I had FTE problems a while back where the spent brass would get stuck "up" in the upper. I took the extractor apart and cleaned it real good and I think that solved the problem, but I have not shot it enough since then to be sure.

But my question is this: Where should my empty shells land in relation to the gun? I shot about 12 rounds this afternoon just to check and all of them landed at about a 40 degree angle in front of me. Is this where they should be landing, or should they be landing strait out beside me?

One last question: Would it be ok for me to take apart my extractor and soak it in Hopps solvent for a couple of hours to get all the hard to reach stuff out of there?

Quoted: I had FTE problems a while back where the spent brass would get stuck "up" in the upper. I took the extractor apart and cleaned it real good and I think that solved the problem, but I have not shot it enough since then to be sure.

Could be that the fouled extractor dropped the case before the end of stroke, or the action semi short stroked and the end of buffer stroke was not strong enough for the bolt to fling the case out the ejection port (read fouled/ gummed up chamber).

But my question is this: Where should my empty shells land in relation to the gun? I shot about 12 rounds this afternoon just to check and all of them landed at about a 40 degree angle in front of me. Is this where they should be landing, or should they be landing strait out beside me?

The spent ammo should be ejected about 7' clear of the ejection port.  Normally it's a rearward path (4:00), but if the cases are being danced off the ejection deflector, they may be bounced forward.

One last question: Would it be ok for me to take apart my extractor and soak it in Hopps solvent for a couple of hours to get all the hard to reach stuff out of there?

No, this would just be overkill.  Open the butt stock door and pull out the cleaning kit, in the kit is a brush that works just for this (the green handle one).  Spray some CLP (the only stuff that you should be cleaning and lubing the rifle with) on the part, and scrub.

Now to lightly chew some ass, Hopps belongs nowhere on the rifle except in the bore for cleaning the copper fouling.  Once the copper is out, run a CLP soaked patch to flush out any copper solvent that may still be left in the chamber/bore, followed by a dry patch to remove the CLP.  Copper solvent tends to get sticky when it dries, and leads to more problems.  Mix CLP (the cleaner/ lube that you are supposed to using), and it and the copper solvent just becomes a gummy mess.  And, if you come back and say that you don’t have a butt stock cleaning kit, your getting pocked right in the eye.  You just dropped over $600 on the rifle, and couldn’t find the $14.00 to buy a butt stock cleaning kit?  Not only does the cleaning kit have items that come in real handy for cleaning the rifle, it also seconds a split case extraction tool, and a squib load tool to remove a bullet stuck in the barrel (think of it as the Swiss army knife for the rifle).

P.S you can buy CLP as BreakfreeCLP from any firearm store, or even at Wally World (buy the big spray can since you will be using it both as a cleaner and a lube)

If you did mean the ejector, and you are running primer sealed ammo, all the soaking in the world with Hoppe/CLP is not going to break down lacquer.  

Normally, there is enough room in the bolt ejector channel/to the ejector to allow the flakes to be broken up and flushed out with normal firing.  To lube the ejector, spray CLP into the pressure relief hole round found on the side of the bolt.  If the ejector is bound up due to lacquer, then it may have to be pulled.  Use a 1/32 punch and drift out the roll pin (put something in front of the bolt to catch the ejector as it fly’s).  Then to clean the lacquer out of the channel, use acetone on a Q-tip (pull some of the cotton off the tip) down the channel to break up and flush the lacquer out (threw the pressure relief hole).

Now before you reinstall the ejector by using a spent shell on the extractor to cam it back in, check the lip of the ejector channel/hole.  If you find that there is a ridge or burs at the opening, use a stone and surface/de-bur the opening of the channel/hole.  This will allow the ejector to semi self clean, instead of the partials being caught at the reduced burred opening.

Again note, for the most part, the ejector will self clean with the help of CLP, and should not need to be pulled once the bolt had broken in.  If you do find it a little fouled during cleaning, clean what you can, and let the CLP finish off the rest. The first time the rifle is shot after cleaning, the fouled CLP will be blown out, and replaced by new Fouled CLP.  Because of this, I never really think of getting the rifle spotlessly clean, but more as just changing the oil in the rifle every few hundred miles.

