ejector problem

[tony williamson]

I posted about my new old ejector sterly, decided to shoot it today and found the right barrel is not ejecting the shells. I took the barrels off, and the left ejector goes easily up to the barrel and slides in its recess. the right barrel goes within 1/8 of an inch or so, and starts getting tight. it will go in, but you have to push it on in. any ideas? this gun looks unfired, ejectors, chambers, barrels, everything is clean and new looking. does something need to be polished a bit?

[tony williamson]

Ok...when i seat the left barrel ejector back in the barrel, and then the right barrel ejector, on the underside of the barrel there are little protrusions on the rods. Where the right ejector gets tight, the protrusions start touching each other. Is this what i need to file just a bit? They line up when barrels are closed.

[Researcher]

Before you start filing on anything, just clean everything really well and very lightly lubricate. With properly fitting screw drivers, remove the cocking slide, taking care not to loose the spring, loosen the screw that retains the ejectors and remove them from the barrels and clean the hole they run in with Hoppes and a .22 caliber bronze brush. A gun as clean as that one may well just have some of the original lubricants gummed up.

[bbman3]

Take the cocking slide screw out and remove slide and look for a little screw that holds the ejectors in.Let off the screw until the ejectors will slide out.Remove and clean them and hole in barrel they fit in.Tighten the screw that keeps them from sliding out,leave it loose enough that ejectors will move freely and still stay in.That might fix your problem. Bobby

[tony williamson]

This is the screw under the thing on top of the lug above the ejector rods right? Underneath the barrels....there is a spring in it...

[tony williamson]

Thanks guys!

[tony williamson]

Im so glad theres a place i can come to get help. Gunsmiths are getting almost non existant, we've lost two around here to retirement.

[tony williamson]

Ok....i got the ejectors out. Cleaned everything. Took 0000 steel wool and gave them a swipe. Cleaned the hole..no change. When laid flat, one ejector spins slightly, the other one dont. So, is one warped slightly? How do we fix this? It is ever so slightly bent, prob a .001 or .002 .

[bbman3]

Did you oil them lightly? You can take a fine round file and slightly file the barrel hole they go in.Looks for burs on ejector rods.Clean the two small holes on each side that the guide pins go in. Guide pin could be bent. You could polish the pins.Coat the rods and pins with inletting black or smoke and maybe you can determine where it is rubbing, Bobby

[tony williamson]

Will do!

[tony williamson]

I talked to a gunsmith in texas, and he told me something i hadnt thought of. It could be a timing problem with the shells actually hitting the breach. Its so fast, its hard to tell. Even when opened slowly.how do they fix a timing problen on a fox?

[fox shooter]

Tony, did you do or have any work done on the fore end? Like refinish, or fix cracks in the wood below the ejector springs. I had my 16 refinished and the fellow bedded the bottom of my fore end on the inside to fill cracks. I had the same problem. my ejectors would not cock. I took a narrow chisel and file and relieved the area below the ejector springs, allowing them to cock. Have worked fine since.
Chris................AZ

[Sporrns]

I just had the exact same problem on one of my HEs corrected. To test for a warped or bent ejector rod, start with the "glass plate test": modern window glass is essentially near-perfectly flat since it is poured, not rolled like the old stuff. Lay the flat of the ejector rod flat side down on the glass, holding the end opposite the extractor face and guide pin firmly. Depress the extractor face down with your finger to check for any movement. If it moves up and down like a telegraph key, the shaft is bent and needs to be straightened. ( a true shaft will lie perfectly flat). I established this myself first, then took it to my gunsmith. I had already cleaned out the ejector shaft guide hole with a slightly oversized wire brush wrapped with 4X steel wool; no obstruction there. My smith took fine emory cloth and ran over the surfaces of the guide pins, then straightened the bent ejector rod using a vise holding the rod at the point of the slight bend, and gently tapping the straight end of the shaft with a peening hammer. A machinist's fixed rule was used to ensure that the bend was removed. He also ran the flats of both rods over a common sharpening stone 5 or 6 times, flat side down of course, to remove any micro burrs. After a VERY light lubrication, he reassembled the gun and tested for timing, strength, and ease of travel of the ejectors. Before this procedure, the symptoms you described in your original post were identical; afterwards the ejectors threw the snapcaps to the other side of the shop.

[tony williamson]

Yes, i opened it real real slow. The ejectors are simultaneous. I think that right ejector is rubbing, so monday im going to smoke them real good and see where they are rubbing. Maybe try to bend it a .001 or .002.

[Silvers]

After reviewing all the posts I still don't know what the "problem statement" is. If I'm reading correctly it seems the ejector hammers are cocking normally and the shells are ejecting the chambers but the right one isn't clearing the breech ball. There are numerous reasons why that might happen and it would take a good size book chapter to provide detailed guidance on what to check and how to fix whatever that might be. I think your best bet is to send the Fox for evaluation and repair to a gunsmith who understands Fox ejectors. Sorry I don't have a recommendation for a 'smith but maybe some other readers will chime in here. Do it yourself repair on Fox ejectors is fraught with risks and I've seen plenty of ejector guns that have been goofed up. Just for info, the stems on Fox ejectors often develop a slight bend and that usually doesn't cause a problem. Also, a slight interference (read: tightness) when pushing the ejectors home on an unmounted barrel can be desirable. Before you start bending the ejectors, here's a pic of what might happen and if so, then you have a real problem. Fox ejectors and especially those for smallbores are very very very hard to find; and even then they aren't readily interchangeable. Also, grinding or filing might seem like an expedient but often that just masks the real problem and might create a new one.

One more suggestion since you are becoming a frequent visitor here - at some point you might consider joining the AHFCA and that will enable you to search for and read posts on the Members Forums where you can often find more advanced tech info on Fox mechanics. The Member Forums are here but not visable to registered users who aren't members.

The one at the top is a new one made at great expense, to replace the broken one at the bottom. A gent broke bottom one when trying to straighten a bend. Guide pin isn't yet in place on the new one.