My Smith and Wesson 41 is driving me NUTS

[Chas]

I have been having problems with my S&W 41 - every week after I shoot our club match, its taken apart and cleaned. For the first 20 or 30 rounds, no issues, and then it starts to misbehave. One round will not completely eject, and the empty brass turns sideways. Results in a jam with one bullet half way in the chamber and the empty brass lodged sideways on top of the round trying to go into the chamber.

Some ammo is worse than others, only Eley seems to work relatively consisitantly, but it occaisonaly does it as well.

I have been shooting this pistol for 5 years, but this is the first time I have had this start to happen. No issue on slowfire rounds, but really buggers up the time fire and rapid fire events.

Any ideas guys??

Also - anyone know who makes a trigger spring kit for these pistols?? Wolff does not as far as I can find in the Midway catalog.

Thanks

 

[RT]

Ive got just about the issue with my 41, its been cleaned and cleaned again and still does it!! The only thing that seems to help is I use the cheapest ammo I can find (american eagle) and life is good again.

The comforting thing about this problem is that just about every one I no that has/had a 41 has had the same problem. I do no of a couple of guys that have drilled some material out of the slide in an attempt to make it lighter, But with only moderate sucsses.

Generally seems to be a cronic problem in general from my experience.

 

[Lee Enfield]

Model 41s are supposed to be match guns. My understanding is they are sprung for standard velocity/target ammo.

American Eagle is NOT standard velocity.

The suggestion that you have less problems with Eley seems to confirm this. Try the other match rounds like Winchester T.22, Federal ect.

Or even Wildcat. 22s are notoriously ammo sensitive already & you have a match pistol...

My shooting pardner uses AE bulk-pack in his M.41, he also has to clean it every few hundred rounds

I have a similar problem with my Hi-Standard, but believe that it is magazine related.

Regards
D

 

[guntech]

This is not a new problem with 41's...... I seem to remember hearing about this failure of ejection in 41's 35 years ago.....

All I can say it make sure the right hand extractor is sharp where it hits the case and that the case is held well in the boltface... that the ejector is not loose and engages fully as the slide moves back....and maybe new springs......

maybe contact a S & W Warranty depot and ask them about it........

 

[Quigley]

I posted in your other thread...but Lee Enfield just made a very good point. Higher Velocity Ammo (faster than target velocity) will cause more case pressure. That pressure will make the case harder to extract. The increase in slide speed cam also cause Stove Pipe jams...

I had a model 41 and it worked great on Winchester Target Velocity ammo

 

[ckid]

I have a M-41 that has been finciky at times and found the solution is to place a small drop of breakfree CLP on the top round in the magazine, it is not neccessary to do it on the second mag for the next 5 round string. I have never had a jam since I adopted this process and can get away with a 200 -300 round shooting session without cleaning. As for ammo preferences I have found it will digest anything but winchester T22's, my ammo of preference is either Rem target, CCI target and years ago I used nothing but Eley.

 

[Bob Price]

S@W Model 41

I have several of these fine pistols. They all seem fussy on the ammo they use and Winchester seems to be the worst. I think a lot of unejected or jammed rounds are poorly loaded... not enough powder. Better results with Remington target and PMC. Lots of times you can hear the 'different' sound of a weak load, even through your earmuffs.Also you can feel the change in recoil in your shooting hand. Wolff make a spring kit for the 41 ... part no 13171. You start with the heaviest main spring and work down until it starts shooting OK. Goods luck. You may be able to correct your problem by changing ammo or changing the main spring.

 

[Chas]

Thanks Guys - I have used all kinds of different ammo, and bought new mags. T22 and Reminton target / Remington subsonic wasnt liked at all, lots of misfires (I am being generous - the T22 just plain sucked). Federal bulk pack left a bullet in the bbl and well lets just say that I now have a new one. I am running into the problems with the PMC Scoremaster standard velocity and occaisionally with the Eley. Biggest issue is that where I live, there are very few places to buy ammo for this critter and my scores are really starting to suffer.

Thanks for the info on the part number Bob - I will chase that one down.

Anyone have a Canadian source for the springs???

 

[sunray]

Smith 41's are like that. Very fussy about what ammo they'll shoot well and cycle. Match pistols only they ain't. Lots of our Southern cousins hunt with them all the time. High velocity ammo doesn't bother them. Nor are they built to use match ammo alone.
The only way to find the ammo a particular Smith 41 likes is to try as many brands as you can. The price of said ammo has nothing to do with it. Mine will shoot and cycle Remington Target and IVI Standard velocity and nothing else. Try some different ammo.

 

[trubluscrew]

I can't really add to what everyone has stated.

But try as many ammo as you can and find out which one your M-41 likes. Mine will take T-22's without a hitch, and Thunderbolts with one FTF every two/three mags.