Shilen DGA Extractor

[Richard Jones]

So I have an old 3-digit Shilen DGA, .378 bolt face. Extractor extracts OK, but the spring has to be really short or the case gets pushed to the left, as apparently the longer spring causes the extractor to be exactly centered over the bearing/spring hole in the bolt, and something is a bit out of line. Or the extractor needs tuning. The extractor appears to have been radiused for a .473 instead of a .378 as it only touches the case in the middle.

Any thoughts on how to fix this?

Thanks.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

So I have an old 3-digit Shilen DGA, .378 bolt face. Extractor extracts OK, but the spring has to be really short or the case gets pushed to the left, as apparently the longer spring causes the extractor to be exactly centered over the bearing/spring hole in the bolt, and something is a bit out of line. Or the extractor needs tuning. The extractor appears to have been radiused for a .473 instead of a .378 as it only touches the case in the middle.

Any thoughts on how to fix this?

Thanks.

Youre going to have to find a machinist willing to make such a small part. Im guessing its a sliding plate extractor on the front of a cone? If it has enough meat left you may can re-radius it for the right diameter. This is the pitfall of having an out of production custom action. If you get a machinist to make a new one make sure he matches the hardness of the old one. What i would do is fill that spot with a new blank soldered in, bolt recess bushed and a sako extractor installed. The sliding plates are a nightmare when they dont work.

 

[Richard Jones]

Dusty,

Who would you recommend to do the work?

Thanks.

Rich

 

[spike-55]

send it to Carlsbad on here - he can fix it if anyone can??
stan

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Dusty,

Who would you recommend to do the work?

Thanks.

Rich

I meant to say carlsbad is the man but i must have left it out

 

[STS]

Just a thought, but have you contacted Shilen?

 

[Richard Jones]

Just a thought, but have you contacted Shilen?

Yes, they 'don't work on them and don't have any parts'

 

[jpmimproved]

If I remember correctly, Stiller made the actions for Shilen. May be worthwhile to contact them.

 

[Richard Jones]

^^^^ This one was manufactured in 1975.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If I remember correctly, Stiller made the actions for Shilen. May be worthwhile to contact them.

Stiller was in high school when this one was made. Alan hall made the old ones. Stiller did make the more recent ones that look like a remington

 

[jpmimproved]

Ah, that makes sense. Good to know

 

[spike-55]

alan might have parts if it is the same as the old Hall's
i talked to him bout 10 months ago and he does have a few parts.
stan

 

[spike-55]

Dusty is correct. when alan started getting out of centerfire actions to concentrate on rimfire, stiller started making most of them

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Alan made the dga when he worked at shilen. When he moved to alabama he was making his own. The stiller dga was after at least a 25 year gap maybe longer. Alan got into rimfires probably about 2000-2001. He disappeared from centerfire overnight, stopped making centerfire actions and took james messer with him. I learned a lot from alan when he shot centerfire. I was just getting started and hes a good teacher.

 

[Richard Jones]

Dusty, that timeline sounds about right. My DGA is 365 and it left Shilen in Oct. of 1975.

 

[butchlambert]

alan might have parts if it is the same as the old Hall's
i talked to him bout 10 months ago and he does have a few parts.
stan

Alan has no DGA parts. His centerfire actions in no way were they the same as the DGA. If you can touch base with Turk Takano, he might help. He had some of the old DGA castings and made a few for himself. Turk also had a couple that Ruger was kind enough to cast for him in stainless.

 

[Richard Jones]

^^ Thanks, Butch.

 

[DaveTooley]

It's a bit of work but it's not difficult to make an extractor. Actually two. Take a piece of steel rod. One that can be hardened if you like. Turn the OD and ID to the diameters you need. Set it up vertically in a mill and start the shaping process. That would be the narrow center section that rides in the exposed slot and the width to fit the T slot. Put it back in the lathe and part off the two parts. Put those back on the mill and machine to fit the depth to T slot. Turn over and plunge in for the space for the rim and put the detent in for the ball. Take a Dremel tool and chamfer the inside edge. Heat treat if you want but I never did. A piece of 4140HT works well.
Hell you might be able to modify what you have.

 

[Richard Jones]

^^^
Dave,

Unfortunately, no lathe, at least for metal, and no mill. I could possibly modify the part, but I could also ruin it and I want to try to keep the rifle as stock as I can, if feasible.

I think that this was cut for a .473 instead of a .378, as it doesn't match up with the bolt face or case radius, but this is a bit beyond my tinkering, especially with an obsolete action. I'll stick with bedding and triggers and swapping Savage barrels.

Thanks for the how-to, I never knew the exact steps. Still learning, after all these years.

(ETA: For full disclosure, I do have a metal lathe, but it's a Harbor Freight 7x10 mini, and I am reluctant to admit to owning one in present company!)

 

[DaveTooley]

When the extractor is in contact with the case how much room is there between the OD of the case rim and the outer recess under the extractor lip. There may be enough room that a slight mod with a Dremel tool will fix it.