S&W Mod 41 grips wore out.

[Ed Fowler]

I have owned several Mod 41's and dearly love them all. The one I have been shooting the most since the 1970's has been slowly loosing its accuracy having shot many thousands of rounds.

At first I figured it was my eyes, at age 80 they are not like they used to be. I changed glasses and this helped a little, but not what I wanted.

About two weeks ago I noticed that the original factory grips were a little loose. I tightened the screws and grips were tighter, groups also shrank, then opened again. I took the grips off off of the Mod 41 and noticed that the inside of the grips had really loosed up around the frame. I was going to try some Brownells Acra Glass but decided I should leave them in original condition and ordered a pair of S&W factory grips.

The new grips came in today's mail. At first glance all I could think was WOW, S&W has really improved the design of their grips. They fit perfectly, no play and fit my hands just like I wanted.

I normally shoot 50 to 100 rounds a day at a 3" diameter steel gong, that rings like a bell, at 88 yards. I only keep track of hits and misses and usually shoot Remington standard velocity ammo. Over the years my percent of misses have been greater than my hits, last week 45% hits. Today with the new grips I hit an honest 95% of the time.

It did not occur to me to consider loose grips on a 22 to be the cause of reduced accuracy. Just blamed my age and eyes, I mention it here just to remind other shooters of the obvious aspects of shooting that are easy to overlook.

Hope this suggestion helps some other shooters.

 

[GME]

I have a Model 41, a model 39 ane a Model 52, all three of which went unused for almost 40 years. I just got back into bullseye (the 41 and 52) and concealed carry (the 39). The factory grips on all three pistols were loose (the grips on the 39 and 52 are the same). Goes to show how wood shrinks over time.

Just curious, but what did S&W charge for the Mod. 41 grips? I may as well replace them. I'd like to replace the grips on the Mods 39 and 52, but I'm sure I'm not going to find replacements.

I'm almost afraid to ask, given what a new 7" barrel cost me. My pistol (7") doesn't have the holes for a scope mount, so I bought another to mount a Ultra Dot Match Dot II on it. I got lucky on the new barrel. It fit without having to dig out the files.

Thanks,

Gary

 

[Ed Fowler]

I found mine on E Bay, they were factory seconds, just over runs on the checkering. As I remember they cost me around $65.00, they are beautiful and after about 500 rounds had to re-tighten the top screw, not much but it is very dry in Wyoming. They really made a difference in my shooting performance.

You can tighten wood grips up using some Brownell's Acra Glass Gel.

If you want to give yourself a real treat add a Mod 952, mine is the most accurate of all, including a Sig p210 made in West Germany. I have put over 10,000 rounds through mine and not one hitch. The Briley Bushing takes a little learning when you take 952 down, but it is really worth it. Uses the same grips as the 39 and 52. I believe Gun Broker has one in an auction now.

 

[ggibson511960]

Rubber Cement

Purists may cringe, but I used rubber cement years ago on a M-29-2 that had squirmy grips that were getting worse by the day with heavy recoil. Rubber cement made them fit perfectly. No, I never took them off and it would be a delicate move to get them off without tearing up the grips, but in those days grips were cheap. It might still be workable as rubber cement doesn't adhere to metal. Kitchen table gunsmithing on a budget.

 

[GME]

I found mine on E Bay, they were factory seconds, just over runs on the checkering. As I remember they cost me around $65.00, they are beautiful and after about 500 rounds had to re-tighten the top screw, not much but it is very dry in Wyoming. They really made a difference in my shooting performance.

You can tighten wood grips up using some Brownell's Acra Glass Gel.

If you want to give yourself a real treat add a Mod 952, mine is the most accurate of all, including a Sig p210 made in West Germany. I have put over 10,000 rounds through mine and not one hitch. The Briley Bushing takes a little learning when you take 952 down, but it is really worth it. Uses the same grips as the 39 and 52. I believe Gun Broker has one in an auction now.

That 952 is a real beauty. I found one on the net that sold last year for $2,700. Too rich for my blood, but I'd love to have one.

I've never used Acraglas, but I've used a lot of epoxy over the years, including for bedding after thickening with different types of fillers. Thing is, I want to keep the grips pristine. I appreciate the suggestion, though.

Gary