I have an Ithaca/Tikka LSA 55 in .222 that does not eject. It extracts okay; the empty case gets pulled out of the chamber like it's suppose to. But when it gets back to the point where it should be ejected it becomes disengaged from the extractor and just sits atop the magazine follower.

The ejector plunger/spring is free and can be depressed and it pops back out. The extractor doesn't appear to be broken and will hold the brass in the bolt. The extractor spring is 'live'.

But I don't have anything to compare it to, i.e., I don't know if the springs are weak.

Do you think the ejection problem is the result of the plunger/spring or the extractor/spring...or both?

Are these parts the same for the 55 and 65 actions? Or does the .222 version (not very common) use a smaller plunger/extractor.

Worst case scenario (If I simply can't find NOS parts to get it to work): Can this bolt be modified by a competent 'smith to work with some other extractor/ejector set up? M16, Sako, ????

Thanks in advance.

It could be that the ejector spring is getting weak and isn't putting enough pressure on the back of the case to jam the case between the side of the receiver and the extractor at the end of the stroke. Or the extractor spring has lost it's poop and the ejector spring is over powering it and pushing it open. Both of those springs have to be pretty strong for it to to work properly.

As the extractor becomes visible as you pull the bolt back, try pushing the extractor in with a "pokeitty-thingy" as you pull the bolt back. If it works when you do that, then you know that it's a weak extractor spring.

Seen it many times; classic case of too short ejector; by the time the case is out of the chamber, and has hit the receiver ring on the right, it is no longer being pushed by the ejector, and just falls off the extractor.
Fix is to remove the ejector, file the retaining pin notch to allow it to protrude to at least the face of the bolt.
Or the spring is broken or set, but many ejectors from the factory are not right, expectably for short brass cases. Angle of ejection.

Apparently these springs for the LSA55 ejectors are made from that stuff Speerchucker specializes in; water soluable unobtainium. I'll task my 'smith with solving the problem as I think he's about due for a payment on his F-250 since the last time I was there.

P.S. dpcd, you are spot on in describing the sequence. The face of the plunger is not quite flush with the face of the bolt. Hopefully a stronger spring and the plunger being a bit prouder in relation to the bolt face will solve the problem.

Spearchucker has it dead right either the plunger spring, the extractor spring or likely both have weakened over time. The plunger protrudence won't have changed since leaving the factory when I'm sure the ejection process worked fine.