Just my $.22...

[torbjork]

Thought I'd ask here even though this isn't a shooting forum per se: I got my first pistol, a Smith & Wesson model 41, a while ago and am currently getting to know it. During a shooting competition last Saturday, I experienced a few failures to eject (3 out of 60 rounds failed to eject, plus I had one failure to discharge and a stovepipe).

At the time I thought it might be me, as I wasn't really well prepared for the match (ISSF 25metre rapid pistol) and probably did a fair bit of fumbling and limp-wristing. But today, when I was trying to replicate the problem all by my lonesome at the range, I only got it once. It was the first out of a 5-round series that jammed, and it looks to me like the ejector claw "missed" the cartridge's rim so that the spent cartridge was left in the chamber, whereupon the next cartridge got jammed into it from behind, preventing the slide from cycling completely. I was firing slow at the time - repeated rapid series did not replicate the failure.

When I field stripped the gun after shooting today, I took a long hard look inside, and it appears that there is a very slight peen on the upper tip of the ejector claw. Not the part that actually snags the rim, but the very tip. I feel that it's a bit unlikely that could be the root of the problem, as that should affect every round, not just the second.

For the record, I was shooting the same batch of CCI Standard both days, it was a fair bit colder on Saturday though.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I'll be using this gun for ISSF competitions (plus some national varieties) a lot, and quite apart from what problems like these might do to my scores, it's annoying for everyone else to wait while the RO/match supervisor checks out the gun, declares a valid misfire/malfunction and so on...

[Cliff Hargrave]

Rim-fire semi-autos are notorious for malfunctions, especially target models like the 41. Sometimes they will "prefer" a certain ammo and work great, while hanging up with a different brand. I don't think limp wristing a .22 should matter, that is usually an issue with polymer frame, larger caliber guns.

If it's properly lubed and broke in, try some different types of ammo. If it continues try polishing the chamber. But from your description, it sounds like an extractor issue. Here is a link that shows how to adjust the extractor.

http://guntalk-online.com/Model41mai...ce.htm#toppage

I did a quick search on the model 41 and you are not the only person with this issue. It seems to be common with them.

[torbjork]

Thanks, I'll perform the test described and see what happens. Now that I think about it, I have occasionally had problems getting the aluminum dummies that I initially used for snap caps to extract - typically they would have to be shaken out after pulling back the slide although they were not jammed in the chamber - so like you say it's likely to be the extractor.

It's a second hand gun, so it should be broken in.

[torbjork]

No extractor related problem, it holds the cartridge secure. However, I found indentations on the top of the trigger guard and the recoil spring housing indicating they have been hitting one another. When I reassemble the gun after field stripping, the trigger guard doesn't click all the way up to where it's supposed to go until the slide is returned to its forward position. Might have to take the thing to a gunsmith after all.