INSTRUCTIONMANUAL

FOR

RUGER MARK IIITMAUTOLOADING PISTOLS

STANDARD, TARGET, GOVERNMENT TARGET,COMPETITION AND 22/45 MODELS

For Product Service on This Model Please Call:(928) 778-6555 (See p. 30)

STURM, RUGER & Company, Inc.Southport, Connecticut 06890 U.S.A.

THIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL SHOULD ALWAYS ACCOMPANY THIS FIREARM AND BETRANSFERRED WITH IT UPON CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP, OR WHEN THE FIREARM IS LOANED

OR PRESENTED TO ANOTHER PERSON

AP & KAP 5/04 C

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ANDWARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL CAREFULLYBEFORE USING THIS FIREARM

BLUED &STAINLESS

STEEL

CALIBER.22 Long Rifle

S

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WARNING

Children are attracted to andcan operate firearms that cancause severe injuries or death.Prevent child access by alwayskeeping guns locked away andunloaded when not in use. If youkeep a loaded firearm where achild obtains and improperly usesit, you may be fined or sent toprison.

ADVERTENCIA

State-By-State WarningsCertain states require by law that their own specified warningnotices in larger-than-normal type be conspicuously included bythe manufacturer, distributor, or retail dealer with firearms soldin that state. Sturm, Ruger sells its products in compliance withapplicable laws and regulations. Because our products may besold in these states, we include the following:

California:

A los nios los atraen las armasde fuego y las pueden hacerfuncionar. Ellos pueden causarseslesions graves y la muerte. Eviteque los nios tengan accesso a lasarmas de fuego guardndolassiempre con llave y descargadascuando no las est utilizando. Siusted tiene un arma de fuegocargada en un lugar en que unnio tiene acceso a ella y la usaindebidamente, le pueden dar unamulta o enviarlo a la carcel.

Connecticut:UNLAWFUL STORAGE OF A LOADED FIREARM MAYRESULT IN IMPRISONMENT OR FINE.

Florida:IT IS UNLAWFUL, AND PUNISHABLE BYIMPRISONMENT AND FINE, FOR ANY ADULT TOSTORE OR LEAVE A FIREARM IN ANY PLACE WITHINTHE REACH OR EASY ACCESS OF A MINOR UNDER 18YEARS OF AGE OR TO KNOWINGLY SELL OROTHERWISE TRANSFER OWNERSHIP OR POSSESSIONOF A FIREARM TO A MINOR OR A PERSON OFUNSOUND MIND.

Maine:ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD IS ACRIME. IF YOU LEAVE A FIREARM AND AMMUNITIONWITHIN EASY ACCESS OF A CHILD, YOU MAY BESUBJECT TO FINE, IMPRISONMENT OR BOTH. KEEPFIREARMS AND AMMUNITION SEPARATE. KEEPFIREARMS AND AMMUNITION LOCKED UP. USETRIGGER LOCKS.

Maryland:WARNING: Children can operate firearms which may causedeath or serious injury. It is a crime to store or leave a loadedfirearm in any location where an individual knew or shouldhave known that an unsupervised minor would gain access tothe firearm. Store your firearm responsibly!

Massachusetts:WARNING FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEYGENERAL: This handgun is not equipped with a device thatfully blocks use by unauthorized users. More than 200,000firearms like this one are stolen from their owners every yearin the United States. In addition, there are more than athousand suicides each year by younger children andteenagers who get access to firearms. Hundreds more die fromaccidental discharge. It is likely that many more childrensustain serious wounds, or inflict such wounds accidentally onothers. In order to limit the chance of such misuse, it isimperative that you keep this weapon locked in a secure placeand take other steps necessary to limit the possibility of theftor accident. Failure to take reasonable preventive steps mayresult in innocent lives being lost, and in some circumstancesmay result in your liability for these deaths.

IT IS UNLAWFUL TO STORE OR KEEP A FIREARM,RIFLE, SHOTGUN OR MACHINE GUN IN ANY PLACEUNLESS THAT WEAPON IS EQUIPPED WITH ATAMPER-RESISTANT SAFETY DEVICE OR IS STOREDOR KEPT IN A SECURELY LOCKED CONTAINER.

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New Jersey:IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO LEAVE A LOADEDFIREARM WITHIN EASY ACCESS OF A MINOR.

