Extractor claw sheared off

[dogdollar]

........on an otherwise perfectly functioning, laser accurate, super reliable, Commander-sized 1911, after less than 5k rounds. Product was from a premium manufacturer ( turned out to be not quite BULLETPROOF after all !!).
I had another one fitted to the gun when it was out for a spa day last year, so no big worries; but I am just wondering......why would this happen ? Just one of those things ? Have I angered the trolls that live under the bridge ?
Thanks,
Tim

[CTDinMT]

BulletProof? I wonder who makes that? ;) You know if you send it back to them, they'll replace it. My guess is you just got the one that "fell off the turnip truck". I doubt it'll happen again. I'm sure you don't regularly drop the slide on a chambered round. Thats pretty much all I can think of, other than just a fluke bad part.

[marinakorp]

A bit too much tension might lead to pre-mature wear... but usuallly you would be knocked in the head with the brass for awhile on the too much tension

[robot1911]

If your mags are not tuned right, you may be getting a late release and the extractor is having to climb the case rim as it goes forward. Same thing happens when you hand feed a round into the chamber and then drop the slide on it. It forces the extractor to bend backwards past its design limit and enough of that will break the claw.

Bob

[dogdollar]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your thoughts.
I am somewhat experienced with the 1911 platform and certainly understand the implications of dropping the slide on a chambered round. As I said originally, the gun was functioning perfectly when it happened - it may just be one of those things - I was just fishing for something I might have missed. Your responses are very much appreciated.
Go Bears..................
Tim

[Bud White]

I've read before were people have had the bulletproof and hardcore extractors break for now reason they could find

[1911Tuner]

That's like callin' a doctor and askin' him why your head hurts. :p

Details please...

Been usin' those 8-round wadcutter magazines again, have ya? :)

Recoil spring rating? Oversprung slides can cause all sorts of problems.

Nose of the extractor bearing on the forward angle of the case extractor groove? (Look for the telltale dings on the angle.)

Standin' by...

[dogdollar]

That's like callin' a doctor and askin' him why your head hurts. :p

Details please...

Been usin' those 8-round wadcutter magazines again, have ya? :)

NOPE......it took a while, but a fella named Tuner taught me better. Wolff seven rounders, flat followers.

Recoil spring rating? Oversprung slides can cause all sorts of problems.

20lb. recoil slide (this is a commander) with over 3k rounds on it.

Nose of the extractor bearing on the forward angle of the case extractor groove? (Look for the telltale dings on the angle.)

I'm not sure what you mean here, but I had the gun up to John Harrison in Kennesaw, GA some time back and he fit this extractor for me with particular attention to the geometry, since the one I had in it had been too long and causing problems.

Standin' by...

Like I said, Johnny, this pistol was performing beautifully for the last 4k rounds. Just scratchin my head......................

P.S. - My head feels fine. I just had a brain scan done and it came out negative. :p

[1911Tuner]

20lb. recoil slide (this is a commander) with over 3k rounds on


Bingo. Go get a Wolff 16-pound spring designed for the Government Model. (32 coils) Cut it down to 25 coils and check for coil bind. If it does bind, clip a half-coil at a time until it stops. No shorter than23.5 full coils...but it should be good to go with 24.5-25 coils.

[dogdollar]

Bingo. Go get a Wolff 16-pound spring designed for the Government Model. (32 coils) Cut it down to 25 coils and check for coil bind. If it does bind, clip a half-coil at a time until it stops. No shorter than23.5 full coils...but it should be good to go with 24.5-25 coils.

Just happened to have one handy, sir.
I will give it the prescribed haircut and stick it in there while I have the gun down changing out the extractor. Do I count the double coil at the bottom as one or two ? What exactly do you mean by "coil bind" ? I want to understand what I am looking for. Do you mean the spring would bind up before the slide would go all the way back ?
Thank as always....
Tim

P.S. - Your freight is outbound..........

[1911Tuner]

Do I count the double coil at the bottom as one or two ?


From the end of the bottom coil...come straight up. That's one full coil.

Coil bind. You nailed it. If the spring goes solid before the slide hits the impact surface in the frame...that's bad JuJu. You should be able to find instructions on how to find out...somewhere. If ya can't pull it up, sing out. FWIW, I've never had a 16-pound Wolff spring with 24.5 coils go into bind on any Colt Commander...and only a couple did with 25...and even then, just barely.

[texbaz]

I had my first Broken extractor 2weeks ago, Shooting a Springfield Champion, using a Bulletproof extractor that had been working perfectly. I had loaded some Hornady lead 200gr SWC and was shooting using the factory mag. All of the SWC's fired perfectly. The slide locked back as it should on the last round fired. I removed the empty Mag installed a fresh loaded mag, then couldn't help but notice the un-extracted case.
Then I saw the Extractor claw. It had an almost perfect sheared radius resembling the case. I speculate I probably had a Push-feed in addition with a slightly over-sprung recoil spring (EGW, ISMI spring assy). Installed a spare extractor, and factory recoil spring assy on the bench kept shooting no mechanical problems. The tension for the extractor was set at approx. 17 oz. Oh yeah, called Wilson, they said send it in.

[dogdollar]

Thanks, Tex.
Sounds like we have something in common !!!
Tim