a metallurgical question
 

Does anyone have knowledge of what specific carbon steel would be used to make an extractor? How about heat treating same?

I use oil hardening drill rod for just about all small parts. Starting out with a round piece to make something like an extractor may not make sense, but all my round stock is drill rod so it eliminates the guesswork when I'm looking through my metal bins. Not sure how an extractor should be hardened though, I don't have a furnace so I usually just heat with a torch, quench in oil and reheat until I get the temper color I want. You may want to go to straw yellow on an extractor, it needs to have more wear resistance than flexibility.

In other words, my approach is not very scientific. I just fly by the seat of my pants but it has worked well so far. :)

I think this information is in the book" Die Pistolen 08". We are on a family vacation this week and I do not have access to my books, but can check later.
Thanks
Ed

I use 4140, heat to cherry red, quench in oil. :thumbup:

(As always, should you or any of your parts be broken or ruined, I disavow any responsibility for your actions.) :rolleyes:

ithacaartist
I got home this afternoon and took a look at Die Pistole 08 by Joachim GortzPage 125, figure 2.2 Auszieher (extractor) appears to have the info you were askig about. I have attached a scan of that page for info. only.

Danke! ...aber meine Deutsch ist nicht gut genug.

I'm also casting for this info on other forums, and the 4140 has been mentioned there as well.

I must confess that the extractor in question would be a modified version to fit the Erma LGP68 series pistols--modified to stay in place and not be flung into oblivion by the pistol's functioning. I'm thinking of having a bar of the proper profile milled out so that the individual parts can be sliced from this bar. hand fitted, heat treated, and finally blued or strawed. My instinct tells me that the specific data for the Luger would work fine if applied to an Erma extractor.

D.P.

If you wish to eliminate the heat treat, then 8620 steel might be an alternative.

I get a lot of my metals from Online Metals. Good people. :)

Huzzah! We haven't heard form Eugene, the Lugerman lately. Nonetheless, It eventually occurred to me that if anybody was likely to have the specific practical experience with this stuff--making parts--it would be he. While I was at it, I asked how the .45 Lugers were coming along...