The extractor is a small hook, usually on the bolt face, that snaps over the rim or into the extractor groove of a cartridge. As the bolt opens, it drags the fired case back out of the chamber so the case can be ejected and the next round chambered.

Two designs dominate precision and hunting rifles alike. Push-feed actions let the case rim slip under the extractor only once it is chambered, while controlled-round-feed actions slide the rim under a long claw extractor as the round leaves the magazine and hold it the entire way. Controlled feed is prized for reliability in the field; push feed is simpler and very common on precision rifles.

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