Another minor issue with SW22 Victory

[NH Old School]

I've achieved a truce with the takedown screw backing out by simply tightening really really tight. I just wonder if it will wear out from putting that much torque on it. We'll see. You can call it a design issue or not, propose solutions like Loctite or not, but either way I don't like it. I'm not going to change my mind about that.

A few days ago I put about 150 rounds through it, switching off between the 2 mags. After a while, if I loaded 10 rounds, the second one failed to feed and was deformed in the bargain (bullet bent down from the case mouth). This happened every time after shooting a few dozen rounds. Upon examination I discovered that the mag follower was semi-stuck with a full mag. It was pushing up very slowly. Fed the first round because it was already at the top, but failed the second because the mag has to feed the round as fast as the bolt is cycling, and it wasn't even close. This did not occur if I only loaded 5 or 6, so that's what I did for the rest of the range outing.

When I got home I cleaned the mags thoroughly and oiled them. On my latest range trip I didn't have the problem. OK, gotta oil the mags. It's a polymer follower in a plated steel body. Shouldn't need lubrication. Compared to Ruger .22mags, these things feel cheap and flimsy. They don't take down for cleaning like a proper mag: you have to stick something in the slots and pull the spring away from the baseplate. Cheap.

On the plus side, the gun feels good in the hand, is nice and muzzle heavy as a target pistol should be, trigger isn't bad, shoots reasonably well, and the mag release is where it should be.

By and large I'm a big fan of S&W, mostly their revolvers. I was excited by the idea of this pistol, as it seemed like it would be easy to clean and I liked the way it looks. So far, I have to say I'm kind of disappointed. My old (bought it used in '96) Ruger MK II bull barrel target pistol is a better gun.

 

[painless2]

i use a long allen wrench and really tighten it down,,,,,,500 rounds no problem

 

[Targets Guy]

I've got almost 600 rounds through mine and the last two sessions the barrel has not come loose. Must be getting the tighten just right. This gun is so easy to clean it is fun.

Not had any problems with the magazines. In fact today at the range I used a magazine I just got yesterday in the mail. Three mags beats two and I'll get two more sometime this year.

I did have problems with the gun jamming. I believe it is due to not paying attention to what ammo I was using as this is my first semi-auto .22 pistol and with my K-22 it didn't matter what ammo I used. It seems like as long as I buy ammo at or over 1200 ft/sec at the muzzle the gun operates fine.

 

[RonJon]

German's have solved this for more than a century:

Well, Smith & Wesson could learn to do it the way the German's have solved this for more than a century:

These are called locking or capture screws.

RonJon

 

[Kenneth L. Walters]

Initial Problem

Never got to shoot mine. It was so hard to cock that I sent it back to the factory for repairs.

 

[frankcr]

You lose the ability to torque a screw if it is locked with a secondary screw. Don't know if the Germans were the first to lock a screw with a screw as it has been widely used.

Torqueing and Loctite is a vastly superior method and an industry standard.

 

[RonJon]

You lose the ability to torque a screw if it is locked with a secondary screw.

The main (larger) screw has a circular cutout every 90 degrees around it. You can get close enough to the torque you want within 1/4 turn before you screw in the lock (smaller) screw.

 

[AlwaysArmed]

I don't have any trouble with the take down screw coming loose. I have trouble BREAKING it loose!
I torqued it to 40 in./lbs. with my Wheeler F.A.T. Wrench to get a baseline torque value to see how low I can go and still keep the screw fast.

 

[NH Old School]

I had the same issue again yesterday: second round would not feed, out of either magazine if fully loaded. If I moved the button on the follower down a bit (lowered the follower in the mag) and released it, it was clear that something was gummed up or jammed. The mag was way too lethargic to function properly.

This time I spent a bit more time analyzing the problem. It's only bad enough to cause a malfunction with lead bullets, and the overall length of the round doesn't seem to matter (tried a few different brands). It seems to be a matter to the mag follower design pushing the bullets forward against the front of the mag, and the lube on the lead bullets sticking/gumming under pressure. So I tried oiling just the inside front of the mag fairly liberally, and it totally solved the problem. Temporarily. I won't know how long that fix will last until I get it out to the range again.

So, it seems that, in order to keep this gun running properly, you have to include in your range kit both an Allen wrench (in case the takedown screw comes loose), and some oil and Q-Tips to lube the inside front of the magazines.

It's a fun gun, very accurate, and has good ergonomics. Seems like it comes with a lot of baggage though. I mean, you take any of the similar Rugers out for a range session, and you just know they're going to work. The trade-off is that you have to know the little tricks to get the Ruger back together again after removing the mainspring housing and bolt. And you can't easily change barrels or sighting systems on a Ruger. So the Victory has some strong points too.

