Lawton 7500 extractor retainer springs

B

Bold Lion

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Hello guys,

So my Lawton 7500 in .22 BR isn't ejecting brass. Called Lawton about a month ago and I was told it is most likely a weak extractor retainer spring. So I did some research, and Brownells sells them in standard and extended lengths.

I measured my current spring and it's about .250"

Standard - here

Extended - here

I'm pretty sure it's the standard size, but thought I would ask. Thank!
 
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If you use the extended length spring under the sako style plunger, you can always cut some off the length if necessary. Ejection depends upon whether you are having an extraction or an ejection problem. It can be either or both.
 
Can you tell me how. I have 7500 dual port. originally chambered in 6.5x47. It would not eject. I lengthened the cutout in the ejector so that it would stick out farther. That worked well. I have since chambered in a 6 Dasher if I draw the bolt back slowly I can get it to eject ok. But slow aint how I want to shoot. It seems to me the extractor is letting go before it get to the port. I had put the project on the back burner for a while and intended on contacting Lawton for all new extractor and ejector parts and start fresh. TIA.
Larry
 
Can you tell me how. I have 7500 dual port. originally chambered in 6.5x47. It would not eject. I lengthened the cutout in the ejector so that it would stick out farther. That worked well. I have since chambered in a 6 Dasher if I draw the bolt back slowly I can get it to eject ok. But slow aint how I want to shoot. It seems to me the extractor is letting go before it get to the port. I had put the project on the back burner for a while and intended on contacting Lawton for all new extractor and ejector parts and start fresh. TIA.
Larry

Larry,

All I've figured out is contacted Lawton and have extractor retainer springs on the way. Hopefully that will fix it, but I don't see where the problem came about in the first place for me; an action with less than 100 rounds down the tube has a worn out extractor retainer spring? Hmm...
 
It's been a problem getting short cases to eject when the case tries to eject into the lug of the bolt raceway. That's why quite a few of the custom actions set up to eject PPC or BR length cases are using a sako style extractor set up above the lug with an opposing ejector that ejects the short case into the round part of the raceway instead of the lug part of the raceway. The Lawton action has the sako style extractor set up in the middle of the bolt lug. This makes the case eject into the lug part of the raceway which allows the plunger spring to push the case head out of the extractor before the case gets pulled all the way out by the bolt. Ejecting into the round part of the raceway helps hold the case head against the extractor until the case clears the ejector port flipping the case out.
 
I don't know what the fix would be for the Lawton action. I've only had one of them in my shop. It was chambered for a Dasher and it wound up going back to Lawton several times to get it to eject. Don't know whether they ever fixed it or not. You could always replace the bolt with a Pacific bolt with a sako or M-16 extractor set above the locking lug, that would get the short case to ejecting into the round part of the raceway instead of the lug area. I've plugged extractor slots on benchrest rifles with sliding plate extractors and installed sako style extractors above the lug for this very reason on a number of bolts. I doubt if it would be feasible with a Lawton as the Lawton already has so much metal removed from the locking lug for their sako style extractor. It would probably weaken the bolt lug too much to plug it and relocate another extractor above the lug. I'm sure putting the extractor in the lug was to make the extractor installation safer, but it also makes it more difficult to eject a short case.
 
Thank you Mike. I'm not sure who to call first my smith or PT&G. Wondering if Dave makes a bolt already set up like this and if not just exactly how to set it up. Were to have the extractor placed where the topcorner of the lug is or above that in the side of the bolt body? Are there any set up like that stock now to model off of?
 
Larry, that's just the normal location for a Sako style extractor. The main thing about using a Pacific bolt would be the length of your bolt body and other bolt dimensions. They would have to be the same. Dave's bolts are made for Remington's. The Lawton bolt might and probably would be different in length. Diameter is no problem as Dave will make the bolt to match your diameter.

Two things come to mind to try to fix your Lawton bolt. You might try setting the extractor on your Lawton bolt .010" or so deeper into the bolt body. That would push the case towards the other side of the bolt body and would let the extractor hang on to the case longer. How much clearance is there between the case head and the inside of the bolt counterbore? I would think that the less clearance you have there would be better as far as the case ejecting. If there is excess clearance, more than .010", you might try having the bolt counterbore bushed to maybe as little as .005" clearance. I'd bet one or the other would fix it.
 
I have owed a couple of the Lawton 7500 actions and both of them had this issue. Im not exactly sure what Jon did to fix them but i think it had something to do with the angle of the extractor. Even after tweaking they only worked ok. These actions were shooters but you sure couldnt run them fast. I no longer own them. Everything else about the action i liked i must say! Lee
 
I don't know why I didn't think of it before but I have PT&G bolt in a 700.

I just went and looked at that and some pics on the web, every pic of a sako extractor I looked at was setup above the lug. Dimensionally the bolts are almost the same, except on the Lawton the Lugs are longer towards the back of the bolt and the distance between the back of the lugs and the part of the bolt handle that meets the cam on the rear of the action is shorter.

Maybe I can sent this bolt to Dave and have him copy it making the needed mods.

I remember hearing that at one time Kiff made bolt for Lawton and I think Mine is. There is a little pattern shaped like an M where the bolt body goes from cast to ground and its the same on both bolts.

I'm gonna try filing a little from inside the extractor and go to the hardware store and see if I can get a stronger spring for the ejector and see what happens.

Skeet selling the action might be an Idea if my smith thinks I can use the same stock reinletted, and use all the rest of the parts on a new action. A whole new gun is NOT in the cards. If I can sell this action and find a used dual port or drop port.
I kicked some tail at Bridgevilles 600 matches with it in a 6.5x47 but shooting fast is a REQUIREMENT. If I have to stay with the action another option would be to sell all the dasher stuff and get a new 6.5 barrel. I really wanted to shoot the dasher for several reasons though it's kickin butt, less recoil and cheaper on components.

Wish me luck.
Larry
 
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