Aftec 1911 extractor.

Millie

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I heard about this recently. Have any of you had experience with it in your 1911s? Just curious, as always. The reviews seem good.
Not sure if I can get this to work, but I'll try to add a video I saw.

 
Here’s what I got from the video:

‘If you like to work on your own guns but can’t figure out how to make a stock 1911 extractor work, buy this thing with more moving parts and see how you do”.
 
Here’s what I got from the video:

‘If you like to work on your own guns but can’t figure out how to make a stock 1911 extractor work, buy this thing with more moving parts and see how you do”.
I'll try to find a better video for your viewing pleasure! lol.
 
The Aftec extractor works great. I have installed several. They are a good, solid improvement over the original, stock design.

The Aftec converts the old "leaf" spring design extractor to a modern "coil spring" extractor.
The coil spring is a much more efficient spring action and enhances long-term/high round count reliability.
 
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An ingenious, expensive solution to a non-existent problem...but they do seem to work well enough for people who don't have the tools and the know-how to set up an extractor that needs more than just bending for tension.

The problem...which seems to be a fairly recent one...is our old nemesis. Correct specs...or rather modern manufacturers' failure to observe and stick to them.

The most critical aspect of proper extractor function is feeding and return to battery, and the key to that is proper deflection. If the working part of the extractor is positioned too close to the breechface centerline, it's going to cause problems when the case rim moves up the breechface as it leaves the magazine.

This is the issue that I most often encounter whenever somebody brings a pistol to me with a feed/RTB problem. It's also been the cause of more wrecked feed and barrel ramps than a magazine article touting the wonder and beauty of a polished feedway. It's become so prevalent that it's the very first thing that I look at when a delinquent pistol shows up.

The AFTEC extractor addresses this problem for non-gunsmith types, so we have to give credit where credit is due. For me, it's a little "busy" and complicates the disassembly/reassembly process. Not really an issue for the people who only need to break the slides down for cleaning more than once or twice a year.
 
Are you having an extraction problem?
Not sure what exactly the problem is with my gun, just looking into possible additions to it. LOL.
(It's probably something I'm doing, though, as it usually is.)
 
This is the issue that I most often encounter whenever somebody brings a pistol to me with a feed/RTB problem.
I might have to give you a peek at my gun some day! LOL.
 
I'll try to find a better video for your viewing pleasure! lol.
I don’t mean to be negative... I’m in that group of people who like to fix things but aren’t really good at it. If I was having issues I would be weighing the cost of this gizmo vs a trip tto the gunsmith.
 
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I don’t mean to be negative... I’m in that group of people who like to fix things but aren’t really good at it.
I'm in that group of people who can barely clean a gun, but want to explore everything that might help my favorite gun....other than replacing it. LOL. Not quite ready to do that yet. No negativity taken, I assure you.
 
(It's probably something I'm doing, though, as it usually is.)

You keep saying this but you want to change things on the gun to fix a problem that doesn't exist. Going back and forth from a Glock to a 1911 to a revolver isn't helping you to learn trigger discipline. Dry fire and shoot one of them until you get satisfied with your results and then move over to one of your different guns.
 
I might have to give you a peek at my gun some day!


I'd be happy to, but the 9mms can be a little...tedious...because there's such a fine line between just enough and just a little too far because of the way the extractor has to apply tension. It makes setting the deflection harder and if taken just a stone stroke or two too far can kill an extractor. And then we get to start all over.
 
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You keep saying this but you want to change things on the gun to fix a problem that doesn't exist.

In most cases, I tend to agree, but sometimes things have to be changed to make a delinquent pistol behave.

For instance...most people are quick to blame a weak grip for many malfunctions, and sometimes it's an accurate assessment...but if you have to get the perfect grip on the gun just to get it to function, you can't trust a snake like that. Something needs to be changed unless the gun is a toy...and even them it can be frustrating. Nobody enjoys spending range time clearing stoppage after stoppage. In a pistol carried for serious purposes it can be deadly because you can't be sure of being able to get that perfect grip.

