is the S&W 41 ammo picky?

[socalbeachbum]

is the Smith 41 picky about ammo or does it feed well, function well with various types?

I'm ready for a new range gun and the 41 is at the top of my list.

Are there any other target grade 22's I should consider?

 

[mstreddy]

Not in my experience. I've fed it bulk fodder. Will it do better with high end ammo, sure, but it does just fine for plinking with bulk.

 

[Furncliff]

I ordered the Wolff recoil spring calibration pack from Wolff, also available from Midway. With a bit of fiddling you can find the right spring for most ammo. With the correct spring my 41 will feed anything.

 

[Saleen322]

I have a number of target .22s (pic of some of them below). I had a 41 Smith and it was okay but never stood out so I traded it for something else. I would recommend going to a match sometime and talk to some of the shooters there. They will likely not only give you some suggestions but many will let you shoot their pistols. YMMV

 

[socalbeachbum]

the one you show in the lower left of the photo is the HS that I have now. 20 oz trigger, very accurate.

won't feed more than 5 rounds though w/o a ftf

 

[HighExpert]

I have used everything from Ely match (wasn't crazy about it as far as accuracy) to bulk UMC bought for $9 per brick. Shoots it all. I found CCI blue standard velocity to work best in mine by using a ransom rest. I have shot mine for better than 25 years and can only remember one alibi. I equipped mine with a red dot (Ultramax) and Herritt custom grips. Great gun. You don't need spring changes to shoot anything I have tried. Every .22 pistol will have its own preferences as far as ammo. Please test for best results.

 

[Sunray]

"...S&W 41 ammo picky?..." Yep and the cost of the ammo means nothing. You'll need to try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo any semi-auto .22 will both shoot well and cycle the action anyway. The cost of the ammo means nothing there either.
Mine shoots Remington Target and IVI Standard velocity. You can't get IVI Stateside.
If you want to look at other .22 target pistols you'll need to decide on how much money you want to spend. Other higher end pistols run upwards of 2 grand.

 

[Wil Terry]

MINE WERE PICKIER than a million dollar hooker. Had three, two 5 1/2" and the 7 1/2" model. Was glad when the last one ran away from home. My MKII 6 7/8" was more accurate than all three and never malfs a round. I was truly disappointed over that state of affairs as all three M41's had superb triggers.
And so it goes...

 

[tuj]

Save yourself grief. Get a Pardini SP. Best target .22 pistol out there. I have shot around 10 thousand rounds in mine and have had 3 malfunctions ever.

there's a reason Sgt. Kevin Saunderson shoots one. Look up and down the ISSF lines and you'll see plenty of Pardini's. There are no alibi's in international shooting!



Plus the Pardini has a user adjustable trigger in 5-ways to tune it any way you like it; way better than the M41. The forward balance and rakish grip do not suit everyone, but it so a proven technique for rapid fire control and minimum recovery and more wrist stability. The Pardini also has recoil compensation weights in the front end that dampen the impulse of the bolt recoiling. Very easy to put 5 shots on target.

 

[pendennis]

My Model 41 isn't particularly picky. I shoots almost anything I feed it. However, accuracy is another matter entirely altogether.

Mine shoots best with Wolf Match. I've tried Eley, Winchester, Remington, and even Wolf Match Extra. The Wolf Match shoots the most accurately.

My Rugers, MKII and MKIII; and my Colt Match Target, all like Wolf Match the best.

 

[claiborne]

The 41 I had was pretty picky to the point that I finally got rid of it after seven years of malfunction and FTF problems. I had the best luck with CCI mini mags. The trigger was outstanding and accuracy was top notch.

 

[243winxb]

Smith and Wesson model 41

1970"s Had a heavy barreled model. Shot my highest slow fire Bullseye scores with it. The 41 had feeding problems. Had to shoot 100 rounds till it was dirty, then it worked. Returned to factory. They did not fix it. Sold it. The High Standard Victory was my first choice, same vintage.

