Is this NORMAL! Model 41

Brand new Smith and Wesson Model 41, performed a field strip and, to me, this slide looks like it was butchered. Here are pics of the interior of the slide....looks like erratic machine marks. Normal for s&w?

I kinda think that area doesn't ride on anything, but don't have mine handy to check.

But, yeah, kinda ugly. I don't remember the sides of mine looking like that but around the spring pocket it's definitely a 'rough' milled surface.

Looks bad for a new 41, I expected something more refined

Not very impressive. From everything I've read I don't plan on buying anything made by S&W past the early 80's.

Unfortunately, normal less than quality from S&W

Yes, that's normal. And not an error. The older (1972) slide does not have the angled cut but it also does not make contact with the frame. The newer (2006) model has the angled cut. Metal was removed behind the cut to allow extra clearance. Notice how the slide is polished right to that point. They just removed all the extra metal on the older slide.

1972



2006

Hi LenV
That is an interesting comparison. I did not know the slide was modified in that way. It looks so unusual to me. Thank you for tye pics comparing the slides.

Certainly not attractive but you don't see it from the outside and I would say see how it shoots before anything else.

So it sounds like the consensus (albeit small) is that the machining on this slide is "normal"

Aside from pride in a job well done....why spend the time on a surface that is not critical to function or accuracy.  Where I work it's hard to convince the knuckle heads on the floor that the time clock is one of the most expensive machines.  The good hands are never an issue

I suppose....maybe I'm just a little OCD about my work, so I expect others to be the same way. Guess what, not everyone cares about a doing a job well done......

Sometimes it comes down to saving a nickel here & there, but it would drive me crazy to not finish the part whether someone else could see it of not.  Mass production as opposed to hand crafted art?

Don’t forget that these old-line manufacturing houses machined way differently than we do today.  The old way was to dedicate one milling machine or lathe to do one transformation.  So fixtures and cutters were set to perform this one thing only.  No adjustment in table position other than the feed direction were allowed.  So the parts were put in the fixture, the feed engaged and the cut made.  The feed rate was designed to give good tool life.  The finish was what you got and unless it affected function, it was left alone.