New York City:

THE USE OF A LOCKING DEVICE OR SAFETY LOCK ISONLY ONE ASPECT OF RESPONSIBLE FIREARMSSTORAGE. FIREARMS SHOULD BE STORED UNLOADEDAND LOCKED IN A LOCATION THAT IS BOTH SEPARATEFROM THEIR AMMUNITION AND INACCESSIBLE TOCHILDREN AND OTHER UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS.

North Carolina:IT IS UNLAWFUL TO STORE OR LEAVE A FIREARMTHAT CAN BE DISCHARGED IN A MANNER THAT AREASONABLE PERSON SHOULD KNOW IS ACCESSIBLETO A MINOR.

Texas:IT IS UNLAWFUL TO STORE, TRANSPORT, ORABANDON AN UNSECURED FIREARM IN A PLACEWHERE CHILDREN ARE LIKELY TO BE AND CANOBTAIN ACCESS TO THE FIREARM.

Wisconsin:IF YOU LEAVE A LOADED FIREARM WITHIN THEREACH OR EASY ACCESS OF A CHILD YOU MAY BEFINED OR IMPRISONED OR BOTH IF THE CHILDIMPROPERLY DISCHARGES, POSSESSES, OR EXHIBITSTHE FIREARM.

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Please check with your licensed retailer or state police foradditional warnings which may be required by local law orregulation. Such regulations change constantly, and localauthorities are in the best position to advise you on such legalmatters.

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WHY ARE WE INCLUDING A FIRED CARTRIDGE CASEWITH EVERY RUGER PISTOL AND REVOLVER?

Certain states and jurisdictions now require that all newly manufactured pistolsand revolvers must be accompanied by a cartridge case, which has been test firedfrom that gun at the factory. The case must be placed in a sealed containerbearing certain information concerning this test cartridge.

At the time of retail sale in those jurisdictions, firearms dealers must forwardsuch test cartridge to a designated destination such as their State PoliceLaboratory. As independent Ruger Distributors have nationwide markets withoutterritorial restrictions, we have decided to include a fired cartridge case with allnew Ruger pistols and revolvers, to minimize the possibility of inadvertent non-compliance with these laws.

Retail customers located in other states, where laws or regulations do not requirethe dealer to so act, may be assured that the fired cartridge case they receive withthe firearm at the time of retail purchase is proof that your new Ruger firearmhas undergone our normal test firing procedures during manufacture.

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This firearm was originally soldwith a key-operated lockingdevice. While it can help providesecure storage for your unloadedfirearm, any locking device canfail. All guns are designed to fireif they are loaded and the triggeris pulled. Therefore, never installthe locking device inside thetrigger guard or in any way thatit can possibly pull the trigger!Do not leave the keys in the lock.

The ultimate responsibility forsecure storage of any firearmmust depend upon its owner andhis or her individualcircumstances. Guns should besecurely stored unloaded, in asecure location, separate fromtheir ammunition.

See Warning-Storage, page 28.

NEVER INSTALLLOCKING DEVICE

INSIDE TRIGGER GUARD

WARNING LOCKING DEVICES

DO NOT INSTALLINSIDE TRIGGER GUARD

INSTALL LOCKAS SHOWN HERE

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FIREARMS SAFETY-YOUR RESPONSIBILITYSAFETY MUST BE THE FIRST AND CONSTANT

CONSIDERATION OF EVERY PERSON WHO HANDLESFIREARMS AND AMMUNITION.

This Instruction Manual is designed to assist you in learning how to use and carefor your RUGER MARK IIITM pistol properly. Please contact us if you haveany questions about it.

Only when you are certain you fully understand the Manual and can properlycarry out its instructions should you practice loading, unloading, etc. with liveammunition. If you have any doubts about your ability to handle or use aparticular type of gun safely, you should seek supervised instruction. Suchpersonalized instruction is often available from gun dealers, gun clubs or policedepartments. If none of these sources can help you, write to the National RifleAssociation, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-7400. They will assistyou.

The person possessing a gun has a full-time job. You cannot guess; you cannotforget. You must know how to use your firearm safely. Do not use any firearmwithout having a complete understanding of its particular characteristics andsafe use. Remember: There is no such thing as a foolproof gun.

TABLE OF CONTENTSPage

General Information and Mechanical Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Operation of Manual Safety (Illustrations) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Operation of Internal Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 To Load and Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Operation of Magazine Disconnect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Operation of Loaded Chamber Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15To Unload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16To Extract and Eject a Chambered Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 To Clear a Malfunction (Jam) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19To Minimize Malfunctions (Jams) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Basic Disassembly and Reassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 - 24Magazine Disassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Care and Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Sight Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .