Has Anyone Shot a S&W 17 or 41

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  • Mark 1911

    Grandmaster
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    12   0   0
    Jun 6, 2012
    10,931
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    Schererville, IN
    The 17 a classic .22 revolver, the 41 a classic semiautomatic. Both in current production.

    Not for defensive use, but both beautiful in their own category.

    Any thoughts?
     
    Last edited:

    VERT

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    Jan 4, 2009
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    Seymour
    Yep spent a lot of time behind a 41. If you are looking for a good target gun they are hard to beat.
     

    Mark 1911

    Grandmaster
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    Jun 6, 2012
    10,931
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    Schererville, IN
    My 41 makes a great squirrel rifle.

    Factory sights or optics?

    Yep spent a lot of time behind a 41. If you are looking for a good target gun they are hard to beat.

    I haven't shot .22 pistols in a long time. Recently sold my Ruger bull barrel MK IV here. Thought I'd like to get another .22, but something different this time. I've heard nothing but positive reports on the 41.
     

    Clay Pigeon

    Shooter
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    Aug 3, 2016
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    Summitville
    I have a few 41's. All pre 78's.
    After you shoot one, you will own at least one. And then you need a 52 to round out the set.
    Have you shot a 41?
    Some will be finicky with certain ammo, we tend to run Fed Auto Match or Fed Champion.
    If you would like to shoot a 5 1/2" and or a 7" with the factory comp I will meet you at Elwood and you can shoot away.
    I see you are up north, a few of us shoot at Walbash once or twice a month also. If that's better for you and you are interested.
    A month and a bit ago Walbash was supposed to get a vintage 41 in to sell that the bossman said it was premo. I don't know if it's there or gone or still on it's way there.
     

    Mark 1911

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    12   0   0
    Jun 6, 2012
    10,931
    83
    Schererville, IN
    I have a few 41's. All pre 78's.
    After you shoot one, you will own at least one. And then you need a 52 to round out the set.
    Have you shot a 41?
    Some will be finicky with certain ammo, we tend to run Fed Auto Match or Fed Champion.
    If you would like to shoot a 5 1/2" and or a 7" with the factory comp I will meet you at Elwood and you can shoot away.
    I see you are up north, a few of us shoot at Walbash once or twice a month also. If that's better for you and you are interested.
    A month and a bit ago Walbash was supposed to get a vintage 41 in to sell that the bossman said it was premo. I don't know if it's there or gone or still on it's way there.
    Thanks for the offer. Very interested but working on the road these days is going to make that difficult for a few more months. I'd like to take you up on that when the traveling winds down.
     

    Jim McKalip

    Marksman
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    12   0   0
    Oct 16, 2009
    298
    28
    Cumberland
    I've been shooting S&W model 41's since 1960. I've also owned a Browning Medalist, a High Standard Victor, a Browning Buck Mark and a few others that I can't remember. The only one of them that came close to the 41 was the Buck Mark. I will be shooting the 41 this
    afternoon.

    Please be aware that the 41 can be a basket of snakes depending upon date of manufacture. Accuracy problems can be complex and
    expensive. The early 41 was designed to use Remington Standard Velocity and would go bang for me about 85% of the time. When it did fire accuracy was excellent. I bought a new barrel and all is fine with CCI standard vel. This particular 41 was mfd. about 1980 and I
    bought it used so I don't know the history. The current fix is to have the barrel relined. There are a couple of smiths who are highly
    regarded for this job. I don't have much info on current production but it seems to be fine. I don't want on anybody's parade, but if you
    are buying used, be careful.
     

    indiucky

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    12   0   0
    The 17 a classic .22 revolver, the 41 a classic semiautomatic. Both in current production.

    Not for defensive use, but both beautiful in their own category.

    Any thoughts?

    I have 8 or 9 K 22's (Model 17 after 1953) from the 1930's through the 1990's...Kirk freeman has more than one as well...They are the most fun shooting revolver one can own....The four inch model 18's or K 22 Combat Masterpieces are awesome as well...
    DkIOY2sX4AAsx8B.jpg


    DkIOc2VX4AIVvJf.jpg
     

    686 Shooter

    Expert
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    29   0   0
    Feb 20, 2010
    838
    18
    Huntington County
    I own a few 17s and a 617. I bought the 617 as a training tool when I shot in a bullseye league. The 617 is a very close match to the 686. I think the 17 is as fine of revolver as any 22 made.
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
    47,969
    113
    Lafayette, Indiana
    I have wanted a M41 since Mel Tappan told me to get one in 1981 (my first gun book as a kid was "Survival Guns").

    However, I have never owned a M41 as I went with the Ruger 22/45 in the early '90s and have acquired several, both suppressed and un-suppressed.
     

    indiucky

    Grandmaster
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    12   0   0
    I have more than a few Model 17s and pre-17s.

    Here is the latest, M17-8 wearing aftermarket maple stocks.

    31064272_10216207009753558_1279143047178747904_o.jpg

    Nice grips...Very nice...I know better than to ask "who made them?" as I am sure you snatched them off a vendors table with an exchange of cash...:)

    Now I have a 17-8 without the internal lock and that one SEEMS (may not) to have the internal lock....Mine looks like this one here...A 10 shot that I had S&W replace the aluminum cylinder with a stainless steel one...Lots of guys do that.....

    3766290_01_smith_wesson_17_8_10_shot_22_l_640.jpg
     

    sloughfoot

    Grandmaster
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    26   0   0
    Apr 17, 2008
    7,153
    83
    Huntertown, IN
    I have owned a 41 for a long time. I put a low power scope on it for a while but went back to the irons for bullseye. The finest all steel .22 target pistol anywhere. I own Ruger 22's too and they aren't even close.
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
    47,969
    113
    Lafayette, Indiana
    I have owned a 41 for a long time. I put a low power scope on it for a while but went back to the irons for bullseye. The finest all steel .22 target pistol anywhere. I own Ruger 22's too and they aren't even close.

    No argument.

    In my .22 autoloading pistols, I put quantity over quality. The Rugers all run like sewing machines and were all under $200, but the Smith M41 is a fantastic weapon. No dispute.
     

    indiucky

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    12   0   0
    I have wanted a M41 since Mel Tappan told me to get one in 1981 (my first gun book as a kid was "Survival Guns")

    Mine was the 1970 Shooters bible dad gave me after he replaced it with the 1976 Shooter Bible...I wore that thing out....Mom has a pic of me sitting in the chair in cut off levi's and an Adidas shirt ca 1976 giving her a glare because 12 year old boys are too cool to have their mom snap a pic when they are reading Jack O'Connor...:)

    s-l400.jpg
     

    singlesix

    Grandmaster
    Industry Partner
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    May 13, 2008
    7,197
    27
    Indianapolis, In
    The thing about the Model 41 is that many stated the new production runs aren't as good as the old ones. Don't know if this is "they don't make it like they use too" syndrome.
     
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