Silly question

[shafter]

Wha's the difference between extractors and ejectors? I'm guessing that ejectors fling the shell out of the gun where the extractors allow you to pluck them out with you fingers. Am I correct?

 

[DiscoRacing]

extractor...extracts the spent case from the chamber.... ejector..ejects the brass to one side by kicking it sideways...they work together... one doesnt work without the other... very well.

 

[Doyle]

On a break-open type action it works this way:

Extractor, the shell pops out just enough so that you can grab it and pull it out.

Ejector, the shell pops out behind you and you have to bend over to pick it up.

 

[DiscoRacing]

After posting my reply ...I then noticed it was in the shotgun section... making my info a little off key... since I was referring to an auto pistol at the time of replying

 

[BigJimP]

+1 on what Doyle said .....

and on some shotguns you can move a part on the forend / to change it back and forth from "extraction" to "ejection" or the other way obviously ....

Personally, I usually leave my guns on "ejection" - and catch them in my palm as I cover the barrels with my palm as I open the gun ... / some guys catch them in the air ... but I'm not that quick ....

I found this note: ...
Browning’s exclusive Selective Ejection System allows you to quickly and easily convert from ejection mode to extraction mode. This lets you choose whether fired hulls eject clear of the chambers when the action is opened, or hulls simply elevate for easy removal by hand. This system is activated in a matter of seconds simply by removing the forearm and sliding a lever.

and I'm most familiar with Browning O/U's -- and I think some of the Beretta, Perazzi, etc O/U's have similar options ( but I don't know for sure ).

 

[44 AMP]

On a double gun, extractors just seem more classy, to me. I have my Grandfather's Ithaca, bought new and, made to his order, in 1909, and it has extractors, not ejectors.

My Grandfather, however, once told me that if he had known then, what he knew now, he would have spend the extra $1.50 and gotten ejectors!

 

[Tenshi]

on a pump action the extractor/extractors are what pulls the spent shell from the chamber and back into the receiver, they are on the bolt. The ejector is on the inside side of the receiver and it is what throws the spent shell out of the ejection port.

 

[oneounceload]

On a double with selective ejectors - if you fire only one cartridge and then open the gun, the fired empty will eject while the unfired cartridge will slightly elevate for you to remove