S&W 1911 Internal To External Extractor, When?

[sigbear]

Just curious as to when S&W went from the Internal Extractor to the External Extractor?
Is the gun now more reliable as I would expect?

The reason I ask is because the sig P220 that I traded for the new S&W 1911 had the Internal Extractor which I had some minor issues with. Sig has since gone back to the External Extractor because of the many issues people were having with their guns.

So far I have had no malfuntions of any kind with the 1911 after 500 rounds (2 outings) of various mfg. ammo.

I hope this gun continues to fire flawlessly because it is my primary HD gun.

Sigbear

 

[EddieNFL]

S&W is fairly new to the 1911 game. I wasn't aware they had used an internal extractor. I still say the EE is a solution to a non-problem, but, unlike Kimber, they were able to design one that worked.

 

[w_houle]

I wasn't aware they had used an [STRIKE]internal[/STRIKE] external extractor.

 

[mljdeckard]

I seem to recall reading in an article when they were first released, S&W used an external extractor because the company was more experiences in tuning and making extractors that way. I don't ever recall seeing a S&W 1911 with an internal one.

 

[w_houle]

I don't ever recall seeing a S&W 1911 with an internal one.

Besides the one I was drooling over, but never bought: I don't recall ever reading about an external extractor in either my brownells or midwayusa catalog

 

[MAKster]

The S&W 1911s use an external extractor. That's the reason why purists don't like the S&W.

 

[hexidismal]

I'm a little confused by the original question, and it seems to me some responding posters didn't read it carefully.

Sigbear: You said, "because the sig P220 that I traded for the new S&W 1911 had the Internal Extractor which I had some minor issues with. Sig has since gone back to the External Extractor because of the many issues"

So while your original question (the topic) says S&W 1911 Internal To External Extractor, the statement quoted above seems to say you're talking about a design change in the Sig 220 , not the S&W 1911.. right ? I can see how that confused people. As far as I know the S&W 1911 design never switched and has always been an external extractor design in the fairly short time they've been sold.

On a side note, the reason I personally don't like it isn't so much a matter or purism though as it is simple parts availability. The S&W extractor is certainly not so readily available as a standard 1911 internal extractor. Unlike specialty parts, standard parts are easy to find and fit in a pinch. It's a shame too, because otherwise I think they are very well built from the factory.

 

[EddieNFL]

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I've never seen a S&W 1911 without the external extractor. It seems to be based on the one used successfully in their other auto pistols for 50 years. I know of nothing wrong with it, save that it cannot be replaced easily "in the field."

 

[sigbear]

I am new to the 1911 platform and when I bought the S&W 1911, one of the sales guy's in the store mentioned that S&W 1911 earlier models had internal extractors.

I know my Sig P220 had a internal extractor, sig. went back to the external.
Maybe the sales guy or I misunderstood????

Sigbear

 

[JTQ]

Kimber had internal extractors, then external, and now back to internal. I believe S&W always had/has and external extractor.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I am new to the 1911 platform and when I bought the S&W 1911, one of the sales guy's in the store mentioned that S&W 1911 earlier models had internal extractors.

I know my Sig P220 had a internal extractor, sig. went back to the external.
Maybe the sales guy or I misunderstood????

the S&W 1911 has always used an external extractor...it is the same basic design as the extractor that they have always used on their M-39/59 family. their Performance Center 1911s use a different extractor, but it's still external.

the original folded slide Sig 220 had an internal extractor, they kept the internal when they changed to the mill stainless slides and just recently changed over to the external one.

the rest of the Sig P-Classic line went with the external extractor when they changed over to the milled stainless slides. there was no "went back to external", it was a one-way change

 

[REAPER4206969]

The SW1911 has always used an external extractor. Mine is from one of the first runs in 2003.