Posted: 10/6/2007 9:57:28 AM EDT
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I was shooting my Kimber Warrior and the mag locked back with an empty still in the chamber (it was the last round, so it was supposed to lock back). Well, I took a look at the extractor, and there was a large chunk of it missing (about 75%). I decided to keep shooting anyway. The funny thing was that it continued to function just fine. Didn't have a single failure in the next 30 rounds (which was all I had left for that range session). The real irony in all this? That extractor was a Wilson Bulletproof I replaced the Kimber one with over MIM concerns  !! So I'm going to pop in the original and buy another spare.
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Nope. I never run any steel case pistol ammo. It was brass cased, low-powered reloads (my own that I've been reloading for thousands of thousands of rounds). It was not an overchaged round or anything like that. And that extractor has seen mainly underpowered reloads during it's life. Oh, BTW - that extractor had about 2500 rounds on it according to my log book. |
| I had my old man take a look at it. He's a retired aeronautical engineer. He brought out the magnifier and showed me all kinds of striations and other crap that didn't mean much to me. Here's what I did get out of it though -- low cycle fatigue that started as a nick in the middle of the claw and eventually worked it's way out to where it sheared off a good chunk of the thing. |
Yeah, that's kind of what I figured. I was going to send them a letter giving them details of how it was used, what happened, etc and also the unit itself. I figured they'd probably send me a replacement. I've spent enough money there to where I'm sure I've made up for it  .haha -- well, that's good news cause it's going back in the pistol after I clean her up. |
Yeah, that's something that I took away from it as being pretty cool. To clear the empty, I dropped the slide on the empty (causing the extractor to hop over the rim -- it was already broken, so why not). Then I racked the slide to clear it. I loaded her up and kept shooting. |
Well, at least you kind of got two bits of good news. A properly timed gun will function without an extractor. And the other thing is, it's a Wilson part so they will replace it for free. Someone mentioned an Ed Brown extractor earlier. Their parts are good too. |
With the 2 I've had, I still have yet to have a problem that wasn't mag related. In my opinion. And even then they weren't bad. I had a couple malfs with my CMC 10 rounder. I should try that new spring you were talking about. |
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Sounds like you know somebody who knows way more about what he is talking about regarding metal than I do. I have broken 2 extractors thus far. One was a MIM extractor on a para that broke very early in the gun's life, and one on an old Colt. The Colt could have been failing for a long time, but I think what did that one was the "adjustment" I did. It was "fitted" a little crookedly in the tube, so after cleaning I rotated it 1/32" to perpendicular perfection and carefully slid the (now tight) firing pin stop plate over it. It snapped soon after wards. Point? Even good steel may require proper fitting and if improperly set up (even by a fraction of an inch) it may make all the difference on an otherwise good part. That said... the Bulletproof that I dropped in as a replacement, had no fitting whatsoever and has run like a champ since. My suggestion for all is when you require a part that needs fitting... NOW is the time to work out a bulk deal with the smith and get a bunch of crap done. New extractor required? Work out a deal and fit 2 extractors, 1-2 slide stops, & 1 firing pin stop plate. Now you have a nice little first aid kit for your pistol that you supplement with 1-2 plunger/spring assemblies, a Mainspring cap, etc. |
Great idea. I never thought of that. |
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Well, I sent them off a letter explaining everything alone with my broken extractor. Probably about a week or so ago. I got a big box in the mail today. So what was in that huge box that they sent me? A new extractor. And a promotional CD. Rather anti-climatic. Not even a note. Oh well. |
What did you expect? Raquel Welch in her prime to jump out of the box????? LOL!!!!!!! Just kidding. I'm assuming they didn't charge you though, eh? |
Eva Longoria was who I was hoping for .Nope, no charge. It's just that those little details mean so much in customer service. They did what they "had" to do and that's about it. It's the companies that add little notes or extras -- and they don't even have to cost anything -- that really make me stand up and take notice. |
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It would have been nice for them to give it a little final polish job before it went out the door. This way if you had that done to the one that broke, you wouldn't be out the cost of that work and all you would have to do is tension it (if need be) and drop it in...... ......or Eva Longoria  |