CZ-75B Failure to Extract

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Bullwinkle

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Got a new CZ-75B a few months ago and have probably put >500 rounds thru it so far. Everything is stock, i.e. no spring or sight changes, etc.

I've got both factory and Mec Gar mags. The State Politburo only allows 10 round cap. I mostly use a Maglula speedloader, but sometimes load the mags the hard way.

Anyhow, I've had at least 5 to 6 Failures to Extract on my last two outings at the range with both Winchester and Browning 115 grain FMJ rounds. It happened with both brands of mags and didn't seem to matter whether I used the speedloader or not. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about
the 75B so this is a bit troubling.

Anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking about calling CZ for advice. Hopefully, it doesn't have to go in for service. Thanks in advance for your replies.
 
Mark the bottom of your mags with white nail polish dots -- 1, 2, 3, 4 so you know which mag, if just one, causes a problem.

I use 124 gr RN and have never had a failure to eject. Can't recall a problem with 115 gr factory loads either, but I did have Cajun Gun Works install a 12 pound Red piano wire spring when they redid the trigger. You might try replacing the spring.

Cajun are nice people. Give them a call. The gunsmiths answer the phones.
 
I would clean, oil and try another 250 rounds before calling to cs. It is no impossible but unusual failure to extract.
Unless, ammo is the culprit.
Marking the mags and using same ammo on all to discard magazine issues.
 
Also bear in mind Browning-branded ammunition is made by Ohlin too. I'd try some Federal or Blazer Brass 124gr.
 
Also of course check that there's no crud under the extractor claw and that its motion is free. (But I expect you did that already.) I've been having extraction failures with my Astra 400, and I've come to the conclusion that it's a design flaw in the pistol, which actually depends on recoil force to extract... well it's a blowback pistol and blowbacks don't really need extractors if the recoil impact on the breech face is sufficent enough.
 
It used to be, a decade or two ago, that the CZ-75B was known for having a weak extractor spring. It was common to have failures to extract on relatively new guns. The wisdom at the time was to replace the extractor spring with an XP spring from Wolff.

I don’t know if CZ has upgraded their spring material or not, but I would certainly try up-rating the extractor spring as a first step. It can do nothing but good for the gun in general, and it may cure your issue.
 
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I installed a Wolff extra power Extractor spring in my 75B many years ago after having a few extraction problems with Winchester White Box. It stopped the problem, and it has been problem free ever since. I also cleaned the extractor, and extractor cut out.
 
CZ’s can be funny little machines sometime. I had a 75B Tutone in .40 and a 75B Compact 9mm that never quite ran the way I wanted them to. I now have a full-size 75B 9mm and a P-01 that both shoot reliably and accurately all the time.

I’d field strip the gun, clean it thoroughly and oil it sparingly, then i’d run 150-200 rounds of Fed American Eagle or Blazer Brass 124gr FMJ through it. If you’re still having problems, I’d contact either a good local gunsmith or CZ CS for appropriate corrective actions.
 
Probably two things will help, both addressed in prior responses. 1) a new extractor spring (from Wolff or CZ-USA, and 2) cleaning out any build-up of gunk under the extractor. (Gunk build-up is probably what causes most of the problems -- as the factory spring, if you've got an older CZ-75B, may not have enough force to squeeze the extractor tightly against the rim if there's any crap under the extractor.. If it's a newer CZ, just clean out under the extractor with solvent (brake cleaner, etc.) Dirty ammo -- and the cheap stuff from the former Communist Bloc countries is some of the dirtiest -- can be a problem.

There's almost no way a magazine issue could be causing the problem.

It should be noted that with many (maybe most?) center-fire guns, the fired casing is trying to be PUSHED out of the chamber by gas pressure just like in a "blow-back" gun design, but because the barrel and slide (i.e. which includes the breech) are locked together for part of the slide's movement, the case is held tightly in the chamber longer than with the blow-back designs. It's only when the barrel has started to unlock from the slide that things loosen up enough that the round to escape/be extracted. The extractor keeps the casing flush against the breech face so that it will be properly guided to hit the ejector -- and momentum (of the slide) plays a big role in the casing's movement. (Some centerfire guns, like the H&K P7, or some of the tilt-barrel guns, like the Beretta Tomcat, don't even need an extractor.)

Note: at one time Winchester White Box had an unconventional extractor indentation on the bottom of the casing, such that the extractor couldn't always get a good grasp of the rim. (From the side it looked like < rather than / That usually led to a round being stripped from the mag and rammed into the rear of the round that didn't fully exit the chamber, or a stove-pipe problem. I have no experience with Browning ammo, but have seen a lot of CHEAPER AMMO (like WWB) frequently cause problems. (I haven't bought Winchester White Box in years: once burned, twice shy.)
 
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I had this problem early on with my 85b - it was gunk behind the extractor. Cleaned it and haven't had a problem since (that was back in 2005). I would give that a try before evening ordering a spring.
 
All, thanks for the prompt recommendations! I will start with the easy ones first.....clean extractor, check/mark
mags, other ammo, etc. I'll change extractor spring as a last resort. It looks like there's roll pin holding it in place.
Does anyone know if it should be pushed out from the top or the bottom of the slide?
 
I push from the bottom of the slide up to the top. It’s actually not a very hard spring to replace, and I think it’s well worth the effort to put in a stronger extractor spring as a general purpose mod.
 
Happened to me a couple times and all it needed was a good cleaning and lube on the rails. Mine do tend to need lube more than the Tupperware ones, maybe because slide rides inside the frame and tight.
 
check the extractor claw, too. They do shear off.

That's the one thing that has broken on both my pre-Bs; and when I looked into it, it was fairly common. No other problem with either gun.

The extractor is about $30, so if you're going to look at changing the spring out, might a good time to just replace the extractor too. Worse case scenario, you have a backup of a known item that fails.
 
Re: removing the pin that holds the extractor in place....

This is a topic you ought to check with CZ-USA or the CZ Forum before you do it. I think that pin is in a tapered hole, and pushing it out the wrong way could be a problem (damaging the pin or the hole. (I thought it was pushed out from the top down -- so that if it started to come out, it would catch on the frame as the gun cycles -- but It's been a long time since I had to change an extractor spring.

I would suggest you check with someone who knows for sure.

The older ones were NOT roll pins -- just flat, solid pins. (A roll pin is a flat piece of spring steel rolled into a pin.)
 
Re: removing the pin that holds the extractor in place....

This is a topic you ought to check with CZ-USA or the CZ Forum before you do it. I think that pin is in a tapered hole, and pushing it out the wrong way could be a problem (damaging the pin or the hole. (I thought it was pushed out from the top down -- so that if it started to come out, it would catch on the frame as the gun cycles -- but It's been a long time since I had to change an extractor spring.

I would suggest you check with someone who knows for sure.

The older ones were NOT roll pins -- just flat, solid pins. (A roll pin is a flat piece of spring steel rolled into a pin.)
Yeah, as I remember it, solid pin, drive out from the top. Put the slide on a couple of pieces of wood, with a gap beneath where the pin is. Tap it downward.
 
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