smith and wesson model 41 any info... are they Good

[Sonny(IN)]

any info appreciated

[Bullseye]

Model 41's are considered to be the high end of the American made 22 target pistols. They have dominated the NRA bullseye lines for many years and only recently are they starting to decline. They shoot very well out of the box and have very good triggers for production pistols. They tend to be ammo sensitive and prone to jam with the wrong ammo. As for disassembly no pistol field strips easier than a Model 41. New ones are pricey but there are deals to be had if you're patient. Overall they are great target pistols.

R,
Bullseye

[Georgezilla]

Model 41's are great target pistols. When I compare the model 41 to all the other .22s I've shot I tend to say "best out of the box" about almost every aspect of it.
Of every pistol I've thus far shot (which may not be saying much, I've only been into this stuff for about 7 months) no trigger compares to the model 41, but my RRA might change that statement when it comes in .
Compared to the other .22s I've shot the model 41 handles recoil very nicely, it just feels more smooth and lighter than other .22 pistols (though I have to say I only really notice .22 recoil when I'm trying to rapid fire 3"s from 25 yards) I've shot. Great grips out of the box (all I can think to say about them). It's also excellent where accuracy is concerned.

A couple things I don't like about it:
The only thing the one I shoot will feed reliably that (that doesn't break the bank) is CCI SV, it will jam pretty much every shot with every type of bulk ammo I've tried.
I find the magazines are a bit tricky to load compared to other .22s, the tend to want the cartridges to with the bullet facing, but that may be because I don't shoot it very often.

Overall I'd recommend a 41 if you are interested in target shooting with it. They are pricey but like with a lot of things, you get what you pay for -- And like Bullseye said, keep your eye out for a deal and you will find one.

[John fox]

I have one with the long and short barrels - each with a red dot. Best 22 I have ever fired! I wouldn't part with it even though there have been good offers.

[GooseYArd]

I just got a new 41 (5") last week, and I've had a chance to practice with it, but I haven't shot it at a match yet.

The fit and finish of the pistol itself is great. I will not be getting a trigger job on it, I like the trigger very much out of the box. The new grips are pretty comfortable, although I'm not crazy about the swell under the index finger on the right side. They're sure nice looking laminate though.

Disassembly is very easy, and I like how easy it is to get to the breech when cleaning it. I've shot rugers for a long time and cleaning the inside of the receiver has always been an annoyance.

the new ones are factory tapped, which is really nice. I had looked at a couple of other fancy pistols like the Benelli MP90, but the thing that turned me against it was that you'll spend close to 200 bucks just for a scope mount for the thing. With a new 41 you need a 6$ Weaver 62 base and that's it.

The magazines are also much more affordable. Some of the euro 22's have magazines in excess of 60$, which makes keeping at least four on hand an expensive proposition.

Gripes I have about mine are that one of the 2 magazines included had a swell in the side such that you had to pry it out with a screwdriver once it was all the way in. I used a magic marker to find out where it was rubbing the inside of the magazine well, and put the mag in a vise and squeezed it in by a few thousands. Although it was pretty easy to fix it was surprising that they didn't notice at the factory that the magazine wouldn't eject.

Feeding the first round has been a problem in the first several strings I shot, but I think after the first box of shells that'll be fine. CCI SV tends to have little globs of wax at the tip and I think it gummed up the ramp a little. I'm going to polish the ramp and I think it'll be fine.

[U-turnwilly]

bought a 7" 41 last week. I'm not a bullseye shoot but the deal was pretty good. I'm glad I picked it up.

At the range I ran 200 round +/- of Remington Gold Bullet thru it with out a hitch. I did have the occasional mis-fire but have come to expect that with the promotional ammo. Still need to buy some std. velocity stuff & see how that goes since I have been told that HV will cause frame battering. May need to get Wolfs spring kit.

the only flaw here is the muzzle brake. It is aluminum and the finish was toast. The rest of the gun in fine and I would like to refinish the the brake. Or, better yet, find a good replacement.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Bill

[Bullseye]

Welcome to Guntalk-online!