It's always been my contention that the gun should run no matter the grip, and if it won't...fix it.

Functional reliability is cardinal. All else...including intrinsic accuracy...is a distant second.
 
there's such a fine line between just enough and just a little too far because of the way the extractor has to apply tension

A modified extractor design might be just the ticket then for these 9mm pistols?
 
I am reminded of a recent post by @Geezer about the day where 5 different shooters, using 5 different magazines, shooting 115s, 125s, and 147s accumulating 500 rounds + had exactly ZERO malfunctions with this gun. ZERO....ZERO. But what the Hell? The Millie bandwagon of 1911 problems rolls on. Please, remember to bring it on your next visit.
 
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fix a problem that doesn't exist.
We don't know what the problem is yet, do we? If we do, nobody told me!!

Also, I'm just after info about who has these, and their experience with them in guns they have or have shot. That's all I'm after in this thread.
 
Going back and forth from a Glock to a 1911 to a revolver isn't helping you to learn trigger discipline.
Really? Tell me more. I'm interested to hear how this is hurting my shooting. I'm serious, not being a smart-ass.

I shoot the G19 85% of the time. I shoot the 1911s to remind me that I can still get shots (mostly) where I want them to go. LOL. I was told by more than one person on CFF that ending on a good note after some not so good shooting will set me up for a better day next time. My good note is a 1911.
I don't shoot the revolver a lot. But I'll be gearing that up for a match, I hope.

If shooting different guns is harming my shooting, then I guess I'm as good as I'll be. I like to shoot my other guns too, or why have them? But hey, what do I know? I'm a new shooter.

Maybe we can meet at B. Oaks soon and you can tell me more about all this. I can always learn something, right?
 
I am reminded of a recent post by @Geezer about the day where 5 different shooters, using 5 different magazines, shooting 115s, 125s, and 147s accumulating 500 rounds + had exactly ZERO malfunctions with this gun. ZERO....ZERO. But what the Hell? The Millie bandwagon of 1911 problems rolls on. Please, remember to bring it on your next visit.
So what are we concluding from all this ZERO issues day? That the gun has no issues? That I'm causing them intermittently? Did we reach any conclusions that day, or any day thereafter? Am I making this up? You've seen the gun have many, many issues, just not that particular day! I want to know what's going on, so I can get on with it. LOL. If this is annoying for you guys, imagine that times 10, and that's how annoyed I am.

I'll bring it Sunday if you like. It's always in the range bag, waiting for some action.
 
but you want to change things on the gun to fix a problem that doesn't exist.
I didn't say I was going to change anything on this gun. I'm getting info. We know there's a problem with this gun, I didn't invent the malfunctions, did I?
 
If it's not broken, no need to fix it.
True. But if it does turn out to be an extractor problem, then I'll have to fix it...lol...and this extractor looks like a good piece of technology for that. We don't yet know what the gun's problem is, though.
 
A modified extractor design might be just the ticket then for these 9mm pistols?

The simple answer is...it depends. Both types of extractor do exactly the same thing in exactly the same way. The only difference is in how tension is applied and it's not readily adjustable with the AFTEC.

Most people are preoccupied with tension when the real issue is deflection...and the reason for that is most often because they don't know about it and how critical it is. Once explained, you can literally see the light come on as they say...Ahhh!

The problem is that it's hard to explain by the written word. Visually, it's a cinch and only takes about 30 seconds. I've had problems getting it across even with a picture back before photobucket hijacked my property to try to get me to pay for the privilege.

And the hell of it is that most recent examples have excessive deflection. That they run as well as they do is a mystery. As odd as it sounds, the stock Norincos all seem to have proper extractor deflection, and they're known for reliable feed and RTB.
 
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Really? Tell me more. I'm interested to hear how this is hurting my shooting. I'm serious, not being a smart-ass.

I shoot the G19 85% of the time. I shoot the 1911s to remind me that I can still get shots (mostly) where I want them to go. LOL. I was told by more than one person on CFF that ending on a good note after some not so good shooting will set me up for a better day next time. My good note is a 1911.
I don't shoot the revolver a lot. But I'll be gearing that up for a match, I hope.

