Why has Ruger issued a Safety Bulletin for the American Pistol?
We have discovered that some Ruger American® Pistols chambered in 9mm may exhibit premature wear and can develop a crack in the slide near the ejection port. Although only a very small percentage of pistols appear to be affected, Ruger is committed to safety and is asking owners of Ruger American® Pistols chambered in 9mm to inspect their slides for excessive wear or cracks and, if necessary, sign up for a free retrofit.

What models are subject to the Safety Bulletin?
All Ruger American® Pistols chambered in 9mm Luger with serial number prefixes “860” and “862” are potentially affected and are therefore subject to the Safety Bulletin. This includes duty (full-sized) and compact models, as well as Pro and Manual Safety models.

What serial numbers are subject to the Safety Bulletin?
Ruger American® Pistols chambered in 9mm with serial number prefixes “860” and “862” are subject to this Safety Bulletin. These include duty (full-sized) and compact models, in both Manual Safety and Pro (no manual safety) configurations. One easy way to tell if your pistol is subject to this Safety Bulletin is by looking at the barrel. Ruger American® Pistols chambered in 9mm with silver-colored stainless steel barrels should be inspected as outlined in the Safety Bulletin. Your serial number is located on the rear of the pistol between the slide and polymer grip frame.

Is my Ruger American® Pistol chambered in .45 Auto subject to the Safety Bulletin?
No. Only Ruger American® Pistols chambered in 9mm Luger are subject to the Safety Bulletin.

I have a LC9®, LC9s®, SR9®, or other 9mm Ruger pistol. Is it subject to the Safety Bulletin?
No. Only Ruger American® Pistols chambered in 9mm Luger are subject to the Safety Bulletin.

How can I tell if my Ruger American® Pistol is affected?
Please note that only Ruger American® Pistols chambered in 9mm with serial number prefixes "860" and "862" are subject to the Safety Bulletin. These include duty (full-sized) and compact models, in both Manual Safety and Pro (no manual safety) configurations. If your pistol meets these criteria and has a silver-colored stainless steel barrel, it is subject to this Safety Bulletin and you should inspect it using the following procedure to determine if it is affected.
If your pistol is dirty, clean it thoroughly before performing the inspection. Disassembly and cleaning instructions appear in your instruction manual.
Inspect your pistol, paying particular attention to the barrel/slide lockup surfaces and the sidewalls of the slide at the corners of the ejection port.
If you observe excess wear in the lockup surfaces or a crack in the slide, you should immediately stop using your pistol and sign up for the retrofit. If you are unsure of whether your pistol exhibits either of these conditions, we recommend that you sign up for the retrofit and allow us to inspect your barrel/slide assembly.

Your Safety Bulletin mentions “premature wear;” What does that mean?
It is normal for the locking surfaces of the barrel and slide to experience wear because these surfaces impact one another when the pistol is fired. In some instances however, we have observed the wear on these surfaces can be greater than expected for a particular round count. This typically does not occur before 10,000 rounds. If the pistol is not regularly inspected and continues to be fired after this “premature” wear appears, the condition can worsen and eventually result in a crack in the slide. We want to remind customers that all firearms should be regularly inspected for damage and excess wear. Regular cleaning and inspection of your firearm should be part of your standard maintenance protocol.

What should I do if I think my Ruger American® Pistol is affected, or if I’m not sure?
If you have inspected your pistol as outlined in the prior Answer and believe your Ruger American® Pistol is affected, or if you are not sure, you should sign up for the retrofit at Ruger.com/APRetrofit. When we are ready to retrofit your barrel/slide assembly, we will ship you a box with prepaid postage and detailed shipping instructions. We only want you to send your barrel/slide assembly. We will do our best to return your barrel/slide assembly to you within one week of receiving it from you.

My pistol is affected and requires the retrofit; what do I have to send back to Ruger?
We only want the barrel/slide assembly. This will include the slide, barrel, recoil spring assembly and guide rod. It is not necessary for us to have the grip frame to perform the inspection and retrofit. Because the grip frame is the serialized component, not requiring its return simplifies the process and will enable us to more conveniently and quickly return the barrel/slide assembly to you.
When we send you the box and shipping label, we will also send detailed instructions describing what we want you to send and how to send it.

I have added aftermarket accessories to my pistol; will these be returned?
The vast majority of pistols will only require a replacement barrel, so no aftermarket parts should be impacted by this retrofit. In rare instances, we may also replace the slide, in which case, we plan to install any aftermarket sights you may have added to your pistol in the replacement slide.

What parts are being replaced as part of the safety retrofit?
We will install a black, nitrided barrel and inspect your slide and internal components. If necessary, we will also replace the slide and other slide components.

Will the old parts be returned to me?
No. We will keep the old parts. We will make every effort to return aftermarket parts to you, but cannot guarantee that we will be able to do this in every case.

