external vs. internal extractor in 1911 style guns

[emiddio]

whats the story?

i've heard the external is better -- one reason is not letting the slide close on a chambered round is not an issue i've heard. also that steel cases ammo is not a problem for external like it supposedly is for internal.

whats the real story ?

i've changed internal extractors -- easy -- i have not changed external -- maybe they are harder to do ?

whats the rest of the story ?

[stans]

Even with an external extractor I still would not let the extractor snap over a rim if I could avoid it. All of my 1911's have internal extractors, they are easy to replace and easy to adjust and no tiny little coil springs or pins to go flying into never never land.

[John]

The real story is that too many people are building extractors from the wrong material. JMB had speced the extractor to be build using spring steel. Too many companies these days do not use such steel, as a result the legend of the 1911 extractor being a problematic part has grown out of proportion. Then companies figure out that a gun with an external extractor is easier to produce (nothing to adjust there), and started coming out with these. But as we all know by now, not everyone got its calculations right in the first place, and we end up hearing all these stories about Kimbers which need extractor work etc.

Nothing wrong with the initial setup, as far as I am concerned, it worked for decades and still works today, if you select your parts carefully.

[1911Tuner]

The external has its advantages and disadvantages. I does allow for a more reliable snapover feed when the round gets ahead of the hook, but that in itself is a malfunction usually brought on by the magazine. re: Springs and dimples. The gun was designed as a controlled-feed on every round...not 6 out of 7...or 7 out of 8. This is the single most common cause of extractor failure in the 1911...either needing frequent retensioning or outright breakage.

The internal offers some distinctive advantages in that it allows easy access and service in the field without tools and is quickly replaced should the need arise...which, if the gun is used with proper magazines and ammunition isn't
very often. I have a few very old pistols that still have the original extractors, and they function perfectly. One example was a commercial Colt that had been stored in an attic for 62 years in Condition One...and it functioned as intended when test-fired with the magazine that was in it. I also have a few that are hard-use beaters that haven't required extractor attention in upward of 150,000 rounds...even the extractors that aren't made of the right stuff will endure if the gun is functioning correctly. I attribute this not to my extractor tuning/tweakin' skills...but mostly to the fact that I avoid trick 8-round magazines like they had warts. I even decline offers from other shooters to "Try my magazine." "No thanks. I have my own." ;)

You may draw your own conclusions. I did several years ago.