S&W have been manufacturing the Model 41 .22 rimfire target pistol for well over 50 years. Why I waited until after retirement to buy one, I'm not sure. Probably because I was happy with my original Browning Challenger, purchased back in the mid 70's. After buying a Model 41, I will state that as nice as my Browning shoots, it's no Model 41.
Here are some specifics on the 41:
.22 Long Rifle (Standard velocity recommended)
10 Shot Magazine (Some old magazines will hold 12 rounds but they command a premium)
Weight 46.6 ounces with 5.5" barrel
Trigger Pull: Adjustable between 2.75 to 3.25Lbs
Barrel: 5.5" and 7"
Patridge front sight, adjustable rear.
These specs are for the standard version. There is also a Performance Center version ($$$) that has an integral sight/scope rail.
As mentioned above, this model has been in existence for over 50 years, so used guns are fairly common. Some of the earliest versions came with a compensator, which with a .22 is pretty useless. The earlier versions also have a cocked indicator on the rear of the slide. Used pistols start of around $900 (for a decent one) and new ones list from $1369 to $1619 (PC version). Yes, they are not cheap. However it's a lifetime purchase that you can pass down through the family, or since they hold their value, eventually resell and for a profit or at least recoup your investment.
If you read on line, you will see some posts about feeding issues. This is a target gun, machined to target tolerances, so a few things need to be kept in mind. First off, keep it clean. The rails tend to pick up dirt because .22's cartridges reknown for being clean burning. So every few hundred rounds, clean the rails and add a few drops of oil. Second is the ammo itself. A large contingency claims you should use nothing but standard velocity ammo. Standard velocity is 1080fps or less. High velocity is a couple hundred fps faster, which means more recoil. If you insist on using HV ammo, consider adding heavier springs to mitigate the additional recoil. Otherwise, you will be subjecting an expensive gun to forces it was not originally designed to handle. One last thing on this topic: springs do wear out from use. If you are having issues with a used Model 41 functioning, and a good cleaning doesn't solve the problem, try replacing the recoil spring, available from Wolffe Co.
For cheap target practice, CCI standard velocity is a favorite of nearly all Model 41 owners. It's cheaper than target ammo and performs very well. For match competition, you might try one or more brands, but I've had good results with Eley Match Ammo, Black Box (around $10 a box IIRC). I recently picked up some Eley Yellow box at Williams for $7 something a box but haven't tried it out yet.
So what do you get for your money? The Model 41 won't win any Olympic Medals, but then again, it doesn't cost north of $2,000. It will however win pretty much any local shooting match you enter, provided you can do your part. In other words, if you are good shot, the pistol will show that. If you're a poor shot, it will show that too.
The picture below is a ten shot group, fired at 25 yards from a rest using Eley Black Box.
The picture below was fired in the same manner using CCI SV.
Hope this reviews helps anyone considering buying one of these pistols. If you mount a scope to it, consider the Leupold 2.5-8x long eye relief. It makes shooting this gun at it's optimal performance a piece of cake.