www.MG42.us

My kit didnt come with an extractor. I bought a new extractor. Trying to compress that spring is impossible. Is there a good way to do this or MUST i buy the tool?

Its hard enough with the tool made to do the job , i can't imagine doing it without.
get this one from RTG , http://www.robertrtg.com/mgmultitool.html , i have both styles and like this one far more.

I put the bolt head in a vise, insert the spring, then the extractor plunger. Position the extractor and hold it in place with your left thumb. Using a good set of needle nose pliers, grasp the tip of the extractor plunger lip with one part of the pliers, the other part of the pliers on the back of the spring housing. Close the pliers gently with putting pressure on the extractor with your thumb, it will lip in and snap into position. Easier to do then describe. I have the tool, never used it, done 300+ bolts so far using this method.
FWIW,
Dan

Hmm. My spring doesnt fit in the round slot where the spring is supposed to go...

striker754 wrote:Hmm. My spring doesn't fit in the round slot where the spring is supposed to go...

because there are bolt heads with round plungers and boltheads with square plungers and the plungers and springs that power them do not interchange.
boltheads with square plungers are easy to find but square plungers/springs are not, boltheads with round plungers are hard to find but round plungers/springs are easy to find.
square plungers are old style WW2 type - round plungers are modern MG3 type.
all extractor claws interchange as far as i know.

Well great. Where can I find one then? I got this extractor from RTG.

try dan but i bet you get a whole new bolt cheaper and easier.
$40 --> http://www.interordnance.com/Merchant2/ ... ode=MG42BT

Where else can I get an extractor? Unless the price of the extractor is significantly close to a new bolt, then I just want to buy an extractor.

Dan at Angola doesnt answer the phone

You called on the 4th, a holiday and your message was garbled, I couldn't hear your number correctly to call you back. I always return calls, I need the business.

I sent you a pm

reasons dan may not answer the phone

in the can
on vacation
eating a meal
shooting a gun
out shipping parts
buisy out of his mind
having a "pool party"
yappin on the phone with one of us
but no matter what a clear message gets a return call

Got ahold of him no worries. I forgot it was the 4th. I had to work yesterday so it was like there was no holiday;)

Dans a great guy to deal with!

Hi all:

I just received an extractor removing tool from RTG Parts, the one recommended by drooling idiot in his 06/28/06 post. I can move the retaining piece rearward about 1/32" but while the extractor itself becomes loose and wobbly, it won't come out. Before I take drastic measures, is there any particular sequence of moves I have to make in order to remove the extractor. Note: the bolt is from an M53 from Allegheny Arsenal, a place which seemingly doesn't enjoy the best of reputations, but the entire bolt is for design purposes only.

Thank you in advance.

RY

could you maybe be using the tool back wards?
The tool gets inserted into the bolt head with the handle over top of the bolt body at a 45' angle. Then squeeze the bolt body and tool handle with one hand. Plunger will move 3/16 inch back wards.
Then jiggle the extractor pulling forward and up at the back where the plunger attaches to the extractor. should pop out easy peasy.

Bolt body doesn't need to be attached to bolt head for the tool to work but it makes it much easier.

Let me know how you make out . If your still struggling I'll post some pics or short vid.

Hi D.I. :

Putting the bolt body back into the bolt head made all the difference in the world: after a little wiggling the extractor came out as well as could be hoped for. Before I read your reply I filed a 5/32" radius X 1/16" deep relief into the apex of the oblique angle at the front of each side of the tool, which resulted in a little more pull back of the retainer but still no luck. Many thanks for your timely advice.

I wonder if there was one person responsible for the final design of the MG42 bolt? Not only a great piece of engineering* but also a tribute to the machinists who did the actual fabrication. No CNC (like my M53 bolt) back then: all done on manually operated metal working machines.

Again, thank you,
RY