Well, I now own one. I've owned a 22A for years and tho I always hated the looks, it was a good shooter/plinker. I think the Victory is a huge upgrade for many reasons (not having shot it yet). If this gun meets my expectations, my son gets the 22A. Plan to put a bunch of rounds through it this weekend weather permitting. OTD at local shop for $375.

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Pass it on.
Mark

I will probably end up with one, the only 22 auto I have is a Ruger SR 22 I picked up to teach my wife and daughter how to shoot a semi auto pistol.They cannot rack the slides on any of my others so I needed something easy.

We're about to move but once we're settled in, I will be adding one to my collection.

Ed

Just bought one, it's about the after market goodies, and the fact that the gun strips basically in a minute, one screw, and that there are already some fine after market accoutrements for it. Threaded barrels, especially motivated me. Also the no nonsense finish and grip, drop it in the mud variety. Ordering a suppressor for it tomorrow. read the review of the SW22 on gunsamerica.com.

Stripped mine a few times tonight (bored and I can't shoot it yet) - wow I like it.

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Pass it on.
Mark

I currently have a 22A Duo-tone which is a great shooter as well as a great looker. The Victory is my next purchase--it's too pretty to pass up. Hey, what do I know, I also have a 6" stainless Neos...

The Neo's is a decent shooting gun as well. I have had one of them as well as a 22A. I have also had the buckmark,Rugers and many more brands as well. Now I have a M41 and a M46 as my backup gun. These two I am keeping for all time as they seem to be the best out there period.

Saw this info posted on another forum.

"Anyone wanting to add a few magazines to their new Victory, after looking around and comparing prices and shipping costs, I found the link below to be a pretty good price. Shipping is a flat rate and reasonable."
MAG S&W VICTORY 22LR 10RD STS [MGSW3001520] - $24.15 : HamLund Tactical, AR Rifle Parts and Accessories Including Uppers, Lowers, Stocks, Forearms, Grips, and Magazines

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U.S. Army (Retired)

I'll probably buy it once I hold one. I understand those on here belittling it for this or that reason but nice to shoot a gun you can replace and purchase parts for.

This pistol may not win a beauty contest, but who says it has to enter.

After shooting a couple hundred rounds through it this weekend, and after breaking it down and cleaning ..... I love it. Simplicity and function reign supreme. My realistic goal (and primary usage) is to be able to hit beer cans off hand at 50 yards (open sights). I was getting 5-6 out of 10 by end of first session.

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Pass it on.
Mark

Another "more" detailed look at the Victory.

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U.S. Army (Retired)

I sure hope it shoots like a house on fire because it is one butt-ugly piece of metal. And at 36 ounces a bit heavy IMO for a .22 plinker.

Quoted for extreme truthiness. I'm sorry but I can't get over the looks. The more I see it, the worse it gets.

Fortunately for me, I've got a couple Model 41's in the safe plus more .22 LR "plinkers" than I can count.

Still waiting for someone to really put one of these through its paces, as the design seems very well thought out.

Weight is not excessive if you look at a model 17 series or a 41 at 42oz for the 7 inch barrel. If it is not ammunition picky as is the 41 and the accessory barrels are up to snuff, it might be a steal going for about $1,000 less than the 41. A lot depends on the triggers.

Anyone comparing this design to a Ruger is ignoring the modular design and simplicity. Cannot understand the views of people who have never held one in their hands or fired one attempting to compare it to another design.

I ventured over from the M&P 15-22 forum to see what you boys/gals thought of the new model. I've been considering buying my first handgun and have had tunnel vision on the SR22 4.5 inch barrel model. The Victory has caught my eye in its simplicity, and reported accuracy. I'll wait now and read more hands on reports, hopefully in your forum, before deciding.

Per the double bounce f the new S&W rimfire-
There's a readily found Youtube video of a guy that does a Buckmark review and it shows him as he empties a couple of clips from his pistol. I found some purpose in his seemingly wasteful, trigger happy shooting. The Buckmark actually remains very much on point of aim as he does this, thus the pistol has little recoil effect on the shooter, which does have a value, even on the .22 LR.
The so called "review" mentioned from Guns America is lacking.
I'm hardfast on the naysayer side of this one.

This thread is a great study in human nature. It just amazes me how many grumpy negative people immediately hate something new they don't really know a g.d. thing about. However, we also see that there are lots of people interested and curious, if cautious, about this new pistol. Personally, I am eager to get one and play. The fact that I own Rugers, Colts, Hi-Standards, etc. has nothing to do with the new gun.

Remember, it is still legal to clean up your old guns and sell them....lots of people do it every day. If your outlook is so negative and grumpy, why even poke your head out of the cave?

