NO 4 extractor

[R.G>]

I am changeing the extractor on a NO 4 bolthead 303 to a 7.62 one
any tips thanks R.G>

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[Claven2]

It's pretty straight forward. Should be self-evident.

[Cantom]

It's pretty straight forward. Should be self-evident.

There is a trick(that sometimes doesn't work). I was told by someone that was told by an armourer how to do it without breaking the extractor spring.

First, you install the extractor and it's screw. Then, put the bolt head in your vice with the vice jaws not tight, with the face up. You orient the spring with how it normally goes in, then use a blunt pointed drift pin or similar and tap it into place, until the little nib engages the little hole in the bolt head.

The problem I had with this is sometimes getting the spring to go in the right direction isn't easy...it has two possible paths and sometimes is kind of obstinate(tempting to use a small screwdriver to try to pry it over). It's important to have a very strong spring when installing a 7.62 extractor as that's the only way it will work, it has to push the case forcefully over to the left.

[woodchopper]

can be a bit of a bugger to install, several times I wished I had 3 hands (like Cantom)

but with a little cussing and persistance they can be changed.

[gunasauras]

I install extractor and screw, place bolt head in padded vise with extractor spring seat facing up (bolt lug up). Place open end of extractor spring in extractor opening. Push down and rearward at same time with a small punch on the spring to compress the open end slightly while it moves rearward. Once the spring is captive under the lip of the opening, give the round end of it a tap or two with a small ball peen hammer, and it will seat itself. I've never had this fail on me, and I've replaced hundreds of them.....