I wonder if S&W will make any slight design alterations to address the issues after a while.

 

[Muss Muggins]

If you're going to lube your magazines, don't leave them loaded . . .

 

[NH Old School]

If you're going to lube your magazines, don't leave them loaded . . .

Of course. This isn't a gun that I would leave loaded anyway. That's not really what it's for.

 

[gwpercle]

I know this is going to sound strange, it sure did when I was told to do it on a mould screw that would not stay tight . Take a few strands of 0000 steel wool and wrap around the lower half of the offending screw, it doesn't take much at all, just 1 or two strands, and screw it back in .
I'm not sure why it works, but the mould screw has not loosened scince doing it. It's cheap to try and not something that can't be undone .
Gary

 

[smalljaw]

I know this is going to sound strange, it sure did when I was told to do it on a mould screw that would not stay tight . Take a few strands of 0000 steel wool and wrap around the lower half of the offending screw, it doesn't take much at all, just 1 or two strands, and screw it back in .
I'm not sure why it works, but the mould screw has not loosened scince doing it. It's cheap to try and not something that can't be undone .
Gary

Mixing steel wool and a stainless steel threaded frame may be a no no. Surface rust could result.

 

[frankcr]

You have a steel screw in a stainless steel hole, so a less noble metal (iron wire) should not hurt. It would be the sacrificial member, but bronze wool would also serve to fill the gaps between the threads if you were concerned.

Worth a try if you have a screw which continues to work itself loose.

 

[Magload]

My purple Loc Tite is still holding. I put small marks on the screw head and frame so I can see if there is any movement while shooting. I torqued the screw to 40 in/lbs. I cleaned the screw and hole with Acetone and put the Loc Tite on the starting end of the screw ran it in , backed it out and then back in and torqued it down. Let it set for 24 hours. The rail mount screw came lose yesterday. lol

 

[varmint243]

One of my magazines if rough and doesn't feed 10 rounds well
I have tried polishing the follower button and the inside of the mag at the edges of the follower cutout
I haven't found the magic fix yet
Using candle wax as a lube on the inside of the slot works well for a little while
After several trips to the range I like the gun fine and consider on par with my mark II's
I also don't see that it has any real advantage over a Mark II
The Mark II takedown complaint goes away after you learn the trick

 

[shotguntom]

Never got to shoot mine. It was so hard to cock that I sent it back to the factory for repairs.

Never got to shoot mine either. Just went click, no bang. Its back at Smith right now. Hoping for a success story when it returns.

 

[Ranger98]

The screw on mine came loose after the first time I took it to the range and ran 100 rounds through it.I tightened it down and have had no other problem with it.
As of now,I have shot aproximatley 1000 rounds of CCI Mini Mag ammo through it with no magazine issues.

 

[Ed Fowler]

I was maybe 11 years old when I started hunting rabbits with a Rem #4 Take Down 22 rifle. Like the S&W it had a single take down screw, a quarter would fit the slot and took a second to tighten it when it loosened. Absolutely no big deal!
Carried a cut off nail that I could sling down the barrel when the extractor stripped the head off of a 22 to knock the shell out.

I cleaned it by pulling a brush from the chamber to the muzzle on a regular basis.

I fail to see where the Victory is such a problem!?

My suggestion would be to replace the screw with one with a large head that a coin would fit. Also to those who shoot semi autos, clean them or cuss them.

 

[shotguntom]

Never got to shoot mine either. Just went click, no bang. Its back at Smith right now. Hoping for a success story when it returns.

Well 3 1/2 weeks later, my Victory arrived back home today.
Not a success story. According to the paperwork, they relaced the hammer and the sear. Went to the range, at appx 40 round mark, the gun stopped working again. Same problem. No trigger, no firing pin strike.
Im not too thrilled with this paperweight. Gun is heading back again to S&W tomorrow morning. Im thinking a possible Lemon here.

 

[Ed Fowler]

Very sorry to hear that, I know it is frustrating and hope they get it fixed for you.

 

[Tpsfoto]

The screw on mine came loose after the first time I took it to the range and ran 100 rounds through it.I tightened it down and have had no other problem with it.
As of now,I have shot aproximatley 1000 rounds of CCI Mini Mag ammo through it with no magazine issues.

Which screw? ...the take down or the one that holds the barrel to the top frame? I am picking up mine tomorrow. On you tube someone is using a split washer on the take down screw and said that solved the loosening problem.

 

[S&WIowegan]

Never got to shoot mine. It was so hard to cock that I sent it back to the factory for repairs.