 

[Saleen322]

the one you show in the lower left of the photo is the HS that I have now. 20 oz trigger, very accurate.

won't feed more than 5 rounds though w/o a ftf

That does happen. Most all testing, including mine, is with 5 rounds as that is what you shoot in matches. I have seen a number of HS that were flawless at 5 rounds but get over 7 or so and then you have problems. Most of the top match pistols have 5 round magazines so that is a non-issue with them.

Get a Pardini SP. Best target .22 pistol out there.

I have 4 Pardinis including a SP. Very good choice.

 

[socalbeachbum]

surprised

I am surprised by the mixed remarks here on the 41. Sounds like it is not really an ammo choice issue, nor a shooter issue, but a design or manufacturing tolerance issue. Seems like some of you had good 41's others had finicky samples of the 41. Guess I should have never sold mine as I did have a non-finicky sample.

I'm planning to send in my High Standard Supermatic Military to HS along with 3 or 4 new mags and get them to tweak the mags and test fire. Still, I'd prefer 99-100% reliability in a range weapon. Since my S&W 22A-1 seems utterly reliable, maybe I'll work on the 60 oz trigger.

Or look at a Pardini. Or a Ruger. Some have said try the Buckmark.

 

[Walkalong]

I run Fed Auto Match in mine and it runs pretty much 100% I have used a little bit of other .22 and it ran fine as well. Maybe I'm just lucky. Love mine, can't go 2K for a nicer .22.

 

[tipoc]

I've had no significant problems with mine. They are older guns however. There is ammo that they prefer but that is normal.



tipoc

 

[socalbeachbum]

S&W Performance Center model

if I were to pay the extra $250 or so for the 41 from the S&W Performance Center, do you think I could expect that they hand pick them, test fire them, and it would be a better functioning piece?

 

[Morgo]

I've had two 41's, both shot well and reliably with CCI standard ammo.

 

[snooperman]

I have a 41 that I have been shooting for about 40 years and it likes standard velocity the best. It will shoot high velocity , but not as accurately as the standard velocity that I like from CCI. I usually buy 2 cases at a time and just started on my last case about a month ago. Hopefully the ammo situation will improve as I am rationing it slowly now.

 

[tallpaul]

The Model 41 was supposedly designed to function with cci standard target ammo... Our bullsye club most guys used the cci or remington ammo with few issues. Like anything else they can prefer some ammo over others and then there may or not be magazine issues. I have three- the one I started my bullseye with back in 1980 and it feeds about anything- standard or bulk pack... a spare I picked up in the nineties and dads old series with the brake and while I have not shot that much seem fine ...

 

[mstreddy]

OP
I was surprised as well to hear of so many issues. I guess I got lucky with mine. I picked it up used last year, and based on the serial number it dates to the mid 80s.
I own a Smith 22A-1 as well, and a Ruger 22-45. Either are fine range guns and are not picky about ammo. A buddy has a Buckmark and I was impressed. I may actually pick one up sometime.
Mind you, I'm not shooting any type of competition with my guns. They are range practice toys.

 

[socalbeachbum]

yes, I too am disappointed to hear all of this. I may just stick to my S&W 22A, maybe pick up a Buckmark and leave the finicky models to the pros to play with.

 

[jfrey]

My FIL only shoots CCI standard velocity in his 41 and it works fine. My Buck Mark is just as accurate and has a better trigger than his pistol. Save hundreds of dollars and check out the Browning. BTW Blazer HV ammo shoots best in mine.

 

[Onmilo]

Model 41 pistols require a bit of shooting to find just the right ammo to produce match grade groups.
As far as being picky, not really in my experience.
Mine shoots high velocity and standard velocity with equal reliability but there are some loads it definitely does not like, Federal Auto Match and Eley ammunition are two that come to mind.
It feeds reliably with Remington but for whatever reason the stuff just doesn't group well in this gun.
CCI Standard, Green Tag, and Pistol Match shoot like they are tailor made for the pistol.

 

[Saleen322]

Lot of good advice here. As someone mentioned, the Ruger MK series can be very good as well. Add just a trigger job and set of grips and you have a good match pistol. Dollar for dollar they are hard to beat.