An extractor is a part in a firearm

Firearm

A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...

 that serves to remove brass cases of fired ammunition

Ammunition

Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...

 after the ammunition has been fired. When the gun's action cycles, the extractor lifts or removes the spent brass casing from the firing chamber.

Overview

Extractors can be found on bolt action, lever-action

Lever-action

Lever-action is a type of firearm action which uses a lever located around the trigger guard area, to load fresh cartridges into the chamber of the barrel when the lever is worked. Most lever-action firearms are rifles, but lever-action shotguns and a few pistols have also been made...

, pump action, semi-automatic

Semi-automatic firearm

A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...

 and fully automatic firearms. Break-action shotguns, such as those with single or double barrels, typically have an extractor that operates when the action is broken open. Extractors are also found on revolver

Revolver

A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...

s, removing cases either singly (as in a fixed-cylinder single action revolver) or all at once (as in a double action revolver with a swing-out or top-break cylinder

Cylinder (firearms)

In firearms terminology, the Cylinder refers to the cylindrical, rotating part of a revolver containing multiple cartridge chambers. The cylinder revolves around a central axis in the revolver to bring each individual chamber into alignment with the barrel for firing...

). For rimless cases, an extractor groove in the ammunition may serve as the point from which the extractor works. For rimmed cases, the rim of the cartridge most commonly serves as the point from which the extractor works. Not all firearms have extractors.

In bolt action, lever-action, pump action, and semi- or fully automatic firearms, extractors typically work in conjunction with ejectors to remove completely a fired, empty cartridge case from the weapon. The extractor removes the cartridge case from the chamber, essentially pulling the case to the rear. At some point in the rearward travel, the case typically makes contact with the ejector, which "kicks" the expended case out of the firearm, making room for an unfired cartridge to be loaded.

Some firearms have no ejectors, only extractors, requiring the user to manually remove spent cartridges. In this situation, the extractor pulls the case out of the chamber far enough to give the user a good grip on the cartridge, but not far enough to remove the entire cartridge from the chamber. This situation is encountered on some single shot rifles, single shot pistols such as the Thompson Contender with its break-action design, and on some break-action single and double barrel shotguns.

Some very early blowback

Blowback

Blowback may refer to one of the following:*Blowback *Blowback *Blowback , vacuum effect created in the barrel of a firearm when it is discharged...

 pistols used ammunition with no rim or extractor groove on the cartridge cases (e.g., 5mm Bergmann

5mm Bergmann

The 5mm Bergmann is an unusual centerfire cartridge produced for very early self-loading pocket pistols. The case is steeply conical and headspaces on the conical case walls. Early versions were made without any rim or extraction groove; and relied upon blow-back for expulsion of the fired case...

), and such pistols therefore lacked extractors. The spent case was forced out of the chamber by recoil, and was subsequently ejected. As this system did not provide for easy clearance of misfires, it was not very successful, especially for self-defense handguns needing to be cleared quickly and reloaded in the event of a cartridge primer malfunction

Firearm malfunction

A firearm malfunction is the partial or complete failure of a firearm to operate as intended. Malfunctions range from temporary and relatively safe situations, such as a casing that didn't eject, to potentially dangerous occurrences that may permanently damage the gun and cause injury or death...

. Nonetheless, there are examples of contemporary modern semi-automatic pistols that do not have extractors even to this day, such as the Beretta Bobcat, Beretta Model 21A, and clones of the Beretta designs such as the Taurus PT22 that are successful. These modern pistols typically have flip-up barrels, to permit easy loading without necessarily cycling a slide against a strong recoil spring, making these pistols suitable for use by the elderly and others with less hand strength. The trade made is that in the event of a cartridge primer malfunction, the gun is rendered useless until the action can be cycled by someone with full hand strength. Still, for someone without the hand strength to handle a semi-automatic firearm with a slide against a strong recoil spring, the trade is often made.

An extractor also performs the function of an ejector in revolvers. When the striking force applied to the ejector rod is hard and fast enough, the extractor will typically eject the empty case(s) from the cylinder. Some break-action shotguns are also designed to eject empty shells completely out of the chamber when the barrel is opened.

Extractors or cartridge pullers can be tools to pull out bullet shells, used as a small gudget with three claws that come on a ring or mounted on some rod that serves as handle, The extractors can be of different gauges from 8" bore to 22" bore.
These extractors that are not built as part of the shotgun are found with combined with a dog whistle

Dog whistle

A dog whistle is a type of whistle used in the training of dogs and cats. It was invented by Francis Galton. This is discussed quite briefly in his book Inquiries into Human Faculty and its Development...

or sometimes part of a multi tool.

External links

• Extractors pictures.