2nd Extractor Trashed Since April on 5906

[Sargeyork]

Any ideas on this? In April the entire "hook" part was sheared off clean. I had a new extractor installed by a Gunsmith who said he only had seen a few Smith automatics break this part on the 3rd gens and later guns. The new one is chipped like a tooth on the lower part of the extractor edge of the Hook that would be grabbing the case rim so instead of a flat out total failure to extract I get random failures to extract then full mags fired without a problem I guess because most of the extractor is still there. I can't continue to shoot matches with a gun with continual problems, just a waste of ammo, time and effort.

 

[Texas Roots]

I don't know if telling you about my somewhat similar problem with my 4506 will help or not, but here goes.
I bought my 4506 new in 1990. A couple of years ago, it began failure to extract one or two rounds every magazine full. This was with reloads or factory loads. I polished the chamber myself with 1500 grit paper (by hand; not with the use of a Dremel) and the problem got a lot better but did not go away fully. (The extractor was not damaged, by the way.) It would shoot and extract factory loads with no problems, but would still fail to extract my reloads from time to time.

I finally sent it back to S&W earlier this year. When I got it back in just a few days, the work order stated that they had made a "barrel modification."

So, I took the barrel out of the gun; the only thing I could tell for sure is that the chamber was really polished like a mirror. I took it out and shot it and had no more FTE's with factory loads or my reloads. I was later told by another forum member here who used to be a S&W armorer that some of the early barrels had "high spots" in the chambers causing brass to get "stuck" when fired which would cause failure to extract problems.

Stands to reason this same thing might be causing some of your problems too.

 

[Fastbolt]

Sargeyork, sent you a PM.

 

[Sargeyork]

My Gunsmith

I took the gun to the Gunsmith who replaced the extractor and he is going to do a thorough going through on the gun this time he is putting on a new extractor and polishing the chamber at a minimum. He just replaced it(the extractor) last time and didn't go through the whole gun thoroughly because he believed that the extractor that sheared off had seen alot of rounds over alot of years and some abuse because I told him I had just bought it a month before used. Now that the new extractor is chipped up after only 300 rounds or so he is convinced to go in depth looking for why this is happening. He now seems like a man on a mission and said he is going to get to the bottom of this and use all the resources and knowledge to do a good job for me and at this point I have total confidence in him until he proves otherwise. He is very personable and friendly to explain things to me and it is a big plus.

Sargeyork

 

[Fastbolt]

Well, there you go ...

 

[Crazy K38]

I think fastbolt may be on to something, if the rounds are getting stuck in the chamber, then it would put massive strain on the extractor causing it to break.....

 

[pharmer]

Shoot a lot of steel cased ammo? Joe

 

[Sargeyork]

No

I have not fired any steel cased ammo since I have owned this pistol, I of course cannot speak for the previous owner. My purpose for buying this gun is to help me in 3 gun matches. Last year I used my 908 and had to carry 8 or 9 mags to get through some stages which got to be ridiculous. So I wanted a high cap all metal 9mm and liked the looks of the 5906 too and the ergonomics work for me even with my relatively short fingers. I shoot either winchester white box, remington UMC, or Blazer Brass all 115 FMJ in matches because those seem to be the ammo I can find at decent prices that I have confidence will be consistent and safe to use.