If shooting different guns is harming my shooting, then I guess I'm as good as I'll be. I like to shoot my other guns too, or why have them? But hey, what do I know? I'm a new shooter.

Maybe we can meet at B. Oaks soon and you can tell me more about all this. I can always learn something, right?
@Jeppo may have some Insight on this as i believe he is sticking to one gun for a year in order to improve his shooting.
 
@Jeppo may have some Insight on this as i believe he is sticking to one gun for a year in order to improve his shooting.
Yes, and we have talked about that. I admire his being able to do that. Not sure I could!

But I hope to hear Geezer's take on this as well, since I'll be there in a few days.

I get accused by various people of not listening, so I'm listening.
 
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Yes, and we have talked about that. I admire his being able to do that. Not sure I could!

But I hope to hear Geezer's take on this as well, since I'll be there in a few days.

I get accused by various people of not listening, so I'm listening.
When I first started shooting pistol again I had to take one ,for some time ,and stick with it

Sure made me a better pistol shooter.
 
@Jeppo may have some Insight on this as i believe he is sticking to one gun for a year in order to improve his shooting.
Actually, more than just one gun, I’m sticking with shooting only revolvers this year. Mostly this is a 4” S&W 66-1 but also another 4” K frame and a 442 occasionally just to mix things up.

A year ago, I was watching a friend shoot his Smith 66 (that he lovingly refers to as “Mrs. Jones”) and I had a sort of epiphany. I reckoned that controlling the trigger of a DA revolver could be more difficult than a SA pistol. I imagined that spending serious trigger time with a revolver might help me learn better control of the gun...which might hopefully spill over to other handguns regardless of whether they’re revolvers or bottom-feeders.

Am I improving? Maybe. But I have some issues to overcome including a brutal flinch that I just can’t seem to beat. I can get decent hits but mostly I believe I’m compensating for the flinch by aiming quite high.

Anyway, this is just one man’s journey. I’m not sure it’s even working for me much less that it would work for someone else. I’ve got plenty of other cool guns to shoot but I’m gonna stick with this because I’m focusing on trying to accomplish something specific and concrete; not just make noise and burn powder. One positive is I’m spending a lot of time dreaming of which gun to shoot on New Years Day. :)
 
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Yes, and we have talked about that. I admire his being able to do that. Not sure I could!
This is just what I’m doing. Not sure it’s right for me much less for you.

But, if you decided to pursue such a course, simply bundle up all your other guns and deliver them to @BatteryOaksBilly.
 
This is just what I’m doing. Not sure it’s right for me much less for you.

But, if you decided to pursue such a course, simply bundle up all your other guns and deliver them to @BatteryOaksBilly.
To quote Truman.....Please, include me out! Millie is Always welcome here. I enjoy her company, truly. I decided some time ago to "include me out" of her "TRAINING".
 
To quote Truman.....Please, include me out! Millie is Always welcome here. I enjoy her company, truly. I decided some time ago to "include me out" of her "TRAINING".
Ok...

@Millie...if you decide to go that route, next time you go to Apex or PHA for training, I’ll meet you and take possession of your “surplus” guns. I’ll even promise not to shoot ‘em. ;)
 
This is just what I’m doing. Not sure it’s right for me much less for you.

But, if you decided to pursue such a course, simply bundle up all your other guns and deliver them to @BatteryOaksBilly.
I'd definitely have to remove them from my premises....too tempting!

I'd probably hand them over to someone who is out of guns temporarily due to medical bills or something like that, so they can have some fun too.

I think BB has more than enough guns to shoot, and he'd
be ok with my idea, seeing as how he turned a 1911 in .45 over to me for a year, since I didn't have one yet! He's a nice man.
 
One positive is I’m spending a lot of time dreaming of which gun to shoot on New Years Day. :)
Have you picked the winner yet???? LOL. Let us know!
 
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