Ruger has issued a safety bulletin for its American pistols chambered in 9mm. The company issued the bulletin because some pistols may exhibit premature wear of the locking surfaces between the slide and barrel. If ignored, this can result in a crack near the ejection port of the slide.
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The company claims that this does not occur on pistols with under 10,000 rounds fired. Additionally, users should be able to easily identify the issue during routine maintenance and cleaning. In fact, the crack should be visible long before the pistol becomes unsafe to shoot. However, ignoring this potential issue could result in the gun becoming unsafe to shoot.
Ruger issued the safety bulletin for only pistols with serial number prefixes “860” and “862.” This includes both duty-size and compact handguns, both with and without manual safeties. It is also only for pistols containing silver-colored, stainless-steel barrels. American Pistols chambered in .45 ACP are not affected.
Safety Bulletin Inspection
To determine if a Ruger American 9mm pistol is affected, users should first check the serial numbers on their pistols. Then, they should disassemble and clean their handguns according to the user’s manual. At that point, users should inspect the pistol, paying particular attention to the barrel/slide lockup surfaces and the sidewalls of the slide at the corners of the ejection port. If there is excess wear at the lockup or a crack in the slide, discontinue using the gun. If issues aren’t present, owners can continue using the firearm. However, if unsure, Ruger recommends signing up for its retrofitting and allowing them to inspect the handgun. Of course, owners should regularly inspect the handgun for wear.
Users can sign up for the retrofit on Ruger’s website. Ruger will then ship a prepaid postage box and detailed shipping instructions. Boxes will be sent on a first-come, first served basis, depending on the company’s ability to retrofit the pistols. Owners can also call 800-784-3701 to speak with a customer service representative.
