SW22 Victory

R

reinert

New member
After reading the article in the recent Rifleman, and not owning a .22lr semi-auto handgun yet, the SW22 Victory looks like a real potential candidate to fill that niche in my arsenal. I've watched a couple of youtubes on the pistol since I read the article, and can't to seem to find anything wrong with it at all. The take down for cleaning is easy, the function from what I've seen is near flawless while using about every kind of ammo available, and the accuracy seems as good as anything else on the market (right out of the box). The picture in the article of the pistol in the gun leather stamped with the S&W logo all but clinched a sale for me. I've even started a mild hunt on GB and other sites to research a bit on competitive pricing. I'd sure appreciate any comments from any who owns one, has shot one, and has come to some kind of judgment on the piece. As new as the piece is, there's already upgrades for it, too; seems like Smith did some pretty good pre-planning on the offering.

Thanks

But then, there's the new Ruger Mk 4 that also looks like a real candidate, too. I know the time-honored reliability and accuracy doesn't need much discussion, but the new take-down feature for maintenance looks very attractive when comparing it to the Smith.

If anyone would care to comment on the choice between the two, and why, I'd sure appreciate that, too. For me, this would no doubt be a one-time purchase for a .22 handgun.

It seems Ruger's customer service is very good, too. Is Smith's the same?

Thanks again.
 
I bought the Victory. I shot it and the MKIV at the range. Both were very nice and very accurate guns, with lots of aftermarket options.

For me it came down to price (Victory is less expensive) and I just "liked it better" in ways I can't quantify. I've had no regrets in the month I've owned it. Probably 500 rounds through it so far with no problems.
 
Thanks for the favorable comment, O.G. From what I've read, and watched, the Victory will probably be my choice. The price on one, though not an absolute deciding factor, is quite attractive for just a fun plinker. These days, .22 ammo is quite available most everywhere in my neck o' the woods, too; a good thing.
 
I wouldn't trade my MK for one. It looks like it would be a good gun but it just doesn't work for me. A tool is a tool I agree but its just not a very nice looking gun.
 
The Ruger Mk series and Browning Buckmarks have been the most dominant .22 pistols for a very long time and for a good reason: they are both such fine .22 pistols. From what I have seen of the Victory and read about it I think it is the first serious competitor to the Ruger and Browning pistols. The design is excellent and I personally think S&W is going to keep the quality on a level with the Ruger's and Browning's. All the reviews I have read have been very positive. However I usually wait at least a year before I will buy a brand new model as soon as it hits the market. I seems there is a bug or two with any new model firearm and they are usually resolved very quickly. I don't expect the Victory to be a junky firearm and would not be afraid to buy one now because I know S&W would take care of any problem it might have. I have had a Ruger Mk II target for many years and it has been as perfect as can be except reassembling it is something of a PITA. The Mk 4 I regard the same as the Victory: I would not be reluctant to buy one now because I know Ruger would take care of any problems it might have.
 
I've been a Ruger Fan for a long time and don't think you'll beat a Ruger Mark Whatever but I think the Browning Buckmark and S&W Victory will at least come in at a tie with the Ruger.

Ruger Mark Whatever (but the 4 is easiest to disassemble).
S&W Victory (a very solid feeling pistol)
Browning Buckmark (maybe has a little snob appeal the others lack)

Your choice---I'd sure respect any of the three listed above.

Just for fun though I recently shot the .22lr Browning 85% 1911 which I always thought was too expensive and kind of silly...turns out it fits my hand and I shot it first time as good as I've ever shot any handgun. Might just be the one I shot but I sure was pleasantly surprised.
 
I picked up a Victory last year, for three reasons.

One, the reviews by both Hickock45 and 22plinkster were very favorable. Both reviewers found the Victory to be accurate enough, not picky about ammo, and with aftermarket parts already available.

Two, the ease of taking it down for cleaning/maintenance. 'Nuff said.

Three, price. At the time I bought it, the Victory was at least $75 less expensive than the Ruger or the Browning.

The way I figured it, I was getting a pistol that shot almost as well as either of the other two, that was much easier to take down for cleaning/maintenance than either, for about $100 less than a Ruger or a Browning.

But let's be honest, I'd be happy with any of the three; they all are really nice shooters that are a lot of fun to shoot.

Both companies are well-known for very good customer service. In my own experience, Ruger's CS was just a little better than S&W's, but that's just my experience, and the reality is that I've only had to use Ruger's CS once and S&W's twice.

Good luck with your choice.
 
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I'm a new Victory owner having had mine for about 2 weeks. I probably put about 4-600 rounds through it with no malfunctions using 4 different types of ammo. It is obviously reliable and is accurate too with a good trigger. I added the Tandemkross halo cocking assist which is a nice addition. The Victory has an internet history of take down screw issues, being overly tight at first and then loosening during firing. Mine was very tight initially but a high quality hex driver removed it readily. I only had one incidence of loosening during shooting among several range sessions. IMO it is a great pistol; it offers reliability, accuracy, modularity, and a attractive price point. I have an old Ruger MkII and the Victory is a good companion.
 
I added the Tandemkross halo cocking assist which is a nice addition
Click to expand...

I wasn't even aware of this! I think I know what my next purchase will be :)

This must make it so much easier to cock the gun!
 
Thanks for the comments guys, very helpful. I, too, watched Hickok and the Plinkster's videos and was quite impressed with the performance of the Victory. I also watched Lawson11b's video on the pistol, and a "right-out-of-the-box" demo. He worked the slide a couple of times, loaded the pistol and shot. The second round out of the gun was a FTF. He cleared it, and proceeded on. There were more malfunctions as the test went on with his Vic. At the end of the demo, he assessed that the malfunctions could be blamed on the mag springs, and not the pistol itself.

As in the Hickok .45 video, Lawson did have the barrel screw come loose on the pistol. He tightened it up as Hickok did, and commenced with his test. I wonder if, as in the Hickok video, and as they were both pistols literally right out of the box, that the screw wasn't checked by either shooter. Lawson did not check the screw before he shot, and he noticed it being loose well into the test. He tightened the screw with the wrench in the box, and had no loosening problems throughout the rest of the demo. Lawson used a bunch of different ammo, too, and at the end of his test, he gave the Victory his blessing. This pistol he shot was his own that he won in a raffle. I also understand that Lawson is an accomplished competitor in the shooting world.

I also had the same thought on waiting a while to see if any bug hatch developes on the pistol, as it's a new offering. The same might be said of the Ruger MK 4. I don't know how long that pistol has been out on the market, but it looks like a nice gun, too, with the new break-down design. I had a MK 1 to use for a while back in the early '70's and loved the thing. I never took it apart, and just used #9 Hoppes on it with pipe cleaners and cut up old T-shirts and never had a problem with function as I remember. The take-down features on the new pistols, Ruger or Smith, sure make them attractive. I've also looked a little on the Buckmark, too, another very nice offering out there. As I mentioned in the OP, when I actually lay down the cash for a .22 pistol, it'll likely be the only one I'll ever own...maybe...Ha!

BTW, I should think that if the barrel screw becomes any kind of an issue through the early times of the Victory, the S&W folks could correct that easily enough. I would imagine after a cleaning session, the screw would literally be the last thing one would secure properly after assembly, anyway. A spare screw should be easily enough obtained in case of loss, too.
 
Slightly off topic, but does anyone know whether extended capacity magazines are available for the Victory? 10 rounds go pretty quick...

I haven't found any by Google searching, but that doesn't mean they don't (or won't) exist...
 
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