Extractor Q

[MstngLX50]

I purchased a used STI and it has run flawlessly for 2k rounds so far. While cleaning it I noticed that the extractor(looks like and ed brown) is not held against the slide in its hole when empty. With a round in it's sufficient to grab and pull it out but when empty it's just kind of rattling around in there. I'm not very up on 1911's but I don't remember seeing that on any of the others I've handled/shot.

I'd like to get an Aftec and keep this one as a backup since it works, but if it's out of adjustment I'd like to fix it before I make it my last ditch match saver.

Thanks,

Alan

[XRe]

Sounds strange to me... but, then again, if it works....

[The Hangin' Chad]

All of the popular smith's that I know say that they set them up by feel. I personally hate that because I appreciate specifications. I have a trigger spring scale and the weigand guage set (from Brownells), and have found that if the hook has been radiused and polished 10 oz. +/-2 works perfect for .040 cal.

But you can do it this way and it willl work.

Take a dummy round and put it in a mag, insert and load the dummy round in the gun. Now remove the mag and slowly pull the slide back until the bullet exits the barrel, when this happens the bullet end of the round should drop just a little, if it doesn't drop at all you are probably a little too tight, if the round falls out the bottom of the gun WITHOUT HITTING THE EJECTOR, you are too loose, bend the extractor accordingly.

The easy way to bend the extractor is to remove it from the slide and turn it around backwards and stick it in the slide, hold the slide in your right hand with your fingers wrapping over the rear sight, put your thumb on the middle of the extractor and put the tip of the extractor against the work bench and push moderately to bend. Twist the extractor around accordingly to bend for tighter or looser.

P.S. For an open gun I don't recommend this method even though it could work alot of additional information.

Hope this helps

THC

[ErikW]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it's a little loose, maybe your ejection pattern is erratic, big deal. If you tighten it too much it won't feed.

[MstngLX50]

I don't own a trigger pull guage or the weigand deal so measuring is out. I was mainly just wondering if this was some sort of gross mis-adjustment issue or something I don't need to worry about. I'll try the dummy round tonight when I get a chance and see what it does. I have an idea it's loose as my ejection, while flawless, spreads brass all over the range in a random pattern.

As for bending it I use to work as a comm contractor installing and cutting in cable in new and existing structures. We have a clamp for attaching conduit to girders and support beams in ceilings that looks suspiciously like an extractor tuning tool in Brownells Weigand Tool Link so I was going to use that. I may leave well enough alone, though the urge to tinker is very strong.

[Flexmoney]

MstngLX50,

I think your clamp has been talked about on here before (shred?). I couldn't find on at my HD.

[DaG]

Oh Yeah...... Shred's extractor tool........Been there and done that. Never leave home without it. Best $3.00 I ever spent.

DaG

[MstngLX50]

They're called beam clamps, insulator support will work also, they're pretty common but not really for the home market. Might try a Lowes or other. There are about a thousand different kinds so you'd probably not want to order sight unseen. An electrical supply or even business/industrial electrical contractor should have them. We used Tyco, unfortunately I don't have the packages and the part number isn't stamped so I have no idea which one I'm looking at.

The reason I still have mine is it makes a great bearing press for small stuff.

Alan

[mcoliver]

An acquaintance also has that loose-feeling extractor. You can wiggle it from the rear end. But since his gun runs fine and has no problems ejecting brass, he just left it alone.

[diehli]

The standard extractor in my Limited gun wiggles. The gun runs, period. Let it be.

[ong45]

I have noticed that with .40's the extractor can be loosey goosey and still be o.k.

With open guns it's a lot more picky.

James

[Ross Carter]

It's working so it's more than likely adjusted correctly. What's happening is the extractor has enough tension before the pad bears against the inside of the hole. So it feels loose without a round against it. The pad is the part of the extractor that doesn't stick out of the slide just behind the hook. It's not unusual for this to happen. Now if you can rotate the extractor at the rear, called clocking, I would fix that even thou the gun is working now because it will sooner or later cause you some grief. As already said if we where talking about an Open gun it gets more critical.

Ross