Iver Johnson Champion 12g issue - Extractor

[seth]

I bought a really old Iver Johnson last weekend, I THINK it's a Champion, doesn't have a serial number so I'm waiting on the CFO paper work to confirm.

It's in decent shape but it's been completely painted camo (camo spray can paint + sealer I'm assuming)

I wanted a refinish project, figured I'd strip the metal, reblue and refinish the stock, then keep it for a bird gun or saw it down "Book of Eli" style which seems to be so popular on these forums right now...

Lock up is tight, bore has some slight pitting but is in decent shootable state for being an old camp "Crow Shooter" as the fellow who sold it to me called it.

My problem is the extractor, it's loose and worn down a bit, I don't know much about these shotguns but I believe I might have an issue...

If I'm soft about putting the shell in, it's rim rests on the extractor and as I close the action, it's brought properly into place, however if I sort of plunk the shell in quickly it jumps OVER the extrator and I can't close the gun.

I haven't shot it yet but I don't want to be in the bush only to find out my shotgun needs a ramrod to get the empty shell out...

Should this be an easy fix? How available are parts (I searched the part EE with no luck)

Thanks guys!

 

[straightshooter]

...it's been completely painted camo...

...figured I'd strip the metal, reblue and refinish the stock...

You're a good man!!


With regard to your question:

It's hard to be sure what the issue is without seeing how the extractors move as the action opens and closes. But, if I understand your description correctly, it sounds like the extractors may be slightly bent or loose, allowing the shell to fall past the head of the extractor and preventing the extractors from retracting to a point even with the breech when the action is fully closed.

I could see this happening if the shaft (or shafts, if the extractors operate independently rather than as a single unit) was bent in a slight curve. Such a curve could cause the proximity of the extractor head to fade away from the edge of the chamber as the extractor extends outward from the barrel assembly.

This could also be caused by wear in the channel that the extractor shaft passes through, if the tolerances have become so loose as to allow play in the extractor position.

If the shaft is bent, you could disassemble the extractor mechanism and straighten the shaft or replace the extractor altogether. The part would probably be hard to find, so repair is more likely the practical option. If, on the other hand, the channel has worn to the point where the extractors are sloppy, drilling out the channel and installing a sleeve is probably your best option.

Neither is a big job, so you can practice your home gunsmithing skills, or you can likely find a gunsmith who will do the work for a modest fee.

Whatever you decide to do, it would be interesting to me (and, I'm sure, many others in this forum) if you could update your thread with the solution, the cost, if any, etc.

 

[seth]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Straight Shooter!

It's got a single extractor, and it looks as if the edge where the rim of the shell should sit has worn down, allowing the rim to slip right off... this is complimented by the fact that the extractor does wiggle significantly in it's channel. Time, wear dirt etc seems to be the culprit here... I'll take a swing at dissembling it although the spray paint seems like it's stuck the punch pin.

I'll get some pics of the progress, but you'll have to cut me some slack, I'm not even bubba status, I'm wannabe bubba.

Should be fun - or disasterous - either way it was a 60 dollar shotgun and would still make a nice wall hanger!

 

[straightshooter]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Straight Shooter!

It's got a single extractor, and it looks as if the edge where the rim of the shell should sit has worn down, allowing the rim to slip right off... this is complimented by the fact that the extractor does wiggle significantly in it's channel. Time, wear dirt etc seems to be the culprit here... I'll take a swing at dissembling it although the spray paint seems like it's stuck the punch pin.

I'll get some pics of the progress, but you'll have to cut me some slack, I'm not even bubba status, I'm wannabe bubba.

Should be fun - or disasterous - either way it was a 60 dollar shotgun and would still make a nice wall hanger!

That's the spirit!

The wear that you see on the head of the extractor is a contributing factor, but I doubt it's the cause of your problem. The curved, flanged edge of the extractor head that contacts the rim of the shells would have to be worn almost completely away before a shell could slip by because of this wear alone. On the other hand, it takes only a small amount of play in the channel to grow to 1/16th of an inch of movement by the time the angle extends out to the fully-lifted extractor head.

Don't worry about your experience level, there's not a lot at stake anyway, and the path to becoming an amateur Smith begins with tinkering with stuff like this - that you're not likely to make any worse just by trying.

Ejectors are tricky to time and I wouldn't advise touching them if you don't know what you're doing. Extractors are very simple mechanisms and a perfect place to start gaining experience.

I look forward to hearing (and perhaps seeing) how the project unfolded. Don't worry, we'll be gentle with any criticism (speaking for myself - can't promise anything for the peanut gallery).