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

S&WIowegan, that is in a nutshell what I was trying to get across.

You cannot bring anything to a discussion without some knowledge of the subject.

The gun is butt-ugly. I don't need to buy one or shoot one to figure that out. Just like I don't need to date an overweight woman to figure out that she's overweight. But by all means, go ahead and buy it if you want. That's why they are making them. As you say, if you hate it, you can always sell it (at a loss).
My philosophy on new guns is the same philosophy I have about new model cars -- never buy a car in its first year of production. Ditto for firearms.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe some folks like the design of the New Victory model handgun. Maybe some don't but keep one thing in mind. Its made by S&W and will be a very good gun especially for the price range involved. With the options available already at a decent price also I really think its a very good gun for the price range. Having a M41 and a M46 I probably won't buy one but would love to try one out for a afternoon shooting session.

I haven't held or fired one yet, so I can't make a (personal) plus or minus comment on the new Victory. Just thought I pass along a couple of positive posts I read on another forum.

“I bought one today and my brother and I took it to the range tonight. We fired 300 rounds of various ammo (automatch, cci std, GB's, bulk federal, mini-mags). It ate everything just fine. I'm very happy with it right out of the box. My brother loves it and wants to get one, even though he's a southpaw.”

Update:” Well my brother shoots it better than any of the other stock Rugers that I own, and as well as the ones that have had internal work done to them. Upon closer examination, it seems to be very well made. Up close and in hand it looks better than the pictures I've seen posted in various places online. The grips are finely detailed for what molded plastic usually looks like. The sights are easy to pickup, and a welcome relief on our 56 and 57 year old eyes. As much as I like it, I have decided to wait and purchase one at a later date for myself and have relinquished ownership of this one to my brother. I get as much, if not more, enjoyment watching him shoot it, than me shooting it."

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U.S. Army (Retired)

People are crazy about the AR platform which is the ugliest piece of metal out there. But it performs and that is why the design is liked by so many. Would I have one? No. But if someone enjoys one, that is none of my business and they have my blessings.

As far as never buying a new model, that can work two ways. As a traveling salesman for 23 years, I ran through many automobiles and the best one driven by far was an '88 LTD which was the first model of that series. Sold it to my sister whose family put something like 175,000 miles on it with no problems.

Every first person account on this pistol has been very favorable. After reading and viewing everything I could find, I am yet to see a bad review. You do have some who judge a book by its cover complaining however.

Super slow motion of Ruger Mark pistols show the same thing--a distinct "bounce" of the bolt off the breech face. It hasn't really stopped Rugers from being good for 100k rounds or more.

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U.S. Army (Retired)

Allen nut that secures the barrel may require blue locktite, can this be done multiple times? I clean my guns on a regular basis. Not familiar with repeated use of locktite .

Brake caliper bolts on some cars are supposed to be coated with a thread-locking compound prior to being reinstalled. Most shops don't do it but you only need to have one of those bolts back out to start following the auto manufacturer's instructions.

So yes, you can recoat bolts with a thread-locking compound.

Ed

Sure 'nuf. You are correct sir!

Thanks for posting the videos.

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U.S. Army (Retired)

Top to bottom: Browning Buckmark .22 in SS; Colt "Cadet" .22 in SS; my new S&W SW22 Victory .22 in SS; Ruger Mark III Hunter in SS; and actual WWII Navy "Victory" .38 Spcl in parkerized steel:


I just purchased the SW22 this Sunday.

Hope this "comparison" shot will answer a lot of questions!

Ron

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Stand behind our troops!

Hit an anvil with a hammer and you will not need a camera to determine what happens. The videos show exactly what happens.

They use dead blow hammers in industry which are lead shot filled rubber. The weight of the shot delivers force to what the hammer hits without rebounding. It is surprising what force is delivered with a blow.

You can put fresh Loctite on a screw as many times as you want if you clean the old material off the threads before applying it. Fingernail polish also works to lock threads. Probably about any strength Loctite will serve your purpose as long as it is not too strong for removal when cleaning the pistol.

All the handguns except the revolver have a barrel, spring loaded bolt, trigger group, magazine and handle in common. The internals differ greatly.

RonJon, sure would like to hear how you like your new pistol.

With a safe full of S&W 41's colt woodsmans, huntsmans, browning medalist I will add the new S&W as soon as I can. I find it hard to understand how all the S&W fans on this site can dislike some thing with out handling the product. The only one in our area I know of is well liked by the owner. Try it out first then tell me what is wrong not before.

I like it too. I bought one, sight unseen, on Gun Broker yesterday. Due to arrive on Groundhog Day. My first .22 pistol.

