Sticking Extractor
 

ANY IDEAS WHY MY EXTRACTOR DOES NOT MOVE FREELY IN THE EXTRACTOR CUT? IF YOU PULL IT UP, IT STAYS IN THE UP POSITION. THE EXTRACTOR SPRING APPEARS TO BE PRETTY STIFF.

Probably the result of years of building up crud, old grease, etc..
Try removing the extractor, a good cleaning of the extractor cut-out in the front toggle link, some minor lubrication and a refit.

Are you talking about when the bolt is closed? or when the bolt is not closed. If it stays up when the bolt is closed, that is not uncommon, and has no effect on good extraction usually... the tolerances are so close that sometimes the tip of the extractor touches the receiver.

However, if the extractor stays up when the bolt is NOT closed, that is a problem... it means, as Gerben has suggested above, that the interior of the extractor cut in the breech is very dirty or has burrs.

Like Gerben, I recommend that you disassemble the bolt from the extractor and give it a good cleaning with solvent and a brush... polish any visible burrs and since this is a shooter? you can polish the sides of the extractor by using 600 grit crocus cloth and WD-40... that should make it clean and free moving...

Let us know what you find and how it works for you.

I field stripped the bolt & toggle assembly from the gun and pulled the front of the extractor up but it doesn't go back down by itself. You have to push it down. The gun is a Mitchell luger made in 1991 with very little if any use. I bought a repro extractor from Numrich gun parts but it does the same thing as the stock extractor. The extractor cut is clean as a whistle. I had to dremel the front of the repro extractor similar to the stock extractor so the bolt would close completely. Do you think I could polish the sides of the extractor with my dremel tool?

yes, carefully...

but if you have a set of calipers, first measure the slot and then the thickness of the extractor... it may take more than polishing... you may have remove metal if the fit is that tight.

The gun is a Mitchell luger made in 1991 ...This is likely not the only part you will have trouble with.
It is my thinking that these pistols are not always interchangeable with original Luger parts.
I suspect the spring. It is, after all, what holds the extractor in the down position.
The extractor should move freely in the extractor slot in the bolt.

Do you think I could polish the sides of the extractor with my dremel tool?
No, the extractor has flat sides and a wheel could cause a wavy side. I would take John's suggestion a little further and polish the sides on a flat surface with very fine black sandpaper untill it moves freely.

Then with bolt in hand see if the spring is forceful enough to move it into the proper position. If not..gently stretch it out a bit.

Jerry Burney