What has been said of actions applies also to ejectors. If all the
patents have not run out, plenty of good ones have done so, and the
gun-maker has a great choice and nothing to pay for it.
The principle of the ejector is that with split extractors there is a
connection between the fall of the tumbler or hammer and an ejecting
mechanism, or lock in the fore end of the gun. The opening or closing of
the gun after firing is made to cock the tumblers, strikers, or hammers,
and also to put the ejector at full cock, or otherwise bring it ready
for action, then when a shot is fired the fallen hammer or tumbler, or
its re-cocking, is made to react on the ejector at that stage of the
opening gun when the extractors have already moved the empty
cartridge-case. The undischarged cartridges are therefore extracted, but
not ejected, and the used cases are ejected.