Kentucky Gun Co. has them in stock now, for $ 341 shipped.
Free shipping and no tax. Just FFL fees.

https://www.kygunco.com/Smith-and-We...ss-10-1-112954

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U.S. Army (Retired)

Good post.

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U.S. Army (Retired)

The irony with this post is that with all those other .22's you listed and many, many more already sitting our safes and shooting bags & boxes, I think many of us here are in a uniquely good position to decide whether or not the new SW22 Victory is going to be the gun for us or not.

I am not pro or against the new SW22. I'm just not interested in it. I understand the new features. I can see where they would appeal to some people. I also understand the appeal of low cost and of the name "Smith & Wesson"! That's the brand I collect above all others by far.

Please don't confuse our initial impressions and thoughts about it with some sort of detailed review of the gun.

I got to handle one at SHOT Show. Nice little gun at a good price.

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High Caliber History

I'm going to a gun show tomorrow and one of the guns I wanted to look at was the Victory. This way I'll get to handle one in person. I have the M & P 22C but I was looking for another 22 for plinking. The only thing that might bother me is the issue with the allen nut backing out. I'm not sure I would want to deal with having to put locktite on it every time since I always clean my guns after range trips. One of the videos on Youtube made it look like the fellow had to tighten the nut quite a few times and he really didn't fire that many rounds. Is anyone here who actually owns the Victory having the same problem. It might be something S & W has to figure out a fix for. For me it would be a very annoying feature of the gun.

Saw that video and a little thread locker would do the trick. I would probably start with the weakest solution and move up to blue if it were needed.

Anyone doing much mechanical work would be familiar with the use of thread locker as it is a normal operation in many assemblies. It replaces lock washers which can damage metal.

If using Loctite seems problematic to anyone, then do not purchase a Buckmark or S&W We use Buckmarks and really enjoy them.

Went by the local gun shop today and put my hands on one, I like the way it feels and my price out the door would be 389.00.

I have ordered a Wheeler Engineering torque screwdriver (It is due to arrive tomorrow).

I have shown a picture in this forum of the SW22 Victory that I bought last Sunday.
But I have not had a chance to fire it yet.

Does anyone have information of the proper torque (in inch-pounds) to properly tighten the
barrel screw on this firearm?

I'd like to have that information and always tighten it to the same (proper) tightness.

RonJon

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Stand behind our troops!

Will standard velocity ammo work with the Victory or does it need high velocity? Thanks

The Victory's owner's manual simply states to tighten this screw "snug". Once you determine what level of snug you feel comfortable with, that Wheeler's torque wrench is going to make it easy for you to repeat it.

Judging by the interest in this thread, it's very likely the Victory will be a hot seller. I took a quick look while buying another revolver, so tapped out for this month.

I own two 22As and they're great for the money. I don't think there was enough margin. The Victory is a nice competitor to the Ruger. By the way, a Ruger Mark III target weighs 42 ounces. Yeah, I've been down the 41 road. It's time has passed in the new market. Far too finicky and a narrow market.

Ugly? Has anyone seen a Glock? I want to shoot my pistols, not date them.

Anyway, one guys opinion. Ruger has owned this price point for decades. I hope Smith sells these like crazy.

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Best Regards,
Mark

Just wanted to post that I received my 22 Victory today. I took it home first before going to the range. I had watched a few videos where people have said the barrel getting loose after shooting for some time. With that in mind, I took it apart and reassembled using a bit of blue Loctite on the screw. After picking up my brother, we proceeded to the range with a box of Federal AutoMatch. 325 rounds later, no wiggle. Shoots great! I like it better than my 22A in terms of the trigger, heft and balance. We shot 125 rounds from a left over box of 22lrs to compare the 22A side by side. I want to try some pistol match ammo but did not have any to try.

Amazing how many people already know about the new pistol and came over to ask questions.

Very happy so far and I can see it getting a lot of use.

Thanks for the post. Ordered one yesterday.

My new 22 Victory will fire the first round but will not eject the casing. I am using Federal 40 grain ammo.

Did you clean it before taking it out to shoot?

Does it happen with both magazines?

Couldn't have said it any better.

I "poked" my head in here because I bought one of these. Sorry boys but these are one of the cooler .22s to come out in awhile. Breaks down in a simple manner, modular, and there's already some aftermarket barrels being made for it. I'll take it.

You just had to post that didn't you??!!!
I guess I have to click the LIKE on your post because ENABLER isn't an option.
Got one. Thanks, I guess.

And I think the pistol and the aftermarket barrels look sharp FWIW. I've been wanting a .22lr pistol for some time now and this will likely be it.

Over 12,000 views on this thread so far. A lot of curiosity on this new pistol for sure. Just might be as popular as the Shield if it holds together and has no major issues.