Smith & Wesson Semi-Auto Pistols

[CBR1943]

Bought a S&W model 41 7-inch barrel in 2024. Shoots 3-inch groups at 25 yards securely from bench pistol rest with CCI standard and mini mag ammo. The same ammo at same distance in the 5-inch barrel shoots 1/2-inch groups. Both barrels is topped with a sig Romeo 1 red dot. Any ideas on my failure?

 

[ACEd]

Bought a S&W model 41 7-inch barrel in 2024. Shoots 3-inch groups at 25 yards securely from bench pistol rest with CCI standard and mini mag ammo. The same ammo at same distance in the 5-inch barrel shoots 1/2-inch groups. Both barrels is topped with a sig Romeo 1 red dot. Any ideas on my failure?

Rifling on 7 in barrel slightly more worn or barrel / slide tolerances tighter on 5 in barrel.

 

[Tom S.]

Check the end of the 7" barrel with a powerful magnifying glass or loupe. Even a minute ding will destroy accuracy and there is no reason why that barrel shouldn't be as accurate as the 5". It's very rare to see a .22 barrel wear out, but a good cleaning might also be in order, and then an inspection with a borescope if you have access to one.

 

[Oldsalt66]

Might there be a problem with the red dot on the 7 inch barrel?

 

[CBR1943]

No on the Red Dot. It was just fine on a Browning Contour .22. The Contour was just as accurate as the 41 5.5". The 5.5" is a performance center 41. Thanks for all the feed back. Will re-examine the barrel.

 

[chief38]

Barrels of different lengths, different manufacture dates, and made with different tooling have different effects on the same ammunition. Each barrel was individually made and can have their own nuances. Ammunition that generally works well for one barrel might not work for another. I know that many here tout Eley brand ammo and after trying 3 different types of it in different guns, I could not get it to group worth a damn! I typically try different ammo in every target gun I own then settle on what is the most accurate and reliable. When I started reloading, I made many different loads for different guns until I found what works best for me in a specific gun.

I have also found that even the same exact ammunition from the same manufacturer varies slightly from lot to lot and that is why I buy 22 RF ammo by the case - it lasts a while. When I change cases, I almost always need to fine sight a target pistol in again.

Last but not least there could be something wrong with the red dot on the larger barrel. Did you try switching red dots? That would isolate that possibility and let you know if there is an issue or not - simple enough to do.

 

[chief38]

BTW..... just wanted to mention that I own several M15's - both are the same 4" barrels and configurations however they were made in different years. They are both super accurate however one likes 148 grain wad cutters while the other prefers 158 grain RNL. Feed one the wrong ammo and I am not winning any competitions that day - lol!

 

[Dave Haynes]

My 41 has the 5" barrel it was used by an Army shooter (Maj Henry Bires) to mimic the weight of the 1911. Both were F.Bob Chow pistols (Hank was close friends with Bob). When Bob was still at the store I was able to talk with him about these guns. It is under 5,000 # and was shot for untold numbers of rounds. It shoots tiny groups at 25 yds using the top of the Pachmeyer Box as a rest. It doesn't seem to care what it is fed, HV, standard, whatever. It has been shot a lot using HV 22 which could be regarded as abused. Point being it apparently won't wear out. I now shoot CCI SV exclusively but as stated there have been thousands of HV through it. I've had it and Hank's 1911 since 1980 and was told by S&W at that time that it was perfectly OK to shoot HV in a 41. I keep it wet and don't even try shooting anything at 50 yds. Over the years, I've done a lot of testing various brands, velocities, and such. It may do better with CCI SV but the difference is not dramatic.

 

[bigggbbruce]

Bore clean?