Patent ID: 7380362

Claim:
An extractor mechanism for a firearm, the mechanism comprising: a firearm slide having a pocket, said pocket extending in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to a firing axis of a firearm, and having an opening proximate to a breech face of said slide; and an extractor arm having a body portion and a hook portion, said body portion disposed at least partially within said pocket and having a body height in a first plane substantially parallel to said firing axis, said hook portion extending at least partially out of said opening and having a hook height in a second plane substantially perpendicular to said firing axis, said hook height exceeding said body height, and said hook portion having a distal edge sized to engage a cartridge rim; wherein the extractor arm is pivotally mounted to the slide in said pocket about a pivot pin connected to the slide, such that said hook portion is capable of being pivoted toward and away from said firing axis, and wherein the extractor mechanism further comprises a biasing device acting on the body portion of the extractor arm for biasing the hook portion toward the firing axis; wherein said body portion and said hook portion are connected by a curved transition portion; and wherein the body portion, hook portion, and curved transition portion share a common upper surface defined by and lying coterminous with a third plane that is lateral to the extractor arm, and the body portion and the curved transition portion share a common lower surface defined by and lying coterminous with a fourth plane that is lateral to the extractor arm, said third and fourth planes being parallel to one another, with a lower bound of the hook portion extending below the fourth plane; whereby the reliability with which a cartridge is engaged and extracted by said extractor mechanism is enhanced.