Most reliable 22 LR for S&W M41

I get stovepipe once in a while. Also get FTE occasionally with my Model 41.
Seems to be a common issue among 22 semi auto handguns.
I had tried Eley, S&K(Lapua) and others. I find Federal (shiny ones ) ammo most problematic.
So far the S&K Flatnose is my favourite ( no issues at all! )
What are your experience?

Handcycle

My 41 ran flawlessly all summer long, but I had a stovepipe with CCI green tag during a match this week.

I think chamber cleanliness is key, but I'm no expert.


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Edited to add, I can't find green tag anywhere, so I guess I'm in the same boat.

I hear a lot of shooters like cci standard velocity.

Legend has it that CCI standard velocity is THE preferred ammunition for the 41.

It runs reliably through my pistol, but I can't find it these days either.

handcycle wrote:I hear a lot of shooters like cci standard velocity.

+1 for most .22’s

CCI Standard always worked well in mine with both barrels. As stated previously, it had to be kept clean.

All my “NTM” mid 70’s M41 with a Douglas barrel has ever had since I bought it 2 years ago is the CCI ST VEL fodder.  I think I have run a couple of thousand rounds and might have had one FTF.  I had one stovepipe (FTE) last week.  Probably got a little lax in PM and will correct that this weekend.

I have shot that ammo almost exclusively in the SW and Buck Mark and Ruger.  One lot had issues in the Buck Mark and CCI tested and found some lube issues and replaced 8K

I have run at least 10k rounds of CCI SV with very few issues.  In truth though mine seems not to be very fussy.

My Mod 41 eats 40 gr, std vel CCI, SK Pistol Match, most flavors of Eley, Remington and Armscor.  I've never had a problem with any ammo.  I guess I'm one of the lucky one.  

I bought the pistol new about 40 years ago.  The only pistol-related issue I've had is stovepiping, but only after cleaning, and only with a second barrel I purchased a couple of years ago.  Nothing wrong with the original barrel, except it wasn't drilled and tapped for a pic rail.  I wanted to keep the original barrel . . . well. . . original.  So, I bought another.  It's not an every cleaning thing.  When it happens, it will stovepipe the first 1 to 3 rounds, and then run fine.  I'm sure it has something to do with how I clean, but I've never figured out what I'm doing wrong.  I've never had a hiccup of any kind with the original barrel.

I was using Federal Champion 40 grain solid today and no hiccups )
I learn not to buy bulk (500 or 1000) paks. These ammo are quite inconsistent and I had 3 FTF in a batch of around 50 I think. So from now on I will pay a little more & get the individually packed (50 per box)
Like I shared in my earlier post...I like the S&K made by Lapua.

CCI SV works great in my 41’s until the weather gets cool. It then exhibits an occasional feed failure due to short stroking. Because of this, I have gone to Eley CMP bulk (Club) as my go-to ammo. It’s accuracy is as good as CCI and the extra velocity makes it totally reliable.

I did not think about weather being an issue for target shooting, I am really spoiled, it rarely is colder than 50 at my range and the high end is rarely over 80.  I could see how the waxy lubricant on CCI SV could be a problem.

About 50 years ago bought a used M41 for plinking, target shooting, fun. In 2002 joined a local club to start shooting BE.  After a few years I started the musical gun game trying to buy my way up the classification ladder, IZH, 208S, Nelson. A couple years ago it was time fpr the M41 to come back into the rotation. Started to have some eject/stovepipe issues. tried various recoil springs, etc. Finally figured out the extractor felt extremely weak holding cartridge. Disassembled the slide/bolt. Cleaned out the extractor slot, spring and extractor. They were coated with hardened residue. The extractor now holds the cartridge firmly and the issues went away. With a Wolff 7 pound recoil spring CCI SV, SK STD plus and Eley Target work great, no issues.

Al

A clean semi auto like the M41 is a must after every session at the range.
I am also not going to buy BULK ammo any more - actually the "saving" is so insignificant that it's silly to buy bulk. CCI std velocity & SK are quality ammo and do not break my bank either. Eley is pricier but I don't feel them to be any better ) At least not at my skill level ....

Too bad they don't make 900B at Federal anymore.  It was the best ammo for my 41.. VERY accurate and never failed.

It is my opinion that a M41 has a marginal ignition system. I know my Ruger MK1 and II are more reliable in ignition so the hammer arc and mainspring of the Ruger has to deliver more energy on the rim.

And I know that pistols have weaker ignition systems than my rifles. I have zero misfires in my rifles, but plenty in the pistols, with the same ammunition.

I replaced the hammer mainsprings in my M46 and M41 and that helped things, but you know, I don't know if the mainsprings were new or not. And I did not run a spring compression test. I am of the opinion that springs need to be replaced. If your springs are more than five years old, change them. Don't argue just do it. These are recoil springs, one of them has taken a set, even though the pistol was not fired.



Something I recommend: blow out the firing pin channel each time you clean the pistol.  When chasing down why I had so many misfires, stove pipes, etc, I changed the mainspring and the firing pin springs. Found my firing pin channel was swimming in oil. That oil acts like a damper, slowing the forward speed of the firing pin. So, I push the firing pin forward, and then blow air from the tip to the back. I am of the opinion that when the firing pin is retracted it acts as a gas block, so it has to be pushed forward.

Then, you have to find a lot of 22lr that ignites reliably. Each lot of rimfire ammunition has a different sensitivity to the priming compound. Shooters all think a primer is a primer is a primer, never heard of primer cake either. Primer cake sensitivity varies as it is a mix of components. Each component varies in purity and energy, and each component is allowed plus or minus tolerances. Primer cake is hand mixed, at least for center fire. So the homogeneity of the mix is never 100%.

Keep your ammunition warm. On a cold day to the match, stick the ammunition under the heater vent. And, on cold days, wipe off the wax lube, and rub all rounds with an oily patch. These 22lr blowbacks require case lube to function, but that wax condenses in cold weather and gums up the mechanism. So, wipe it off, and oil.

I had problems when swiching from RWS to CCI in my 41. After each of the 1st round or 2 a round was not picked up and it was left w/ an empty chamber. A little oil solved the problem as did not making the switch when firing for record.

Incidentally that RWS was purchased from Buckeye Supply for $80 or so per case ((5,000).  Circa early '80's.

Ron Habegger

I didn't really want to go off topic but that would have been my next question... Where are you guys finding Target 22 LR in stock these days?

CMP, Pardini, Killoughs

CCI Mini Mag,  Win Super X is the right answer to OP's question.

41 needs to be clean.  CCI SV works for me.

Agreed, most reliable for me as well !

One of the ignition problems with 22 is in automatics, the slamming of the shell into the chamber breaks the priming out of the rim. Remington was 100% reliable in my rifles but had a minimum of 6% failure in any pistol. Priming compounds are brittle or minimally pressed into the rim. Many duds that l broke open had a semicircle of green priming loose in the powder.

Small washers added to the mainspring stack can increase energy as long as the spring doesn't go solid or sear forge get too high.
Good luck

I keep my M41 lubed with Gun Butter and it works very reliably.  I've been using CCI SV almost exclusively.

BTW, SV seems to be always be available on the CCI website.  I also bought a bunch from Brownells for lower shipping costs.

The CCI website limits sales to one brick at a time, and charges $12 shipping for each brick.  So, if I bought a case, a brick at a time, the shipping alone would be $120.  What's that about?