4043 Range Report - Update with Ammo Observations

[quikdraw67]

I picked up a 4043 off the big auction site for a pretty good price.

I had extra mags already, so I got a case and a repro label off Ebay.

It has some finish wear, nothing to severe. It was carried, but not shot much. My guess is that it's a EX-LEO pistol.

I shot it at 25ft, Privi Partizan 165gr ammo, 25rds total. No FTF/FTE issues, and that was before I took it home and cleaned it.

The DAO thing is new to me, but I think I got it figured out.

To say I'm happy with it is an understatement.

 

[18DAI]

Congrats! VERY nice shooting pistol, it looks like. Regards 18DAI

 

[raygixxer89]

Very nice! I have the 4046 and still haven't shot her yet. I think the trigger action is fantastic. Thanks for giving me another pistol to look for, lol.

 

[stansdds]

If you like the trigger on S&W J-frame revolvers, you are likely to feel at home with the DAO pistols. The trigger pull length and weight on my 6946 is almost identical to that of my 640-1 revolver.

 

[quikdraw67]

Yesterday 01/23 I took the 4043 to the range again.

This time I used 180gr PMC and Fiocci ammo.

Comparing this target with the one in the original post I would say that the pistol prefers 165gr loads.

The other odd thing was that I got a better group with the PMC ammo vs. the Fiocci.

The group around the Bullseye is the PMC.

I had 2 FTF, attributed to a bad magazine. It happened only when using it. 30 rounds total, 5 rounds per mag. 25 feet, standing, 2 handed grip.

 

[stansdds]

Yesterday 01/23 I took the 4043 to the range again.

This time I used 180gr PMC and Fiocci ammo.

Comparing this target with the one in the original post I would say that the pistol prefers 165gr loads.

The other odd thing was that I got a better group with the PMC ammo vs. the Fiocci.

The group around the Bullseye is the PMC.

I had 2 FTF, attributed to a bad magazine. It happened only when using it. 30 rounds total, 5 rounds per mag. 25 feet, standing, 2 handed grip.

If the bad magazine is a genuine S&W magazine, it could be an old, weakened magazine spring causing issues. When I buy a used pistol or used magazines, I do change the magazine spring. I've actually taken a few apart and found the spring was not correctly installed. Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to install a magazine spring.

 

[imarangemaster]

Congrats! I am. a recent 40 3rd gen convert!

What he said about new mag springs. My 6906 has new green springs, the 4006 has new blue springs, and the 59 has new orange springs. Midway USA has them. My 4006 mags has some springs that were so degraded, they were 25-30% shorter, same number of coils.

 

[fastreb999]

When I started at my dept. 24+ years ago, the first pistol I was issued was a 4043. I didn't learn until later that S&W had told our firearms training unit supervisor that the frames would start to crack between 2,500 - 3,000 rds. My pistol was the first to crack on the dept., as I was shooting quite a bit back then. After that, we found that the mag springs and recoil springs would take a set, causing malfunctions. For several years, we were changing mag springs every year because of the problem. After about 6 years, we transitioned to DAO versions of the Sig P229. We've been with that pistol ever since.

 

[67ray]

Where did the frame crack @fastreb999 ?