S&W 41 Fastfire mount?

Ultra12 · July 2, 2013, 09:02 PM

Picked up a 41 for bullseye competitions in my club and wanted to put a red dot sight on it. I don't want to drill and taper the gun and hoping there is a mount that goes in where rear sight is now. Any diff as far as mount for ii and iii ?Btw it's a 1982 5.5

seeker073180 · July 2, 2013, 10:10 PM

I know I have my tube style reddot mounted to a weaver #62 rail. My newish (2007) 41 has a couple of screws on the top that you can take out. Then the holes line up with the holes in rail. Not sure if the fastfire fits this rail or not, but its worth a shot as the rail is less then $10.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-w...odel-41-a.html

This may help!!!

Hammerhead · July 2, 2013, 10:51 PM

The FFII and FFIII are different. IMO the dot is too bright in the automatic mode on the FFIII and there are only 3 manual settings. I tried the trick where you put tape over the light sensor to get it to be a little dimmer in the auto mode, but that doesn't seem to work with the FFIII. It's a little bright for my tastes, but for tactical uses I guess too bright is better than too dim.

The FFIII does have some advantages over the FFII. The III is waterproof from the get-go, no gaskets to install. You don't have to remove it from the gun to change batteries, so there's no worry about a shifting POA. The III also come with a nifty cover that you can leave in place and use as a rain/dust shield.

Both have excellent clarity, no distortion, and the dots are nice and round, unless you have astigmatism, then they may appear to have a comma shape. (that's what my buddy sees when he looks through mine, but to me it's perfectly round and clear)

I bought my FFIII with a weaver/picatinny mount and a Mark II mount. The weaver mount did not work on my SSK weaver rail on my revolver. The cross bolt was too thick and too deep. I had to file the cross slot wider and deeper on my rail to get it to work.

I tried it on other weaver rails I have and it fit no problem, so it must just be the SSK rail.

Doesn't the S&W 41 have a weaver rail on the barrel, or at least an add-on rail?

Dusty Rivers · July 3, 2013, 06:16 PM

Someone sent me this information year or two ago. You might find it useful or not. I never followed up on it.

Burris on 41 S&W

" the newer Model 41's are pre-drilled and tapped for sight mounting.
The Burris Fastfire is very small and light at 2 oz..... It's also supposed to withstand the G-force of being mounted on a centerfire pistol slide. Of course, it takes no such beating on the 22LR.

I have been very pleased with the entire setup. It does what I want for non-competative bullseye... and does not spoil the looks of a beautiful gun. Here's the link to the Burris site. It came with the clamps for the Weaver mount, but there are several other variations optional for different weapons.

http://www.burrisoptics.com/fastfire.html

Below is a detailed explanation of what I did to mount it. The #62 mount is actually about three inches longer than is required by this time sight. It probably was designed for the long tubular styles.

I originally mounted the Fastfire on a #62 Weaver mount using the existing screw positions... but I didn't like having most of the mount sticking out in front of the sight.

My plan then was to cut down the mount, and I ordered a second #62 as a $6 insurance policy if I screwed up.

However, I took it over to a local gun store to compare the contour and size to other short Weavers that they had in stock. This is where I spotted the #46 (just a $4 investment).

By flipping it 180 degrees... using one existing hole and drilling one new hole, I was able to get the sight mounted rearward an additional 1/4 inch. It sits quite nicely over the front of the iron sight with adequate clearance.

The advantage of doing this versus chopping the #62 was getting the sight back a little further, and not having a cut metal surface visible under the sight in the front.

(I did grind off about 1/16th on the rear of the #46 for safety clearance with the iron sights.... but it is not visible from any angle.)"

Ultra12 · July 4, 2013, 08:36 AM

Thank you guys but I am not looking for a rail set up. I am not looking to drill my gun. I am looking to replace my rear sight and put a Fastfire mounted on dovetail

seeker073180 · July 4, 2013, 09:22 AM

http://www.bme-mounts.com/products.html

I believe the mounts for the 52 fit some of the older short barrels, there's also a 41 for the newer longer sights.

seeker073180 · July 4, 2013, 09:26 AM

and rimfire central has a s&w forum, mostly about 41s, 422s, etc.

RC20 · July 4, 2013, 01:00 PM

The only way I have come across to manage it is to get a replacement barrel that has been drilled and tapped for the rail mount.

Allows you to keep the original barrel as is.

Some fitting may be required as even the factory barrels are custom fitted and its very tight fit at that.

There is one mfg I know that offers replacement barrels with that setup other than Smith.

Dusty Rivers · July 4, 2013, 07:03 PM

See my previous post here. You may be able to get by with the #46 mount and just one screw where the sight is now. It might be worth the try. I don't think there are any other real options. The 41 is so darn accurate with iron sights i decided that a red dot really didn't buy me anything. I have a 41 from 1970 I think. bought it new, and it is the last gun i would let go. many many rounds through it. Get you one if you come across one

July 2, 2013, 09:02 PM	#1
Ultra12 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2010 Location: NYC Posts: 162	S&W 41 Fastfire mount? Picked up a 41 for bullseye competitions in my club and wanted to put a red dot sight on it. I don't want to drill and taper the gun and hoping there is a mount that goes in where rear sight is now. Any diff as far as mount for ii and iii ?Btw it's a 1982 5.5 __________________ Abe Lincoln may have freed all men, but Sam Colt made them equal.

