Extractor problems in an 1874

[Dragoon 45]

I helped a good friend of mine today sight in his newly purchased 1874 Cimmarron Sharps. He shot both Buffalo Arms 405grn BP .45-70 ammo and some of my 535 grn Postell BP loads, while I spotted for him. We got the rifle to shooting just a tad over 1 1/4" groups at 100 yards which indicate the rifle has some serious promise. Due to time constraints, we were unable to shoot at any longer distances.

One small problem we had, was occasionally the rim of the cartridge would slip past the extractor and then the block would not close. Easy remedy was to push the round back out with a cleaning rod. I have never encountered that problem before in any make of Sharps 1874 so was wondering what might be the cause. There did not appear to be any parts breakage or undue wear on the extractor. Other than that small problem the rifle shot extremely well and had no other problems.

Anyone encountered this problem before?

Thank you.

[Tom-ADC]

What brand brass? there is a tread going on undersized heads in Winchester brass is another forum.

[NickSS]

Check the extractor for fit it could fit loose and then not fit properly. I had this problem on a remington rolling block I had and it was a pain until I identified that the extractor was at fault. Once I replaced the extractor with a new one everything was fine. It could also be that the extractor is bent a bit and not grabbing the rim completely when in the open position.

[Dragoon 45]

What brand brass? there is a tread going on undersized heads in Winchester brass is another forum.

None of the brass was Winchester. The Buffalo Arms ammo used Starline cases and my donated loads used R-P brass.

[Dragoon 45]

Check the extractor for fit it could fit loose and then not fit properly. I had this problem on a remington rolling block I had and it was a pain until I identified that the extractor was at fault. Once I replaced the extractor with a new one everything was fine. It could also be that the extractor is bent a bit and not grabbing the rim completely when in the open position.

Thank you, I will have him check it out. He is new to single shots, having only fired one once, before purchasing this rifle. He shot my .40-65 Highwall a few months back and had a blast. He then decided that he wanted to try BPCRS and SASS Long Range. I am trying to give him as much help as I can to get started.

[Lead pot]

He probably has a .50 cal. extractor instead of a .45 cal.

[montana_charlie]

With the breechblock open and the muzzle up, does the extractor fall backward of it's own weight?
Does it fall into place in the extractor cut...by itself...when the muzzle is lowered?

If it doesn't move freely, field strip the rifle and clean the breech block, extractor, and associated parts.

If that is not the problem, try to determine if the firing pin strikes low on the primer.
That could be caused by a short 'link' which would also tend to keep the extractor back further when the block is down.

To see if Kurt's suspicion is true, with the block open and the extractor forward in it's slot...does the extractor's 'tab' match the breech end of the barrel? Does the rim recess (of the extractor) match the recess cut in the barrel? Is the 'tab' long enough to reach clear to the wall of the chamber?

CM

[Dragoon 45]

With the breechblock open and the muzzle up, does the extractor fall backward of it's own weight?
Does it fall into place in the extractor cut...by itself...when the muzzle is lowered?

If it doesn't move freely, field strip the rifle and clean the breech block, extractor, and associated parts.

If that is not the problem, try to determine if the firing pin strikes low on the primer.
That could be caused by a short 'link' which would also tend to keep the extractor back further when the block is down.

To see if Kurt's suspicion is true, with the block open and the extractor forward in it's slot...does the extractor's 'tab' match the breech end of the barrel? Does the rim recess (of the extractor) match the recess cut in the barrel? Is the 'tab' long enough to reach clear to the wall of the chamber?

CM

He was getting very good, centered strikes on the primer by the firing pin. And from what I could tell the extractor was moving freely when the muzzle was elevated or depressed. He had field stripped the rifle and cleaned it according to the owners manual prior to firing it. I looked over the fired cases and saw no problems with bulging, damaged rims, or anything I could identify as a problem with the cases.

This problem happened three times in approximately 40 rounds. The extractor had no problem ejecting fired cases, just letting the rim slip past the extractor during loading. As the extractor would not go into its recess the block would not go back into battery when this happened.

From what I could see, it appeared that the extractor matched the recess in the breech end of the barrel. But I don't see as good as I used to up close, so will have to take a better look at it under a strong light and possibly with a magnifying glass, trifocals are a supreme PITA. It did not occur to me that possibly the wrong size extractor was in the rifle. We are going to get together in a couple of days and shoot again and I will see what I can tell then.

On the bright side, I think I have gotten him hooked on BP. We are going out to observe our clubs first BPCRS match of the year, first weekend in March, and he is putting his list of equipment together that he needs to acquire in the near future. Due to shoulder surgery, I won't be able to shoot for at least three months, but I figure I can spot and help him in load workup until I heal up.

Thank You for the information.