Quoted: Quoted: I had FTE problems a while back where the spent brass would get stuck "up" in the upper. I took the extractor apart and cleaned it real good and I think that solved the problem, but I have not shot it enough since then to be sure. Could be that the fouled extractor dropped the case before the end of stroke, or the action semi short stroked and the end of buffer stroke was not strong enough for the bolt to fling the case out the ejection port (read fouled/ gummed up chamber). But my question is this: Where should my empty shells land in relation to the gun? I shot about 12 rounds this afternoon just to check and all of them landed at about a 40 degree angle in front of me. Is this where they should be landing, or should they be landing strait out beside me? The spent ammo should be ejected about 7' clear of the ejection port.  Normally it's a rearward path (4:00), but if the cases are being danced off the ejection deflector, they may be bounced forward. One last question: Would it be ok for me to take apart my extractor and soak it in Hopps solvent for a couple of hours to get all the hard to reach stuff out of there? No, this would just be overkill.  Open the butt stock door and pull out the cleaning kit, in the kit is a brush that works just for this (the green handle one).  Spray some CLP (the only stuff that you should be cleaning and lubing the rifle with) on the part, and scrub. Now to lightly chew some ass, Hopps belongs nowhere on the rifle except in the bore for cleaning the copper fouling.  Once the copper is out, run a CLP soaked patch to flush out any copper solvent that may still be left in the chamber/bore, followed by a dry patch to remove the CLP.  Copper solvent tends to get sticky when it dries, and leads to more problems.  Mix CLP (the cleaner/ lube that you are supposed to using), and it and the copper solvent just becomes a gummy mess.  And, if you come back and say that you don’t have a butt stock cleaning kit, your getting pocked right in the eye.  You just dropped over $600 on the rifle, and couldn’t find the $14.00 to buy a butt stock cleaning kit?  Not only does the cleaning kit have items that come in real handy for cleaning the rifle, it also seconds a split case extraction tool, and a squib load tool to remove a bullet stuck in the barrel (think of it as the Swiss army knife for the rifle). P.S you can buy CLP as BreakfreeCLP from any firearm store, or even at Wally World (buy the big spray can since you will be using it both as a cleaner and a lube)

Thanks for the info. All I have ever used on this rifle is breakfree I dont have a "buttstock cleaning kit but I do have an Otis kit.

So does anyone think that my ejector spring is too soft and that is why the spent shells are landing at about 1:30? Or do you think they are just bouncing off of the deflector?

Quoted: So does anyone think that my ejector spring is too soft and that is why the spent shells are landing at about 1:30? Or do you think they are just bouncing off of the deflector?

Idea, shoot the rifle while someone watches the ejection path.  This will tell you if the cases are being ejected rearward or not. Better yet, add the #60 O ring around the extractor spring and see if this solves the problem.

Bottom line is that the extractor retains the spent case on the bolt face until the B/C makes it back to the end of stoke.  Since the buffer has internal weights, the correct strength impact of the buffer to the rear of the receiver extension stalls the bolt at the back of the stroke.  This impact/stall, combined with the strength of the ejector forward pushing force, pivots the round off the bolt face and out of the ejection port (read rearward).

A less than stellar action stroke (case bind in the chamber, or leaking gas system) or over speed stoke (barrel gas port too large), lack of dead blow/rear stall effect by the buffer, lack of case retention by the extractor, or simply the bolt face making it past the end of the ejection port could all lead to a forward spent case ejection.

Quoted: Quoted: So does anyone think that my ejector spring is too soft and that is why the spent shells are landing at about 1:30? Or do you think they are just bouncing off of the deflector? Idea, shoot the rifle while someone watches the ejection path.  This will tell you if the cases are being ejected rearward or not. Better yet, add the #60 O ring around the extractor spring and see if this solves the problem. Bottom line is that the extractor retains the spent case on the bolt face until the B/C makes it back to the end of stoke.  Since the buffer has internal weights, the correct strength impact of the buffer to the rear of the receiver extension stalls the bolt at the back of the stroke.  This impact/stall, combined with the strength of the ejector forward pushing force, pivots the round off the bolt face and out of the ejection port (read rearward). A less than stellar action stroke (case bind in the chamber, or leaking gas system) or over speed stoke (barrel gas port too large), lack of dead blow/rear stall effect by the buffer, lack of case retention by the extractor, or simply the bolt face making it past the end of the ejection port could all lead to a forward spent case ejection.

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I will get someone to watch me shoot just to be sure......but there are small scuffs and evidence of wear on the deflector right up next to the main body of the upper. I have not shot enough to be sure yet but I think the only problem I was having with extraction was due to build up inside the extractor.

But in any case......if the brass is bouncing off of the deflector and going foward, it is not a "bad" thing is it?

Quoted: But in any case......if the brass is bouncing off of the deflector and going foward, it is not a "bad" thing is it?

Bad thing???
Only if you really injoyed shooting M-16's (the old style with out the deflector) left handed and getting the hot brass danced off your cheek.  Now If this was just way too much fun for you, then yes, the cases hitting the deflector and being bounced forward is a good thing.