Well you got yourself a good pistol. I'd stay away from the Remington ammo, it tends to lead barrels. CCI-sv is a good brand for Model 41's. CCI Green Tag is another good type of ammo. You will just have to experiment with different types and see which work best in your pistol.

I have a new Model 41 maintenance page up on my server. You might want to give it a look. http://guntalk-online.com/Model41maintenance.htm

You got one of those 7 inch barrels with the muzzle break on it? Those really tend to foul up with residue and lead. They are really tough to keep clean. Most folks I know just take them off and save themselves a lot of trouble. Anodizing is the only real way to refinish an aluminum brake. Someone likely used hydrogen peroxide on the brake to clean off the residue and stripped off the finish

If you're worried about frame battering you can get a buffer for your M-41. Buffer Technologies sells them for just a hair under $10.

I'd love to see a pic of your pistol.

R,
Bullseye

[U-turnwilly]

Bullseye- thanks for the welcome & the info.
Checked out the maintenance link and found it to be very helpful.

I really like the 41 and I'm waiting on some Alumahyde from Brownells to see if I spruce up the muzzle brake just for grins. Worst case - I have the thing bead blasted and forget it. I'll also check out Buffet Technologies as well.

I have been using the Remington gold bullet for some time Ruger 10/22s, a MkII target that belongs to my wife and a Stoeger made version of the High Standard Victor. The only problem I have had after several thousand rounds combined is the mis-fires.

I would like to post a photo but I do not have a public site. I'd be more than happy send one if you would like.

Thanks,
Bill

[Bullseye]

You can send it to me via email and I'll post it for you.

Here's a direct link to the buffer technologies website for the Model 41 recoil buffer. http://www.buffertech.com/stores/1/Smit ... _P21C2.cfm

R,
Bullseye

{edit - I forgot to post the link's url address}

[OpsMgr]

I've had my M41 (New) for a couple of weeks and have made 1 range trip with it so far. Shot it from a sandbag rest using Wolf MT, Fed AutoMatch and Fed 714. Shot around 350 rounds total and only had one FTE near the end of the session. Mounted my Bushnell Trophy 2-6X32 scope on a Weaver #62 base for the first trip and will try my Ultra Dot this weekend. The Ultra Dot will live on this pistol. Accuracy was best with Wolf MT and respectful with Fed AutoMatch. Think accuracy will get much better after the pistol (And me) have put more rounds down range. Picked up 300 rounds of CCI SV yesterday to try out this weekend.

Have a Ruger MKII Comp Target and a MKIII 22/45 that have VQ trigger parts and love both of them as I shoot them well - Especially the MKII Comp Target. My M41 is a cut above both of my Rugers out of the box without a doubt. This pistol fits my hand, fabulous trigger, superb balance and the take down is wicked simple. I'm falling in love with this one and have my eye on a Clark barrel already.

Here is a pic of my new toy:

[Bullseye]

Here's a look at Bill's new pistol.



R,
Bullseye

[OpsMgr]

N I C E !!!

[Bullseye]

That 5.5" bull barrel beauty looks good too!

R,
Bullseye

[flutedchamber]

I have a 41 that is maybe 20 years old. I was amazed at the accuracy with standard ammo. It helped me improve my pistol shooting greatly without breaking the bank. I have also used it to introduce my wife to pistol shooting. She is one of those people who are a naturally good shot, but she doesn't think so.

I have never encountered ammo feed problems with different ammo types. As long as it is a name brand my pistol will digest it all. Of course accuracy differs between brands and types of ammo as it will in any pistol.

It is truly the most fun I have ever had with a semi auto pistol including the centerfires.

[U-turnwilly]

Bullseye
Thanks for posting the photo and for the info on the the buffers.

I have seen several nice 41s shown on this forum and I noticed a new thread about the muzzle brake.

I look forward to learning more...

Bill