S&W M41 older model - Trigger issue

[jayjay1]

Hey folks,
I´ve bought a pretty neat used M41, which shoots like a dream, when it shoots.

I can do 10-20 shots or so without any issue, but then it won´t fire.
I´m pressing the trigger, but nothing happens, no "click", no resistance point, no "Pew", niente - nada - rien - nothing - nichts.

If I release the trigger and try it again, sometimes it goes Pew and sometimes it doesn´t.

Any help welcome.

Cheers,
Jay

[georgerkahn]

I have a rather "old" S&W 41, I believe I purchased in the very early 1970's. It sat as a safe queen for too many year -- several local 'expert' gunsmiths, as well as smarter-than-them fellows at range, actually made the problem -- VERY similar to yours -- worse! I even got a ruined magazine from one expert who was certain that was the cause...
I later engaged in conversation with a fellow whom I highly respect, and he suggest the pistol is paid for, so anything ($$$) I put into it to make a shooter will in fact be the cost to get a shooter. (I had considered sending it to S&W, but never went that route).
VERY HIGHLY recommended to me was Clark Custom Guns in Louisiana, and they indeed did miracle work on this, in rather short order! They reduced the trigger pull, too, and I cannot recall when I had a mis-fire, do-nothing-trigger, or stove-pipe since I got it back.
Just like restaurant food -- some get a great meal, others not-so-good -- ordering exact same offering from menu -- maybe (but I highly doubt it) I got "lucky" -- actually SUPER lucky -- with the firearm I got back!!! I know I would not hesitate in again sending a firearm to them.
My one and only gripe is the ridiculous shipping costs plus going through FFL's at both sending and receiving -- but the Clark folks had nothing to do with that. (Just our govt. making things safe for us, right?)
Anyhoos -- I wasted way too much time and money before sending my 41 to Clark -- and have zero regrets doing that. My "fix" to a problem similar to yours.
GOOD LUCK!
geo

[ole 5 hole group]

I'm assuming you have cleaned the trigger assembly very well - because back in the "ole days" a lot of shooters used ole Hoppe's #9 very liberally and over the years, it turns to something like semi-hard varnish and does all sorts of bad things to a trigger group.

http://guntalk-online.com/Model41maintenance.htm

[jayjay1]

Hello georgerkahn,
well, I´m "east of the canadian border", far east to be honest.
Maybe the shipping costs to Clark Custom Guns would blast my budget.

But I got the idea.
I now a very good pistol gunsmith over here as well, he only has pretty long waiting times.

@ole 5 hole group:
I have cleaned the gun already and oiled it lightly, but I didn´t strip it so far.

Do you think I should take it down into pieces to clean it to solve the prob?

[skeettx]

Yes, the gun was designed to work WELL
So, totally strip it down, really clean it, lightly lube it
and report back to us on how well it does

http://guntalk-online.com/Model41maintenance.htm

Mike

p.s. The mag disconnect, with no magazine in the gun, pushes the trigger bar out of contact with the sear. It can be removed and the gun will function but on a target/plinker I prefer to have it in the gun. I can't imagine it's removal would lighten trigger pull. One problem the magazine disconnect can cause, after years (decades) on being under strain, the end (left side) of the mag disconnect spring can unwind just enough to block the passage of the safety stud making it inoperable. Then again, few use the safety on a Model 41.

Mike

[ole 5 hole group]

@ole 5 hole group:
I have cleaned the gun already and oiled it lightly, but I didn´t strip it so far.

Do you think I should take it down into pieces to clean it to solve the prob?

I would. I used my M41 shooting 2700 many years ago and after I got out of competition I put away that fine firearm for 20 years. When I took it out the trigger felt "soft", very unnatural. I took it down and removed a lot of old Hoppe's from the trigger group and oiled it back up. No more problems.

[jayjay1]

Well then, I will give it a shot.

Hopin´ I can stack it together again....

[M-Tecs]

Post 3 is spot on. Here's the owners manual.

http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIREARMS/s&w_41.pdf

[shooter2]

The first thing to do with a gun that's new to you is to strip it down and clean it. I do it if they are new or used.

[country gent]

Another place to check is on older guns ( especially if left cocked for long periods) is the actual springs weakening. I would strip it down clean everything as well as possible and replace the springs. A sping kit from wulffs or S&W should be very expensive and will take care of another possibility with the one disasembly. If you have an untra sonic cleaner remove barrel assembly and grips and use it to clean action and frame to start with. These units do pretty good at washing out crud from areas.

[Char-Gar]

Hey folks,
I´ve bought a pretty neat used M41, which shoots like a dream, when it shoots.

I can do 10-20 shots or so without any issue, but then it won´t fire.
I´m pressing the trigger, but nothing happens, no "click", no resistance point, no "Pew", niente - nada - rien - nothing - nichts.

If I release the trigger and try it again, sometimes it goes Pew and sometimes it doesn´t.

Any help welcome.

Cheers,
Jay

I am pretty certain, there is old fouling and/or oil turned to varnish the guts of the thing. A through disassembly, cleaning and re-lubrication would most likely take care of the problem.

[Multigunner]

I've cleaned out the guts of badly gummed up old pump shotguns and a few other guns I didn't want to detail strip using common carburetor cleaner. Nothing like it for dissolving hardened grease and varnishlike dried preservative oils. WD40 is a preservative more than a lubricant so using it too often and then letting the gun lay up unused for years can result in the moving parts being more or less glued shut. Its worse when powder fouling infiltrates into the tight fitting internals and the oils act like the carrier of spray paint.
I've sprayed trigger groups that looked clean to the eye and black sticky gunk just poured out of them.