I broke an NP3 coated extractor on my 1995 MkIII Hi-Power.  I've since replaced the extractor with a factory extractor from Browning coated in NP3+. While I was in there, I replaced the Extractor Spring, the Firing Pin Spring, and the Recoil Spring with springs from Wolff.  Today I gave it a little test run and no problems for the first 300 rounds.  Just past 300 rounds, I had a failure to extract (Blazer 9mm 115gr aluminium case).  I continued to run a mix of Blazer 115gr Aluminium, brass cased reloads, and a few rounds of nickel cased Speer Gold Dot through it and had 2 more failures to extract (all Blazer) from 300-500 rounds.

Previously (old extractor), I've run 1,250 rounds of Blazer through this pistol in a day with no cleaning and it chugged right through it with no problems.  And while that was probably the high round count, it has done 500+ rounds of Blazer in a day with no cleaning more times than I can remember.

Right now, I am trying to figure out what the issue is and how to correct it in order to get it back to its high degree of reliability.  Any ideas?

Hardly anything on a Browning is actually a drop in part, the extractor likely needs to be slightly fitted.  And do yourself a favor and get some genuine Browning springs, if you compare your wolf extractor spring to the browning you will likely find the wolf to be considerably longer.

Brand new Browning extractor? I saw a thread in another forum that newer extractors in newer pistols seem to have some issues...but, trying to date an extractor is like trying to date dirt.

It could also be the spring, possibly? What do the cases look like; did the extractor try to yank them out but couldn't get them out of the chamber (claw marks on it) or did it not even try; just bounced off?

My suspicion is that the Wolff extractor spring isn't up to it. Do you still have the old spring, just for shiggles?

Knock on wood, mine's been good; got it a bit more than a year ago. Then again I don't think I've run more than 250 rounds though it in a session. I haven't had the time or money to do so

I do have the old spring (which is also a Wolff- the Browning spring was replaced a long time ago as this pistol has 30k+ rounds on it).  The extractor is pulling the cases at least partly out of the chamber before it lets go (of the three cases).  One of the cases I was able to slam out just by giving it a good shake.  One of the cases couldn't be shaken loose but I was able to get my fingernail in there and pull it out.  I had to breakout a multitool and pull one of them out by the rim - it wouldn't budge.

My operating hypothesis is that the NP3+ coating has made the notch for the claw just a tiny bit narrower and some of the aluminium cases on the high side of the spec are slipping out (because the NP3+ has higher lubricity also).  That's basically a wag though.  The only ideas I've got are to take a file to the notch or try a different spring.

Part of the problem is that it is running decent - failure to extract is less than 1%.  So it makes it tough to evaluate any fix.

I could see the NP3 making the notch shallower...I wonder how much shallower, hmm. I do know it's slicker.

I wonder if the alloy cases are allowing more blowby/carbon in the chamber which made it sticker than normal, which set up a tolerance stack issue? Might not have seen it with straight brass...

Like I said I've not put more than 250 rounds through mine in a single session, aluminium or brass, but i I haven't yet run into an issue...then again mine is bone-stock as far as the extractor goes.

Surely you didn't fire it with the new extractor prior to NPing it?  The only problem with Browning extractors is that they have to be fitted and if a coating was applied then it likely really needs fitting now.

A tip, use only Browning springs in a Browning.

Vince

OK, disassembled the extractor again.  Cleaned everything again, though it looked relatively spotless even after the last 500rds.  I compared the new, unfitted Browning extractor with the older extractor.  If there was any difference in the two (other than one had the claw snapped off), it was too small for me to see with the naked eye or a micrometer.  I checked the installed extractor, concerned that maybe the coating had made it a bit shallow; but using dummy cartridges, it was clear there was plenty of room there.  So as a final effort, I ordered Browning extractor springs and installed those.

Ran it for 400rds of CCI and 17rds of Gold Dot 124gr +P today with zero problems extracting (did have one round get hung on the feed ramp because the mag was seated weird - grabbed the base of the mag to drop it but just tugging on the mag without pushing the mag release let the round go forward and chamber - need to look at that mag.)  So kudos to everyone who called "extractor spring."  The previous one was Wolff and I had no issues with it; but the Browning part seems to have remedied the issue.

The only wolf spring I'd use in a browning is the one for the safety as it seems to add a bit more snap to it.  Which is a good thing in my book.

Double tap, somehow?

This is sound advice. i've found Wolff springs for the HP to be more trouble than they are worth.