HELP - Ejector Ignoramus

[guns-o-fun]

I really don't have much experience with the ejectors on the older H&Rs.  I am trying to fit an older barrel and I am wondering if the ejector is actually functioning properly.  I take it that the caming action of bringing a cartridge into battery in the chamber should close the extractor all the way.  If so, should I be able to close it all the way with a light hammer and a block of wood with the barrel off.  Is this thing really working.  I have it to where it locks up with about the right amount of play in the break-open release, but I am wondering...If I do not really close the thing hard, there is a tiny gap at the top of the breach.  Could it be that I really don't have a fit - or a bogus one because of a malfunctioning ejector?

[quickdtoo]

The ejector will protrude slightly in the fully retracted position, you can push in it to lock it in the retracted position, it would be better to remove the ejector for fitting, but not required. If there's a slight gap at the very top of the barrel, it's not unusual, a lot depends on how flat and true the barrel face is, I always file it flat before fitting as long as a sized case is slightly recessed, if not, you're kinda stuck working with it the way it is, if you file it flat, you'll end up with negative headspace, correctable on a rimless round by modifying the die to push the shoulder back more, but not much you can do on a rimmed round short of running a reamer into it to correct it.

Tim

[guns-o-fun]

Thanks, Tim.  It does protrude a little in the retracted position.  I assume that with a case in there, it will be flush (otherwise the case would be partly unsupported by the chamber by just a tiny bit - scary  .  I pulled it to polish the shaft anyway to hopefully improve the function.  I need to dig up a fired case to see how this thing locks up with case in place.  It would not close when I started, and I noticed how much more material was sticking out versus the modern extractor.  So, I removed a little material to round the bottom of the square shaft above the latch shelf, removed a little material from the latch shelf with some fine alox, and she locked up - too tight - so I took off some more from the shelf and now the release sits right about where it should when locked up.  I also have the feeling that the barrel breach face is not quite square - this is 30-30, so I am a little shy on removing much material from it.

[guns-o-fun]

Tim, just to let you know:  I have been sitting here patiently removing material from high areas on the breach face of the barrel with 320 and then 400 grit silicon carbide paper and a small sanding block.  Apparent success.  She locks up beautifully with no apparent gaps and holds on very tightly to Reynolds heavy duty foil - which Reynolds says is 0.00094 inches in thickness.  I have been using this to find low vs. high areas, and now the entire breach face locks up on it evenly and tightly.  Hours of doing this has paid off I think.  Thanks for your help.  I did read the FAQs - but the ejector thing had me worried about what exactly I was locking up on.  Looks good now.

[quickdtoo]

Ya can't complain about that, congrats!! 

Tim