Ruger has discovered that a small number of Ruger-57 pistols may have right safety levers that do not meet their 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. If the function check confirms that the safety lever is operating properly, no further action is required. If you find that your pistol’s safety lever is not functioning properly, please sign up for this retrofit. View Safety Bulletin PDF.
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.
- With the pistol pointed in a safe direction, remove the magazine and place the manual safety in the “fire” position.
- Retract the slide and lock it to the rear using the slide stop.
- Visually and physically inspect the chamber to ensure there is no ammunition present.
- Retract the slide slightly and release to allow the slide to close on an empty chamber.
- Engage the manual safety (see Figure 1) by pushing up on the safety lever. Ensure it moves up fully and “clicks” into place.
- 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).
NOTE: If your pistol PASSES the function check (trigger is blocked and hammer does not fall) NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUIRED.
If your pistol FAILS the function check (with the manual safety engaged, you are able to pull the trigger and the hammer falls – Figure 2B), PLEASE DO NOT USE YOUR PISTOL. SIGN UP FOR THE RETROFIT OR CALL US AT 336-949-5200.
Ruger reminds consumers that periodic inspection and function checks of any firearm is important to ensuring its safe operation. It is important to frequently perform regular function checks as described in your instruction manual, and to 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.
Ruger also reminds consumers to always treat every firearm as though it is loaded and always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Never rely upon any safety or mechanical device to justify unsafe or careless firearm handling.