How long will you have my barrel/slide assembly?
We will make every effort to complete the retrofit and return your barrel/slide assembly within one week of receiving it.

Should I send my barrel/slide assembly now?
No. When we are ready to retrofit your barrel/slide assembly, we will send you a box, prepaid shipping label, and detailed shipping instructions so you can send your barrel/slide assembly to us. We will make every effort to return your barrel/slide assembly within one week of receipt. Sending it now will not get it back to you any sooner; it will only mean that we have it longer.

How do I sign up my Ruger American® Pistol for the retrofit?
Visit the sign up portion of this web page. You will be asked to enter your serial number to determine if your pistol is subject to the Safety Bulletin. If it is, we will request your name, address, phone number, and email address. When we are ready for you to send in your Ruger American® Pistol barrel/slide assembly, we will mail you a box and prepaid shipping label with detailed instructions on how to return your barrel/slide assembly to us.

If you cannot sign up via the website, you may call our Retrofit Call Center at 336-949-5200 to speak with a customer service representative. Our call center is available Monday through Friday 6:00am - 4:00pm MST. Please have your unloaded pistol handy when you sign up or call and be sure to provide us with the serial number directly from the pistol.

How long will it be before I receive a prepaid shipping label and shipping package?
We will mail shipping boxes to customers on a first-come, first-served basis, based upon our ability to retrofit your barrel/slide assembly in a timely manner. Where you are in the queue and when you receive your box will depend upon when you sign up.

Will I have to pay shipping?
No. We will send you a shipping package, prepaid shipping label, and detailed shipping instructions once we are ready to retrofit your pistol’s barrel/slide assembly. We will perform the retrofit and return the barrel/slide assembly to you at our expense, so there is no cost to you.

Will you share or sell my contact information?
No. Your contact information will not be used for any purpose other than this retrofit and will remain confidential.

What if I live outside the United States?
If you live outside the United States, you should first determine if your pistol is subject to the Safety Bulletin. If it is, you should inspect your pistol to determine if it requires the retrofit. If it does, you should sign up for the retrofit on our website at Ruger.com/APRetrofit. We are in the process of providing parts to your in-country distributor, who will perform the retrofit once parts are available to them.

Must I ship the gun to you via a Federal Firearms Licensee (or Firearms Retailer)?
No. Because we are not asking for the entire gun, but rather just the barrel/slide assembly, you do not need to ship via an FFL. We will arrange to have your barrel/slide assembly shipped directly to us via U.S. Postal Service; you can ship it directly from your home.

I would like other service performed on my Ruger American® Pistol; can I have that done at the same time as the retrofit?
Yes; however, that will require additional time and may require that you ship the entire pistol to us. Also, customary charges for parts and labor will apply, but we will not charge you any shipping or handling charges, or for the retrofit. If you would like to have additional services performed, please call Customer Service at 336-949-5200 to make arrangements.

Can I continue to use my Ruger American® Pistol while I wait to send it back in?
If your pistol is subject to the Safety Bulletin, you should inspect it carefully. If you do not detect the presence of excessive wear on the lockup surface or cracks in the slide, your pistol is safe to use. If you do detect excessive wear or cracks in the slide, you should stop using your Ruger American® pistol until it has been retrofitted.

Can you expedite my gun?
In fairness to all customers, we are unable to provide expedited retrofits. We will retrofit consumers’ barrel/slide assemblies on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to inspect your pistol and, if necessary, sign up for the retrofit as soon possible. We will do our best to return your barrel/slide assembly to you within one week of receiving it. We understand this is an inconvenience, and we thank you for your understanding and patience.

I signed up for the retrofit online, but I think I made a mistake entering my information. What do I do?
If you provided an email address, we will send you an email confirming the information that you provided us. Please review the information in the email. If there is an error, contact Customer Service at 336-949-5200 to speak with a customer service representative to correct your information. Please have your serial number handy when you call.

Will I get the same barrel/slide assembly back?
No. All customers sending in their barrel/slide assemblies for the retrofit will receive a new, black, nitrided barrel. We will inspect your slide and, depending upon the results of that inspection, may replace the slide and other slide components.

I want to send my gun in through a retailer or Federal Firearms Licensee (“FFL”). May I?
While there is no need or advantage to sending your barrel/slide assembly in through an FFL, if you would like to have your local FFL send your barrel/slide assembly in to us, you may do that. Before shipping, we request that you or your retailer separate the grip frame assembly from the barrel/slide assembly and only send us the barrel/slide assembly.

Is my barrel/slide assembly going to be insured, and if so for how much?
Yes. The U.S. Postal Service will provide $50 of insurance coverage on your package.

I am a retailer and would like to send in barrel/slide assemblies only. Is that possible?
Yes. Please follow the retailer entry process at the retailer link above. Once you sign up and provide us with your list of serial numbers and contact information, a Customer Service representative will be in touch with you to make arrangements for your inventory.