Ruger has discovered that a small number of Ruger-57 pistols may have right safety levers that do not meet the company’s specifications and may be prone to cracking. The number of guns affected appears to be very small, but Ruger has issued a safety bulletin (PDF) in its commitment 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.
Ruger-57 pistols with a serial number of 642-26275 and above are not affected by 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 you own a Ruger-57 pistol is within this range (641-00000 to 642-26274), follow the inspection procedure 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.
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, owners of potentially affected pistols should perform this safety inspection immediately.
To inspect your pistol, start by unloading your gun and ensuring there is no live ammunition in your workspace. Keep fingers away from the trigger and point the pistol in a safe direction. Then 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. Now 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 by pushing up on the safety lever, ensuring 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 resistance is met. The trigger should be blocked and the hammer should not fall.
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 the instruction manual as a part of your normal inspection process.
If, with the manual safety engaged, you are able to pull the trigger and the hammer falls—or if you are unsure—immediately stop using the pistol and sign up for the retrofit on this web page or call (336) 949-5200. Ruger will provide a pre-paid label for shipping the gun for the retrofit and there is no charge for the service. The company will make every effort to return the gun within seven days of its arrival.
