If a pistol cannot unload an empty fired cartridge what part might be not working correctly?

• A. Firing pin
• B. Hammer
• C. Ejector
• D. Extractor

Answer: (D)

Extraction is the function that clears a spent cartridge from the chamber. The extractor is a claw on the slide that grips the rim of the fired case and pulls it out as the slide moves rearward. If the pistol can’t unload an empty fired cartridge, the most likely issue is the extractor not grabbing or pulling the case, so the case never leaves the chamber to be ejected. The firing pin and hammer are involved in ignition, not cycling the action, so they wouldn’t cause this unloading issue. The ejector’s job is to physically push the already-extracted case out of the gun; if extraction isn’t happening, the ejector isn’t delivering the final ejection, so a bad ejector alone wouldn’t explain a failure to unload from the chamber firsthand.