1911 extractor

[Ben Worthy]

Don't change anything until you get about 500 rounds down range. 1911's are not like poly guns and have to break in. My Kimber bounced more than a couple of casing off my forehead while it was breaking in. Is this a commander sized gun by chance? Also, make sure you are running the gun lubed correctly. 1911 are like AR's and like lube.

Yes it is a commander.

there's a lot more to the 1911 extractor than just it's tension..

erratic ejection could be several things.

Loose ejector --- make sure your ejector is solid in the frame with the slide off...some makers are gluing in the ejector these days(sigh)

recoil spring binding --- I would suggest a 16 lb recoil spring for a std Government length model. no reason for anything heavier or longer. you also don't need any buffer, period.

extractor hook mis-shaped --- the bottom of the extractor hook needs to be tapered a bit ( see Wilson extractor tuning article on the web).. Also the length of the extractor more often than not is too long causing the hook to hit the case.. EGW HS extractor and their basic extractor are the shortest you can find.. the hook should not hit the shoulder of the case. it should only grab the rim... also the amount of deflection ( deflection is the amount of distance the hook is moved when the rim slides into position.) can cause issues with rims of varying size..

personally I'd replace the extractor if the ejector is not loose.. factory tuning amounts to checking tension at best. more issues are resolved by proper installation of the extractor in a 1911 than most any other part

That might be it.. the extractor doesn't grab right on the rim. There's a decent amount of room between the rim and extractor hook.

 

[Hayata]

This is a PSA for all new 1911 owners - not directed at OP.

NEVER, EVER, EVER manually load a round in the tube and then drop the slide.

Always load from a magazine. ALWAYS!

Don't ask me how I found out the hard way...

 

[Ben Worthy]

This is a PSA for all new 1911 owners - not directed at OP.

NEVER, EVER, EVER manually load a round in the tube and then drop the slide.

Always load from a magazine. ALWAYS!

Don't ask me how I found out the hard way...

I haven't tried that one. I think the story would be fun to hear though lol

 

[Allsmiles]

Check the extractor position on the back of the slide and it should be straight. If it is clocking, you have an issue. BTW, commander sized 1911's seem to be a little more finicky than the GI size. Shoot several more boxes of the same ammo and see if you start getting more consistent ejection patterns. Also, make sure your captured recoil spring (guessing you have one) is lubed up.

Have you detail stripped you gun yet? If you have never done this, you are in for a "interesting" time. BTW, don't put a 40 cal in the mag as it will shoot once; but won't extract. I have the shell casing to prove why this isn't a good idea to try.

 

[Ben Worthy]

Check the extractor position on the back of the slide and it should be straight. If it is clocking, you have an issue. BTW, commander sized 1911's seem to be a little more finicky than the GI size. Shoot several more boxes of the same ammo and see if you start getting more consistent ejection patterns. Also, make sure your captured recoil spring (guessing you have one) is lubed up.

Have you detail stripped you gun yet? If you have never done this, you are in for a "interesting" time. BTW, don't put a 40 cal in the mag as it will shoot once; but won't extract. I have the shell casing to prove why this isn't a good idea to try.

It's straight currently. Would it turn while firing?
I've taken it down but not completely. I've taken the slide apart several times for general cleaning and I took the firing pin stop and extractor out last night.
I was thinking about buying the Wilson 20# spring, bp extractor, and bp FPS. Other forums recommend those upgrades to fix the problem.

 

[DADI03]

Probably should just change one thing at a time to see where the problem is. If you're going to start changing parts.

 

[Hayata]

I haven't tried that one. I think the story would be fun to hear though lol

Let's just say I had to learn how to tune an extractor and leave it at that...

 

[jglenn]

broken extractors are never fun..

 

[Allsmiles]

If your extractor didn't fall out, most likely it is fine. If you start changing things, do them 1 at a time. That way if another issue comes up, you will know what caused it and change it back. If you want to try different recoil springs, order a power pack from Wolff Springs and give it a try. Just be sure to mark the factory one.