Model 1873 Springfield trapdoor ejector

[JohnnyB]

hi folks,
I just acquired a very nice Springfield Trapdoor rifle. The gun is in very good shape (except some fool sanded the wood and pretty much removed the cartouches). The rest of the gun is great, bore is shiny with pronounced lands and grooves. My question is: isn't the spent shell supposed to eject completely out of the gun when the trapdoor is opened? Mine only ejects the shell just enough for me to grab it and pull it out of the breech. Maybe full ejection was a later revision. (mine was made in 1874) I could have swore the spent case was supposed to eject completely out of the gun.
Any ideas

 

[DPris]

Again- it is.
And it's generally considered bad form to post the same question in more than one forum section.
Denis

 

[Curator]

Your rifle is either missing the ejector spring and plunger or they are stuck. These parts are under the ejector and cause the ejector/extractor to snap when the breech block is opened past a certain point. Many times they are omitted when someone reassembles the breech block into the receiver because they are a bit difficult to get them in.Some shooters prefer a gentle extracter to a forceful ejector so they don't have to chase their brass.