Short story, I put a new extractor in it.

Some months back I started a thread on the extraction problems my Tisas 9mm Carry was giving me.  It happened with all kinds of different mags and different ammo.  It was a complete failure to extract with the spent case staying in the chamber after firing, causing a total malfunction and rendering the weapon inoperable.  Interestingly, it didn't start happening til I'd had the gun a few months and had put a few hundred rounds through it. And to think after the first 50 or so rounds when I first got it, which ran flawless, I was carrying this gun.  That's kind of unsettling. But a couple times a month I would practice with it and that's when I discovered the problem.

After a couple months of trying but not really trying to fix it I just stuck the gun in the safe and it became a pretty low priority.  Couple weeks ago I decided to tackle this problem once and for all.  I researched and watched some videos on how extractors work (16 years of gun ownership and shooting and I never gave it much thought), and learned pretty easily how to remove a 1911 extractor.  I removed it, examined it, looked ok, cleaned it and cleaned the tube it goes in, then watched another video on how to add tension by bending it.  I did that but it didn't look like it made much difference.  Put it back in, took it straight to the range, same problem.  Empty case stays in the chamber, total malfunction.

At this point I said to hell with it, the problem has to be the extractor, just get a new one.  I bought a Wilson combat extractor and it arrived Thursday.  Put it in that night and shot it Friday, 100 rounds.  Used three magazines--a Wilson Combat, a Mecgar, and one of the factory mags which came with the gun.  I had one failure to extract.  Can't remember which magazine it was.  But 1 in 100 was a lot better ratio than before, when it was happening just about every magazine.  

Shot it again Saturday (yesterday), again 100 rounds.  This time no failures to extract but I had two other problems.  When shooting one-handed I would get stovepipe malfunctions.  And several times the slide would not lock back after the last round fired, and this happened with all three magazines.  I was pleased that it had no extraction failures, but obviously concerned about these new issues.

So I field stripped the pistol this morning and gave it a good cleaning, then shot it again.  (I can shoot on my property at home.)  This time 120 rounds, same three magazines.  And...not a single problem.  Flawless.  No failures to extract, no failure to slide lock, no stovepipe.  Shot it one-handed a bunch.  Shot it slow, shot it rapid fire, did a couple mag dumps.  It did great.  I'm happy.  

But I'm not totally persuaded this gun is fit for everyday carry so I will shoot it some more.  But I think we're finally going in the right direction.

I wonder if you might benefit from adding a wee bit more lube to the slide, barrel & frame?

For everything you ever wanted to know about fitting internal 1911 extractors read this thread: https://www.1911forum.com/threads/steve-in-allentown-extractor-fitting.829865/.  Study the information there and you will become a guru that everyone else will turn to for help.

Was this a common issue or just your own?


Very interested in a tisas, but I want to be able to carry it. I have a hard time buying guns I can't trust even if they are inexpensive due to exchange rate and political climate.

Frankly its pretty common regardless the brand. Most people shooting 1911s cant test one to tell if its working right or not. even fewer can/will check an extractor and even fewer can or will try to correctly tune and fit one.

Steve posted his guide above (It should be stickied/pinned, as well as his other guides) Its not "hard" and he details everything.

If you own one you should know how to do it.

Update: I regret to inform you that the extraction issues have returned.  I cleaned and oiled the gun today then went shooting.  First 8 mags (80 rounds) no problems.  Then it started.  In the next 50 or so rounds I had several failures to extract.  I was using the same three magazines that I've been using--a Wilson, a Mecgar, and one that came with the gun.  I had failures with all three.  

I mentioned in a previous thread that I typically dump different brands of ammo in a can and use that to shoot.  I began to wonder if this gun doesn't like certain kinds.  Unfortunately with all the previous failures I did not keep or check the casing so I don't know what brand it was when the failure occurred.  I was out of ammo at this point so I went back to the house to grab some more. I got a bunch more loose ammo but also a box of Blazer brass.  I shot through the loose ammo and had serveral more failures to extract. This time I checked, and every one was a round made by Herters.  That's Cabelas house brand and I bought a bunch years ago when it was cheap.

I also shot some Magtech and another kind, might've been S&B but hard to tell on the headstamp.  No problems with those.

Then I shot the Blazer brass.  First magazine I used was the Mecgar and I had another FTE.  The remaining 40 rounds I used the Wilson magazine and no problems.  

At this point I have no idea.  Maybe when the gun is sparkling clean it runs fine.  Maybe some magazines are better than others.  Maybe the gun likes some brands of ammunition better than others.  

Out of spec chamber that needs to be reamed?

Well,

Until you follow the guide Steve gave you, I forsee you haveing this problem.

in addition, mags dont cause failures to EXTRACT, they may help with ejection if the extractor is not correct.

Last, I dont know where in the HELL this shit came from about guns having to be sparkling clean to run.  I blame the military.

when I shot competition regularly the practice sessions were 500 to 1K rounds in a DAY. I may or may not clean the pistol before I practiced again or shot a match... I ADDED OIL. Now I didnt drop the gun or cover it with dirt or sand etc.

if you have a gun that wont run 250 rounds without cleaning it, you have a problem with your gun and it aint dirt.

Fix your extractor, youll be fine.