Extractor Problem

[Semi-manual]

I have a Llama IX-B Compact 45. I did something stupid; I let the slide slam shut on an empty round in the chamber and now it will not extract when fired. It does extract unfired rounds. It has the "new" style extractor on the right side of the slide held in by a pin. I removed the extractor but didn't see anything obviously wrong, not chipped and definitely not bent as the extractor is "file hard" and the groove is nice and sharp. Could I be overlooking something?

[niemi24s]

The Numrich Arms website does not have a drawing of your gun, so I (and perhaps many others) can only guess what the extractor on your gun looks like.

Unless somebody who has (or has seen) one comes along, a picture of the breechface showing the extractor and one of just the extractor (removed from the slide) would help a lot.

[Semi-manual]

I'm not 100% sure but I believe the extractor is the same one used in the full-size Llama IX-A 45. In fact, I ordered one from Numrich in hope that it is close enough to me modified. Not having a technical drawing of the extractor makes it dificult to reproduce and there doesn't appear to be anyone besides Numrich carrying parts. If the IX-A part is the same, I will try to measure it and put it on a CAD drawing and I'll make it available for others on the Llama forum.

[Semi-manual]

niemi24s: Can you tell me what the clearance should be between the breech face and the extractor. The 45 rim spec is .049; is .060 with proper lead-in sufficient? Also, othe pistols that I have with external extractors indicate about a .030 movement of the extractor when a shell is in place putting the extractor (and shell) in tension by the spring. Is this a "normal" amount of movement or is the dependent on the firearm?

[niemi24s]

I can't tell you what it "should" be because everybody seems to have a different notion about it. All I can tell you is what the extractor claw-to-breechface distance will be for the average (mid-spec) GI M1911A1 based on Army blueprints:

• 0.088 inch with extractor fully forward in the slide, and
• 0.0805 inch with extractor full aftward in the slide.

When the tolerances for each part are taken into consideration, those distances become 0.0975 and 0.0705, respectively.

IMHO, a 0.060 inch gap is much too small for a M1911A1. Don't know anything about Llamas or their extractors.

[wjkuleck]

As anyone considered the extractor spring as the culprit?

Regards,

Walt

[Semi-manual]

Walt,
Thanks for your input. I checked the spring and that appeared OK. Upon closer examination, there was about .050" missing from the front edge of the extractor claw, obviously from my letting the slide slam on an empty case in the chamber. It is (was) a cast piece and broke so cleanly that I needed to look at it with a magnifier to see the break. I know this because I got impatient and rather than wait for the piece that I ordered from Numrich, I went ahead and made my own extractor. To get proper extraction the claw finished out at .285" across the claw and the one that failed was at .233" It's all back in working order agian, at least until I mess something else up. There is a saying, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." This is one of those times that this really applies to me; but, I am getting educated!