Model 41 Perf. Ejection issue

[modelguymn]

I have a new model 41 performance by davidson and i'm experiencing some ejection issues. about 1 in 15 shots the brass ejects and then the slide catches it and crushes the brass thereby not allowing the next round to load properly. I have tried about EVERY SV round I can get my hands on with no change. I have purchased new mags as well with no change. I have also replaced the spring with a factory spring with no change. I'm running out of ideas here. Thanks for any help you can send my way!

 

[shovelwrench]

How many rounds do you have through the 41? Have you lightly oiled the slide and guide rod/spring assembly? Also check for points of wear where the slide rubs any other part. There may be a burr or small high spot dragging down your slide speed.

Sometimes it just takes some higher velocity rounds till any .22 auto gets through its "break-in"....

 

[chief38]

My 41 works incredibly well and quite accurate with Federal Champion High Velocity (#510) 40 gr. solid bullets. It does almost as well with Winchester Wildcats, and American Eagle - both Hi-Vel. & 40 grains.

Never had much luck with SV ammo & Remington is the worst of the lot - very bad!

 

[garbler]

The model 41's are supposed to be set up for standard velocity ammo as a bullseye gun. In fact years ago Smith & Wesson and High Standard advised against shooting the hotter ammo in these guns since the springs and slide would batter or get beat up. That gun of yours should handle all decent standard velo ammo. There used to be some Russian steel cased target ammo around years ago that was a problem and as I heard it the extractor could not handle the harder steel case rims but not sure about this

New magazines will not have anything to do with your problem since it is not a feeding problem but an ejection issue as I understand it. If it were me I would definitely send that gun back to the factory with a strongly worded letter telling them you are shooting in the leagues and the gun is costing you scores and making other shooters wonder about their product.

Good luck

 

[chief38]

You are correct in saying that they were supposed to shoot SV ammo reliably. That said, the Hi velocity stuff (not really that much hotter) works much better, is very accurate, less expensive and after owning my Model 41 since 1979 and shooting 10's of thousands of hi-vel bullets through it, it is still in perfect condition and shows no appreciable wear. Personally I never had much luck with the SV stuff, and never have a problem with the HV stuff. YMMV

Chief38

UPDATED 09/05/2021:

Back in 2017 I replaced the Extractor in my M41 with a Voquartsen part and I also replaced the recoil spring (same factory spring). Since that time my M41 has functioned flawlessly with CCI STANDARD Velocity ammo. Since that time Std. Vel. CCI is what I have been using exclusively. Prior to that I was unaware at just how easy it is to fix many reliability issues with the M41. I've also learned that the Factory Extractor is a stamped out part and subject to early failure - at least in my opinion.

 

[cjw3]

I would occasionally have the same malfunction (and others) in my Model 41 using the recommended/preferred CCI standard velocity (892 fps from my gun) and the factory 7# spring. I dropped back to a 6# spring and things started running right.

I have also had good luck with Federal Auto Match (1042 fps) and the 7# spring; not nearly as accurate as the CCI SV, but OK for general use. Since yours is new, it may just need a good wringing out to the tune of several hundred rounds to get it smoothed up.

I love the trigger, accuracy and workmanship of my 41, but it apparently shares the finicky nature of a lot of them. You might try getting a recoil spring calibration kit from Wolff so you can tune the gun to whatever load you have.

 

[darma]

model 41

Good luck to all a model 41 owners. I have had consistent problems with mine since purchasing it new less than a year ago. It was been back for an extractor problem once when it totally did double feeds and would not function. Next time it malfunction, stovepipes, I changed the spring and ammo, and it functioned for a while, and then immediately after shooting a match, the gun did total double feeds and the slide would not close properly. I immediately noted the barrel would not accept a cartridge because there was a burr into the opening, from the extractor. It is now back at S&W and I just received a total "dressing down" from Mark Rossini in service department because this was most likely caused by improperly field stripping my gun (obviously my fault because I am a woman and not an expert like him). Clearly, I am not pleased with this gun, the service, and the attitude of S&W. Oh, also, his manager is going to call me (is that a warning or implied threat), because I am asking for satisfaction as regards this gun.

 

[garbler]

Darma

I can't tell you how many times I see the newer 41's with failures to extract or feed at the matches. In one leaque I shoot they are called " Alibi " guns as it never fails somebody on the line will have their hand up after a string with a jammed 41. It used to be the 41's and 52's were only assembled and always test fired by the custom shop. That has changed and for reasons I can't understand they leave the factory sold as target guns and have these problems. You pay big money for them and they should cycle and group like a target gun. You should not have to play the spring game with a 41 they were sold as being tuned and ready to compete with standard velocity ammo — five rounds in the mag.

I have two A- prefix and one pre- A and they will shoot anything even the steel cased Russian stuff. From the 60's through about 1989 they were pretty much totally reliable good solid mid-level bullseye guns. Then they seemed to fall off a cliff or something. Don't let up and make them fix it or replace it.

 

[gdauth]

I have a new model 41 performance by davidson and i'm experiencing some ejection issues. about 1 in 15 shots the brass ejects and then the slide catches it and crushes the brass thereby not allowing the next round to load properly. I have tried about EVERY SV round I can get my hands on with no change. I have purchased new mags as well with no change. I have also replaced the spring with a factory spring with no change. I'm running out of ideas here. Thanks for any help you can send my way!

