Model 41 magazines ?

Why are 41 magazines rare as hen's teeth?

The only true rarities are those for the .22 short. Then there are those for the .22LR with the folded metal follower and those are a bit scarce. For modern magazines there are a great many places selling them. Have you tried Midway USA or CDNN among others?

To expand on what Loco said I'll offer the following, which I posted recently on another forum to answer a similar question.

The earliest versions (first few years of production) had metal followers and a hole in the base plate. They had a two piece body with the back portion staked on. Mags held 10 rounds. These are sought after by collectors and are hard to find.

Next version had a one piece body with metal follower and a hole in the base plate. Mags held 10 rounds. These were made from the 1960s thru I believe the mid 1980s. These are generally preferred over the newer versions because folks like the metal followers better.

Special mags where made for the Model 41-1 to handle .22 shorts and only held 5 rounds. They were basically factory modified versions of the regular magazine, but had a special follower, plug, different spring and spring guide. See pics below. These are rare and pricey today.

The newest version of the Model 41 mags have plastic followers (black and orange) and come in 10 round and 12 round configuration. They do not have holes in the base plate. These are currently available through many online sources.

I don't have any newer mags but I do have some older ones with the metal followers:



Here are some disassembled examples. Metal follower mag on top and a rare Model 41-1 .22 short mag on the bottom. You can see the differences in the components.



Here is a shot of the top of the mags so you can see the metal followers. Regular mag on right, .22 short mag in middle and .22 short mag body only on the left. You can see the shorter follower, plug and "U" shaped piece at the front.....all required to make the .22 short cartridge feed properly.



Model 41-1 .22 short mags only go to 5.



Holes on the bottom of the base plate make disassembly easier. These are Model 41-1 .22 short mags.......you can tell because the spring guide is stainless steel vs the blued steel spring guides on the regular mags. All Model 41 mags I've seen have the lazy ampersand (&) on the bottom so you can't use that to date them like you can with the Model 41 barrels.

Thanks, very interesting.

Boy that is alot of great info.. It's been my expierience that most of the before mentioned dealers are backordered.Also, I would really like to see a picture of the very early two piece magazine.

Right now every place I have looked is out of stock this includes Midway,Numrich,Natchez,Bullseye Gear & a Few Other Places,I am waiting for a eMail from Midway when they get them in,There are a few on Gunbroker most are used I don't want to pay top dollar for a used one to find out it was someones problem magazine.

If you're in a pinch, S&W has them for $28.36 plus shipping.

Civil. There was another version that had the floor plate with the hole and black plastic followers. They came with my M41 made around 1982. Ditto available from S&W.

RGPM1A said:

Civil. There was another version that had the floor plate with the hole and black plastic followers. They came with my M41 made around 1982. Ditto available from S&W.

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Good to know. Thanks.

Great info on the various magazines.

One thing I've noted is that some 41 mags (metal follower) won't seat properly when the slide is locked back, but will when the slide is forward. The mags hit the pin on the inside of the slide release with the slide locked back. Load fine when the slide is forward, haven't figured out why.

Thanks Loco

Loco Weed said:

The only true rarities are those for the .22 short. Then there are those for the .22LR with the folded metal follower and those are a bit scarce. For modern magazines there are a great many places selling them. Have you tried Midway USA or CDNN among others?

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Cdnn had them listed at a great price.

Civil what should.....

civil1977 said:

Good to know. Thanks.

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the metal follower mags sell for now?

carl3989 said:

the metal follower mags sell for now?

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They seem to be going for $25-$35 on GB, depending on condition.

CDNN for 24.99

Smith & Wesson 422/41/2206 22lr 12rd Blue Mag New Factory

How much would a Model 41-1 (.22 short) magazine in nearly unused condition sell for?

BUFF said:

How much would a Model 41-1 (.22 short) magazine in nearly unused condition sell for?

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I've only seen one or two for sale in the last six months or so and I believe they went for $125-$150 each.