S&W 41 - Anyone own one/have trigger time with one

[Krogen]

I have a 41 from the late 60's. I love it. I hate it. I love it..... I hate it.... I love it......

Yeah, it depends. When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad it's really bad. Fortunately, it's good most of the time. I use it for Bullseye at 25 and 50 yards. When it's cold and wet we go inside and shoot 50 ft Bullseye. The gun is way more accurate than I am. I am NOT equipment limited, unless it's the equipment between my ears.

The gun is very sensitive to cleanliness, proper lube and the right ammo. If it's freshly cleaned it will be cranky for a while. Just like your dog who isn't happy right after getting a bath. After a few rounds it settles in. Lube needs to be light oil with a dab of grease on the slide where the hammer contacts and where the slide rubs under the barrel. Ammo? CCI SV doesn't work although it's commonly recommended. Mine likes Eley Target, the greasy stuff. SK Standard is greasy and close behind but not 100%. By the way, keep the magazines clean.

I bought it with a 7 3/8" muzzle brake barrel and a 5" field barrel. Over the years I added a 5 1/2" heavy and a 7". Both of those are drilled and tapped and wear red dots. I couldn't bear to drill and tap the originals. All the barrels work equally well and are accurate.

So just like your dog. Keep her clean, feed her right and be nice to her. She'll be good most of the time, but once in a while she's gonna pee on the floor.

 

[rich5674]

Bought my 41 about 5 years ago

After seeing the older ones going for the same price as new and needing drill and tapping for scopes I bought a new one. Needed a recoil spring g. Hangs to become 100% reliable. Very accurate and a good step up accurate and trigger from the Browning Buckmark I was using.

 

[johngalt]

Mine is from '89. It is accurate, excellent trigger, but is ammo picky. CCI SV works well. Aguila isn't too bad. I get a lot of failures to eject with others. I will never get rid of it.

 

[Heinz]

I shot a 7 1/2 M41 on a ROTC pistol team in the mid 60s. Ran 200 to 300 rounds in practice 5 days a week. Absolutely flawless performance but it needed to be cleaned and then ten rounds put through it. The team were National ROTC champions in 1965. I never should have sold that one and will probably buy another vintage one soon

 

[wproct]

I see you have been a forum member for a number of years, so I'm assuming you have already read a number of previous threads on the 41. I have owned several of them and have not had an issue with any of them, but others have not been as fortunate. My first two were manufactured in the 1980's, and my current pistol was made in 2007. The older pistols were better finished but my later pistol functions just as well, just a more matte finish. There are a lot of other very good pistols that can be bought for almost half the price of the model 41, but owning and shooting a model 41 is well worth the investment, for most of us. Read as much as you can on this forum about the model 41 and have fun looking for yours.

 

[Dave Lively]

I bought my 41 new in the mid nineties and it is one of the finicky ones. With the commonly recommended CCI standard velocity ammo it ejects the empty but does not pick up a new round about once or twice per box of 50. But it is as reliable as a 22 can be with MiniMags even though they are not quite as accurate.

As I get older I have less and less tolerance for guns that are finicky. But the 41 shoots so well I keep it around. Since MinMags also work well in my less picky 22s that is the only 22 ammo I buy now even though it is more expensive than the bulk pack stuff. Glad I bought a case right before 2020 hit and still have a lot left.

 

[Houndog]

wproct - Yes, I've been a forum member for years, but not exactly a speed poster. Suspect I joined when I bought my first Smith & Wesson, an SW1911, which I still have and has always been extremely accurate and 100% reliable. In fact, mine has a serial no. under 1000 and I believe has a Briley barrel.

Yes, I've done some reading on the 41's which is what got me interested. Pretty clear that they are the most accurate American made .22 and of very high quality. Also, like the fact that the grip angle is pretty similar to a 1911, since I've always just liked how they handle.

I realize that for the price of a used 41 I could just buy a Ruger Mark IV and have some money left over, but I just can't warm up to the Ruger.

 

[elpac3]

The model 41 is indeed a fine weapon and will serve you well. I would also ditto the suggestion to check out the High Standard military model 107 Citation. Equally as good a shooter with possibly a better trigger. Look at Simpson LTD for guns available without the bid craziness of GB

 

[Troystat]

I have an older one with a 7.375" barrel and it is a joy to shoot, some 41's seem to be problem children but mine has no issues. I also have an extra 5.5 barrel and a 5 inch "field" barrel each makes the gun feel different. I have also shot a 41 with a Clark barrel and it was a tack driver. I shoot mine with iron sights one handed and it I point it at the x ring it is an x. Most of the hard core bulleye shooters are using Euro guns like Pardini's but the 41 is a nice pistol.

 

[ggibson511960]

Your basic question about old vs. new can be summed up with a few observations. Its design has never changed except for the superfluous cocking indicator, laminated wood stocks and drilled and tapped frame for optics. Its strengths and weaknesses haven't changed. The safety is virtually inoperable. It's way more accurate than most of us. It's sometimes finicky about ammo. It is the same milled steel pistol is was decades ago and its price has escalated accordingly as compared to Rugers, Buckmarks, etc. In the extraordinary circumstance that something goes wrong with it, there are superb gunsmiths to fix, vs. the throwaway technology of some other pistols. Buy the best one you can find. There is no way to be disappointed.

 

[armorer951]

I bought one in 2014, right before I retired. Always wanted one but could never afford a good quality model 41.
It's an example from 1976. Fortunately, it works as intended with all it's original parts except the recoil spring, has a 2.5 pound trigger pull, not fussy about ammo brands, and shoots incredible groups (CCI) ....even for me. Couldn't be happier. Who needs a rifle?

 

[diyj98]

I've owned several 41's over the years. All were well built and had fantastic triggers. I really never got better accuracy off the bench than with my better Rugers. The Rugers needed trigger work and still weren't in the class trigger wise with the 41's though. I also never worried about shooting high velocity or junk ammo in the Rugers like I did with the 41's. Everyone needs to experience a 41 at least once in their life.

 

[Domino1]

Top Gun Supply has all three models in stock if you want a new one.

Smith and Wesson Model 41 For Sale - Top Gun Supply

They are on sale too!

 

[geohood]

In my last two years as a Marine (1962-63) I used a High Standard [if memory serves me correctly for a change] for competition, and also when I got back into the game in 1976. Was able to buy a Model 41 that year; the best investment I ever made! I've attached photos of the customized Model 41 I currently have advertised for sale because I somehow became old and no longer compete. I'll miss it, as I miss competition!

 

[Marlin57M]

I shoot a late 90’s production 41 in bullseye League. Upgrades include Rink grips, Volquartsen extractor and Ultradot red dot sight. I have both 5.5” and 7” barrels. I shoot Aquila and CCI standard velocity ammo without any problems and almost 100% reliability. Love the trigger. The only problem - I can’t blame gun for a bad score