I had the same problem with my new 41. I tried several brands of ammo and Eley seemed to work best, but I still had problems. The following fixed the problem so that now I can shoot 300 - 400 rounds of CCI SV with out any problems. First, I use a chamber brush to clean the chamber after every trip to the range. An unfired round dropped into the chamber will fall so that the rim is seated on the breach. When the barrel is inverted the round should drop free. If either fails, re-clean the chamber. This will help with the FTEs. Second, some cartridges may have excessive wax lubricant which will prevent the round from feeding, chambering and extracting correctly. I check each round before loading the mag. Third, my 41 likes to run wet. At the suggestion of another 41 owner, I lubricate the slide with Mobil 1, 5W20. I can actually feel the difference when I rack the slide. Fourth, make sure that you fingers do not touch any part of the slide. The friction from a finger on the slide will slow it down and can result in poor cycling. Fifth, I carry a chamber brush with me to the range to clean the chamber if it gets dirty.

It took months to figure all of this out, even with the help of others. However, now my 41 is my favorite gun, it is a dream to shoot.

If you think that you still have extractor problems, there are some tests that can be used to diagnose an extractor problem.

 

[tomcatt51]

If you think that you still have extractor problems, there are some tests that can be used to diagnose an extractor problem.

I make sure the extractors are ok and if there's still a function issue I've reamed the chamber on a few. Hand turned, piloted reamer. The reamer hasn't removed much metal on any of them (unlike reaming the chambers of a 617) and you can see where it's cut and where it hasn't. Looking at the cut pattern these guns don't seem to have very round or straight chambers. The little material removed reaming the chamber has made fussy 41s run just fine.

 

[darma]

model 41 problems

Thanks for all the feedback. I am starting to see a pattern here and I have also been advised to get a Ruger since the customer service is superb. No "dressing down" the customer! The way this has been handled by S@W has been botched from the start. They started this whole process by sending me fedex label with a tracking number that didn't exist (panic time when I tried to track the gun and fed ex couldn't find it). Nobody has yet to explain that one. It was finally located, obviously. Now I have waited for approximately two weeks for updates on the process of repairing the gun and without a total diagnostic being done yet. When I call I am told by service representative Mark Rossini that it's the extractor and I am to blame for field stripping the gun wrong. Really Mark! I didn't realize that you were the one doing the diagnostic. How about this...the gun is defective, not me! I repeat, this gun has had extractor problems from the beginning! I eagerly await a "call" from his manager, which I have been promised. I will keep you all updated, and thanks for the replies.

 

[garbler]

Darma

I would not give up on your 41 for a Ruger. Once you get these things ironed out you will have a wonderful handling and shooting gun that far exceeds anything Ruger has to offer — not even in the same leaque. Not sure what you are doing with it but if you are competing then the 41 is lights years ahead of a Ruger — even a Ruger that has been re-barreled, slicked up with all the bells and whistles. It is a shame that S&W's service people are treating you like this but don't let them off the hook

I started shooting Bullseye with a Ruger that picked up every mod and upgrade I could afford. It was like spending money for speed equipment on a Volkswagen. When it is all said and done you still have a VW. I then bought my first 41 from another shooter who went Euro with a Hammerli and I loved the gun and my scores jumped ten points. I now shoot only High Standards but it is a personal preference and not to do with any real significant performance advantages. I just like HS's.

 

[darma]

I so agree about the High Standard. I shot one last weekend and it was superb! It was an older one and it fit me like a glove. I am a small woman and could have gone all afternoon with that gun. Sadly, I had to give it back to its owner. You had better believe that I will not let S&W off the hook. I have the email of the head of the service department and Mark Rossini's boss and soon there will be some hopefully effective emails sent to them.

 

[johngalt]

I went through similar issues with mine. Sent it back to SW for repair, which improved it but still wasn't perfect. Experimented with ammo, and finally settled on CCI SV. I can usually go several 100 rounds between malfunctions now.

 

[darma]

Finally, my model 41 is being shipped back from Smith and Wesson. Of course I had to call to see where my gun was in repairs. Oh, and I was told by Mark Rossini, service rep, that he didn't say that I field stripped the gun wrong, but that Someone did. Again, simply not true. Also no one here has ever removed that extractor assembly when it was field stripped.. So yet again, from S&Ws view, the person is defective, never the gun. Also his manager was supposed to call me about this gun, and that of course didn't happen. The only satisfaction I have is that I was told (if I can believe him) the gun was repaired in the performance center. So the saga of Smith and Wesson and their "helpful, truthful, courteous" customer service reps continues.

 

[rusty old colt]

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MINE INSTALLED A BOLT BUFFER WITH FACTORY SPRING AND AFTER SHOOTING ABOUT 500 ROUNDS OF MINI MAGS PROBLEM SEEMED TO GO AWAY ...ALSO WATCH OUT WITH CCI STANDARD AMMO THEY MAKE IT AT THE CCI PLANT AND FEDERAL PLANT YOU CAN TELL BUY THE LOT NUMBER ALSO FEDERAL USES A DIFFERENT WAX LUBE ON BULLET HEAD AND YOU MAY NEED TO KEEP THE CHAMBER VERY CLEAN AND ADD A DROP OF OIL ON TOP BULLET HEAD IN MAG........GOOD LUCK

 

[darma]

I found that mine before repairs would not shoot the cci sv but I could shoot the cci blazers and mini mags, after a spring change, and before it had the extractor problem. We shall see how it performs once I get it back. Thanks for the info.