S&W Victory takedown screw problem

Yes, S&W, screwed up (pun), but there is a way to break that screw loose the first time with one try. Use what is commonly sold as a "impact screwdriver". It is a tool that takes a 3/8" drive socket. When hit on its end with a hammer it puts a torque force into the socket head screw either to loosen or to tighten. Purchase the very best quality allen wrench drive socket you can find that fits that screw socket properly. Then prepare a "V" bed of plastic or lead for the handgun's barrel to lay in securely with the butt upwards. Then heat the socket head screw with a soldering iron until too hot to touch. Then place the allen drive socket in the screw held by the impact driver. Make sure it is set to 'unscrew' and not screw in tighter. Make sure you are holding the impact driver perfectly in alignment with the socket head screw. Take up all the slack in the driver system with your support hand. Then hit the impact driver with a hammer with a fair rap. If it did not break loose, hit it again with a little harder rap. If it did not break loose, reheat, and hit it again.

The handgun must be bedded securely on a firm surface with no 'give'. You might want the help of another person to hold the grip of the handgun during this effort. The bedding "V" can be made of lead, hardwood, delrin, etc., but nothing that is harder than the steel of the barrel.........

After a successful removal, get a new screw from S&W. Torque it back in with a "T" handle allen wrench. .......

IMHO, the SW Victory 22LR is an outstanding handgun with out of the box accuracy better than 99% of us can hold. I think that when the users have gotten past this 'barrel retaining socket head screw ' removal problem, they will find this handgun becoming their favorite handgun.

I really, no really, like mine. ............

Other than it being bloody tight when I first took it down to clean I have not had it come loose at all.

Barrel screw was not tight on first take down and I tighten it up by hand and so far it is still tight.

I put 300 rounds through it today and it still snaps loose when I undo it.
In total about 700 rounds with no issues.

Nickanto said:

Bought a set up socket Allen's and officially stripped out the screw.

Click to expand...

Since you said the socket head was stripped I am presuming you stripped out the treads.

I am thinking that this screw maybe galling.

I hope not as this will most likely ruin the threads on the barrel insert.

ball ends

AlwaysArmed said:

Wiha Ball End Hex Inch L-Keys Long Arm | Wiha Tools USA

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Ball end wrenches snap off, they are made to get at things at angles, Not meant to torque down or tighten.

Yikes. I must have lucked out. I bought mine in May (can't determine build date) and have no issues after at least 1000 rounds. Removed easily and never budges. Just doesn't seem to make sense that they can't nail this down. Is it dangerous for us to start logging serial numbers here of problem/no problem pieces? This video says a split lock washer does the trick with an occasional cleaning of screw and threads with rubbing alcohol.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6OcVZkmZTQ[/ame]

cobrajunkie said:

Yikes. I must have lucked out. I bought mine in May (can't determine build date) and have no issues after at least 1000 rounds. Removed easily and never budges. Just doesn't seem to make sense that they can't nail this down. Is it dangerous for us to start logging serial numbers here of problem/no problem pieces? This video says a split lock washer does the trick with an occasional cleaning of screw and threads with rubbing alcohol.

Click to expand...

The build date is on the box label. I bought mine in January and the date code on the label is 011216 (January 12, 2016). You don't need to mess with lock washers; just put a little Vibra-Tite VC-3 on the threads every 3rd or 4th time you break down the Victory for cleaning.

10P8TRIOT said:

The build date is on the box label. I bought mine in January and the date code on the label is 011216 (January 12, 2016). You don't need to mess with lock washers; just put a little Vibra-Tite VC-3 on the threads every 3rd or 4th time you break down the Victory for cleaning.

Click to expand...

Thanks. My build date is 020216. I'm not having the problem.... yet but I found a member on another sight that is sending them out for free upon request as he bought a bunch. I'd rather use this if it works rather then cleaning the VC-3 off now and again.

010516 build on mine, right after New Years. No problems. Dave

031516 build date on my threaded barrel model & no problems.

The screw

I agree that the screw is tight coming from the factory. I thought the wrench would break on the first takedown and after being frustrated at how hard it was to find a good way to loosen it I almost gave up. Then I came up with a great solution.

Instead of having the gun on the table and trying to torque the wrench, I put the end of the wrench against the table and torqued the gun against it. It took a lot of force but it came lose with no damage to the screw, wrench or gun.

As far as loosening after shooting....
After initial cleaning (the gun comes pretty dirty from the factory) I snugged the screw tight before shooting the first time and it DID loosen. I ran through 220 rounds in an hour and forgot to check it along the way.

Good news; the design is brilliant and even with the screw lose, the gun remained very accurate.

After cleaning it again, I snugged the screw and then torqued it a bit more. I have run another 500 rounds through it and the screw has not loosened again.

As for the grips, they began to have a bit of give in them and slid just enough to be noticeable after that first time shooting. After tightening (requires a smaller wrench) they also remain snugly in place.

