Unless you are very skilled, fitting and timing ejectors isn't a shade tree gunsmith job.

 

Do you have first hand experience in timing ejectors?

 

As a Beretta trained 'smith, I have fitted and timed ejectors. Can't remember which way to retard or advance timing. Just remember, putting metal back on is expensive (new parts). Send it to Coles or Midwest and get it done right. While there, other parts, springs, and firing pins can be inspected.

 

Has anyone got first hand experience making an ejector operate later by re-contouring the hook? I think it may be possible if the corner that slides off the trip lever is rounded enough, maybe squaring it back up by taking material off the vertical portion and then just breaking the edge could slow it down. I need to re-time both my single and bottom barrel ejectors and have a couple new ejectors on order from Brownells but they're back ordered so I thought I might give it a whirl since I really have nothing to loose as the hulls hit the receiver face every time.

It's clear that to make the ejectors operate earlier, material is removed from the bottom of the hook: Building a Beretta over/under - YouTube

-Scot

Thanks but I'm not interested in anyone telling me not to do this or to send it off. It's a straight forward question.

 

Take material off to make it fire sooner. Add to material to make it fire later. My understanding is that if it fires too soon it needs replacement. My 682 will eject too soon into the face of the breech if not open with just the right flick of the wrist. I intend to get it replaced in the next couple of years.

 

Absolutely correct and quite clear to see when observing the operation of the ejector with the wood off. I think it's unlikely that changing the shape of the leading edge of the hook will matter but thought I'd ask and I think I have my answer, it won't. Sometimes, if the edge of a sear is rounded instead of sharp, early release occurs but in those cases, one or both of the two pieces is free to move:

That's not the case here and the shape of the trip lever is far from a sharp corner. It was a long shot, I may still try it since the ejector is currently too early but I don't expect any miracles, I'll probably end up fitting the new parts when they arrive. I enjoy this *almost* as much as shooting, there's no magic in any of it, it's all just understanding the operating principle of the mechanisms involved and adjusting accordingly.

 

The ejector on my 686 unsingle barrel was getting hung up. After polishing and lube, it still got stuck when I opened the gun and then would release and shoot the shell out. I took the iron out of the forearm and put it on the gun to see what was happening. It was apparent the fishhook end of the ejector was hanging on the lever so I just broke the edge with a file. The metal is very hard so you wont take much off if you are careful. I filed a little at a time and tested the result until the ejector worked properly. It didn't take much. After it was working, I snipped about a third off the ejector spring and turned it into an extractor. I like it much better that way.

 

take the wood off the forend iron, and watch how the ejectors work

 

Beretta ejectors are kind of tricky. Timing is not that difficult. The problem with new ejectors is they are in rough form. The little disk on the side needs to be taken down to fit in the slot of the receiver. The side angles, as well as the flats, will need to be adjusted, as well as the rim base depth when closed, so that it does not protrude. Once everything is fitted in correctly, the rim needs to be re-cut usually, which requires special tools to cut it centered to the barrel.

Because they come in a raw form, the metal is not hardened. Once the timing is set for the ejectors, and it is fit, they need to be hardened so they do not wear easily.

Not saying you can't do it, just that it is more involved that just plug and play. Also, seeing as both your barrels are ejecting early, you probably should replace the right forend lever (Sear). That may be the problem, and cheaper easier fix. Then adjustments can be made for timing for both barrels. Replacing the ejectors usually is the fix when they break/crack .

 

Beretta ejectors are kind of tricky. Timing is not that difficult. The problem with new ejectors is they are in rough form. The little disk on the side needs to be taken down to fit in the slot of the receiver. The side angles, as well as the flats, will need to be adjusted, as well as the rim base depth when closed, so that it does not protrude. Once everything is fitted in correctly, the rim needs to be re-cut usually, which requires special tools to cut it centered to the barrel.

Because they come in a raw form, the metal is not hardened. Once the timing is set for the ejectors, and it is fit, they need to be hardened so they do not wear easily.

Not saying you can't do it, just that it is more involved that just plug and play. Also, seeing as both your barrels are ejecting early, you probably should replace the right forend lever (Sear). That may be the problem, and cheaper easier fix. Then adjustments can be made for timing for both barrels. Replacing the ejectors usually is the fix when they break/crack .

... you probably should replace the right forend lever (Sear). <-

My thought exactly but I've already done so and alas, no change. I also thought about the cocking rod, it's a 2nd hand gun and that could have been changed but I pulled them and the cocking shoes and there's virtualy no wear on any parts and the hammers cock at nearly the identical time so I think it's unlikely.

