I Passed Up A Grail Gun Yesterday

[J-Bar]

I don't remember Don's last name. He was an old guy, had to be close to 60. A bullseye competitor at the range where my high school classmate and I continued competing after graduation in 1962, leaving our ROTC rifle team days behind us. We saw Don practicing while we continued shooting 4-positions at 50 feet with our .22s. Don was friendly and one day offered us the chance to shoot his handguns.

I had no experience with handguns and it showed. Don's Smith and Wesson .38 Special and his Colt 1911 .45ACP were an embarrassment. I got a couple of shots on paper with each one. But his Smith and Wesson model 41 was magical. I kept all ten shots in the scoring rings. He was kind and generous with his praise. Which is why owning an S&W Model 41 has been in my mind for 61 years.

At yesterday's gunshow, my favorite pusher had one for sale. New in the box which was pristine, made in 1964, all the goodies. I don't think the box had been opened since it left the factory. 7" barrel with the vented muzzle. He knew I wanted one so he hid it until I got to his table; gave me the right of first refusal. Which I had to do because I could not afford the $2200 price tag. It sold about 5 minutes after I handed it back to my pusher.

The search for the grail continues.

 

[kje54]

Considering you can get them for under $2000 ($1265 at Locked & Loaded) I'd say he was a bit on the high side.

https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/130511

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

If it makes you feel better, I HATED mine. Jammed constantly and bit my knuckles......

Sure was pretty though.

 

[Steve Milbocker]

I’ve spent a lot of money on nostalgia. Sometimes your better off with just the memories. That said if you really want one you will make it happen some day. Great memory from better times, thanks for sharing.

 

[Griffen]

J-Bar, 60 is not old, just sayin’.

 

[J-Bar]

J-Bar, 60 is not old, just sayin’.

It is when you are 18!

​

 

[drk1]

Don't give up the hunt. And don't settle for one of the new ones. They are not the same quality. The real challenge is finding a pre-1970ish one in good condition, preferably in the original box. Best of luck and let us know when you find one!

 

[Mark_Mark]

I want a 41!

 

[Mark_Mark]

If it makes you feel better, I HATED mine. Jammed constantly and bit my knuckles......
View attachment 1151334
Sure was pretty though.

did they ever make those in a “Royal Blue” ? don’t know the Smith term

 

[J-Bar]

Most I have seen are blued, but not quite as breathtaking as the old Colts. Most have a matte finish; glare is bad for competition.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

The newer ones are matte finished on some surfaces. Older ones were high-polished blue with fine checkering or grooves on some surfaces to aid grip or break up glare.
You cant tell from the angle in that picture, but the top on mine was ribbed and had the extendable front sight rail.

 

[J-Bar]

EPILOGUE:

I exercised my old Ruger Mark 1 with the bull barrel at the range today. Did pretty good with CCI ammo. Guess I will play with what I got, and keep the money in my piggybank!

 

[Mark_Mark]

EPILOGUE:

I exercised my old Ruger Mark 1 with the bull barrel at the range today. Did pretty good with CCI ammo. Guess I will play with what I got, and keep the money in my piggybank!

picked up a pencil barrel MK1 about 2 months ago! very cheap! $250-ish

 

[berettaprofessor]

Never pass up a grail gun!

 

[9mmepiphany]

My grail .22lr pistol has long been the High Standard Victor but I could never find one...plus I was a bit scared off by the need to tune the magazines. For many years, I had to make do with a 6" S&W M-17 and a 4" Colt Diamondback

My fallback was the S&W M-41 which happened to fall into my lap while helping a friend value his aunt's husbands collection after he passed. It was very nice and came with both 5.5" and 7" barrel assemblies. It is a very nice pistol, just not as cool looking as the Victor

 

[earlthegoat2]

There is one for sale locally to me for $850.

1970 vintage.

That had better of been a special one

 

[Reinz]

Around 1990 I was trying to decide between a ‘41 and a Victor. Ran into a guy at the range one day with both.

He let me shoot them, and I was equally good at shooting both. That sucked. It made it even harder to decide.

Then he told me about a spring that loves to shoot across the room when removing the grip panel on the ‘41.

That sealed the deal for me, I went out and bought a Victor.

For some reason, I still have a hankering for a ‘41.

 

[Howland937]

Model 41 and Colt Woodsman Match Target have been on my list for a good while. I don't think the Match Target ever enjoyed the success of the 41 in competition realms, but it predates the 41 by about 2 decades. Not that I have anything against Hi Standards, just don't know enough to know the difference between the $400 model and the $1400 models. My brother has 3 of them...one is the HD military. No idea what the others are.

 

[Walkalong]

I forget what I paid for mine quite some time ago, but I love it.............so does my younger son.

 

[Jim Watson]

You cant tell from the angle in that picture, but the top on mine was ribbed and had the extendable front sight rail.

That is the scarce version, only the 41-1 Short Shooter is less common.

Then he told me about a spring that loves to shoot across the room when removing the grip panel on the ‘41.

That sealed the deal for me, I went out and bought a Victor.

There are leetle bitsy springs under the grips of a High Standard, too. So much so that Wolff sells slide lock and trigger bar springs as a set.

 

[Reinz]

That is the scarce version, only the 41-1 Short Shooter is less common.



There are leetle bitsy springs under the grips of a High Standard, too. So much so that Wolff sells slide lock and trigger bar springs as a set.

I haven’t had the Victor apart in many years. Did not remember that. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Gordon]

I had a couple HiStandard pistols along the way.My Citation wasn't bad , great trigger and very accurate The Flite King was svelte and nice but extremely picky on what it ate .The HD Military was actually my favorite and reliable with a good magazine , if you can find one other than what the gun came with. And although the HS mags all look close alike, they aren't. Over all I sold them all to someone else to fuss over. The Woodsman Match Target second Model, with push button mag release was somewhat more reliable and great field accurate and pretty.My father struggling to win local NRA matches with it from when he bought it new in early 50s till in early 60 s when he got a Ruger Mark 1 done up by a Louisiana gunsmith by the name of Clark and started to place real well in the NJ matches until he couldn't see well in 1970 or so.I got it and indeed it was much better than all the former target pistols in most ways.My son still has it. I never had an S&W 41.I settled for a 422 and A 622 which I keep a small suppressor on for pest control. They are lovely guns and do not jam, they use the 41 model magazines!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Always wanted one, I just love shooting .22s. Unfortunately I have never found one for a price I thought was fair. Now the older M41s go up every year. I do have a special run M22A which I really like but it's not a M41.

Question??? Are the current production M41s which List for $1,500 on the S&W site any good?

 

[SwampWolf]

It is when you are 18!

21 is old when you're 18!

 

[SwampWolf]

did they ever make those in a “Royal Blue” ? don’t know the Smith term

The original Model 41s were finished in "Bright Blue", Smith & Wesson's equivalent to Colt's "Royal Blue".