Got a new Model 41 - basic questions

[Goose]

I've been searching the forums, but I thought I'd ask everyone just to see if anything has changed. Asking really basic stuff here, but I'm just being careful.

Do I need to clean a factory-new pistol before shooting?

I assume high velocity ammo (ie Blazer) is a no-no for the 41. Is plain old CCI standard velocity still a good, inexpensive ammo for this pistol? Any other low-cost ammo suggestions?

Thanks for fielding these often-asked questions once again...

[bking]

You won't hurt a model 41 shooting Blazer through it. I used a new 41 for a year of bullseye & found CCI SV to be reliable & inexpensive. I made an oak dryfire plug that fit into the slide for dryfire practice- that was completely worthwhile. Like in this thread: http://www.targettalk.org/viewtopic.php?t=20366

[crankythunder]

While I do not have a model 41, some of the guys on my bullseye team do.

We have been using Eley sport lately, finding that it has a touch less horsepower and a little bit more accurate then CCI SV. If you are in the USA, it is in the purple box with a yellow and blue star and is made in mexico. The pardini shooter says that it does not rack his slide dependably so he has stuck with CCI SV. If it cycles your gun reliably, it would be worth your consideration.

In my baikal 35m, with a red dot sight, I obtained the following groupings off a rest at 25 yards. Groups are 20 round groups too!

CCI SV 0.50 inch
Eley Sport 0.38 inch
Wolf Match Target 0.37 inch
SK Pistol Match 0.40 inch
SK Pistol Match Special 0.42 inch

As a side note, I do not like the greasy lubricationon the Wolf and SK ammo. The SK Pistol Match Special had a significantly higher recoil which is obvious when examining the bullet weight/velocity specifications.

Regards,
Crankster

[crankythunder]

I would run a couple patches down the barrel on a new gun with some #9 on them and then either do a full cleaning or leave it be based on the condition of the patches. I primarily use the patch worm system [/i]

[Rover]

Absolutely clean that thing; there is all kinds of manufacturing fung floating around inside it. Once clean, you can get by by cleaning the barrel breech area and the bolt face. Once in a while clean the whole thing.

My long barrel on my 41 is as accurate as my Free Pistol, the shorter not so much (but still more than suitable for ISS 25 yard stuff).

I use the CCI Standard in the cardboard box exclusively in the gun. It is a little snappier than some other brands and with excellent accuracy. Besides, it's cheap ($30 or less a brick). My recommendation does not mean it will do well in your gun.

I put a Morini grip on the gun and a Ultra Dot on the long barrel for Bullseye.

I've been using the same gun for almost thirty years.

[Goose]

Thanks for your replies, guys.

I'm going to take a look at the standard-velocity ammo my local range has in stock. Come to think of it, I haven't even seen Blazer ammo on the shelf there for some time (I've got a pretty big stockpile, so I haven't bought ammo in a while).

I'll probably go with CCI standard for my "fancy" 41 and let my BuckMark Target choke down the rest of the remaining Blazer I own. For giggles, I stopped by one of the national-chain sporting goods stores today and saw a few lonesome boxes of Eley -- is it really ~$18 for a box of fifty? That must be pretty nice ammo...

I've been looking at the online Owner's Manual for the 41 - are there any quirks to be aware of regarding disassembly/reassembly of the pistol?

[Rover]

Here's something:

http://guntalk-online.com/Model41maintenance.htm

[Goose]

Thanks for the link. Always good to see pictures. The 41 looks like a very well-engineered pistol.

[Rover]

BTW I'm having the extension holding the rear sight sawn off (it eliminates stovepipes) and the barrel drilled and tapped for a Weaver mount for my Red Dot.

Of course, this eliminates any chance of using the barrel with iron sights, but I do have the short barrel as well.

[djsomers]

My NIB M41 stovepiped when new last year. Sent back to S&W twice but works great now with CCI SV. Not sure what they did but it is a beautiful shooter.

[oldcaster]

Usually good deals for 22 ammo can be found on this site. After you are on the site, press the control button and while holding it down press 7. This will give you a spot to type in whatever ammo you are looking for and will pop up in order from top to bottom.
http://ammoseek.com/?gun=rimfire&cal=91
41's can be all over the place in what they will or won't shoot. Mine wouldn't shoot anything that wasn't in the order of Blazer or Thunderbolt in power until I broke the extractor and had a Smith in St. louis put a new one in. After that it would work with Eley Sport, Aguila Standard velocity and anything else. The Smith said all he did was replace the extractor but they should be fitted and not just installed.

Recently a new shooter in our group bought a new 41 and it runs everything just like it should. I have shot some that I didn't like the trigger in and others including new ones that seemed fine. I don't know if the guns that had triggers I didn't like were worked on or were stock.

[Goose]

Thanks for the link - that's a great resource. I hope that my 41 isn't that fussy about ammo, but we'll see. I think I can pick up the pistol tomorrow at my FFL. I'm like a kid before Christmas.

I saw American Eagle ammo on special at my local range...

[oldcaster]

Keep your eyes open at all times and try to not get where you have to buy at the available prices but know what they are and when you get an opportunity, buy enough so you will last to the next deal. -- Bill --

[Goose]

Finally got the pistol. I figured it would be prudent to clean it first (can't hurt, right?) and I'm glad I did. Thanks again for the advice. When I drew the first pad out of the barrel it had an evil-looking shard of steel on it. Although I'm sure the pistol would have survived, I assume such things are best removed before firing. :-)

After shooting a Buck Mark for years, simply holding the 41 is a pleasure. Much nicer fit/finish the the Browning. I'll probably use a box or two of Blazer to help limber-up the pistol.

[djsomers]

Have fun and let us know how it progresses!

[Goose]

It looks like my new pistol has to be returned to Smith & Wesson for warranty work. I'd like to take the blame for not noticing the defect, but in my defense, it isn't something I would have expected.

I'm going to take a picture and post it, but I'll try to describe it until then. My 41 is a Davidson's version with an integrated Picatinny rail machined into the top of the barrel. Those who might not be familiar with this version can see it on the Smith & Wesson website.

The rail was not properly machined into the top of the pistol - it isn't level. I only noticed when I mounted my red dot sight and noticed that it wasn't plumb. Initially, I blamed my inexpensive sight... then I looked at the pistol. Hopefully Smith & Wesson can correct their mistake without "aging" my new pistol.

Not impressed at this point. Any suggestions regarding S&W warranty procedures? Anything I need to know?

[Goose]

Here's a pic of the Performance Center level of quality. Now that I know about the defect, it looks obvious. In my defense, when taking in the whole pistol at the gun store counter, I didn't think to check the basic machining of the frame...

[Goose]

A few more pictures. I assume S&W will replace the barrel rather than re-machining the rail. Again, if anyone has experience with S&W warranty service procedures, I'd love to hear your experience. Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Greg Derr]

S&W has a great rep for returns and service, they will send you a UPS label for shipping. Most likely you will need to send the whole gun to Maine for service since the barrel needs to fit the frame properly. I would send them a print of your image also.

[Goose]

An update:

Following the advice of others, I called Smith & Wesson yesterday to have a call tag sent. The guy from Customer Service couldn't get me off the phone quick enough, telling me to fill out an email Return Authorization Request. Not a great start. I'm gonna give them 'til the end of the week to send me some kind of response to the request.

Hopefully this isn't going to become a long, drawn-out process...