Springfield 1903 Rifle Ejector Issue - Insight Needed

[Excaliber]

I need help with a mechanical mystery on a friend's 1903 Springfield bolt action rifle. The gun has stopped ejecting fired rounds. Extraction is fine - just ejection is not.

Examination showed that, instead of a plunger like many more modern rifles, the ejector is a triangular piece of steel that sites at the rear of the receiver's left side. It is retained in a cut in the receiver wall by a vertical pin. There is a horizontal cut in the bolt locking lug on the side opposite the extractor that lets the ejector pass through the lug as the bolt is retracted and, when all is working well, strike the edge of the cartridge rim to effect ejection.

The puzzling part is that the ejector pivots loosely on its retaining pin. In the fully extended position it will properly hit the cartridge rim, but in the partially or fully retracted position it will miss the rim entirely and ejection won't occur. The problem is that there is no spring or other device to keep the ejector extended and it positions itself randomly during firing and ejection. Every now and then this causes ejection to happen, but most times it does not.

I checked online resources to make sure we weren't missing a part somewhere, but everything I've seen indicates that all the parts are there and they are properly assembled on his gun. We disassembled and cleaned the ejector and associated parts with no improvement in the problem.

How is this system supposed to work, and what do we need to know to fix it on this gun?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[C-dub]

I just went to check mine and compare with your notes. Also, I had mine out a few weeks ago and seem to remember a similar issue the first round or two. What I noticed, IIRC, is that I think I was babying it and working the bolt slowly. I thought I remembered it kicking the empty case out a bit the previous time firing it and so I worked the bolt with a little more force after the next round and it worked as remembered.

How were ya'll treating your friends? Working the bolt slowly like I was? Otherwise, does the follower spring snap up when the bolt gets past it? After that I'm afraid I'm out of suggestions. Hope this helps and there's nothing serious wrong.

[Excaliber]

I just went to check mine and compare with your notes. Also, I had mine out a few weeks ago and seem to remember a similar issue the first round or two. What I noticed, IIRC, is that I think I was babying it and working the bolt slowly. I thought I remembered it kicking the empty case out a bit the previous time firing it and so I worked the bolt with a little more force after the next round and it worked as remembered.

How were ya'll treating your friends? Working the bolt slowly like I was? Otherwise, does the follower spring snap up when the bolt gets past it? After that I'm afraid I'm out of suggestions. Hope this helps and there's nothing serious wrong.

Interesting thought. I didn't have a chance to observe my friend operate the bolt because he didn't have any empty cases or snap caps and I figured if he wanted to do function testing with live rounds that would best be done at his house.

I'll have to ask him about how vigorously he works the bolt. I didn't even think about the possibility that the equivalent of limp wristing a pistol could affect rifle ejection.

The follower does snap up when the bolt gets past it.

Thanks for the thoughts - I'll post again when I get this figured out.

[C-dub]

It doesn't require a lot of force/speed, but when I work mine too slowly it just falls out. I just tried mine with a live round and the safety ON. I checked the trigger before trying it with a live round. Then I tried it again with a moderate amount force/speed and it popped out just fine.

I hope that's all it is.

[Excaliber]

It doesn't require a lot of force/speed, but when I work mine too slowly it just falls out. I just tried mine with a live round and the safety ON. I checked the trigger before trying it with a live round. Then I tried it again with a moderate amount force/speed and it popped out just fine.

I hope that's all it is.

Thanks!

I texted my friend to give working the bolt vigorously a try - waiting to hear the results.

[DEB]

If the problem isn't due to babying the bolt, I would suggest to go to "http://www.milsurps.com/". I used this resource to get old weapon Technical Manuals as well as talking to folks that are really in the know about these old warhorses. I own a 1903 Springfield and downloaded several Military manuals that answered almost all of my questions. The Military probably experienced those same issues, that those of us who own these old firearms also experience, and has addressed them within these manuals. At least they did for me, as well as how to disassemble, clean and properly lube them. The folks at Milsurps.com really eat and breathe all of these old weapons and most are very forthcoming with assistance.

[hovercat]

Fired, empty cases will work just as well as live rounds for checking this, and are safer.

[Excaliber]

Fired, empty cases will work just as well as live rounds for checking this, and are safer.

That's what I asked my friend to provide. When he said he had only live rounds, I suggested he take the testing task to his house for exactly the reason you cite.

[Excaliber]

If the problem isn't due to babying the bolt, I would suggest to go to "http://www.milsurps.com/". I used this resource to get old weapon Technical Manuals as well as talking to folks that are really in the know about these old warhorses. I own a 1903 Springfield and downloaded several Military manuals that answered almost all of my questions. The Military probably experienced those same issues, that those of us who own these old firearms also experience, and has addressed them within these manuals. At least they did for me, as well as how to disassemble, clean and properly lube them. The folks at Milsurps.com really eat and breathe all of these old weapons and most are very forthcoming with assistance.

Great suggestion - thanks!

I'm going there now.

[Excaliber]

Following DEB's suggestion I went to milsurp.com and found a soldier's manual for the rifle that described how the bolt is supposed to cam the ejector into position as the bolt reaches the limit of its travel. Examination showed this wasn't happening, so my friend ordered a new extractor and we compared it to the old one. It turns out that a very small but critical piece of the original extractor had broken off.

Installation of the new one cured the issue and the rifle now ejects with gusto.

Thanks to all who provided ideas on how to resolve this.

[C-dub]

Too bad it wasn't as simple as my suggestion, but also glad it wasn't anything more serious than simply replacing the extractor and that the issue is now resolved.