Extractors ... they seem so simple, and yet ...

[rhino]

The 9mm Springfield I have has been having a lot failures to extract, so I took the extractor out of it and examined it. I noticed that the hook was way, way too short even for 9mm and that whomever assembled the gun put a lot of extra tension on it to get the gun to extract even part of the time.

So I decided to get a new extractor and ... install it myself.

The STI extractor I ordered from Chuck B. at Shooter's Connection arrived quickly (thanks, Chuck!) and this evening I made an attempt to install it properly.

My first action was to put it in the gun without any bending to get an idea of how much I might need to adjust it to get it to feed and extract properly. When cycling the gun by hand, the extractor would just slide past the rim without grabbing ahold in the groove.

So I put a little bend on it ... and I think I did it a little too much.

When cycling by hand, it extracts nicely, but I think there is too much tension since it won't feed very well. Obviously the dynamics will be different during live fire, but it seems to have just a little too much tension.

Then I tried to remove it to unbend a little ... except now I can't get it out of the slide.

Does anyone know any tricks for removing a 9mm extractor that has too much tension? The problem is that the hook won't go past the breech face and I can't seem to push it away from the breech face and out of the little channel at the same time.

Should I give up and seek the assistance of a competent gunsmith?

When will I learn my lesson?

[ErikW]

Well, you simply must push it away from the breechface and back out the channel, simultaneously. Use tiny tools. Maybe try one pushing away and another pushing out. I'll bet Bob and Benny have some super neat-o way of doing it as they've done it a million times. That or shred built a fixture and tool.

[mcoliver]

I was gonna post my little trick using a small flat screwdriver (the one you used for the screws in your glasses) w/c you use in front and a regular screw driver for the rear. But dang it would take too many words It'll probably end up 2 pages long.

So to cut it short: "What Erik says."

[Jasonub]

i us a glock tool to push it throug the breech end. same thing happens with an aftec

[rhino]

Thanks for the advice, guys ... I'm going to be shooting it today, so if I find that it actually works, I may just leave it alone until it needs cleaning. In any case, I will try to use a small screwdriver to pry the hook away from the breechface while I push it out of the channel with a pin punch.

Life sure is easier with .45ACP!

On a slightly different tack ... I know that 9mmP is supposed to headspace on the case mouth, but suspect that in a lot of guns they actually headspace on the extractor. Since my orginal extractor was wacky (to say the best), do you think it was a potential contributor to poor accuracy? At 50 yards, the best I could do with this gun was seven of nine hits on the paper, with the "group" looking like a shotgun blast. My .45s do a lot better!

[ong45]

Brownells sells a neat extractor/ firing pin stop combination removal tool. works one handed.

James

[.40AET]

Rhino-Have you polished the extractor yet? The face needs to be polished to a mirror finish. The front of the hook, that rides over the rim of of the case, also needs to be polished. Polishing the front of the hook will make the extractor ride over the round smooter. Just don't polish the hook itself, it needs to stay sharp.

[shred]

I use the back end of a match hotel plastic pen or something similar to shove the hook end over and down the tunnel. Non-metal tools are preferable to avoid scratching the breechface since you often have to pry pretty hard..

[bountyhunter]

Use a popsicle stick with the end suitably shaped to force the hook over (lay it on the breech face and pry that way).

I take an extractor out as follows:

1) Take out the extractor retaining plate and firing pin.

2) I use a small screwdriver to gently pry the slot in the extractor against the slide edge AFTER I put some masking tape on the slide to protect it at the pry point.

3) Applying gentle pressure to the extractor groove to pull it out, I use the popsicle stick end to pry the hook over so the extractor will slide out the tunnel.

If you just pry on the extractor without pushing the hook end over, it will tear up the edges of the head as it is pulled out.

[bountyhunter]

I have 9mm Trojan. here are a couple of points:

1) tension is best kept between about 15 and 20 ounces. I'm sure somebody has posted how to measure it.

2) The lower inside edge of the extractor's vertical face that goes over the cartridge rim has to be "radiused" (rounded) to allow the round to feed up and under. The Kuhnhausen 1911 manual shows this, many new extractors do not have this and don't feed worth a crap.

[rhino]

BigDave to the Rescue!

At the range today, I fired a few rounds and it was obvious I had too much tension on the extractor. Fortunately, BigDave was on the scene and ready to solve the problem. He got the extractor removed from the slide, then I bent it back to remove some of the tension. Then he polished the face before we put it back together. The end result is that the gun now works fine, and much better than it did when I got it!

He also polished some other surfaces for me (top of the disconnector, etc.) just because he's a good guy.

THANKS, BigDave!

Brownells sells a neat extractor/ firing pin stop combination removal tool. works one handed.

James

Thanks! I'll take a look at it soon!

Rhino-Have you polished the extractor yet? The face needs to be polished to a mirror finish. The front of the hook, that rides over the rim of of the case, also needs to be polished. Polishing the front of the hook will make the extractor ride over the round smooter. Just don't polish the hook itself, it needs to stay sharp.

I hadn't done that yet, but now it's done ... thanks to my good friend BigDave!

I use the back end of a match hotel plastic pen or something similar to shove the hook end over and down the tunnel. Non-metal tools are preferable to avoid scratching the breechface since you often have to pry pretty hard..

Thanks ... I'll see if I can do that too.

Use a popsicle stick with the end suitably shaped to force the hook over (lay it on the breech face and pry that way).

Thanks for the step-by-step instructions and the other hints!

[tightloop]

It is hard to believe that someone versed in Soil Mechanics couldn't get the extractor out of the hole...

[lynn jones]

ok rhino,

now buy another extractor and have it fitted to the gun for a back up.

lynn

[BigDave]

I ended up using a large blade, but short, screwdriver to lift the hook to make the tunnel, then rotated the blade to get the hook started down the tunnel. Then used a smaller screwdriver to pry it out via the firing pin stop slot (in the extractor). Needless to say it was very tight indeed. Very much like the extractor on my STI Trojan 40.

As part of my small bag of tools that I keep in the Dillon range bag is a postage stamp size piece of 1500 grit sandpaper. It is great for putting a slick finish on feed ramps, extractors, disconnectors and magazine feed lips, when better materials/tools are not at hand.

Hey Rhino, you're very welcome, pal. Once that heater runs 100%, the steel is going to be very sorry.

[rhino]

It is hard to believe that someone versed in Soil Mechanics couldn't get the extractor out of the hole...

Sunny ... life is a series of mysteries!

now buy another extractor and have it fitted to the gun for a back up.

Amen! I just happen to have ordered two from Chuck when I placed the order.