[dubious]

Ok, maybe this sounds too simple to be worth talking about, but all too often I have a casing hang when operating the extractor. What is the correct technique for operating the extractor on a double action revolver?

Today I was shooting an SP-101 rental gun at the range and it seemed like the stock ruger grip would hang up the nearest casing. Once, hands shaking under stress having just dispatched a goat with my redhawk, I even got a casing or two stuck under the extractor.

The correct technique would seem to be open the chamber, rotate the muzzle upwards, and firmly and quickly push the extractor rod. Please tell me there is something more too this. Also, in an ideal world, you shouldn't have to point the muzzle upwards for maximum safety.

[General Geoff]

Shake the gun a bit while the muzzle is pointed upwards, if the cases are still hanging on by a bit after using the extractor. There's no safety issue so long as you swing the cylinder out before you rotate the gun to muzzle-up.

[ugaarguy]

The correct technique would seem to be open the chamber, rotate the muzzle upwards, and firmly and quickly push the extractor rod.
Yep, that's the correct technique. Some even go as far as using a hard thrust with the heel of the hand to slam the cases out.
Please tell me there is something more too this.
Nope, nothing more.
Also, in an ideal world, you shouldn't have to point the muzzle upwards for maximum safety.
It seems unnerving at first, but it's perfectly safe. Any modern hand ejector revolver in proper working order wont let the hammer cam back with the cylinder open. Also, with a hand ejector revolver, unlike any other firearm I can think of, when the action is open, not only can the hammer not cam back, but all of the chambers are physically outside the axis of the bore and firing pin. So, just swing the cylinder out, point the muzzle up, operate the ejector rod with authority, and let gravity help those cases out of the cylinder.

[rainbowbob]

I've seen no better illustrated tutorial on how to load and unload a revolver than this one by Kathy Jackson (Pax) at corneredcat.com:

http://www.corneredcat.com/RunGun/loadrevo.aspx

[Oro]

Another technique is to not depress the ejector fully. Just tap it to start the brass out and let gravity working against the upturned gun take care of the rest. A little shake at the same time also takes care of any sticky cartridge mouths hanging up.

This won't always work with undersized cylinder bores, or poorly reloaded brass (with bad bulges in it). But it prevents the brass from getting pinned between the fully depressed ejector star and the grips, cylinder latch, etc. S&W's with barrels under 3.5" do not have full-length ejector rods, and they work just fine and with less binding like you described than the full-length types.

One change to the procedure illustrated on that web site to speed it up as an emergency reload is to both hold the gun and work the ejector solely with the left hand, while the right hand is simultaneously reaching on the strong side (presuming your right is your strong side) for the reloader. This saves a lot of time vs. using both hands to eject the brass, and is just as easy to do with a little bit of practice. As you hit the ejector rod with your left thumb, shake the gun down a little to help the brass out. Works great even with short ejectors.

[jad0110]

You have the right idea, as far as technique goes.

Today I was shooting an SP-101 rental gun at the range and it seemed like the stock ruger grip would hang up the nearest casing.

This is not all that uncommon. Many stock rubber grips that come on revolvers are too big up against the frame area. The stock Hogue rubber grips that came on my 686 Plus interefered with case ejection. So I replaced them with Pachmayrs, and later wood ahrends. I have had no extraction problems with either.