Broken Extractor

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  • FLS
    Bloodstained
    • Oct 2015
    • 30

    Broken Extractor

    I was shooting the 3GN Long Range match at VIR yesterday and my extractor broke on the second stage.
    It's an AA barrel and bolt with about 7-800 rounds down the tube, mostly factory 123 Amax. Is this a common problem? Just googling, it appears that it's not uncommon. It sucks because I was was having a pretty good match. 1 division stage win, and was burning the second down when my rifle crapped out. I've shot 3 gun and tactical matches for 4-5 year and have run 556 and 308 rifles as hard as they can be run and have never had an extractor break.
  • rabiddawg
    Chieftain
    • Feb 2013
    • 1664

    #2
    It's a replaceable part so at some point you have to figure it's gonna break. Sucks for you that it happened when it did.

    Do you carry a spare? Are you not allowed to change it during the competition?
    Knowing everthing isnt as important as knowing where to find it.

    Mark Twain

    http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showt...2-Yd-Whitetail

    Comment

    • FLS
      Bloodstained
      • Oct 2015
      • 30

      #3
      No I didn't have a spare, I ordered two when I got home. You can repair a rifle or shoot a back up of the same type, but you don't get to reshoot a stage for an equipment failure. This was a time plus penalties match, so i got two 30 second penalties for the two target I didn't neutralize. Competition at the top is tight. If this is a common problem the Grendel may not be the best choice. I like the cartridge and it fills the niche well, but reliability is as important as accuracy.

      Comment

      • rabiddawg
        Chieftain
        • Feb 2013
        • 1664

        #4
        What kind of ammo are you running?
        Knowing everthing isnt as important as knowing where to find it.

        Mark Twain

        http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showt...2-Yd-Whitetail

        Comment

        • Kilco
          Chieftain
          • Jan 2016
          • 1201

          #5
          Man that's a huge bummer...

          I've had 800 rounds through a Shilen barrel with a AA bolt, and 1200 rounds thus far through an Odin Works barrel/bolt with no breakage so far.. I'll learn from your lesson though and pick up another extra bolt..

          Comment

          • FLS
            Bloodstained
            • Oct 2015
            • 30

            #6
            Factory 123 AMax

            Comment

            • VASCAR2
              Chieftain
              • Mar 2011
              • 6219

              #7
              I broke an extractor on my 6.5 Grendel with a 1:9 twist carbine gas chrome moley barrel. I've had to mortar the rifle a few times due to problem with my reloads. The carbine gas system supplies plenty of gas and is on the edge of being over gassed. I probably had about 1500-2000 rounds on the extractor when it failed. This was supposed to be an AA bolt. This extractor was also bad about putting a gouge mark on the brass so the hook may have been out of spec

              I have a Friend who had an extractor break on his Brownell's 18" Liberty barrel. This barrel was out of the first batch and the chamber was a little short and over gassed. My Friend added an adjustable gas block and has been gtg since. His extractor broke in the first few hundred rounds.

              I'm curious if you just got a poor quality extractor where there was a flaw in the steel or improper heat treat. With volume production flawed parts can slip through.

              Still sucks but I wouldn't pass judgement on the 6.5 Grendel cartridge in an AR-15 until you see how long the replacement extractor holds up.
              Last edited by VASCAR2; 08-21-2017, 03:45 PM.

              Comment

              • SG4247
                Warrior
                • Aug 2013
                • 497

                #8
                I have now broken two during competition.

                Call JP Rifles and order their 6.5 extractor. Problem solved.
                NRA F-Class Mid Range High Master

                Comment

                • FLS
                  Bloodstained
                  • Oct 2015
                  • 30

                  #9
                  The barrel is an AA 24" with rifle gas. Bolt is AA and I assume the extractor is too. I purchased two from AA. May replace the whole bolt with one from JP.
                  Last edited by FLS; 08-21-2017, 06:45 PM.

                  Comment

                  • rabiddawg
                    Chieftain
                    • Feb 2013
                    • 1664

                    #10
                    Please don't think I'm stirring the pot or blaming you. I'm just curious.

                    If you had a spare bolt, could you have changed it and continued to be competitive?
                    Knowing everthing isnt as important as knowing where to find it.

                    Mark Twain

                    http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showt...2-Yd-Whitetail

                    Comment

                    • FLS
                      Bloodstained
                      • Oct 2015
                      • 30

                      #11
                      I could finish the match but damage was done.

                      Comment

                      • LRRPF52
                        Super Moderator
                        • Sep 2014
                        • 8569

                        #12
                        If the extractor metallurgy and processes are not controlled well, they will fail no matter who makes them.

                        Another buddy of mine had several of them break on him within the past 8 months IIRC.

                        I've never had it happen on anything other than a DPMS LR-308 factory rifle, where it bent away from stress. This was one of the main things DPMS wanted to fix with the LR-308/AP4 because of the numbers of failures they were seeing.

                        I've also seen people report this problem more when they use a .124/.125" bolt face depth, as there is no meat left over in the extractor lip to support the dynamic tension the extractor gets placed under.

                        Same reason Frank at POF made a wider extractor on his Revolution .308 Win AR15.

                        If people cut corners or don't QC their extractors and bolts well, expect things to go wrong in any cartridge.

                        FLS: What barrel length and gas system length do you have, and are you running suppressed?

                        What buffer/recoil spring are you using, and what type of bolt carrier are you using?
                        NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

                        CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

                        6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

                        www.AR15buildbox.com

                        Comment

                        • SG4247
                          Warrior
                          • Aug 2013
                          • 497

                          #13
                          They are not cheap, but not broken either...

                          NRA F-Class Mid Range High Master

                          Comment

                          • FLS
                            Bloodstained
                            • Oct 2015
                            • 30

                            #14
                            Originally posted by SG4247 View Post
                            They are not cheap, but not broken either...

                            http://jprifles.com/buy.php?item=JPEB6.5G-EX
                            Ordered. Will carry the AA's for spares.

                            Comment

                            • Bigs28
                              Chieftain
                              • Feb 2016
                              • 1786

                              #15
                              Really sorry about your luck. That's terrible it happened in a match.

                              Comment

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