musicman10_1
Member
I am very excited about finding a used Model 41 a few days ago. The price was good and the condition very good. Congrats to the OP.
Smith and Wesson model 41
- Thread starter DDDWho
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Trashyshoots
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- 598
I went between a model 41 and a scorpion for almost 6 months before I chose the Volquartsen. A model 41 is still definitely on my short list.
rabid wombat
Member
First, congratulations! The 41 was a grail gun for me from the beginning. I found a used beater a number of years ago for a decent deal. I had Clark go through it, and now it is a favorite. Since it was so poorly taken care off, no harm in all I have done to it. Great to shoot!
Very recently, I stumbled into a second for a song! A little research, an early 5 in field barrel! Will be sending off for a letter soon.
Very recently, I stumbled into a second for a song! A little research, an early 5 in field barrel! Will be sending off for a letter soon.
- there is a GRAIL gun!
whughett
Member
Beautiful. That laminated grip panels are great looking. The 41 most be near the apex of gun design for sheer beauty. Yes I know women are beautiful guns and cars are just pretty.
shoobe01
Member
Things like the new SIG 210 make me shocked that the classic old unchanged 41 is still around.
Heartening. And... may make me poor sometime.
Heartening. And... may make me poor sometime.
rabid wombat
Member
patience, and it will come!
@NIGHTLORD40K and @tipoc have the grail barrels…the 5 1/2 in bull with the extending front sight!
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
Well.....I did. Honestly, I hated my 41. Jammed constantly and busted my knuckles repeatedly. Its long gone now and I dont miss it.
I have a M422 which eats everything and shoots 90% as well for me without any skin loss.
If I want to shoot seriously small groups, I grab my M17 or Officer's Model Match .22.
JCooperfan1911
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- Oct 8, 2020
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I’ve heard enough horror stories about the new Model 41s to never even consider bothering with them. I’d only buy a used one.
a model 7.5 41 was my second gun at 17/18 after a 6 inch colt python bought/paid for from mowing money at 16. Bought a second in the nineties because it is a favorite andI figured one day they would quit makin em... then I got dads A series with the muzzle brake... picked up a spare 5,5 barrel a while back. Dont forget cci standards usually run great in them
JCooperfan1911
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When I was younger me and my buddies from work would split a case of Lone Star beer down by the river and plink at driftwood floating by with our 10/22s and my Colt Woodsman. Those were fun times.
rabid wombat
Member
My intestines scream of distress….was cheaper than Coca Cola in college…..
Great to shoot down by the river!…charcoal briquets made good targets, too
The S&W M41 is a sweet shooting .22lr pistol. It is very well designed so it is easy to field strip, easy to clean. It also has a soft recoil and a great trigger. There are guys out there with decades of shooting the things, probably the round count on some of them is close to 100K rounds.
I lucked on to this 1968 ish M46. It has plastic grips, and was the reduced cost M41
Had it drilled and tapped so I could shoot it in competition.
I hope the collector's cry at my estate sale! This one is a rare, 5.5 inch M46.
shoots good
one of these days I won't have flyers
money was worth more back then, but I would buy one, maybe two, for $100 in 1960 money. Run an inflation calculator to figure out what this costs in terms of today's money
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
I lucked on to this 1968 ish M46. It has plastic grips, and was the reduced cost M41
Had it drilled and tapped so I could shoot it in competition.
I hope the collector's cry at my estate sale! This one is a rare, 5.5 inch M46.
shoots good
one of these days I won't have flyers
money was worth more back then, but I would buy one, maybe two, for $100 in 1960 money. Run an inflation calculator to figure out what this costs in terms of today's money
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
OP
OP
DDDWho
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My bro-n-law and his son are continually buying (mostly used) guns. The son showed up here one day with a Ruger Competition. At the time I thought it was one of the best 22s in existence. I had to have one.