July 2, 2013, 10:10 PM	#2
seeker073180 Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Posts: 99	I know I have my tube style reddot mounted to a weaver #62 rail. My newish (2007) 41 has a couple of screws on the top that you can take out. Then the holes line up with the holes in rail. Not sure if the fastfire fits this rail or not, but its worth a shot as the rail is less then $10. http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-w...odel-41-a.html This may help!!! __________________ -seeker- *IAaGO*

July 4, 2013, 08:36 AM	#5
Ultra12 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2010 Location: NYC Posts: 162	Thank you guys but I am not looking for a rail set up. I am not looking to drill my gun. I am looking to replace my rear sight and put a Fastfire mounted on dovetail __________________ Abe Lincoln may have freed all men, but Sam Colt made them equal.

July 4, 2013, 09:26 AM	#7
seeker073180 Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Posts: 99	and rimfire central has a s&w forum, mostly about 41s, 422s, etc. __________________ -seeker- *IAaGO*

July 4, 2013, 07:03 PM	#9
Dusty Rivers Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2008 Posts: 235	#46 mount See my previous post here. You may be able to get by with the #46 mount and just one screw where the sight is now. It might be worth the try. I don't think there are any other real options. The 41 is so darn accurate with iron sights i decided that a red dot really didn't buy me anything. I have a 41 from 1970 I think. bought it new, and it is the last gun i would let go. many many rounds through it. Get you one if you come across one __________________ Dusty: I'm kind of a big deal! Rob Pincus follower PDN NRA Lifetime Member, our only voice!

July 2, 2013, 10:51 PM	#3
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	The FFII and FFIII are different. IMO the dot is too bright in the automatic mode on the FFIII and there are only 3 manual settings. I tried the trick where you put tape over the light sensor to get it to be a little dimmer in the auto mode, but that doesn't seem to work with the FFIII. It's a little bright for my tastes, but for tactical uses I guess too bright is better than too dim. The FFIII does have some advantages over the FFII. The III is waterproof from the get-go, no gaskets to install. You don't have to remove it from the gun to change batteries, so there's no worry about a shifting POA. The III also come with a nifty cover that you can leave in place and use as a rain/dust shield. Both have excellent clarity, no distortion, and the dots are nice and round, unless you have astigmatism, then they may appear to have a comma shape. (that's what my buddy sees when he looks through mine, but to me it's perfectly round and clear) I bought my FFIII with a weaver/picatinny mount and a Mark II mount. The weaver mount did not work on my SSK weaver rail on my revolver. The cross bolt was too thick and too deep. I had to file the cross slot wider and deeper on my rail to get it to work. I tried it on other weaver rails I have and it fit no problem, so it must just be the SSK rail. Doesn't the S&W 41 have a weaver rail on the barrel, or at least an add-on rail?

July 3, 2013, 06:16 PM	#4
Dusty Rivers Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2008 Posts: 235	Burris on 41 S&W Someone sent me this information year or two ago. You might find it useful or not. I never followed up on it. Burris on 41 S&W " the newer Model 41's are pre-drilled and tapped for sight mounting. The Burris Fastfire is very small and light at 2 oz..... It's also supposed to withstand the G-force of being mounted on a centerfire pistol slide. Of course, it takes no such beating on the 22LR. I have been very pleased with the entire setup. It does what I want for non-competative bullseye... and does not spoil the looks of a beautiful gun. Here's the link to the Burris site. It came with the clamps for the Weaver mount, but there are several other variations optional for different weapons. http://www.burrisoptics.com/fastfire.html Below is a detailed explanation of what I did to mount it. The #62 mount is actually about three inches longer than is required by this time sight. It probably was designed for the long tubular styles. I originally mounted the Fastfire on a #62 Weaver mount using the existing screw positions... but I didn't like having most of the mount sticking out in front of the sight. My plan then was to cut down the mount, and I ordered a second #62 as a $6 insurance policy if I screwed up. However, I took it over to a local gun store to compare the contour and size to other short Weavers that they had in stock. This is where I spotted the #46 (just a $4 investment). By flipping it 180 degrees... using one existing hole and drilling one new hole, I was able to get the sight mounted rearward an additional 1/4 inch. It sits quite nicely over the front of the iron sight with adequate clearance. The advantage of doing this versus chopping the #62 was getting the sight back a little further, and not having a cut metal surface visible under the sight in the front. (I did grind off about 1/16th on the rear of the #46 for safety clearance with the iron sights.... but it is not visible from any angle.)" __________________ Dusty: I'm kind of a big deal! Rob Pincus follower PDN NRA Lifetime Member, our only voice!

July 4, 2013, 09:22 AM	#6
seeker073180 Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Posts: 99	http://www.bme-mounts.com/products.html I believe the mounts for the 52 fit some of the older short barrels, there's also a 41 for the newer longer sights. __________________ -seeker- *IAaGO*

July 4, 2013, 01:00 PM	#8
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	The only way I have come across to manage it is to get a replacement barrel that has been drilled and tapped for the rail mount. Allows you to keep the original barrel as is. Some fitting may be required as even the factory barrels are custom fitted and its very tight fit at that. There is one mfg I know that offers replacement barrels with that setup other than Smith.