Any S&W semi-auto folks on here?

apander

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I went to the range about 15 to 20 years ago and shot a causal friends S&W semi auto 22LR Target? model pistol, I out shot him which pissed him off, and that semi fit me like a glove. It was a Ten round mag semi with a thumb rest and adjustable sights, not sure about a bull barrel. I would love to find a new or used S&W but don't know the model number, Any idea's?
 
Most likely a model 41....they have a tendency to make you shoot better.
They run about $1000+ depending on model and vintage.
 
I'm guessing model 41. I have one and it's a great shooter. They come in 2 bbl lengths and the shorter one(5.5" ?) is a bull bbl. They're pretty pricey but very accurate.
 
Model 41
Very nice gun with the target grip. A little heavy, but very accurate if you like a single stage trigger. I prefer a two stage trigger and now shoot a Walther Hammerli Xesse. The 41 stays in the safe more these days, unless I come across someone that wants to get into bullseye shooting.
 
The mod 41 is an amazing pistol. IMO only way to get a better olympic style .22 is to buy an actual italian oly pistol, hope you like spending boat money.
 
Having owned and sold a Model 41 if I ever bought another one I would definitely want an older used model. My Model 41 was new (2018) and had to go back to S&W twice for adjustments,
 
as always, swimming against the current. i never warmed up to the 41. i shot one for a year in a pistol league. i had the long barreled one, what...7.5"? muzzle light i thought. i bought it new in the late 70's. factory grips weren't to my liking either. i bought my kart to replace it and shot that very well...for me. but, can't argue with the success others had with it. i watched a guy recently rapid fire one of the smallest groups i've ever seen, shot with a new manufacture 41. i believe they come from the custom shop now, no? very impressive.
 
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The old Hi Standard Victors are nothing to shy away from either.
If you go up a notch in pricing then Pardini is a great option. I had one as my match gun. Shot it a lot better than my 41. Stay away from that stupid electric trigger. I looked really hard at a Walther but it was so mistreated by its owner I was not willing to work out all the misfeeds and BS.
Whatever you do don’t go beating up a target pistol with hi velocity ammo. Shot nothing but RWS standard pistol ammo and still have a stack of bricks of it only for use in the 41.
 
I went to the range about 15 to 20 years ago and shot a causal friends S&W semi auto 22LR Target? model pistol, I out shot him which pissed him off, and that semi fit me like a glove. It was a Ten round mag semi with a thumb rest and adjustable sights, not sure about a bull barrel. I would love to find a new or used S&W but don't know the model number, Any idea's?
Doest it look like this ? I spent two months looking for a '41' and scored this 52 year old beauty.
48FBAC59-5428-48D2-8B87-6A7AB95BC932.jpeg
 
Pictured above is a Model 41 with a 5 1/2" match barrel, but they also come in 5" field models, and a 7 3/8" Match which I believe was discontinued. The older models have a reputation of being rock solid, and as you see beautifully finished.
 
I own a model 41, and I like it, but anyone looking for one should understand where it fits into the current market. For a long time, a model 41 was a top level bullseye pistol, but that is no longer true. All of the serious bullseye shooters I know who own a model 41 have upgraded to a Pardini. They all say they shoot better with a Pardini, and many of them also say that the Pardini is more reliable.

My own experience is that a model 41 can be extremely reliable. But they can also be very ammo picky, and I have seen a few that were almost reliable, but not quite.

For someone who wants a target .22 for range practice, or for getting started with bullseye shooting, the Ruger MK IV, S&W Victory, or Browning Buckmark are all good choices. None of these is as nice as model 41, but they are accurate, reasonably priced, and not too ammo sensitive. All of them are good entry level pistols for a new target shooter.

And the advice I hear from the serious bullseye shooters, who all upgraded from a Ruger, to a model 41, to a Pardini, is to skip the 41 if you want to move up from the Ruger. They all compete with a Pardini, get new shooters started with the Ruger, and leave the 41 in the safe.

I am not saying not to get a model 41. It is a beautiful pistol which I think is much more satisfying to own than a Ruger MK IV. But anyone making the investment should know about developments over the decades since the model 41 was introduced. And right now, the model 41 sits in the middle of a market where the top and the bottom of the market have made huge strides in value and precision.
 
The last of the S&W long barrels were made in Houlton Maine. In my experience all target guns prefer a certain ammo and some are more finicky than others. My Victor liked 22shorts from CCI but I had to keep the grease from building up on the breach. The 41 and the Pardini ate the RWS without issue and the later would feed other higher cost brands equally well. In fact that gun when it wanted to be cleaned it would start losing its bullseye zero in about 300-400 rounds. Give it a good cleaning with brake cleaner and an air hose, oil it back up and start over.

I won't say what I paid for the 41 with the AimPoint other than I could buy at least three of them compared to what I see the selling for today. I acquired a very nice grip for it thru another member here.

I found an original Pardini grip that I thought was lost for anyone looking. I should post it up as last I knew they were harder to find than balls on a Dove.
 
I agree with the above with one caveat, I looked at used Feinwerkbau's and Pardini's and they were a bridge too far dollar wise. Since I don't shoot Bullseye and at the age 73 will never be a 10X shooter, but I was looking for an American beauty and found it.
 
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