His dad came with a S&W 41. You know what happened. I’m not a target/competitive shooter, only to zero an optic. I shoot at critters. Maybe now I can hit a few
His dad came with a S&W 41. You know what happened. I’m not a target/competitive shooter, only to zero an optic. I shoot at critters. Maybe now I can hit a few
Kevin Rohrer
Member
^^This^^
I wanted the Cadillac of .22 autos and bought one a few years back, then immediately bought ten mags.
Don't disparage the capabilities of your Ruger. Ruger designed a pistol that is inherently accurate.
The owner of this pistol installed a Volquartsen trigger, other wise it is stock, and he regularly out scores me, regardless of what I am shooting
Typically what you get with the more expensive pistols is refinement in ergometrics and trigger pull that helps the Masters and High Masters be more consistent. I don't own this pistol, but I own the picture I took. I think the grips are $400 grips, but you can get them made to your exact hand fit. This has a counter weight system so recoil is reduced, not that a 22 lr recoils all that much.
The S&W M41 is a refined target pistol, and a great deal for the price, however, it is still up to the shooter to put them in the middle.
well the model 41 was designed for bullseye... and it has done that well for decades!
Jim Watson
Member
I have read that the Model 41 was in development in the late 1930s, to get S&W in competition with Colt and High Standard .22 autos.
It was apparently influenced by success of the Walther Olympia. (Notice the similarity of takedown by hinging down the trigger guard.).
Held up by the war, they did not bring it to market until 1957.
It was apparently influenced by success of the Walther Olympia. (Notice the similarity of takedown by hinging down the trigger guard.).
Held up by the war, they did not bring it to market until 1957.
barnetmill
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- Jun 6, 2006
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- 1,264
Different tools for different tasks. What I am seeing is that biggest problem with the 41 is that it is recoil sensitive. Its correct cycling seems to be built around the CCI standard velocity ,22 LR load. Mine will function perfectly with that load. With the much cheaper and at times more available in bulk mexican aguila standard velocity loads none of the local model 41s will function, but many other brand guns with lighter slides will. Many people routinely put oil based lubricants on the top bullet of the magazine. That increases slide velocity and I am positive that it batters the slide and frame. I have installed a buffer in mine and I am shooting the federal automatch I until finish up the supply that I have on and will then switch to my stash of CCI standard velocity. The Federal auto match is not a real hot high velocity load and I hope with the buffer will not batter the gun. Remember we are talking of multiple thousands of rounds. One of the best shots in our group has a visibly battered gun. He always oils his cartridges and now his gun is beginning to malfunction regularly after maybe constantly shooting if for many years. He might have 40 years on it.
For the race competitions, I wonder just how many are firing standard velocity. I can see using the other above mentioned guns for the steel challenge. Proper heat treating in the 41 would likely facilitate long term use with even hypervelocity with also redesign of some parts.
Jim Watson
Member
Mine will.
I went through the oiled top round treatment, but I have found a simpler method:
Don't clean it too often. A bare steel chamber is "sticky," and weak extraction/ejection will ensue. After cleaning the chamber, fire some fouling shots to lay down some bullet lube and soot.
barnetmill
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- Jun 6, 2006
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When mine gets dirty, it malfunctions so I have to clean every so often. But maybe that is not true for aquila ammo.
Jim Watson
Member
Well, I have to clean mine occasionally, too. But then I fire a couple magazines to "condition" the chamber before counting on it.
My supply of Aquila SV is running down, when it is gone, I have some CCI SV.
My Nelson Conversion will not cycle Aquila SV but it will CCI SV. Nelson "rates" it for regular HV so I am using up Aquila HV in it, then on to CCI.
My old High Standard is CCI SV only, I do not have another load it "likes."
My SM ACE is not fully reliable with anything, but I have a light spring and buffer in it to use up some Wolf and SK on hand.
My supply of Aquila SV is running down, when it is gone, I have some CCI SV.
My Nelson Conversion will not cycle Aquila SV but it will CCI SV. Nelson "rates" it for regular HV so I am using up Aquila HV in it, then on to CCI.
My old High Standard is CCI SV only, I do not have another load it "likes."
My SM ACE is not fully reliable with anything, but I have a light spring and buffer in it to use up some Wolf and SK on hand.
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