Just got an S&W Victory--fun gun!!!

O

OhioGuy

New member
I landed a decent sale price on it, and I'd rented it so many times already that the range gave me a little more off the price. I'm swimming in bulk .22lr ammo now :)

I had a question about all the accessories available for target pistols. There are a variety of interchangeable barrels for the Victory (and many more for the more established guns like Ruger Mark series, Buckmark, etc.) and I'm wondering what benefit these barrels really provide.

For instance, I can get two aftermarket barrels for this gun. One is half-made of carbon fiber and the other is very long and fluted. They look cool, and vaguely claim benefits including increased accuracy and reduced recoil. But the stock Victory is plenty accurate right out of the box, and has the recoil of a pellet gun as it is.

Does anyone have experience with these kinds of barrels?

I probably will look into a red-dot optic though. I'm not a huge fan of the stock fiber optics that come with the gun.
 
Valquartzin makes great after market stuff. I bought their trigger kit for my Ruger 22/45 and love it. Why not just shoot it for a while and see how it goes. You may not need to spend mony on after market stuff
 
My curiosity is about the benefits of these specialized barrels. If I were to drop the cash on a fluted or carbon fiber barrel, what benefit could I really expect to see?

What are the real purposes for these additional barrels? Are these things that really only make a difference when you reach championship marksman levels? Or very long distance shooting?
 
I was reading with great interest about this in the RIFLEMAN. I think I want one.
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Do it! It's too much fun to shoot! :)

I can't say it's better than any other target .22 but I can say it's a blast and very affordable.
 
Just got an S&W Victory--fun gun!!!

It's next on my list. Some folks say the initial field strip is a major PITA because the hex screw is way overtightened...guess we shall see.


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I bought one of the first ones available, and then put a VQ carbon fiber barrel on it for a can. The best groups out of both factory and VQ barrels were equal. Fortunately neither barrel shot best with Eley match ammo. The best thing you can do for the Victory is put the TK Victory trigger into it. It really helps. I also put a Fastfire III on a MaddMacs base 'cause I didn't like the factory sights.
 
It really helps. I also put a Fastfire III on a MaddMacs base 'cause I didn't like the factory sights.
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I find the factor sights rather hard to focus on. I don't know why, but for the first several range trips I was consistent shooting high with it. I think I was trying to align the green fiberoptic dots rather than the actual sight posts...? I think I've corrected it but I would still prefer ordinary white dots.

I haven't used a red dot before. I know the Fastfire is very well rated. Also pricey. I see "basic" red dot sights on sale sometimes for around $50. Are those cheap ones just junky wastes of money, or are they good enough for most use?
 
When someone, hopefully soon, comes out with good old fashion black sights for the Victory, I plan to buy one. I've never been a fan of fiber optic sights. For the money, they look like a great pistol. Knowing my luck, when someone starts selling normal sights for it, the price of the pistol will have doubled.
 
I have read too many horror stories about when it comes to field stripping them, the allen screw won't come out. Someone even posted where they contacted S&W and was told to heat the screw up to get it out! WHAT THE F!
I will stick with my trusted Ruger Standard model .22's. And, I'm liking the new model with the push button break down button. That's coming to my collection very soon!
http://ruger.com/products/markIV/overview.html
 
Just got back from the range,another 200 rounds with no problems. The $50 red dot is great. I never had any problems taking my Victory apart nor did either of the 2 set screws ever come loose.
I run Aguila and Federal Target Match ( $.007 a round)
 
I just field stripped mine for the first time after about 300 rounds. The set screw was a little tight but nothing major. It came apart and went back together without any issues. Except that the rod and spring flew out the back like a missile when I pulled the bolt assembly out :eek:

Lesson learned!

But so far it's been easy to clean and use. My groups have all shot consistently high, so tomorrow I'll fiddle with the rear sight elevation a little.
 
Sounds like one of those "if I get a great price" extensions to my short list. My rimfire autos now include my trusty old High Standard HD Military, well worn but accurate and reliable Colt Woodsmen, Iver Johnson TP, Taurus 22Poly, Walther P22, Browning Buckmark Camper, and Ruger new model Charger take-down. Add to those the Kel-Tec PMR30 22 Mag I got a while back. Aside from the Vortex Spark on the Charger, I don't have a 22 pistol with an optic, and think that the Victory would be an excellent choice for some sort of reflex sight.
 
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I have been wanting to try one of those. Read some good reviews about how much easier they are to clean than a Ruger Mark II or Mark III.
 
Just bought a Victory and have had it about 3 days shooting it daily. It is a super pistol imo. There have been no issues or failures to this point using 3 types of high speed ammo and two types of subsonic ammo. I put the Tandemkross Halo loop on it and have a Volquartsen rail(it comes with a polymer rail) and extractor on the way. The TK mag loader is a recommended accessory too. I am going with a Vortex Venom red dot for my aging eyes. The take down screw was very tight but it came loose uneventfully with a quality 1/8" hex driver. 1000s of rounds have gone through my 1982 MK II since I bought it new; it is a great pistol too. The great reviews,modularity, ease of optic mounting, and price induced me to buy the Victory-very pleased at this early stage.

 
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