Worn 10/22 Extractors

[Ewald]

The last couple shoots I have been at I have seen 10/22s that had extraction issues. In both cases they were instructors' rifles that had been loaned to students. Loaner rifles that have mechanical issues are a pet peeve of mine. I feel if we put a rifle in a student's hands, it should function flawlessly.

Last month the diagnosis was fairly easy. The extractor was flat out gone. It probably started the shoot in bad shape and gave up the ghost late in the day.

It did leave me wondering though. There had been no OBE or other dramatic malfunction. The rifle worked fine the day before and had been cleaned that night. The instructor who owned the rifle had not not reported any problems with it. Why didn't we see this coming?

Yesterday the rifle in question was mine. I loaned it to a student who was new to shooting. Several times after timed courses of fire, we rodded the rifle to remove a live round. Pappy and I talked about it. He advised me to sharpen my extractor.

I confess my reaction to Pappy was "Yeah, yeah, I know rimfire extractors need to be sharp and make positive contact." Inside my mind I again wondered what was happening. The last person who shot my rifle scored Rifleman with it. It functioned flawlessly

At the day's end I shot an AQT with it. I deliberately used different kinds of the junkiest ammo I could find on the range. It worked fine. What's going on here?

Here's my extractor



Of course Pappy was right. Under a magnification we can see bottom corner is worn off and a bur from contact with thousands of rounds. There is no way I can sharpen metal that is no longer there. I have ordered a new one.

When the part is removed from the bolt, the problem looks obvious. However it was very hard to spot while still in the bolt and without magnification. This is the factory original part on a rifle manufactured in the early 80's. I bought it used. There is no telling how many rounds it has seen.

So why did the rifle work fine for me? I did some research. The keys are timed courses of fire and live rounds. Turns out a 10/22 will eject fired rounds fine without an extractor. When is a shooter most likely to need to extract a live round? When they do not finish a stage of an AQT. It also happens when a new shooter is under stress and experiences a double feed or other kinds of frustration related problems.

An experienced shooter is less likely to have these problems and therefor less likely to need to extract live rounds. That is why I missed the problem.

So what do we learn from this? Examine your extractor carefully, with a magnifying glass if possible. You may want to try cycling live rounds under appropriate conditions. This is especially true with older rifles. As Appleseeders we tend to jump on used 10/22s when we find them. Keep in mind just because they work fine for us, it doesn't mean an inexperienced shooter may not encounter problems.

[dugjeep]

are you replacing with a factory part  or upgrading your extractor?

[Ewald]

I debated that for a while. Given the extractor lasted 30 or so years on a rifle that was run hard at least half that time, I really can't complain about the factory part.

In the end I ordered the Volquartsen Bolt Tune-Up kit from Midway for $30. It includes a firing pin, extractor, and replacement spring.

I did that for a few reasons. The bolt is the only part of this rifle that hasn't been rebuilt. I can see wear on the firing pin. I'm replacing it as preventive maintenance. When you add up the parts, the kit doesn't cost much more than Ruger factory parts.

Besides it's me. It's my rifle. If I'm going to ticker with it, I might as well do it right. 

[Roland]

VQ makes great stuff, especially the extractor and firing pin.

[2 clicks low]

Ewald
Save the old one. It will come in handy when a student rips theirs out with the chamber flag and it goes flying off into lalaland. Next shoot together I'll show you how to sharpen.
2cl

[Ewald]

I know to sharpen one. Seriously about a third of the surface is worn off. There isn't much left to sharpen.

But yes, it will of course go into the spare parts bin. A badly worn extractor still beats one residing in the land of La.

[douglas34474]

Your extractor IS NOT worn out. It came the way you found it from the factory.

The bottom corner of the extractor has to slide over the case rim as the cartridge feeds from the magazine. If the point is left sharp it can catch the brass and dig in enough to prevent the round from cambering. Therefore the factory puts a small radius on the bottom corner of the hook. It is considered good design practice.

99% of extraction problems are poorly fit extractors.

[Grumpy]

About every 1000-1500 rounds, I'll disassemble my bolts completely and clean all the crud out of every nook and cranny.
Some folks may think this is a little excessive but my 1976 model 10/22 is still all origional parts and still going strong.