Extraction & Ejection

I've read as many of the relevant threads that I can find. The rifle is a model 12 with a PTG replacement bolt head, 223. Barrel was installed using this bolt head, go and no go gauges. Chamber is regularly cleaned. Larger detent ball is in place. New extractor (from Savage) is in place. Bolt face area in the area of the detent ball, spring slot, and extractor have been cleaned. About half of the fired cases drop off and are left on the magazine lips. These same cases are briskly extracted and ejected from another Mod 12. It does appear that specific empty cases are not extracted and ejected, while other cases will consistently extract and eject. What am I missing? Any thoughts as to what I should try next?

Get a new extractor.

Size brass to same dimensions.

The extractor may need to go deeper into the brass's extractor groove. About .010" from my measurements. My new 6.5 Axis drops about 1/4 of shells fired using new Hormady factory ammo. Its stops with reload. Why i dont know?

Working the action fast, seems to help. Dont know where to get a longer extractor to hand fit?

When you remove the bolt, and just put a case in the bolt head, is there significant play? This is 223, huh? I use a PTG bolt head for 260Rem. The case head fits the bolt head very snugly. I would look at this carefully. The problem lies in with the bolt head/extractor combination.

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Originally Posted by Dave Hoback

When you remove the bolt, and just put a case in the bolt head, is there significant play? This is 223, huh? I use a PTG bolt head for 260Rem. The case head fits the bolt head very snugly. I would look at this carefully. The problem lies in with the bolt head/extractor combination.

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I was afraid the bolt head might be the issue. Yes, there's more play in the PTG bolt head than in the factory bolt head on my other bolt. Hopefully, I can find an extractor that will fix this issue. Otherwise, I'll have to consider changing the bolt head. Slapping the bolt back will often extract and eject, but I don't want to have to do that. Thanks for the feedback from all.

A new extractor worked. I tried several new extractors that resulted in no change. One was very difficult to install, and looked different. There is a logo on the top surface. All of the test cases extract and eject, no problems. Thanks again.

Glad to hear. Just curious.... where did you get several different extractors from in the course of one day??

I have a small stash that I've purchased from Midway, possibly Brownells, and Savage. I'm no engineer, but under a lighted magnifier, the detent ball surfaces doesn't look identical. I'm assuming different mfgr sources? As I said, the one that works has a logo, and the underside has recessed areas on both sides of the ball cup. The day I started this thread, I had just installed a new one. It wasn't one of the ones with a logo.

In your original post you said the barrel was installed with a no go gauge. Which would be incorrect
Fired cases from a chamber held forward and longer would be longer than normal and would stop prematurely while chambering and therefore the bolt would have a hard time pushing the extractor over the case rim. This would be in the case brass was too long for the chamber and the bolt would close very hard also. As far as the extractor detent goes, i have moved this intent away from the centerline of the case by carefully using a dremmel with a small radiused stone when the detent ball is b
Pushed in it wants to push the extractor farther onto the case rim
A machinist with a ball end mill in a milling machine should be able to achieve the same results.
I measured before and after on one and it was only about .003 or .004 of gain using my dremmel method. Also a stronger ejector spring may also help with your predicament.

I used a go gauge to headspace the barrel, and verified with a no-go gauge. I wondered if a stronger ejector spring might work to hold the case in position long enough to be ejected. I'll look into that more. Machining extractors is out of my league. I'll keep a stash of extractors around and swap them out until I find one that extracts well. I've replaced the detent balls in all of my Savages. I've replace the extractors in 3 of the 5. Thanks for the feedback.

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Originally Posted by MS50

I used a go gauge to headspace the barrel, and verified with a no-go gauge. I wondered if a stronger ejector spring might work to hold the case in position long enough to be ejected. I'll look into that more. Machining extractors is out of my league. I'll keep a stash of extractors around and swap them out until I find one that extracts well. I've replaced the detent balls in all of my Savages. I've replace the extractors in 3 of the 5. Thanks for the feedback.

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My assumption was as poor as my reading. Sorry to tell you you were wrong.
I reread and see you said go & no go. I've also played musical parts to find a working solution.
A few years back concerning the same subject someone mentioned they had better luck with the black cored extractors than the bronze appearing ones. In my midway stash at the time I found both colored versions and found the advice to hold true.
I don't know of the material was different or the mcg process was but when I come across a good working one now it gets saved and cataloged accordingly. Unless it was one of my modified ones.