Winchester 94 AE extraction problem

[Omnivore]

I've done some looking around already. My late production (1990s) Win 94 AE just developed an intermittent failure to extract. I want to remove the extractor and clean under it, but so far all the videos and such either don't address bolt disassembly or they're wrong for my particular Winchester.

My bolt, unlike what everyone seems to be saying, does not let the firing pin out. It's captured. Other than the one roll pin holding in the ejector, there are none. There are two tiny screws on the bottom of the bolt, and those presumably hold the extractor in, which, I assume, also somehow captures the firing pin in the bolt. The two tiny screws look as though they make be staked ("ring crimped" if you will) in place, like a military primer. Are they?

Who has direct experience with this exact bolt?

The extractor *looks* perfectly fine, it's worked flawlessly since I bought the gun new, but now it needs something, I know not what.

(also, as there seems to be regular confusion on this matter, even among experienced shooters; I am talking about the EXTRACTOR [hooky thingy what pulls case from chamber] and NOT the ejector [plunger dealy-o what throws case clear of gun])

[rondog]

I believe that's spelled "dealio", not "dealy-o". :grin:

Seriously, I'm watching this - I need to learn this for my 1994 94AE Trapper. Works fine, but a little knowledge doesn't hurt.....

[waksupi]

I think I would give it a good spray with carburetor cleaner and see if that helps. Protect the wood, it may take off the finish.

[Omnivore]

I think I would give it a good spray with carburetor cleaner and see if that helps. Protect the wood, it may take off the finish.

Waksupi; I can try that I suppose, but I think the extractor really needs to be removed for a proper cleaning underneath. I've seen this in ARs, a 30 Carbine and maybe an AK or two; extraction starts to fail, and all it needs is to have the extractor removed and the gunk underneath cleaned out. I'll probably take it apart, but I was hoping someone who's done it before would tell me what's what before it tear into it.

[Omnivore]

The screws were not staked. All I had to do was fit a good screwdriver to the slots. They're very small screws with no head. Removed the two screws, extractor came right out, cleaned a little bit of gunk out of there including some granules of ball powder I spilled in the action a few years ago. I reassembled everything and she runs nice now.

The firing pin never did come out. It turns out that due to some peening of the back end of the bolt over the years, the firing pin is now captured, or "staked" in place. It works freely in there, so there was no need to get it out. At some point it would take either a pin punch or some very judicious grinding at the back of the bolt to get it out. That bugs me though - the the locking plate is pristine, but the back of the bolt is soft enough that it's been peening outward, and inward into the back of the firing pin channel. It's nothing but loads for this one until I learn more about what's happening with that bolt and why.. The gun is practically new as far as I'm concerned, having been made in the 1990s. I've probably not fired more than a couple thousand rounds in it.

Extraction seems as good as new though. So yeah, if your shooter isn't extracting, most likely all it needs is to have the extractor removed and a good cleaning of everything inside the channel and the back of the extractor. It's a common enough problem. It doesn't take much crud to start causing problems.