Extractor Tuning??

[George in NH]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

What is the proper way to tune (bend) the 03 extractor to increase tension?

TIA!
George in NH

[Sunray]

Thanksgiving is in October. snicker.
That an '03 or an '03A3? One doesn't bend an extractor on either of 'em. Even though they're the same part.
There's a free .pdf manual here. Note the need for the provided UN & PW. Under the M's. And 'Ordanance" isn't how the word is spelt.
http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/

[bruce]

What is the proper way to tune (bend) the 03 extractor to increase tension? One can tune the extractor on a 1911 type pistol. The extractor on a 03/03-A3 cannot be bent for tuning. If your current extractor is not reliably removing fired casing from the chamber, buy a new extractor and extractor ring. Install the ring with as little manipulation as possible. Then install the new extractor. This should give you about good results. HTH. Sincerely. bruce.

[George in NH]

Bruce,
I purchased a NOS 03 extractor to replace a 03A3 extractor on my 1.3 million SA 03. Compared side by side there is a noticeable "arc" to take off 03A3 part and the NOS part is rather flat. Taking a different and complete bolt from another rifle and dummy
ammo I function checked the 1.3 and the dummy round was ejected as normal. I do seem to remember an article concerning bending the extractor but cannot remember the source. A Google search showed nothing.
Thank you,
George in NH

[bruce]

Doubtless everything is exactly as you state. I have owned a number of 03 and 03-A3 rifles. Have not noted such differences. Perhaps some of the folks who have been involved in working the rifles at CMP might be able to offer insight. Personally I would prefer a 03 extractor on a HN 03 that did not have a Hatcher hold simply because it would have the vent hole drilled to deal with gas leakage. Sincerely. bruce.

[Merc]

I bought my 1943 Remington 03A3 several years ago. It was covered end to end with dried Cosmoline which suggests it spent the last 70 + years in storage after its post-war rebuild and its previous owner left it in “as is” condition. Its excellent physical and mechanical condition suggests it may have been assigned to light duty somewhere, possibly aboard a ship. The only flaw I could find was an extractor that wouldn’t grasp the fired case properly. So, I bought and installed a new extractor and it worked fine. I discovered later that the replacement extractor was made for a M1903 due to the Hatcher hole drilled in the tip. I compared the extractors side by side and found that the points on the claw of the malfunctioning extractor were worn down too far to grasp the fired case. How a worn extractor wound up on a rebuilt 03A3 is anyone’s guess. Obviously, it was never test fired after the rebuild.

CA9B773A-E3B0-4B85-BCF1-174EF13A3661.jpg

Edit: The new M1903 extractor is on the left and has the Hatcher hole drilled in the tip. The original 03A3 extractor is on the right without the Hatcher hole. The left claw is worn.