Sorry if these questions have been asked a thousand times, but I'm new here and I searched for an hour and found nothing.

I was given a model 41 and it needs some parts. It had a rifle scope on it and the rear sight is missing. The top is tapped in three spots.

I'd like to know if three holes in the top is normal (factory).
I need to find a rear sight for it. Any advice?
The serial number is 113192. Any idea what year it is?
I'd like to know why some have compensators and some don't. Is there any real difference? The compensator is a darker blue, looks like an afterthought, but I see a lot of similar guns out there.

Thanks for any help you can send my way!

First off, welcome to the Forum and congratulations on your acquisition. The Model 41 is one of my favorites. Based on the serial number, I would guess 1969. The scope mounting holes are not factory on a gun that old. You can buy blued plug screws to fill the holes online from MidwayUSA. You should be able to find a replacement rear site by placing a "Want to Buy" ad in the appropriate section of this forum or online sources such as Numrich. Since you asked about the muzzle brake, I assume you have a 7 3/8" barrel.....be aware that the rear sights are different on the various barrels. The same rear sight was used on the 7 3/8” barrel, 7” barrel and 5” field barrel. A different rear sight was used on the 5 1/2” heavy barrel and 5 1/2” EFS heavy barrel. The muzzle brake or compensator is made out of aluminum and it is anodized. That's why it looks different from the rest of the gun. Most folks will recommend that you remove the muzzle brake because they are hard to clean after shooting. S&W made a cap that replaces the muzzle brake and protects the end of the barrel. The muzzle brakes were discontinued in 1978 along with the 7 3/8" barrel, which was replaced by the 7” barrel with no muzzle brake.

Thanks Civil1977!
1969 huh? Almost as old as I am! I found clips at Midway for only $20ish apiece. Picked up one for an old Ruger Standard I have while I was there.

I'll advertise here for a rear sight. Thanks for the tip!