BTW: the Allen wrench also work just fine to compress the magazine spring for disassembly. I have found that applying a thin coat of oil to the inside of the magazine works wonders.
Prior to oiling, I had a handful of FTL's. After oil, not one through 500 rounds.

I ended up drilling the head with a number 10 bit and using this spline extractor to get it out. Waiting on new screw from Smith so in the mean time I just dremeled a slot in the screw for a flat blade driver and all is good.

[ame="https://www.amazon.com/Hanson-HAN52202-32-SPLINE-EXT/dp/B002C833XY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466609983&sr=8-1&keywords=spline+extractor+5%2F32"]Hanson (HAN52202) 5/32 SPLINE EXT. - Spline Shank Bits - Amazon.com[/ame]

SuzieBree said:

I agree that the screw is tight coming from the factory. I thought the wrench would break on the first takedown and after being frustrated at how hard it was to find a good way to loosen it I almost gave up. Then I came up with a great solution.

Instead of having the gun on the table and trying to torque the wrench, I put the end of the wrench against the table and torqued the gun against it. It took a lot of force but it came lose with no damage to the screw, wrench or gun.

As far as loosening after shooting....
After initial cleaning (the gun comes pretty dirty from the factory) I snugged the screw tight before shooting the first time and it DID loosen. I ran through 220 rounds in an hour and forgot to check it along the way.

Good news; the design is brilliant and even with the screw lose, the gun remained very accurate.

After cleaning it again, I snugged the screw and then torqued it a bit more. I have run another 500 rounds through it and the screw has not loosened again.

As for the grips, they began to have a bit of give in them and slid just enough to be noticeable after that first time shooting. After tightening (requires a smaller wrench) they also remain snugly in place.

BTW: the Allen wrench also work just fine to compress the magazine spring for disassembly. I have found that applying a thin coat of oil to the inside of the magazine works wonders.
Prior to oiling, I had a handful of FTL's. After oil, not one through 500 rounds.

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Welcome to the forum. Glad you like the Victory. It has become my favorite shooter. I cleaned my mags and that did help. I'm at the point now where I check the barrel after 50 rounds and retighten if necessary. Some days it stays tight and some days it doesn't. I figure that is what the allen wrench is for.

I'll start keeping records of build dates in a spreadsheet. Don't post serial #s. Most important is how hard to break loose vs. loosening vs. build date vs. no issues. So, here's the format:

#1 Build date: ####
#2 Can't loosen breakdown screw: y/n
#3 Loosens after fire (but never #1): y/n
#4 No issues with #2 or #3: y/n

what else?

Another stuck takedown screw

I picked up a new SW22 today and have the same problem with the screw being stuck (build date 05/27/16). The supplied allen wrench is now a twisted mess and another hex bit on a ratchet broke off. The pistol works fine and is very accurate. My FFL is also a smith so I'll take it back to him tomorrow to see if he can help loosen it.

By the way, I bought one of these about 6 weeks ago and it was a total lemon; 80% of the time there were no strikes on the rim, just a click. It went back to S&W and was returned "fixed", but still had the same exact issue. My FFL was kind enough to order me a new one and deal with S&W directly. I love the new one, but can't take it down for cleaning.

#1 Build date: 3/28/16

#2 Can't loosen breakdown screw: y/n Was extremely tight but got it loose.

#3 Loosens after fire (but never #1): No

#4 No issues with #2 or #3: See #2 and #3 No

cobrajunkie said:

I'll start keeping records of build dates in a spreadsheet. Don't post serial #s. Most important is how hard to break loose vs. loosening vs. build date vs. no issues. So, here's the format:

#1 Build date: ####
#2 Can't loosen breakdown screw: y/n
#3 Loosens after fire (but never #1): y/n
#4 No issues with #2 or #3: y/n

what else?

Click to expand...

My info:
1) 01/12/16
2) No
3) Yes (after 1200 rounds, resolved with Vibra-Tite VC-3)

You might want to add when #3 occurred and how resolved.

My data:

1) 08/26/2015
2) No
3) Yes (sometimes after 20, sometimes after 70, sometimes never
4) No

My data:

1) 05/27/16
2) Yes, still stuck
3) N/A
4) No

Nik

I am not a gunsmith but I have a reasonable understanding of designs. I sold a new Volquartsen for a loss of $$ because I could not keep the treaded bolt tight after a minimum amount of rounds down range.

Now the Smith Victory is having the same problems with that design. It's either to tight or to loose.

The Smith 41 trigger guard locks that barrel up in very solid manner.
The Hi Standard barrel fits into the mushroom opening for a solid set up.
The Ruger design is a very solid set up with a unwarranted reputation for difficulty of take down and assembly.

My conclusion is that screwing a threaded bolt thru the barrel into the frame is a logical design but a bad design.
The barrel either comes loose while you are shooting or it is torqued so tight it cannot be unloosened afterward.

MHO

Setting the screw at 40inch lbs of torque will keep it tight but still allow you to break it open fairly easy also. You can also use a no. 61 sized rubber o-ring as well or just by itself to keep it locked up tight. Still easy to undue after also.