Bill Schwab Posted August 13, 2002 Share Posted August 13, 2002 I am shooting a SS 45. I had 12k rounds on a properly fitted Aftec, which broke yesterday. Last year I broke a standard Wilson unit that had 9k on it, and the stock SA one lasted all of 1k rounds. What gives? Is 10k or so rounds the typical lifespan for an extractor? In each case the hook broke off of the extractor. BTW, I called the Aftec guy today and he had me send the broken one in, I got the impression that he'll be replacing it free of charge (fingers crossed). Bill PS I wish this wouldn't have happened the week before our monthly ipsic match, but I know I should have had a spare extractor fitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted August 13, 2002 Share Posted August 13, 2002 Are you trying to extract bulged cartridges or cases that are stuck in the chamber? That's how I broke mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Schwab Posted August 13, 2002 Author Share Posted August 13, 2002 Nope, absolutely not, and I'm not doing the "throw a round in the chamber and let the extractor override it" either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMC Posted August 13, 2002 Share Posted August 13, 2002 It sounds like the extractor is moving or being stressed by something other than the case. In some guns the edge of the barrel/chamber will contact the tip extractor and hammer it as the gun cycles. When you put the next extractor in check to see if if contacts the barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 Bill, " When you put the next extractor in check to see if if contacts the barrel. " Deifinitely. Is this a .40, and are the extractors being installed/fitted by someone? be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Schwab Posted August 14, 2002 Author Share Posted August 14, 2002 Brian, It's a singlestack 45. The Wilson extractor was fitted by Wilson and the Aftec by a local bullseye gunsmith who has an amazing resume. I just fitted a Nowlin last night. It has a tight fit with the FP stop, but I didn't think to see if it's hitting the barrel. I will be test firing it over lunch and I'll check out it's clearance w/the barrel then. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 Bill, Yea, the "extractor hitting the barrel thing" can definitely be a problem. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detlef Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 hm...just one more data point: 10k is about the life I get in my .40. It always breaks either in the last practice session before a big match, or the session after it... --D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3quartertime Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 Just a thought from the,,, well you know. Maybe the sun has baked my last remaining cells while sailing, don't know. But, I tender one humble suggestion. I have 'fit' three extractors. One Aftec, one wilson and one springfield. I used the instructions that came with the Aftec installation each time. Each time I found the firing pin stop was too tight. I may be playing with fire like usual but all the extractors are working great now. I don't count rounds through said guns, another flaw!!! In my own personal and probably wrong opinion is that John Browning did not design the 1911 to be a 'custom fit, super tight' pistol. Each part should have room to move. SHAKE alittle, as my father used to say. Just sharing my own experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Schwab Posted August 22, 2002 Author Share Posted August 22, 2002 Got a new extractor free of charge from Aftec today. I plan on pulling out the Nowlin that I now have tuned to the gun and keeping it aside as a spare. I'll fit the AFTEC, and use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted August 23, 2002 Share Posted August 23, 2002 I definitely seems to be a gun/shooter predicament. I've broken one in thirty years of running 1911's, but my friend Jeff Chudwin (killer Master Blaster at Second Chance) has a fistfull of broken ones in the same time period. In that time we've both run dozens of different guns and loads, some hot pins loads, some puffy steel loads. No pattern to it all, except his break and mine don't. But hitting the barrel definitely shortens useful life by a whole lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted August 23, 2002 Share Posted August 23, 2002 Patrick, Nothing agaisnt your buddy...but, maybe you are getting them fit correctly and he isn't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted August 26, 2002 Share Posted August 26, 2002 I doubt it. Jeff has much of his work done by Ned Christiansen, a master of metal, and the idea that Ned would fit an extractor without blueprinting it is inconceivable. And I've been known to run some very hot pin loads in years past, like the year I showed up at SC with lead 240 flatnose bullets pumped to 875 fps in a .45ACP. (210PF) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Schwab Posted December 9, 2002 Author Share Posted December 9, 2002 Thanks Johnny, I need to check that gun out some more as you described! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detlef Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 *Refreshing a magazine spring*? Johnny, that sounds interesting. Care to elaborate? And again, most of the mag spring *problems* seem to manifest only on high-cap, double column ones. Refreshing them rather than tossing them could save pain and money... Are you talking heat treatment? --Detlef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcoliver Posted December 10, 2002 Share Posted December 10, 2002 Tuner, being the technically-challenged idiot that I am, I was wondering if you could post a pic of how the spring end looks like after the refreshment. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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