I have a new Model 41 that I bought in 2013. The safety is so tight on it that it's almost impossible to engage/disengage without almost breaking it off. Anyone else notice this on their's? You would think that S&W would have checked this before it left the factory.

From my experiance with my own, it is very stiff to both engage and disengage.

Mine is the same - very hard to engage and disengage.

Same-Same
Kevin G


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They have always been somewhat difficult to work.

In their intended paper-punching role, the safety is rarely used. I think I had mine for 40 years before ever using the safety, and it was really difficult to get it loosened up. My wife used the M41 in her first formal pistol class, and had to use the safety as part of every drill. She had blisters form halfway through the morning session.

If I was using one as a field gun in a holster, I would investigate why they are so tight and do something to get it to work easier.

The safety can be softened up some with polishing the detent, but too soft and can be accidently pushed on while shooting. They have never been easy to operate, but newer ones are apparently worse than older ones.

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TOMBECK

Tension on the safety lever can be modified by adjusting the safety spring plate under the grip panel. Adjustment of the bend in the step or polishing the tab on the back of the step may help. To make mine a bit lighter, I just loosened the screw in the plate about 1/4 of a turn. Seemed to help without further modification. Also check for a "shiny" spot on the inside of the grip panel....the panel may be in contact with the lever and exerting some pressure on the lever when the grips are in place, and tightened.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Mine is that way also. I put some neverseez lube on it where it moves but it still is harder than I would like it to be.

My old 1958 does the same thing but over the years that I have owned it I have put one drop of oil on it every cleaning which has helped loosen it up quite a bit over time.

My 41 is one of the old ones with a cocking indicator. Not sure when they stopped putting one on 41's, but it was about 1970 if memory serves. Just like others here my safety latch is stiff, and seldom used on a target purposed gun. Does make you wonder why S&W wouldn't tinker with the springs, engagement angles, and detent depths to get it reasonably operable. Range gun or not, safeties have their place, especially on an autoloader. Can you imagine the litigation tidal wave is someone dared sell one without a safety? Does stress the importance of using the safety between your ears.

I have never found a way to NOT empty the mag on a Model 41, so I have not used the safety unless I was testing it.

Bob

The cocking indicator was dropped around 1978.

The safeties are usually stiff on these guns. I don't use mine since the gun is either loaded and being fired or unloaded with the slide locked back at the range.

Ditto all of the above on my 3 year old model.

Also, the safety on mine will occasionally engage due to contact in the bag or whatever and it usually takes me a few minutes to figure out why it won't fire.

Mine is either in my hand; loaded and firing, or empty on the bench with the slide locked back.

I don't have any use for a safety in a target-only weapon.

Even Bob Loveless (yes, the knife maker) did not ease or enlarge the thumb safety when cutting the M41 down to a "field pistol." He carried it Condition 3 when squirrel hunting.

Can't say I've ever engaged it on mine. Not sure I would trust it loaded in a holster with one in the pipe.

No need to suffer with them being too tight (they are all like that) because the fix is simply to remove spring detent and SLIGHTLY bend to loosen just a wee bit and reinstall. Use a good pair of needle nose pliers and all will be good. While you are at it you might want to take an extra fine Arkansas Stone and just break the sharp edge of the safety button as they are usually sharp enough to cut your finger on. Just a stroke or two with the stone s all that's necessary to break the edge.

I suspect that the provision of a safety was done to satisfy some Lawyer of the time or perhaps the Military.

I had had my two for close to 50 years and in that time only tried the safeties once or twice and moved them mainly to clean. They are still very stiff, I think.

The rule usually is: actions open and clear, magazines out, step back from the firing line.

Parenthetically, I have been told that the Pardini model 22LR, we get in the US is a special model since it is the only one sold with a safety.

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Ipsis Rebus Dictantitbus