New S&W 41!!! New Questions!?%#@*

2

2cats

New member
Just brought home my new Smith & Wesson Model 41, sat down, and went through the owners' manual (I'm an owners' manual kinda guy; what can I say?). During the course of learning the operation, conducting a strip, reassembly, etc., it seemed to me that the safety began to only move when the gun was cocked, and not when it wasn't. When I first touched the gun and handled it in the store, it seemed like the safety moved in either mode. It seems like it's sticking a little even with the gun cocked.

Is the safety supposed to be able to be switched on and off when the gun is not cocked?

Next question; dry firing. Please be kind; my other gun is a Glock 19, so I have that perspective on safeties and dry firing.) The manual doesn't address this explicitly, but it does imply dry firing when adjusting the trigger travel stop screw.

Then, when you think of it, whenever you've fired your last shot with a semiauto and the slide is locked back, you've got to release the slide forward, and then the gun is cocked. And if you don't want to store the empty gun cocked (is that bad for some/all pistol designs? I always pull the trigger on my empty Glock 19 and store it with the trigger back), you've got to pull the trigger - another dry fire.

Is it alright to dry fire the S&W Model 41? (And I'm not talking about occassional dry firing; I'm talking about constant dry firing, the kind of dry firing that will make you go blind and grow hair on your palms, the kind of dry firing I do with the Glock 19.)

Many thanks in advance. I hope nothing's broken - but I'm really suspicious about the safety. I did manage to launch the guide rod across the room during my first reassembly. Seems like anything more complicated than a Glock is a test of my abilities.
 
The M41 safety operates by blocking sear movement. If the gun isn't cocked, why would you need a safety? It's not supposed to engage when the hammer is down.

Dry firing is one of those things that will always get an argument going. My M41 which is over 40 yrs. old has been dry fired a gazillion times and is just fine. It really depends on the design and length of the firing pin. The M41 has an inertia firing pin which means that it will not protrude into the breech area unless it is struck a good hard blow. If you simply push the firing pin so that it is flat with the back end of the bolt section of the slide it should not protrude out of the firing pin hole. Then, unless the firing pin is too long it cannot hit the barrel and do damage.

Other designs, called "driven protrusion" can strike the barrel when dry fired. The result will be a dent where the firing pin hits and if dry firing is continued it will eventually peen enough metal into the chamber to prevent the loading of a cartridge.

Most modern .22s have inertia firing pins, but the best thing is to carefully examine how much the firing pin protrudes and see if it is leaving any marks on the barrel. If the barrel is unmarked dry fire to your heart's content.
 
Hi, folks,

Actually, the Model 41 does not have an inertia pin (or at least the ones I have seen do not). The hammer strikes the firing pin but the firing pin does not go below the surface of the slide like a true inertia pin (as on a M1911 type). Instead the firing pin is stopped by the rather sturdy cross pin that also acts as a firing pin retainer.

That is sufficient to prevent any damage in thousands of round of dry fire.

The safety goes on only if the gun is cocked; there would be little point in a safety when it is not.

The Model 41 is just about the best .22 target pistol on the market at anything like a reasonable price. It should last you for many years with no problems.

FWIW, it is not a military pistol that is designed for quick disassembly and should not be disassembled further than field stripping for normal cleaning. Crud in the frame should be hosed out with a spray cleaner after grip removal rather than attempting to take the pistol apart.

Jim
 
My 41 is almost 40 years old and it has been dry fired quite a bit. It chugs along so well that it's almost boring. Most of my other guns have had a problem of two so as to give me something to complain about. Actually the standard 41 grips never felt right to me and over the years I'v probably had a dozen different grips on it. It now wears Herretts that I've filed , sanded and dremel'd into reasonable comfort.
 
Many thanks guys; my blood pressure has dropped back into the triple digits.

Singleshot: my question was an academic one. I don't necessarily WANT the safety to operate when uncocked, I was just inquiring into the design. With regards to your recommendation, how do I observe the full excursion of the firing pin? So far I only see it withdrawn, after pulling the slide back. Do I need to disassemble and manipulate by some other means?

(You know, this is starting to sound like a Seinfeld script, and I'm thinking that I should shut up and go to the range.)

Jim: glad to hear you concur with respect to dry firing, details of the firing pin mechanism notwithstanding. Vis-a-vis your comments about disassembly, let me assure you that my guide rod launch was achieved during my interpretation of the manual's standard stripping instructions, and reminds me of the time I reassembled my Glock sans barrel and guide rod. I have since dispensed with my aspirations of becoming a gunsmith.

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2cats

Glock 19
Colt Police Positive .38 Special
Smith & Wesson Model 41
 
Dingo: just saw your post, and I agree. As a left hander, I guess I appreciate what I'm getting out of the compromise that is the 41's ambidextrous grips. But of course, they are not quite perfect. I will make a note of your use of Herretts (rythms with "ferrets") and see where the future takes me.

You know, just the way this thing cycled dummy rounds really impressed me; it felt so smoothly machined, like Beretta's that I've handled. (Love my Glock, but it's a different animal.)

Many thanks guys and girls,
 
While I'm asking questions, what's important about setting the trigger travel stop screw. I infer that the optimal setting is that of the minimal travel required for break. Is that correct. Is this variable from gun to gun? Why? Why is it less desirable to have over-travel? What do I need to know about this?

Grazi,

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2cats

Glock 19
Colt Police Positive .38 Special
Smith & Wesson Model 41
 
All triggers have some degree of overtravel. Excessive overtravel tends to cause the trigger finger and the rest of the firing hand to move the pistol after the shot has "broken" and the bullet is still moving down the barrel. This movement will disturb the alignment of the barrel with the target and cause errant shots.

I suggest leaving the overtravel stop screw alone for now. After you've shot a brick or two of ammo through your new 41 you might want to tweak it a bit to see if it improves your shooting.

Mechanically, the two biggest things that are likely to improve your accuracy are finding the right ammo for your pistol and the right stocks/grips to fit your hand. I suggest trying CCI Standard Velocity for the ammo part of the equation.
 
Matt VDW is right on the money when it comes to ammo. Smith 41's semm to have a love affair with CCI standard velocity. I don't try to explain it - I just go along with it. Availability is a bit sketchy in my area so I order it by the case.
 
Personally, I think that the High-Standard .22s shoot better then the 41. Just my opinion. They may be a bit cheaper, too. Remington makes a dandy .22 load called the T22. Good luck!!

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"Those that give up essential liberties for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.
 
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