I have a Ruger P97 DC that has been getting progressivly worse at accuracy. It is now at a point that I can't get a strait shot from 5 yards. I have put about 750 rounds through it and I clean the gun after using it. I use the same ammunition that I did when it shot accurately about a year ago. Is there a shot part? I would guess the spring but it will even shoot the first loaded round way off target. Im not an expert by any means I've been shooting and handling guns for only 2 years, so any comment is welcome.

Thanks for your help

Are you shooting cast lead bullets? Sounds like the barrel needs a good cleaning and lead removal, unless you somehow damaged the barrel crown or something. There is not much else that I can think of that would cause your problem.

I use a 230 grain American Eagle FMJ, it might be time for me to change bullet types to rule that one out. When I clean the barrel it is usually nice and sparkling with no rough edges. I'll take your advice on it though and give it a good cleaning. Thanks for your help.

Try Wipe-Out foam cleaner or the Outers brand foam cleaner to get rid of copper fouling.

I can attest to the great performance of Wipe-Out, I have only "heard" great things about the Outers product though.

jonks
Try some Winchester white box! If your still all over the place -time to look at you the shooter! Have a buddy stand next to you and watch you shoot- He will see if your pulling the trigger or sqeezing -holding the gun to loose or firm ect. Auto pistols are not easy to master and bad habit's come easy. And most guns are more accurate then we can hold them. :D
Good shooting.

You might want to get someone else to try shooting the gun. That will tell you if it is you or the gun. Try to get an "old hand" at pistol shooting and shoot it off a rest to check for accuracy.

You might want to get someone else to try shooting the gun. That will tell you if it is you or the gun. Try to get an "old hand" at pistol shooting and shoot it off a rest to check for accuracy.

Clean it first.

Get a second opinion...let someone else shoot the gun.

Shoot it from a a bench to help sort out your error from the gun's error.

Change ammo.

IF ALL the above still shows inaccuracy, then it is certainly time to call a gunsmith in for his verdict.

Jonks: this is kind of a long shot, but check to see that the recoil spring collar hasn't popped out. I have a P97 myself, and this happened to me once. It is an easy part to loose track of during cleaning. It's a little collar right at the front of the recoil spring (part 32). Although the chematic I have provided is a P95, it's the same with a 97. Just a thought. First step, though, is have a second shooter give it a try, as others have suggested. --Mykal

It can be a lot shooter (no offense). I know where you're coming from. It can be that the gun just doesnt "fit" you very well. My KP97DC was a great, reliable gun, and very accurate in everyones hands but mine. I couldnt form a group with it if my life depended on it. I traded it for a P90 that I could shoot one hole groups with, traded that for a Glock 27 which I shot great, then traded that for SA GI 1911 which I shot very well, then I bought a Glock 30 that I shoot very well. Then I go back to I have a Ruger P93DC that I can shoot great. No matter how much I loved that P97, it just didnt work for me, for some reason. I miss the gun, but Im happy with having guns that "fit" me better so to speak, and Im able to shoot them the way I want to be able to.

Wow,

Thanks for all the reply's. I will take all of them seriously and try to rule out these before it goes for repairs.


Question for Mykal... I am missing that part (32), along with part 30 as well. It could of been misplaced the first time I cleaned it, and I've gone accustomed to cleaning it without these parts since. I don't ever remember seeing part 30 , maybe my memory has slipped.

Same thing happened to me. It pops off very easily. Call Ruger and they will replace it without question. When I called, they just sent me an entire recoil spring assembly. Pop it in and try again.

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
200 Ruger Road
Prescott, AZ 86301
Telephone: 928-778-6555
Fax: 928-778-6633

My KP97DC didnt have either of those parts from the moment it came out of the box.

My KP97DC didnt have either of those parts from the moment it came out of the box.

Mine didn't either.

Mine didn't either.

Mine never had those parts either. They are not on the P97 drawings that I have. Look in your book at the parts drawing.

