How Long
Howdy Delmar.
Nominal length from the rear face of the hook to the front edge of the firing pin stop slot is 2.262 inches, but there will always be some tolerance on this...usually +/- .003 inch. It also depends on how much curvature or
lack thereof in the extractor stem. The simplest way to measure it is to
use the caliper jaws to measure between the hook and the REAR face of
the stop slot, and subtract the width of the slot.
I don't rely too heavily on nominal lengths, and just check to see that there is enough clearance between the front of the hook and the extractor groove as installed...The front of the hook and the barrel...and that there's
enough space between the rear of the hook and the breechface to let the
rim get under it without getting in a bind as it comes in at the feeding
angle. Beyond that, the blueprint length is mainly a quick reference to
eliminate an extractor that is badly out of spec and to determine whether
the breechblock itself is in-spec. An extractor that is slightly long...say
.015 inch, mated to a breechblock that is also slightly long...say .012 or so, may be just what the doctor ordered in certain cases. It's rare for a slide to
be that far out, but it has been known to happen.
Luck to ya!
Tuner
