Ruger is committed to safety and is asking owners of Ruger-57 pistols to perform a routine function check of the safety lever to ensure its proper operation and, if necessary, sign up for this retrofit. Details about what to look for and how to sign up for the retrofit appear below and on our website at Ruger.com/Ruger-57Retrofit.
PRODUCTS SUBJECT TO THIS SAFETY BULLETIN:
Potentially affected pistols include any Ruger-57 pistol with a serial number of 642-26274 or lower (including all Ruger-57 pistols with a “641” prefix). If your Ruger-57 pistol is within this range (641-00000 to 642-26274), you should follow the inspection procedure outlined below to determine whether your pistol requires a retrofit. Ruger-57 pistols with a serial number of 642-26275 and above are not affected by this Safety Bulletin.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ISSUE: In some rare instances, the internal “leg” of the right safety lever may crack or break, rendering the manual safety ineffective. If present, this condition may cause the manual safety to appear to be functioning properly when it is not. Although Ruger already instructs owners of Ruger-57 pistols to perform a function check before each use, we are requesting that all owners of potentially affected pistols perform this safety inspection immediately.
HOW TO INSPECT YOUR PISTOL:
BEFORE YOU BEGIN, BE SURE YOUR PISTOL IS UNLOADED AND THERE IS NO LIVE AMMUNITION IN YOUR WORKSPACE.
1. With the pistol pointed in a safe direction, remove the magazine and place the manual safety in the “fire” position.
2. Retract the slide and lock it to the rear using the slide stop.
3. Visually and physically inspect the chamber to ensure there is no ammunition present.
4. Retract the slide slightly and release to allow the slide to close on an empty chamber.
5. Engage the manual safety by pushing up on the safety lever (see Figure 1). Ensure it moves up fully and “clicks” into place.
6. With the pistol pointed in a safe direction, pull the trigger firmly, but do not force it beyond the point where you meet resistance. The trigger should be blocked and the hammer should not fall (see Figure 2A).
7. If the trigger is blocked and the hammer does not fall, no further action is required, but you should regularly perform this, and all other function checks described in your instruction manual as a part of your normal inspection process.
