03a3 extractor

[dryheat]

The extractor and the ring that hold it in place both seem kind of loose. I can easily pluck the extractor off with my fingers. But when everything is assembled does it make any difference? I just bought this rifle and haven't fired it yet.

[p246]

Some 03A3s had loose extractors. I’d shoot it first, if it does not hang up and extracts I would not worry about it. Let us know how she runs.

[dryheat]

Thanks. It might be a while. We have fire restrictions here and I hate going to the real range.

[Merc]

Try extracting a fired case or a dummy round. Take a close look at the claw points with to see if they are worn. The extractor on my Remington 03-A3 had worn claw points and wouldn’t pull out a fired case even though the rifle looks like it went through a post-War refurb. I found a reasonably priced replacement on eBay.

[Merc]

43566

Worn claw points on the left extractor.

[dryheat]

Loads and ejects fluted dummy rds. just fine. I tried Garand expended HXP cases and they won't chamber(they blown out some?). The edge of the exstractor looks OK. Proof will be in firing.

[Dan Shapiro]

Fired cases will be difficult to chamber unless you've taken the time to run them through a re-sizer.

[Merc]

Referring to the above photos, the extractor on the left was originally installed on my 03-A3 and would not properly grab a spent case and would jam the bolt requiring the case to be removed by hand. Notice the flat spot on the right claw on the original extractor. You wonder how a soft brass case can wear away hardened steel. The left claw on the replacement R stamped extractor is slightly more rounded than the left claw on the original extractor. There’s a gas escape hole on the original that’s absent on the replacement. The original extractor was most likely made for the M1903 and, after many years of service, somehow wound up on my lightly fired 03-A3.