Need help with rough-feeding 1903-A3

Smith-Corona 1943. Action is nice and smooth unless I feed actual rounds, whereupon the bolt hangs up a bit about 1/2 inch before it closes. I've removed the bolt and slid the rims up into the bolt head and the extractor hangs up and there's an audible click as the lower, inner edge of the extractor slips over the rim.

I've done the same with a custom-worked 1903 bolt I have on another sporterized rifle and it's very smooth, no hangup at all. On careful examination the "ramp" on the lower, inner edge of the extractor is smoother and thinner on the custom bolt.

Any reason why I couldn't carefully file down that ramp a bit, going slowly, and trying it every so often? Is this the kind of thing that wears better with use? the rifle doesn't look very used at all. It does bother me, however... it takes quite a bit of force to overcome that resistance with live rounds.

File? Maybe not!

Polish the sharp edges?
Certainly.

Just go slow and don't overdo it!

It used to be SOP to run the extractor over a buffing wheel and polishing all the sharp edges when building up custom Sporters.

Even reshaping Mauser 98 claws so they would snap over the rim of a round in the chamber.

rc

You think an india stone would be okay?

Sure, it would be fine.

Even files would be O.K. if they are fine-cut needle-files.

I just always envision a rusty, dull, 12" rough-cut bastard file some folks might have laying around when files are mentioned. :D

rc

Ah... LOL. I just got a fine cut needle file and an india stone so I can screw up my replica cap/ball colts.

Thanks for the advice.:cool:

Well I swapped the extractor out for the one off of my .270 1903 sporter (which has been polished/worked on and is smooooooth as buttah) and the A3 fed just fine with that extractor. I couldn't make the GI extractor fit on the extractor collar of the custom-worked one; the tabs on that one look to be machined and thicker compared to the bent-tabbed ones on the A3. So I couldn't see if that extractor made the .270 feed poorly.

So I guess the extractor is the problem... I'm a bit wary of taking a stone to it, though... as I don't know what I'm doing. How much is a new extractor if I screw it up? :D

is it hanging up really bad, or can you just shove it past that point with a little extra force?

I can chamber it, but it doesn't feel good. I can feel the extractor pop over the rim of the round, rather than the rim sliding up underneath it. At least that's my best guess as to what's happening.

Guess?

Why can't you just look at it and see what it is doing?

It all happens out in the open right there in front of you!

Anyway, if it was popping out in front of the extractor, the bolt would be harder then normal to close, because the extractor would have to snap over the rim of the chambered round.

That ain't normal atall.

rc

That's what I figured.

Why can't you just look at it and see what it is doing?Because I'm stupid, apparently. :D