M41 - Old or New?!

[taters613]

OP here.
I've been shopping around a little more, and I happened to find a pre-A, 1960 model 41 in really excellent condition. However, it only comes with a single magazine (no box, no other extras). It's got the 7 3/8" barrel with the cap (no comp). It's got the cocking indicator too, of course.
So let's throw that hat into the ring as well! Assuming the prices are all approximately equal, should I purchase:
1) brand new m41 with 7" barrel,
2) 1978 m41 with 7" barrel, original box, two mags,
3) 1960 m41 with 7 3/8" barrel, one mag and no box.

I've heard the "pre-A" models are even better in terms of fit and finish than the A's, although I can't say that I could see any difference between these two guns (although I wasn't able to view them side by side, or even on the same day).

 

[growr]

New or old doesn't much matter....just get one and shoot the heck out of it!!

Randy

 

[7tcu]

Price is always a driving feature for me, but I do Like new things better than used ones. I have a 41 I bought last year and a 41 I got at a gun show and it was made in 1985, and I can not tell the difference in them. I like new.

 

[taters613]

Exciting update: I just won a gunbroker auction for a vintage 1968 M41 with a 5.5" barrel!!
It appears to be in fantastic condition with only one minor scratch, and a hairline crack on one side of the grips. The bluing looks fantastic with very little wear. The hairline crack in the grips is not visible in the pictures despite the fact that they are very high definition, but was called out by the seller in the description (which frankly increased my level of trust). The pistol comes with one mag and no box, but will cost me less than $1k out the door, which seems like a great deal in this market. The seller claims to have shot this pistol himself and can confirm the reliability and accuracy (obviously he could be lying, but this wouldn't be very consistent with calling out the hairline crack in the grips, right?).
Anyway, I'm very pleased and excited with the purchase. After all the research I did, I basically decided the following:

1) I'd prefer old over new, and a pre-A vintage with cocking indicator would be most preferable,
2) I'd prefer the 5.5" over the 7", as the 7" just seems a bit too unwieldy, whereas the 5.5" balances perfectly in my hands (I've shot a 5.5" but never a 7" btw).
3) I set my budget firmly at <= $1200 out-the-door.
4) I want good-to-excellent condition, but NOT a "collector grade" pistol, because then I might feel too guilty to shoot it.

As you can see, the gun I found satisfies each and every one of my conditions!
I'll make sure to update this thread with some glamor shots once I have the pistol in my hands.
Thanks for the valuable advice y'all!

 

[growr]

You are going to love it!!!

Now, save another $1200 for a box of ammo........

Randy

 

[wproct]

Congratulations!

taters613, I had been struggling trying to give an opinion on your previous post, primarily because I have a definite preference for the 5.5 inch heavy barrel on a model 41 versus the 7 inch barrel model. And then Boom, you came up with the perfect solution, and no opinion was necessary. Congratulations on your purchase and will be looking forward to pictures and a range report!

 

[taters613]

taters613, I had been struggling trying to give an opinion on your previous post, primarily because I have a definite preference for the 5.5 inch heavy barrel on a model 41 versus the 7 inch barrel model. And then Boom, you came up with the perfect solution, and no opinion was necessary. Congratulations on your purchase and will be looking forward to pictures and a range report!

Thank you sir!
I'm hoping I'll be taking this pistol to the range next week, where it will compete against my other 22 pistols to see which performs the best!

So here's a fun challenge: Try to guess the ranking of the following pistols in terms of group size and accuracy (in my hands that is!):

1) Ruger Mark iv Target with VQ internals and TK trigger upgrade,
2) S&W model 41 5.5" (the newest addition)
3) Browning Challenger ii 6 3/4" barrel,
4) Belgium Browning Challenger 4 1/2" barrel,
5) Ruger Single Six 6" barrel.

 

[wproct]

I'm guessing a toss up between the Model 41 and the Ruger MKIV Target. That's for first and second of course.

 

[taters613]

I'm guessing a toss up between the Model 41 and the Ruger MKIV Target. That's for first and second of course.

Good guess, that's what I'm thinking as well...however, the mark iv has a bit of an unfair advantage because I've put about 2500 rounds through it in the last couple months! It's a fantastic shooter.
Side note: I just brought home the Belgium browning challenger today, and the fit, finish and overall quality of this pistol is astounding. It's miles beyond the American made challenger ii, and, frankly, miles beyond any other 22 pistol I've ever held. The trigger is absolutely incredible as well. The gun is in excellent, near mint condition (but without the original grips), and I was able to get it for only $450 out the door on gunbroker! Seems like an absolute steal for this kind of quality!
Anyway, apologies for hijacking my own thread, but I'd highly recommend that y'all take a look at the Belgium Brownings if you haven't already done so!

 

[wproct]

Yes, quality of finish and materials of the Belgium Browning Medalist, Challenger, and Nomad pistols are in a class of their own. IMO

 

[4T5GUY]

I usually don't add to these 41 old vs new questions. I don't have much experience with the "newer" 41's other than seeing and occasionally shooting a friends. It really does shoot great, but it is not anything compared to the older ones in my opinion.

I still have a couple 1969 41's and a 1969 Challenger, I think both are equally perfect in fit, finish and as important accuracy. I really like the deep blueing of the older ones compared to what is offered now. I got my second 41 just a years ago and it was a lot cheaper than a new one then.

Edit to add, the pictured 41 was $750.00 and the other barrel was $250.00.

Jim

 

[bbqncigars]

I went with a '68 over a newer model a few years back. Got a Clark 5" barrel for optics when I don't feel like shooting the 7 3/8 original, but the old iron sights somehow still work better for me.

 

[taters613]

OP Update:
So I just got back from my first range trip with my new-to-me vintage model 41, 1974 browning challenger, and my 1980's browning challenger ii. This was my first time shooting all three of these pistols, and let me tell you: things did NOT go as I expected!!
First for the good news: the two challengers were FANTASTIC shooters. Zero malfunctions between the two of them, and I was immediately shooting teeny tiny groups with both of them. Right off the bat, I shot a 1.5" 10 shot group offhand at 15 yards with the challenger ii, which is phenomenal shooting for me. And I was able to easily replicate this group size with the Belgium challenger, which only has a 4.5" barrel! I'm frankly blown away by the quality of the Belgium gun, and it blows my mind that I got it for $450 out the door. And, even though the American made Challenger ii is a big step down in terms of fit and finish, it's still a fantastic shooter and a great deal at under $350! Both these pistols are definitely keepers.
Now for the bad news: things did NOT work out very well with the model 41! I shot this pistol last, and was somewhat shocked to see that my group sizes with the m41 were about double the size as with either of the challengers. Furthermore, I experienced several malfunctions (failure to eject). And, before I could even get through two magazines, the trigger over travel screw backed out, which ended the day for the poor m41. Fortunately I went back to shooting the two challengers and had a blast. The ruger single six that I gave to my mother for Christmas also shot extremely well. It was our first time shooting together since I surprised her with it, and we both agreed it was one of the funnest pistols we'd ever shot.
Anyway, I'm not giving up on the model 41 just yet. I gave it a good cleaning (I'm thinking a dirty chamber may have been responsible for the failure to eject problems), and I also put some blue loctite on the over travel adjustment screw before resetting it. However, if it doesn't perform better at the next range trip (whether it's my fault or the pistols), I'm gonna sell it and use the funds to buy a Belgium challenger with a 6.5" barrel, because I'm officially a HUGE challenger fanboy!!