With afternoon temps flirting with 100 degrees these days, my shooting is largely reduced to keeping my hand in with rimfires and the smaller, more pleasant rounds and, as Africa beckons once again, I'm working even more seriously on trigger control.

In that regard, I got a little help this past week when I took delivery on a 7" barrel for a S&W Model 41 .22 pistol. I picked up my stalwart old 5.5" barreled Model 41 back in the '80s and over all those intervening years that pistol has made many a mile with me...accounting for quite a bit of small game as well as teaching a lot of folks to shoot a handgun. I'd picked the 5.5" version over the 7" back then because I knew that it was destined to ride in a holster with me...but I always wondered how much practical accuracy I was giving up to the longer barreled version. With the arrival of this 7" barrel, I would finally know that answer...

Wanting to start with a clean slate, I opted to evaluate four different rounds of ammo through both barrels to determine a) which barrel preferred which load and b) which barrel shot better overall. Ammo choices to test were based on experience with other rimfires and, of course, what I had immediately available: Federal Auto-Match, Norma TAC-22, SK Pistol Match and Lapua Pistol King. All shooting was done at 25 yards from the bench; temps were in the high 90s, gusty wind and intermittent cloud cover.

Nothing shot badly through either barrel length but both barrels showed a slight preference for the Lapua Pistol King. The 5.5" barrel dropped five rounds into 1 3/16" while the longer tube placed five into a neat 1" cluster. OK, I can live with that...but I can't help but wonder how my groups might compare if I had access to my "'80s vintage" eyes. Gotta try this again with my occupational lens and see if that helps!

So, I've gotten an answer after all these years: 7" barrel minus 5 1/2" barrel equals 3/16". There's some "new math" for you...

A little more sight radius is a good thing, evidently.

Nice pistols. Always wanted a Smith 41, just never happened to be in the right place at the right time with some legal tender in my pocket.

If that excess three sixteenths bugs you (it's AWFUL, ya know), maybe I'd take that junky ol' 5" gun off your hands.

Sight radius definitely is our friend, especially as the indignity of advancing age diminishes our visual acuity!

And sorry for any confusion...there's only the ONE pistol (just TWO barrel lengths). And no, you can't have either!

Well...you can't blame a guy for tryin'.

41s are Sweet handguns for sure. Congrats Sir

I missed out on one years ago and wish I had jumped in and bought it. I do enjoy my Sig Hammerli with the 4.5 inch barrel, while not a S&W 41 it is a good shooting handgun. Or I think so. Best I have done with it was when I stuck a 2X scope on the rail and 50 yard 10 shot groups from sandbag rest were in the 1 to 1.5 inch range most around 1.25. Good enough for squirrels for sure.

I've never had the opportunity to shoot a Hammerli, but I've heard nothing but good things about them over the years...and your experience certainly bears that out! Well done!

The one I have is one they made after Sig acquired them. Some ways it reminds me of S&W 41 with the barrel profile and frame lockup. Cheaper version than the Hammerli 208 less adjustable trigger, but still adjustable for 2 stage and different barrel.

After seeing the performance of the Lapua Pistol King in both S&W barrels, it occurred to me that I ought to test that ammo through my diminutive 4" barreled Colt Woodsman Match Target.

Interestingly, the sight radius on the short 4" Woodsman measures 7 1/2"...only 1/4" shorter than the 5 1/2" Model 41 barrel at 7 3/4" (and versus 9 1/4" for the 7" M41 barrel). The dainty little Colt doesn't give up much on the performance front, though....and it also showed an affinity for the Lapua Pistol King ammo, plunking 10 rounds into 1 5/8". Happily, it also showed a fondness for the Norma TAC-22, placing 10 rounds into 1 13/16".

If using iron sights.

Put the same optic on both of them and see what the results are.

Or shoot them out of a machine rest.

No Luddite worth the title would ever consider optics on a handgun. And a machine rest? Foresooth. It’s a HANDgun, for all love!🤪
The groups would shrink, no doubt. As would my self esteem…🤦‍♂️

The 41 is a legend, but I always thought the Colt Woodsman Match Target was the handsomest target pistol ever manufactured by anyone, anywhere. Excellent taste, sir!

That M41 is sharp looking. I might have to look for one.



The 6" is my most accurate HG across all calibers.

Growing up a die-hard Colt fan, I also thought of the Woodsman Match Target as the pinnacle of target pistols.

Still do, from an aesthetic standpoint...but over the years I've come to appreciate how the heavier Smith hangs on target better for me (46 oz for the 5.5" Smith versus 38 oz for the 4" CWMT). The Colt carries all day better, there's no denying that!

If I ever manage to add a 6" CWMT to the fold I may have the best of BOTH worlds!