Webley Extraction Question

[Veeb]

I have a 1914 Mark V revolver. When I open the gun gradually, the extractor projects and does its job, but it does not return to its shut position when the gun is fully open. Only if I snap it open quite crisply does the extractor return to the cylinder. This isn't really a problem, doesn't affect the gun's shooting; but I wonder if it's normal operation and, if not, whether there's a fix. Thanks for any intelligence on this....

[jonnyc]

I disassembled mine, cleaned it really well, and that problem disappeared for me.

[Veeb]

Thanks, jonny, that's interesting. Did you disassemble as in remove the cyl. and clean that area, or did you disassemble further?

[jonnyc]

Yes, the whole cylinder/star area.

[Veeb]

I tried this, got everything taken down easily and cleaned everything (didn't seem that dirty)--didn't seem to make a difference to the extractor's not wanting to return to its down position, however. It extracts fine, and returns easily if you open the gun with a good, positive motion, so no real problem. Thanks for your help.

[Veeb]

Now it occurs to me to wonder if the problem here might not be an old, lax extractor spring? Could that account for the extractor's not returning to where it belongs when it should?

[Webleymkv]

On my Mk. IV, there is a small protrusion in the hinge when the gun's action is closed. When the gun is broken open, the barrel assembly rides over the protrusion thus causing the extractor to snap back down flush with the face of the cylinder. While my Webley's extractor always snaps back down regardless of how briskly it's opened, my H&R Model 999 Sportsman, which works fairly similarly, will not always snap back down if the gun is broken open too gingerly.

My best guess would be to remove the barrel/cylinder assembly from the frame along with the parts of the hinge and give everything a good cleaning. I suspect that there may be a bit of grit or dried oil somewhere that makes things want to hang up unless operated briskly.

[Veeb]

Thanks very much. I will give it a try.

[Veeb]

I took the barrel and hinge off the frame, disassembled, and cleaned everything out. The problem is improved, I think, in that you don't have to snap the barrel down quite as energetically to get the extractor to return; but it still doesn't want to return without the snap. Is it possible the extractor spring is the culprit, as mentioned above? If so, would an extractor spring for the Webley .38 revolvers work in this, a .455? (There's a Mark IV .38 spring on Gunbroker.) I'm not sure how interchangeable they are. I am very grateful to all for this time and expertise. I'm learning a lot.

[Webleymkv]

I rather doubt that the extractor spring from a Mk. IV .38 would fit in a Mk. V .455 because the two guns are very different in size (the Mk. V is much larger). A better solution would probably be to get one of the Wolff general purpose spring packs and trim the appropriate diameter spring to the right length (it's a simple coil spring if it's like my Mk. IV).

http://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm?page=items&cID=4&mID=131

[James K]

I am not going to take guns apart to check, but I think a Mk VI spring will work in that gun. Try www.gunpartscorp.com for Mk VI parts.

It seems to me that just buying a bunch of springs is unlikely to turn up the right one, even though having a spring assortment around is never a bad idea.

Jim

[Veeb]

I bet a Mark VI extractor spring would work fine. Numrich's catalogues them, but they're marked out of stock. I'm inclined to try Wolff's. As I measure the spring I have and the tube it fits, it looks like either the light or heavy English spring packs might well have what's needed; not sure which; I guess probably the heavy, as the spring feels pretty stiff. For $9.99, not much is at risk. Thanks James K and Webley Mk V.

[gyvel]

The problem is a simple one, but trying to describe the fix is difficult.

As the barrel if swung open, it depresses the catch in the extractor lever which is bearing against the frame, allowing it to release when the barrel is fully opened. Over the years, the slot (in the barrel), in which the extractor lever sits, begins to wear a deeper grove, thus not fully depressing the catch on the extractor lever, and not allowing the extrator star to return to its home position.

The easy (albeit temporary) fix for this is to remove the barrel and take a hardened flat face punch and gently tap down the upset metal where the channel is being deepened in the slot that houses the extractor lever. The effect of this is that, when the barrel is swung down, the catch is forced to retract further and then release the extractor lever, allowing the extractor star to snap back home.


This is actually a universal fix for almost all top break revolvers.

[jonnyc]

Any chance you could post a pic of the exact spot you're describing? Sounds like a fix I might try.

[gyvel]

My camera skills (as can be attested to by other forum members) really stink, but I will attempt to take a photo to show you what I am talking about.