Extractor?
 

Are there any gotchas or other caveats involved with and R & R of a Luger (Mauser) extractor?

Make sure to clean up the little area under the extractor. Gunk (powder residue / oil / grease) tends to accumulate in that area.

There is also a small spring in there, so be careful not to lose it.

I tend to use a big plastic bag around everything when I am disassembling things that might spring out.

Re-installation may feel a bit odd. Just take your time, and observe how things came out during disassembly. Use a punch pin that is slightly smaller than the retention pin during removal. Let the punch retain the assembly while you set aside the retention pin, then slowly remove the punch while you observe things. It should not take alot of force to remove the retention pin or re-install it if everything is lined up.

Inspect the face and back of the extractor while you have it out of the breech block.

If you are replacing the extractor with a new one, you might end up having to fit it.

Marc

Thank you mrerick - the extractor has now been extracted, cleaned, relubed, and reinstalled without incident. There was a fair amount of black crud in the channel, proving Goddess only knows when/if the last time it was cleaned. But after removing and cleaning the extractor/channel on my Nambu proved to be the cure of its fairly extreme stovepiping - I figured it would be best to PM the extractor on the Luger *before* it caused problems.

Now a quick question. The extractor is, of course, a blued part. The side where the "Geladen" text appears is in the white - like it was given a quick sanding/filing/buffing/whatever on that one side only to provide contrast for the text which remains blued.

Normal/usual? Or is it an artifact of fitment? Or both? It *is* the original extractor numbered to the gun.

The sides of the extractor are supposed to be in the white, so that "Geladen" can be read. I suspect the part is first blued then the sides buffed out to white., usually leaving the word darker than the surface.

Zorba, good job. Over time, the dirt can cause a number of issues. You don't have to clean things there often, but it should be done occasionally.

Sounds as though you were successful on your extractor R&R. That extractor spring is a strong little fella if correct. It should take quite a bit of pressure to elevate the extractor tip when in the breachblock. When the spring becomes "tired", and they do, you will begin to have extraction problems......leaving the spent brass in the chamber.

Yea, after my experience with the Nambu, I figured it was probably a good idea. I figured it was better to ask stupid questions and find out its "no big deal" to disassemble, rather than ASS-U-ME and have it explode with springs and little parts flying every which way!

I never heard this. I always thought the sides were white from wear. Do you have evidence that they were originally put together that way? (not disagreeing with you, just curious)

- Geo

It isn't from wear. If you look at hundreds of Lugers you will see that the sides of the extractors are in the white...far too many to be a result of wear.