three 1911 extractor tuning tips to eliminate FTE
Usually what breaks the extractor hook is when a "ride over" occurs while chambering a round, ride over is when the round is chambered in front of the extractor hook and the slide slams the extractor unto the rim of the round, some times it will slam so hard that the extractor is flexed back enough to ride over the case rim, usually it is forced over by changing the recoil spring to a heavier recoil spring, which actually damages the hook in a shorter time.
Three things that cause ride over are 1- to much extractor tension 2- the hook profile is not shaped correctly 3- the extractor is clocking.
1 -To much tension is checked by removing your slide and slipping a life round behind the extractor hook and shaking your slide, if the round stays fixed in place you either have to much tension on your extractor, or you have accumulated gun powder soot behind the extractor, to adjust remove the FPS and pull out the extractor and clean the extractor channel reinstall it and try the test again if the round still holds tight your extractor needs to be bent back to reduce the tension remove your FPS and pull your extractor 2/3 of the way out and bend it slightly to the right, reinstall it and try slipping a life round behind the hook and shake, the round should fall out, but if you slip an empty case and shake the slide it should stay fast, it's a happy medium not to much and not to little, you might have to adjust it a couple times to get it just right if you bend the extractor to the left it will increase the tension and if you bend it right it will decrease it, do not be afraid to apply force to bend the extractor cause it is made from spring steel and it tacks some persuasion.
2 - the profile of the hook is not shaped correctly, it is important to open the bottom of the extractor by beveling the bottom of the hook toward the front and polishing it as smooth as possible to create a funnel shape so that when the breach face pushes the round forward the case rim is scooped smoothly behind the upper portion of the hook with out causing any hook impact, which is what causes the hook to snap off.
3 - if your FPS is lose your extractor will clock which means that it will twist clock wise and the funnel shape bottom will be ineffective and the hook will start to ride over again, to check if your extractor is clocking remove your slide and grab the tip of your extractor with a needle nose plier, try to twist it to the right if it moves at all, your extractor is clocking. The fix is to replace your firing pin stop with an oversize FPS, Evolution Gun Works (EGW) sells them for about $15.00 or Wilson Combat also sells them.
Some thing also to consider if you change your recoil spring from the stock 16lb to an 18lb you should should change out your magazine springs with wolf 11lb spring, to keep the timing in sink you need to specify to Wolf that the change of spring is for the tapered magazine spring which is the same design as the act magazine or wolf magazines, FYI this spring has a smaller top section to compress into the larger bottom and retains their flex longer.
I can testify to the longevity of a correct tuned extractor as I have over 14,000 rounds through my PT 1911 with out any extractor brakes, hope this information will help some one, good luck.
Cuba
Usually what breaks the extractor hook is when a "ride over" occurs while chambering a round, ride over is when the round is chambered in front of the extractor hook and the slide slams the extractor unto the rim of the round, some times it will slam so hard that the extractor is flexed back enough to ride over the case rim, usually it is forced over by changing the recoil spring to a heavier recoil spring, which actually damages the hook in a shorter time.
Three things that cause ride over are 1- to much extractor tension 2- the hook profile is not shaped correctly 3- the extractor is clocking.
1 -To much tension is checked by removing your slide and slipping a life round behind the extractor hook and shaking your slide, if the round stays fixed in place you either have to much tension on your extractor, or you have accumulated gun powder soot behind the extractor, to adjust remove the FPS and pull out the extractor and clean the extractor channel reinstall it and try the test again if the round still holds tight your extractor needs to be bent back to reduce the tension remove your FPS and pull your extractor 2/3 of the way out and bend it slightly to the right, reinstall it and try slipping a life round behind the hook and shake, the round should fall out, but if you slip an empty case and shake the slide it should stay fast, it's a happy medium not to much and not to little, you might have to adjust it a couple times to get it just right if you bend the extractor to the left it will increase the tension and if you bend it right it will decrease it, do not be afraid to apply force to bend the extractor cause it is made from spring steel and it tacks some persuasion.
2 - the profile of the hook is not shaped correctly, it is important to open the bottom of the extractor by beveling the bottom of the hook toward the front and polishing it as smooth as possible to create a funnel shape so that when the breach face pushes the round forward the case rim is scooped smoothly behind the upper portion of the hook with out causing any hook impact, which is what causes the hook to snap off.
3 - if your FPS is lose your extractor will clock which means that it will twist clock wise and the funnel shape bottom will be ineffective and the hook will start to ride over again, to check if your extractor is clocking remove your slide and grab the tip of your extractor with a needle nose plier, try to twist it to the right if it moves at all, your extractor is clocking. The fix is to replace your firing pin stop with an oversize FPS, Evolution Gun Works (EGW) sells them for about $15.00 or Wilson Combat also sells them.
Some thing also to consider if you change your recoil spring from the stock 16lb to an 18lb you should should change out your magazine springs with wolf 11lb spring, to keep the timing in sink you need to specify to Wolf that the change of spring is for the tapered magazine spring which is the same design as the act magazine or wolf magazines, FYI this spring has a smaller top section to compress into the larger bottom and retains their flex longer.
I can testify to the longevity of a correct tuned extractor as I have over 14,000 rounds through my PT 1911 with out any extractor brakes, hope this information will help some one, good luck.
Cuba
