Any Smith & Wesson Mod. 41 21lr Experts?

M

MP-44

New member
Brand new gun

The manual safety. It is fairly easy to engage but feels locked in place when trying to disengage, not stiff or binding but stuck. I believe if I used pliers it would snap off. I have to wiggle and play with it and it finally drops.

Sending it back to S&W would be a pain, even with a return label as none of the FEDEX counters in my area will take firearms and the main hub is a very long way away and heavy traffic ( 2.5hr round trip ).

Plus I hate to send it back for something that should be an easy fix.

Suggestions?
 
I don't know anything about your safety problem but when I sent a pistol back to Springfield using their label, I handed the package to a FedEx Express driver and off it went. Same thing with a Ruger one time.
 
I don't recall engaging the safety on my M41 in this century.
Their safeties are notoriously hard.
Even Bob Loveless gave up on it for his Field Pistol custom and went condition 3.

You might check on Rimfire Central .com.
 
Last edited:
Sounds like somebody either disassembled it and didn't reassemble it correctly. Or the safety was replaced for some reason and wasn't fitted the way those parts are supposed to be.
It's none of FedEx's business what you ship, but they are not the only courier.
Like Jim says M41 safeties rarely get used. Don't recall ever using mine. In any century.
Go here and talk to Smith.
https://www.smith-wesson.com/customer-service/shipping-returns
 
Whether you plan to use the safety or not, it should work as intended. I'd send it back to Smith & Wesson on their dime. They have earned a good reputation over the years for customer service.
 
Whether you plan to use the safety or not, it should work as intended. I'd send it back to Smith & Wesson on their dime. They have earned a good reputation over the years for customer service.
Click to expand...
Absolutely....the M41 is nearly a custom gun and the flagship of S&W's target guns....they'll fix it pronto, if my experience is any indication. Rod
 
Whenever I have sent a gun back to Smith and Wesson under warranty I was able to schedule a Fed Ex pickup at my home
 
FedEx absolutely has the right and you don't get to disagree.

You agree to announce what is in your box the second you ask them to ship.

Shipping your package, knowing the value, etc is THEIR business.

Send it back. I've returned a new 686 recently. Wasn't an issue at all.
 
it's mainly there to make the lawyers happy, not for actual use by the shooter. it's a target pistol, load, aim, shoot. never intended for carrying in a holster, just raise from the bench and fire. mine is stiff too, never used at the range.
 
MP44, if you don't get help here, try at the Bullseye-L Forum. There are many M41 owners there. Then again, in Bullseye competition, few if any use the safety. Loaded or unloaded the pistol is always pointed down range, so not many people use the safety. Matter of fact, I have no idea if the safeties even work on my target pistols. It's been that long since I've used the safety.
 
I find that using a safety in a target gun makes me "feel better" if there's any hitch at the range.
Rarely. And I only use it if I'm not yet sure what the "hitch" might be and it's also still in my hand while I evaluate whether it's time for "gun down."
That's my way. And I do remember my M41 being very stiff.
 
Then again, in Bullseye competition, few if any use the safety. Loaded or unloaded the pistol is always pointed down range, so not many people use the safety.
Click to expand...

Too, if not being fired, in sanctioned Bullseye matches, the pistol is laid on the bench pointed downrange; the action open; the magazine removed and an empty chamber indicator inserted in the chamber. All that said, as I opined earlier in this thread, any pistol equipped with a safety should function as intended.
 
When you use the S&W label, use the instructions that come with the return label and FedEx will pick it up at your front door and bring it back and drop it off in your hand. Someone has to be home to sign for it of age. Easy Peasy. They had mine for a month when sent back. Too long but I got it back. They did not even ask what it was and did not care. They picked it up and S&W had it in two days.
 
When you use the S&W label, use the instructions that come with the return label and FedEx will pick it up at your front door and bring it back and drop it off in your hand. Someone has to be home to sign for it of age. Easy Peasy. They had mine for a month when sent back. Too long but I got it back. They did not even ask what it was and did not care. They picked it up and S&W had it in two days.
Click to expand...

No one is home during the day for them to pick it up. Do they pick up and deliver late? Does S&W send you a tracking # when they return the pistol so you know the day it will arrive?
 
Smith & Wessons Warranty/Customer Svc is TERRIBLE!

Good thing you didn't send it back to S&W for warranty work. Sent my brand new Model 41 Performance back to them for warranty service/repair since after 3 weeks, reassembly of the slide became impossible. Their so called "customer service" is sadly nothing short of terrible. They sent me the fedex box, to it to a PacMail location no problem. They got the gun on 5/16 but didn't check it in for 4 more days. Told me repair time was 3-4 weeks. Called after 4 weeks and told it was 5-6 weeks. Called again and was told it was 4-5 weeks. Asked that agent, (rude male) to speak with his supervisor. He forwarded me back to the call in line. I spoke with a woman who stated emphatically that it was 8-10 weeks for repair. Asked to talk to her supervisor. Ultimately, I left a voice message for Paul and 2 for Kate both supervisors. No one ever called me back.
Finally get an email from Kate who stated repair time was 5-6 weeks. She called the gun repair tech, but he hasn't called her back. Its been about 4 days and still nothing. So I still many days later don't have an answer to my simple question when my gun will be seen for repair. Its been over 6 weeks and they haven't looked at my gun, repaired it or will give me an answer when it will be looked at or why it hasn't been repaired in their repair time frame! Extremely FRUSTRATED - IMO SMITH & WESSON CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS! JUST SAYING THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE!
 
My S&W customer experience on work has been excellent. As recent as this year (2022) on a binding cylinder on a new 686. 2 week turn around.
 
Plus one on Wild Cat's CS experience with S&W...3-5 weeks on three different guns over the past two years...however...the QC is another story. None of the three should have been shipped in the first place as the problems would have been readily apparent to any sane person who packet the gun up in the first place. Best regards, Rod
 
gunslinger123 said:
Good thing you didn't send it back to S&W for warranty work. Sent my brand new Model 41 Performance back to them for warranty service/repair since after 3 weeks, reassembly of the slide became impossible. Their so called "customer service" is sadly nothing short of terrible. They sent me the fedex box, to it to a PacMail location no problem. They got the gun on 5/16 but didn't check it in for 4 more days. Told me repair time was 3-4 weeks. Called after 4 weeks and told it was 5-6 weeks. Called again and was told it was 4-5 weeks. Asked that agent, (rude male) to speak with his supervisor. He forwarded me back to the call in line. I spoke with a woman who stated emphatically that it was 8-10 weeks for repair. Asked to talk to her supervisor. Ultimately, I left a voice message for Paul and 2 for Kate both supervisors. No one ever called me back.
Finally get an email from Kate who stated repair time was 5-6 weeks. She called the gun repair tech, but he hasn't called her back. Its been about 4 days and still nothing. So I still many days later don't have an answer to my simple question when my gun will be seen for repair. Its been over 6 weeks and they haven't looked at my gun, repaired it or will give me an answer when it will be looked at or why it hasn't been repaired in their repair time frame! Extremely FRUSTRATED - IMO SMITH & WESSON CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS! JUST SAYING THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE!
Click to expand...
Joined just to complain.
 
The safety on the M41 is tensioned by a small spring plate that's held in place by a single screw easily accessible by removing the left grip panel. If you remove that screw and plate and the safety operates properly it's a simple matter to slightly bend and reinstall the little plate, using trial-and-error until you get the amount of resistance you'd like. If the safety still doesn't operate properly with the spring plate removed then it's time for a trip back to the mothership.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top