First project ever (semi completed)
 

Well, first thing I would like to thank everybody on this forum that has answered my many questions and shown patience with a boatload of questions. I took it out last night and shot it for the first time. It went bang!!! Then did not extract the empty and the extractor was still sticking up. (I've been reading on what I need to look for on that and will keep you posted.) I did take some pictures of it and wanted to get everybody's thoughts. I hope to post better pictures this weekend with natural sunlight and in focus. Be brutally honest. This is my first attempt of refinishing a gun. I need new grips. Thanks again for all the help!!

The pistol itself looks pretty nice. Looking forward to seeing closer, more detailed pictures.

Hard to say why it didn't extract the case.

hugh, if the reason that the extractor was up, might be that the spent shell casing was still attached to the front of the breech block. If so, you probably have an EJECTOR problem. TH

Well, the spent casing was still in the chamber. Pulled out about an eighth of an inch or so and I had no problem pulling it out. I only shot it about 9 times and it did it each time except for maybe twice. I am thinking the extractor has a week spring but that would not hold it up, "jam it" would it?

If the fired case didn't leave the chamber but the toggle train functioned normally, you'd have a cartridge jammed against the fired case.

Have you examined the fired cases to see if they indicate a rough chamber? That could cause the case to grip the chamber walls so tightly that it wouldn't release to work the action. Also, the extractor can't pull it out. By the time you remove it by hand, the case walls will have relaxed enough to free it. That would also explain why the action didn't function normally.

If the chamber is only slightly rough, I'd chuck a cleaning rod wrapped with a tight wad of fine steel wool in a drill motor and after oiling the steel wool, I'd clean the chamber with it.

When you shoot it..do you notice the toggle raising? If the toggle raises up the extractor is holding onto the spent shell, not allowing a fresh cartridge to be stripped off and into the chamber, instead going back into battery carrying the spent shell back with it into the chamber. Like Lugerdoc says..likely the ejector is not kicking the spent shell casing out.

Look inside and see if the ejector flange is not broken off. That determination will tell you something.

You are on the way with your rust blue.
A few more applications and you will get a darker, fuller deep blue.
I believe you polished the surfaces a little too much, but the "shine" may be from the light.

Well done for your "first"! :)

Thank you all for the advice and things to try. I will keep you informed. I will be picking up some Winchester white box ammo to try out. Last night was reloads.

So..how is new ammunition going to determine if your ejector is broken?

Your ejector blade/tip should look like this.

https://i.imgur.com/TGFts4C.jpg

It won't help determine anything other than hopefully eliminating any problem that could come from bad or weak ammo. I will look at the ejector tomorrow. Could the clip be allowing the next round to come up too far? This could potentially stop the spent casing and force the extractor up into a wedged position? Would it be worth trying a different clip as a first step?

" Could the clip be allowing the next round to come up too far?
This could potentially stop the spent casing and force the extractor up into a wedged position? Probably not, if it did the toggle would not close.

Would it be worth trying a different clip as a first step?" for sure, try a different mag.

But do clean the chamber well.

The toggle did not close after the shot. It would be about half way open.

I'll clean the chamber too.

Here are a few new pictures and I have more to come. The ejector blade/tip looks fine. I will put up that photo also.

You've done a great job and your newest pictures are much better than the first ones you posted. The lime green background really pops the finish. Nice.

I hope you're able to solve your ejection problem. Have you checked the chamber for roughness?

That looks really nice. You did one heck of a good job on your first try. Wow.
Ron

t went bang!!! Then did not extract the empty and the extractor was still sticking up.



Would the pistol again fire? (click) on the empty cartridge that's back in the

chamber?


What you need to determine is how far back the toggle is going. Two things could happen, the toggle is not going back far enough to engage the ejector (you say is intact) to kick out the cartridge case or it's not going back at all but staying in battery upon firing. Weak ammo or a mainspring problem, kinked?



Not going back at all but staying in battery upon firing. If the toggle were deploying at all it would likely interact with a rising fresh cartridge and cause a jam, not end up with the spent shell back in the chamber.



Can you get someone to observe the toggle upon firing?

Thanks for the comments. I cleaned and polished the chamber last night and went for another test firing. With only one cartridge in the clip which fed fine into the chamber and the extractor is raised indicating it is loaded. I fired the gun and the toggle locked back as it should. The empty casing was left in the chamber. If I unload a live round it is ejected fine. I have photos of the gun after shooting it the other day. Hopefully get them posted later today.

The empty casing was left in the chamber. What ammo were you using? Was the case stuck or easy to get out? Might be a weak extractor spring. Pushing up on the extractor with your thumb at the breech face should be fairly stiff...May be strong enough to extract an unfired cartridge but once a cartridge is fired it's swelled in the chamber..might not be strong enough for that.

I think that the extractor spring may well be at fault, or the extractor, especially if it is an aftermarket item, was not fitted correctly to the breechblock and it is binding. The extractor must move freely in it's path to function correctly.

The extractor is not numbers matching to the breach block. I will load more photos tomorrow. The ammo was a reload. I will take the extractor out and see if it is worn.

Do yourself a favor, don't do anything till you try it with good factory ammo.
Like Winchester white box, or S&B, or Blazer brass; but Not Remington brand.

I'd bet a $ to a donut it is the reloads. JMHO.

Okay, I'll get those this week and keep you updated.

If it was your reload, would you mind sharing the details; bullet weight and design, powder type and charge weight, overall length?

Personally I like Berry's plated bullets and the 115 grain flat nose bullet has proven to work great in all of my Lugers that I've shot them in.

Will do.

I tried Winchester white box tonight. It worked much better. Now I noticed the locking bolt would rotate down after the gun fires. It is not an original locking bolt. How high does the locking bolt spring extend? I will try to get a picture of it tonight. The extractor does not stick up with the Winchester ammo. One problem solved and another jumps out.

Although I can't quantify precisely how much the spring sticks up, it should protrude far enough up to interact with the slots cut for it in the locking bolt. Take out the locking bolt and check to see if the spring is broken or weak/bent. If the spring is deficient, removing the locking bolt should be really easy, which would be your first clue it is not up to spec.

The extractor situation sounds weird. Perhaps removing the upper and chambering a round by hand, without the spring pressure will yield a clue. Remove the firing pin first! Or, with the toggle train removed, tuck a round into place on the breech block and see whether or not the extractor rises that way. If the claw is completely broken from the extractor it would also behave that way.

I'm sorry, I should have been more descriptive on the extractor "not sticking up". It was staying up after shooting before as if it was jammed in the "loaded" position but higher than usual. That problem stopped with the Winchester ammo. It goes back down now. I'll compare lug removal to another luger this evening.

Have you had the exractor out and cleaned it and its recess well?Perhaps a new spring is in order or the old one is incorrect or not positioned correctly.

Changing ammo should not affect the action of the extractor, there is another issue with the extractor. It is not "fixed".

I had it out when I refinished it and have had it out multiple times trying to find out the issue. I cleaned it each time but did not take the spring out each time. Maybe something fell into place when I put it back together the last time. I'll keep an eye on it.