doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Converting ejectors to extractors?

The two guns that I use most for bird hunting are: AyA #2 16 gauge and Parker Reproduction 28 gauge. Both of these shotguns have auto ejectors and I would prefer that they had extractors only. How complex and or expensive would it be to have a gunsmith modify either gun for extractor only? Thanks in advance to all replies.

The Southgate ejector mechanism in the AyA 2 is particularly adaptable to ejector disabling and no springs need be removed. Requires drilling and tapping the forend iron for a small setscrew directly above the the over center kicker in the iron. G. T. Garwood describes the alteration in one of the "Gough Thomas" Gun Books. I'll have a look later as can't say which one at moment. I didn't care for the force necessary to cock and the force of ejection so I did the alteration on a 12 ga. Numba 2 with good result. In fact, the action of the setscrew is progressive which means being able to have either ejection or extraction or even tuning the screw position to produce a lighter ejection force in a couple minutes. I have to carry a small hex key to adjust mine; Garwood used a wing-head machine screw similar to the folding head winders on an old alarm clock. Important to be able to get the iron, pushrod escutcheon, and pushrod off the wood without damage. Placement of the screw isn't hyper-critical but there isn't a huge latitude for error as must be on the centerline of iron above the over-center device and placed very close to the serial number which you may not wish to partially obliterate. Use of drill press for both drilling and tapping and retention of iron in a small drill press vice or other fixture certainly recommended. I don't think the slight reduction in size from 12 ga. of the 16 ga iron would unduly complicate the procedure but I haven't done this to a 16 so can't be certain. I'm neither gunsmith nor machinist so I did have to make certain I saw a complete row of ducks before diving in. I know nothing of Parker repros.

jack

Jack,

Are the springs that hard to remove?

Don't know, didn't think about going that route, Mike. The Garwood gimmick gives instant reversability and it's a lot harder to lose that setscrew than a pair of springs in a gun case or drawer.

It's elegant anyway. I came up with a simple technique for making an instantly lockable/unlockable safety on a 391 auto. I never competed much with one, but friends who do occasionally lose a target to a safety that's accidentally on; oftentimes it's from handling the cased gun. On my SxS I disabled the safety a bit more semi-permanently. Never saw a need to disable ejectors....I either catch the empties or don't.

Thank you rabbit.

Wyo, the description is in Gough Thomas's Second Gun Book . pp.46-49. Good line drwg. and photo make pretty clear what the text doesn't.

jack

rabbit, I thank you again.
Jim