doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ejectors or Extractors?

I missed a chance on a double on pheasants while blocking in a cold wind while in S. Dakota. Was fumbling to extract and reload with gloves on when two cocks flushed together in front of me. Not that big a deal to me, but one is expected to do one's part when blocking and it's easy to pick up the empties after the drivers arrive.

I gotta admit, the LC ejector system is a PIA on openning, probably others too. None of my modern guns has been a problem at all. I think most modern designers have learned from the past designs and the better designs have nearly unnoticeable cocking.

Sam,
My 12g low press. loads use Clays with 1 oz @ 6500 psi. Very clean.

Chuck,

Would you mind sharing your 12G, LP loads?

Jim

Jim,
This load is basically from "Reloading for Shotgunners" by Kurt Fackler/M.L. McPherson, 4th Edition, pg 161, but a little less charge.

Fed Gold Medal Paper hull
Fed 12S3 wad
17.5 gr Clays
Fed 209A
star crimp

In my singleshot Iver equipped with a Pressure Trace http://www.shootingsoftware.com/pressure.htm straingage setup and chronograph, I measured about a 6500psi average and about 1150 fps average. You can try the 12S0 wad but I found it was a bit crowded and went with the 12S3. The book above lists a load of 18.0 gr Clays at 1180 fps, but doesn't list the pressure at this charge. They do list a 21 gr load a 1290 fps and 10,900.

I recommend you load 5 of these up and send them to the guy that Bell used in his tests, who's name now escapes me. But he tests for $5 a shot. I haven't done this, but have confidence in my test data. You'd be prudent to get a second source of pressure data.

Extractors, because I like their simplicity. When walking up on a dog on point, I have a shell or two between the fingers of my forearm hand (primer end towards the gun), so it takes almost no time to reload, and I don't have to worry about cupping the empties, and I just tuck them in my vest for reloading. If the action is fast and furious (i.e. quail), I grab extra shells from my left vest pocket with my left hand, due to less wasted motion.

In general, I prefer ejectors, but they are not as critical to me as they once were. If I am in a situation where I don't need to reload fast I have learned to catch my ejected shells.

I have a 16 guage Syracuse Arms that has a small lever on the forend to switch the ejectors on or off. I primarily use this gun when I am hunting sharptails and pheasants and in these circumstances I have it set to eject.

Riprap

Ejectors, of course. An ejector gun does everything better, even if you want to pocket empties. Who wants to 'pick out' the damn empties when an ejector gun puts them in your hand? If you're shooting from a blind, just let them fly.

How nice it would be to have enough financial resources to not deal at all with the empties, which is why God invented ejectors. Just open the gun, and they're gone - for good.

I like ejectors, but have both and find no appreciable difference in performance. If I am shooting dove and need to reload quickly I can rake the empties onto the ground at my feet as I reach toward my shell pocket. Pick up the empties later. Some times at skeet a puller might get hit in the legs with an ejected shell accidentally after a repeated inattentive effort on his part, but I would never do that on purpose.

Both work well for almost all types of shooting. But why worry aobut the question. If the gun fits you well and you shoot it well you will not care if it has ejectors or extractors. Personal taste just like types of finish, barrel legenth, straight or pistol grip, ect....

From a practical viewpoint you will never hear of an extractor gun going in to have the extractors worked on. The wood also gets very thin in the for end when you get ejectors. Not a big deal in either case to me. But fall and crack an ejector forend and then see how much fun they are to inlet.

I've shot both too. The worst is when the shell hangs in an ejector and you have to pull it out. When the action is fast the daggumed ejector that fouls will cause more loss than an extractor.