Model 43 diet research

[88usnret]

Picked up a used 1974 vintage Model 43, ser 70,902 for around $300 from an auction cuz the bride said she might like to plink with a 22. Tight and not very smooth action, so off to LGS for honing etc. Good now with action smoothed, trigger shoe off and trigger honed smooth. Out to the quarry and punching paper holes time, lots of stuck spent shells and HER griping. That was my fault for mixing up brands. I never paid attention because my MK III Ruger is like Mikey...eats anything. Deep Cleaning the gun next. Then checking spent shells and Win X and Federal wont go back into cyl...CCI and Rem will. Check new shells next, new Win X hard to chamber...Federal, CCI and Rem slide right in. Aha! Maybe progress here. Heading out to the quarry tomorrow with my brands properly segregated and we will see. Lot of trouble just to plink. I have heard members post re finicky guns and never paid attention, cuz that didn't affect me. OOPS. More to follow after the next session paying attention.

 

[murphydog]

Thanks for the report. I've read elsewhere on the site that the aluminum cylinder can be finicky with loading/firing/extracting. Perhaps just a minor dimensional variation in the rounds and you have trouble.

 

[LEO918]

My pre Model 43 is my favorite trail gun, carried in a Safariland holster, I don't even know it's there most of the time. I added a set of S&W Target stocks to mine and it feels just perfect in hand. Once you get your ammo sorted out you will really enjoy that little gun.

 

[88usnret]

43 Diet Research Follow Up

OK. All four brands put holes on the 8.5X11 piece of paper @ 10 yd, pretty equal. Fired 100 rnds Rem Thunderbolt bulk, chamber easy, eject easy. 50 rnds of CCI mini mag, chamber easy, eject stiff/OK. 50 rnds Federal Champion, chamber stiff/OK, eject Stiff/OK. 50 rnds WinX bulk, Chamber stiff to hard, Eject hard. ( I ran a dry bore brush in barrel and chambers between brands) Range result of unscientific test is this S&W 43 likes Remington Thunderbolt; feed the rest to the automatic. All good ammo, no failures to fire in the bunch.
Just info...don't mean much, fun tho.
Thx-Steve