Destroyer 9mm Largo

[bob208]

they are stamped .38 super over the chamber.

[Battis]

There's a two digit number on the bolt handle that doesn't match any numbers in the serial number. Mismatched bolt or do those numbers mean something else?

[blackbahart]

.My first one I bought out of Texas and imported it into Canada as I couldn't find one up here and it was just over 800 with the par dollar about 8 or so years ago and still have it .
Later found 2 more and bought them for 450 for the pair but the extractors were both missing .As stated by others the extractors are unicorn poop to find .Made extractors out of drill rod for them .The extractors are not really interchangeable ,seems the extractors were fitted to each bolt.I later sold these and kept the one I had imported as it shot the best
Dug it out tonite and looked at the bolt and its #41 and it doesn't match any #s in the ser
here is a pic and of the rear sight

[Battis]

Thanks for that info and the pic of the rear sight. On the rifle I'm still looking at, it looks like someone completely ground the rear sight and its base down and then smoothed and blended it into the roundness of the barrel. Strange. Then they added a Williams peep sight. It all works but even the salesman said that it definitely detracts from the value of the rifle.
The extractor is still there and in good shape. I read a post on another forum where the poster said that he had 8 rifles all without extractors. I also read that you should work the bolt slowly. What makes them so fragile?

[Jeff Michel]

Most of the Destroyers are mis-matched serial numbered. Arsenal rebuild perhaps? My extractor will "pop" off if I'm moving my bolt aggressively. It's not that they are fragile so much as a poorly designed way of holding them on the bolt, which is spring tension from the bolt band.

[Battis]

Is it more of an issue that they get lost rather than broken?

[blackbahart]

no the ones I bought ,Should have clarified they're broken just in front of the ring that holds them to the bolt .They are not hard to make if you have one to work from .Took about 3 0r 4 hours to make 3 and fit 2 .There is only so much the milling machine will do and the rest is needle file work for the locker hole/for the price you mentioned I would not be to hesitant to get it as they are neat lil rifles

[tunnug]

It for sure will destroy collector value if you fit a GM 45 Auto barrel blank, open up bolt face a little, massage the extractor, cut the stock at front band, match contour radius of front and rear bridge, drill for Weaver steel mounts, weld new bolt handle, make spacer for mag well and modify 1911 mags. Guess I should finish it since I destroyed it!

I had one at one time that had been converted to .45 ACP, they did a great job, called it my bloop gun, that was the sound it made when you shot it (I know the grenade launcher was one), I ended up selling it back to the original owner and now his son has it.

[blackbahart]

put a SIA type kit on a lee enfield for my 45ACP /fake can by the way and 14 inch barrel

[Multigunner]

Years ago I looked around for a small bolt action to convert to 7.62X25. Didn't find one locally and lost interest in the idea after running into a great deal on an excellent condition Savage 23B.

It would be nice if one of the companies that specialize in repro rifles, such as the Henry and Winchester lever action and single shot repros were to make a run of Destroyer carbines with the option of barreling these for any of a number of suitable pistol rounds or similar sized cartridges like the 25-20 ,.32-20 or the many small cased .22 center fire cartridges.

The option would be necessary if marketing these in a number of European countries that ban the use of rifles or pistols chambered for any military cartridge.

[Battis]

I went back to the store for a millionth look. I removed the bolt and really checked the bore - it looks great. The bolt has a matching serial number that I never noticed before. The extractor looks good (no cracks that I could see) but I can see why it's a weak point in the rifle. The Williams peep sight is growing on me. I put it on 60 day hold - 20% down holds it. I have never hemmed and hawed over a gun like this before, but I'm glad I'm buying it.
Are there any other rifle's extractors that can be modified or altered to fit?

[blackbahart]

not that I am aware of ,they are not hard to make if you have one in hand to compare to ,.interesting to remove the bolt the first time .

[Battis]

I found this info online about the bolt collar, for what it's worth: "The bolt collar is easy, the CZ light carbine in 7.62x 39 has one that fits near perfect." That would be the CZ 527. Nothing about using an extractor from another gun. Oh well, just hope it doesn't break.

[Drm50]

A Destroyer will function and fire with 38acp or 38Super. So will Star & Astra pistols chambered for
9mm Largo. I wonder if the ones stamped 38Super are modified in any way? The only reason I didn't
use 38super brass without thinning the Rim was I thought it would be hard on extractors. I saw a very nice Destroyer that had full length stock and rebarreled to 7.63 Mauser and converted to single
shot. Maybe 7.63 Mauser is to long for magazine? The guy who had it knew nothing about it except he wanted $600 for it.

[bouncer50]

A Destroyer will function and fire with 38acp or 38Super. So will Star & Astra pistols chambered for
9mm Largo. I wonder if the ones stamped 38Super are modified in any way? The only reason I didn't
use 38super brass without thinning the Rim was I thought it would be hard on extractors. I saw a very nice Destroyer that had full length stock and rebarreled to 7.63 Mauser and converted to single
shot. Maybe 7.63 Mauser is to long for magazine? The guy who had it knew nothing about it except he wanted $600 for it.

Yes the 7.63 round is too long to fit in the mag.

[blackbahart]

I think the extractors get broken from disassembly as the 2 rifles I purchased were broken in roughly the same place and just guessing the previous owners may have tried to remove the extractor ?I am guessing that who ever tried to remove the extractors on these did not know what they were doing and over lifted them and being thin in that area they snapped ?
Lots of firearms get damaged with the best intentions of cleaning by people who do not know what they are doing but do mean well ,even seen damage done on more modern firearms by people who were just cleaning their firearm
I really do not think the extractors are a real problem ,just not available to purchase .

[Battis]

The rifle is in great shape. The butt plate is loose, the bore is shiny and clear. Someone took care of this rifle - even the Williams peep sight was done well (the installer cut into the stock on the right side but it was a decent job). I studied the extractor and wondered why the heck they designed it that way, but it does look good, with no cracks. The store warranties the used guns for 30 days. I'm looking forward to shooting that big little carbine.

[Multigunner]

I think the extractors get broken from disassembly as the 2 rifles I purchased were broken in roughly the same place and just guessing the previous owners may have tried to remove the extractor ?I am guessing that who ever tried to remove the extractors on these did not know what they were doing and over lifted them and being thin in that area they snapped ?
Lots of firearms get damaged with the best intentions of cleaning by people who do not know what they are doing but do mean well ,even seen damage done on more modern firearms by people who were just cleaning their firearm
I really do not think the extractors are a real problem ,just not available to purchase .

Old model P-35 pistol extractors may be damaged by single loading and letting the extractor snap over the rim. Could this have been the case with the Destroyer?

[blackbahart]

Never thought of that ,looked at it again and I think you have something there as it doesn't want to go over the case too readily .I didn't force it and I think the single load will stress it especially if you give it a good slam to jump into the extractor grove .

[Battis]

I think I know what you're talking about but I'm not sure. Any chance of a walk-through?