Question about fitting a new extractor on an old 1911

Mary Hunt · 2026-03-10T07:40:06.754889+00:00

Had a customer's Colt from 1948 with a worn extractor. Choice was to hand-fit a new one from Wilson or try to re-tension the original. I went with the Wilson part, took about three hours with a file and a stone to get the hook geometry and clocking right. It feeds perfectly now, but I'm wondering if I should have saved the original part. Anyone have a good method for testing extractor tension without a gauge?

jana_baker6mo ago

Three hours is a solid fitting session. Did you keep the old extractor, or was it just too far gone? For checking tension without the gauge, the classic trick is to see if a loaded round can hang from the extractor hook without falling.

6

blair6305mo ago

Oh, I totally agree with max_webb42 about keeping the old part.

5

max_webb426mo ago

Hold up, you saved the original 1948 extractor, right? That's a piece of the gun's history. Even if it's worn, you don't just toss a part that old.

1