Ooops, I'm wrong. I got the P95 and P97 mixed up. Only the P95 has that part I was talking about. Jonks: sorry for the misinformation and any inconvinience. --Mykal

Just picked one of these up (P97D) and will be shooting it tomorrow for the fist time. I'm using it as an alternative to my Springfild XD 40 4" service model. I took it apart to clean it (it came with the mandatory one round fired and they sure didn't clean it before shipping!). It seemed to be a BEAR to get back together with that removable slide lock and noncaptive recoil spring - seemed like I needed 3 hands to get it all together. Didn't notice any bushing or parts left on the bench after it was complete. Guess the P97 doesn't come with these.

Welcome to the forum hacker15. Rules are simple, be nice and join in.

Be sure and follow the directions in the manual when taking these apart and putting them togather. They are not like a 1911.

It will get easier after you do it a few times.

Welcome to the forum hacker15. Rules are simple, be nice and join in.

Be sure and follow the directions in the manual when taking these apart and putting them togather. They are not like a 1911.

It will get easier after you do it a few times.


Rugers are very simple to take apart and put together. You should even have line up marks on the side so you know where to put the slide back to, before pushing the stop pin back through. It just takes some practice like anything, but they definetly rank up there as simpler than a 1911.

Well, I shot it yesterday - ran through 60 rounds of 230 gr UMC hardball FMJ and 10 rounds of 180 gr Remington Express JHP.

Experinced multiple failure to feed (jams with the classic "nose high" round in the receiver) from both ammos, using the factory mags that came with the pistol. This becomes a real problem as it's very difficult to clear the partially fed live round as the slide tends to lock in position partially open.

Also noticed the slide lock trys to "walk" out of the frame when performing rapid fire drills (10 rounds in 6 seconds with a mag change). This disables the pistol completely as it then fails to cycle.

I planned on shooting 150 rounds of the 230 gr stuff and 25 of the 185 - but stopped at 70 rounds. I contacted Ruger when I got back from the range. They indicate that the misfeed problem could be due to an incorrect extracter installed or that the extracter is too tight. They're sending another extracter and a new slide lock (they were not sure what caused this problem).

Hoping it gets fixed.......

That is very odd. I have a Ruger P93 9mm, that has been absolutlely flawess, and I lost count at the thousands of rounds that have went down it. My cousin's P94 .40 has been shot so much, the trigger is getting worn out, and is going to be sent back for a tune up. My KP97 I had, was always flawless, I just couldnt shoot it for $&^# .

Call Ruger, and get it set up to send it in. I assure you, they will fix it. Its amazing how Ruger has no warranty, but gives the best customer service in the business.


Product Service - Prescott, AZ — Service inquires for Pistols and Police Carbines
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
Product Service Department
200 Ruger Road
Prescott, AZ 86301

Telephone: 928-778-6555 / Fax: 928-778-6633
(Monday through Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm MST)

That is very odd. I have a Ruger P93 9mm, that has been absolutlely flawess, and I lost count at the thousands of rounds that have went down it. My cousin's P94 .40 has been shot so much, the trigger is getting worn out, and is going to be sent back for a tune up. My KP97 I had, was always flawless, I just couldnt shoot it for $&^# .

Call Ruger, and get it set up to send it in. I assure you, they will fix it. Its amazing how Ruger has no warranty, but gives the best customer service in the business.


Product Service - Prescott, AZ — Service inquires for Pistols and Police Carbines
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
Product Service Department
200 Ruger Road
Prescott, AZ 86301

Telephone: 928-778-6555 / Fax: 928-778-6633
(Monday through Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm MST)

Thanks - I've copied this info off so I'll have it if/when it has to go back. Based on what I've read so far on other forums and in user comments, this is not a very common problem (slide stop walking out of the frame while firing), but for those that experienced it, Ruger really didn't have a fix and the pistol winds up as a safe queen. I'm sure the feed problem is a simple fix - it's either the mags or the extracter and I'll work on that as soon as the parts arrive.

BTW - didn't mean to hijack the thread.... :rolleyes: