What is the difference between ejectors and extractors

Rifle shooters can inspect brass casings to determine how smooth a chamber has been cut in their barrel because marks will be transferred to the brass casings and very visible. Long story short, the expansion of the case in a chamber increases the coefficient of friction between the spent round and the chamber that contains it.

Enter the extractor. Extractors were invented to provide the shooter an easy way to remove spent casings from the chamber of a gun. This problem did not exist for the earliest shooters, those before the development of the self-contained casing. Initially of course we simply put powder, shot and wad down a barrel, no case needed.

With the development of the casing, came the requirement of removing the casing from the chamber and so began the development of the extractor alongside of the metallic cartridge. Most common firearm rounds, shotgun or rifle, are either rimmed or rimless. Other varieties include semi-rimmed, rebated rim or belted magnum though all variants of the cartridge rim serve as a surface upon which the extractor acts and sometimes for headspacing a firearm.

In the case of the modern shotgun extractor, the interaction happens between the rimmed brass or steel base of the cartridge and the extraction device on the gun. Pump shotguns and autoloaders typically have an extractor claw that is an integral part of the shotgun bolt.

The bolt is the piece of metal that moves forward and blocks the rear of the barrel, locking in place to form the ignition chamber. Once the gun is fired, the bolt moves back via pressure from the charge autoloaders or by actuation of the pump pump shotguns. The extractor claw hooks over the edge of the shell and begins to physically pull the shell out of the action. Typically there is a kicker that is also actuated by motion of the bolt that strikes the brass of the shell in some way to eject it from the chamber of these inline firearms before the next round is fed into the action from the magazine.

For double guns, the actuation is a bit different. There is no bolt that moves in these guns and the breech face is the piece of metal that caps off the rear of the barrels. This face is carefully fitted such that when the gun rotates on the hinge pin, the breech face locks against the barrels. The lockup is provided by hooks on the barrels and catch devices in the action of the gun that are typically actuated by a top lever side lever, under lever, or another device.

Barrels with Ejectors Barrels with Extractors. Ejectors - Fittings inset into the breech end of a pair of barrels of a break-open gun, operated by a spring mechanism, that kick out fired shells, while only raising unfired shells enough to be removed by hand. Recognizable at a glance on the breech end of a double gun because the fitting is split in twoone ejector for each barrel.

Extractors - A fitting inset into the breech end of a pair of barrels of a break-open gun. When the gun is opened the extractor lifts the cartridges whether fired or not so they may be removed by hand.

Ejectors or Extractors? Ejectors But for a guy who hasn't formulated an opinion yet, it's helpful to know what others think and the reasoning. So, what's your preference and why? Post by pear » Tue Apr 18, am Ejectors will allow you the ability to clear the correct chamber if only one shot is fired. By either allowing the ejector to automatically clear the spent round or by allowing you to shield the round to prevent it being thrown from the chamber but being the one protruding the most when action is broken open.

Extractors will back both cartridges out an equal distance. Hope that is an understandable explanation. I have both and like both but definitely prefer ejectors. Post by Wagonmaster » Tue Apr 18, am me too.

Post by portsider44 » Tue Apr 18, am Wagonmaster wrote: extractor guns do not pull them out very far, and there you are trying to find the ends of the shells with your fingernails when you want to speed reload. I prefer them that way. Would hate to try getting them out in the cold weather we have up here with just extractors. Post by ezzy » Tue Apr 18, pm I think I would like the ejectors better but have never had a problem getting the shells out of a gun because it is cold. I do like to pick up my used shells and not leave them to litter the field so in some ways the extractors work just fine.

Post by Ayres » Tue Apr 18, pm ezzy wrote: I do like to pick up my used shells and not leave them to litter the field so in some ways the extractors work just fine. Post by Wagonmaster » Wed Apr 19, am i have put a few hundred thousand rounds through ejector-style target guns.

Post by Chukarman » Sun Jun 11, pm Wagonmaster wrote: if you have all the time in the world to reload, it does not make much difference. I hunt chukars, Huns, quail a lot, and late risers or staggered flushes are common.

No fumbling time is available. It is also possible to walk in on the point with two extra cartridges held cigar-style between the fingers of your forward hand.

Fire two, open with one hand and pop the shells in with the other hand, close and fire again.