 

In the video link you can see the Smith rounding the edge on the last few strokes. That is after removing material to the flat end.

Ah, so this problem has occurred since you replaced the lever? Also, you say you have to re-time BOTH ejectors, because of the same early ejection problem of the lower barrels? Does the lower ejector eject before the top barrel? Check for this the same way the Smith is doing in the video.

Your ultimate goal is to have the ejectors eject not only the same time, but late enough for clearance of the lower shell past the receiver face. This will determine which part/s need attention. It may well be the lever itself causing an early trip of the ejectors, after the hammers are cocked, if both lower barrels are ejecting early. I would not think that both ejectors would have started ejecting early at the same time from wear. That sounds more like the lever is causing it.

So, the area that needs attention may not be where the connection is to the ejector, but the area contact which is causing the trip to happen.

I have not worked on the levers, just replaced broken ejectors. I seen a post where the levers are pinned in and secured with a small set screw. This was supposed to stop any side play with the lever. May be something else to look at if that is the case. Any play or loose fit would cause timing issues.

 

In the video link you can see the Smith rounding the edge on the last few strokes. That is after removing material to the flat end.

Ah, so this problem has occurred since you replaced the lever? Also, you say you have to re-time BOTH ejectors, because of the same early ejection problem of the lower barrels? Does the lower ejector eject before the top barrel? Check for this the same way the Smith is doing in the video.

Your ultimate goal is to have the ejectors eject not only the same time, but late enough for clearance of the lower shell past the receiver face. This will determine which part/s need attention. It may well be the lever itself causing an early trip of the ejectors, after the hammers are cocked, if both lower barrels are ejecting early. I would not think that both ejectors would have started ejecting early at the same time from wear. That sounds more like the lever is causing it.

So, the area that needs attention may not be where the connection is to the ejector, but the area contact which is causing the trip to happen.

I have not worked on the levers, just replaced broken ejectors. I seen a post where the levers are pinned in and secured with a small set screw. This was supposed to stop any side play with the lever. May be something else to look at if that is the case. Any play or loose fit would cause timing issues.

No, the problem did not change with the new lever, maybe a tiny bit later but not enough to make a functional difference. I'd settle for the bottom ejecting late enough to clear the face of the receiver even if it's not exactly in time with the top barrel. Yes, both the un-single and the bottom barrel of the O/U are too early, the un-single is better as it almost clears the face but not quite, that's just a difference in the way the individual ejectors were fitted/have worn. I did find a post that claims to have retarded ejector timing via modifying the lever: (Beretta DT10 Ejector Problem - The DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com)

"You can then modify(stone)the profile of the ejector trigger to open a bit later.(hull clearing the breach face) It's really quite easy. I've done in on several guns that I've bought barrels for."
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I drew this up:

The lever rotates CCW (in this drawing), as the gun is opened, the tail of the lever is against the front of the cocking rod and the "head" is against the J-hook portion of the ejector as shown. Eventually, the head rotates downward far enough that the end of the hook passes over the top of the lever. The hook is of course spring loaded by the ejector spring. If metal is removed as shown, the edge which the hook breaks over is moved right and the breaking corner is moved up. I still have the old lever so I'll give this a try, I'm curious to see the effect as none of the corners on the lever are really square or sharp. The ejector hook is fairly square and sharp, only way to see is try it. Installing and removing the lever is a bit of a PITA, there is slop in the pin without the screw so it needs to be snugged up each time and I'll need to keep an eye on the spring and follower, it's easy to let them escape but as I said, I enjoy this work.

-Scot

 

Have you tried switching the ejectors from the bottom of your o/u barrel to your unsingle barrel and visa versa it may give you what your looking for.

 

Just my 2 cents .. If the cams in the forearm are tight and moving freely I would leave them alone and just try to work on the ejectors. You can file material off of them or add material with liquid weld. I was able to fix my problem with a little filling. Also know people that added material and the repair lasted for years of heavy use. Think twice about screwing with the cams.

 

I am like you leave the cam alone and take a stone and work the ejector down. Takes of very little at a time and leaves a clean smooth surface.

 

Fixed. I thought about what makes the lever rotate as the barrels are opened. The end of the lever pushes against the cocking rod to cock the hammer and the bottom of the lever rides against the bottom of the receiver. Taking metal off the bottom of the lever causes the lever to rotate later, delaying the eject. I kept a radius and smoothed it with a very fine stone, took about 4 tries to get it down to the point the bottom shell was clearing the receiver when it ejects.

-Scot