My NIB Victory 22 got fired once and its extractor went lost, never to be found. I sent it in and got it back in about 3 weeks. The first range trip was a learning experience. The first 60 rounds ran fine, and then the trouble started. The first notable problem was the trigger wouldn't always reset which is something I've never experienced before.

I took it apart at home and the barrel/frame screw was very loose; when I first got the gun new the screw was extremely tight. The bolt and receiver were VERY heavily oiled(looked like motor oil). I hosed all the excess oil out, lubed the internals with very light Remoil and reassembled. I used blue locktite and a torque wrench to 40#. The gun now runs beautifully with every ammo brand I've tried and the screw is still tight.

I suggest cleaning every gun that comes back from factory repairs.

 

[Jsigmo]

On the subject of rounds not being pushed up far/fast enough in the magazines:

A few years ago, I had the same problem with a Buckmark. The culprit turned out to be a combination of the temperature and the specific ammo I was trying to shoot.

The "Purple Box" Eley Sport (which is actually made by Aguila) had such a sticky lube on it that it would simply prevent the springs in the mags from being able to push them upwards after reloading the mags even once. Cool temperatures (anything below about 70 degrees F) made the problem worse.

The lube on that ammo is something like the stickier cross country ski wax if you've ever encountered that.

I had to clean the mags out with solvent before they were even usable with other ammo because the "Sport" crudded them up so badly. And as was mentioned above, the gunk manifested itself, as would be expected, right where the noses of the ammo rub against the inside of the fronts of the mags.

I like to keep magazines clean of any oil or grease, but I did resort to trying some dry silicone lube in those mags. I also tried installing higher force springs (the springs made for Ruger MK series magazines fit fine, and are stronger). None of that allows the use of that particular ammo.

So I just don't shoot that stuff out of any magazine fed guns. Plus, it's just not that accurate. Three or four good ones, then a flier. Bahh!

Don't confuse the Purple Box Eley Sport (really Aguila) with the actual Eley-made Eley Sport. The Eley-made stuff is dandy.

Anyhow, all of that was just to say that if the ammo you're using has a sticky lube on it, that may be the problem. It certainly was with my Buck Mark, and actually, that stuff jams 10-22s, Ruger MKs, etc., too. It's just amazingly sticky, adhesive stuff. Sort of like bee's wax, but worse!

If you were really into it, you could probably rub the very noses of the bullets on a solvent-soaked cloth or something like that to remove the goo just at the noses, but not back where it matters, and perhaps it'd run OK. But it really wasn't worth the hassle to me.

Here's how a magazine that has had some of that ammo in it looked:

It may have just been a particular batch that had that goo on it, but I'd bought a case of it, so it was disappointing.

People who lived down south, and had high temperatures reported decent luck with it. But here, in cooler temperatures, it was neither accurate or able to be used in any of my mag-fed semis.

 

[Jim1392]

When I use CCI AR Tactical in my S & W M & P 22C it does the same thing. It's really a pain to get all the wax out the magazines even though the rounds function very well. I still have a few boxes and I'd rather shoot other brands then deal with the mess.

 

[Barrie]

I might suggest soaking them in some gasoline which should cut the glue very easily I would suspect. Pain in the butt but one way of cleaning your mags or bullets also.

 

[spongy]

SW22 screw comming loose below barrel

Hi: I am new to this thread and this is a very good topic on the loose screw. I have not had the chance to shoot one since I do not have one yet, but I have done a lot of research on this matter. I have talked to two Smith & Wesson cust. ser. personnel and two different answers. One tighten screw then give it a oomph, like a jerk on the allen, the other a little lite lock tite, and the last said there is no fix as of now. Do not let the screw keep you from the purchase. I agree with that. Look at it this way lifetime warranty, and they send you a shipping label. No cost to you as long as its not abuse. So that being said I ordered one good price and should be here in a couple weeks, i'll check it out and then I can give my opinion on it. Seven reasons that I bought it. Name brand, price, stainless, 2 mags, easy tear down, fiber optic sights and warranty.

 

[jrittley]

Had my Victory for few months and use loctite blue. I have had problems with the screw coming loose, that's after about 1200 rounds. If yours is still coming loose, I would just upgrade the loctite to red and do not over-torque it. It would be nice to solve the problem with a lock washer, but not really designed that way.

My problem is the Victory Grips. They are horrible when the humidity goes up. I have average hands and I'm sliding off (down) the grips. No one is making custom or target grips yet, not even Hogue or Nill. Anyone have any ideas on a grip maker, I'm been using cloth tape to bulk up the grips, especially at the butt. Its kinda dangerous to shoot bullseye with it for fear of the shooting hand coming off the grip!

 

[Magload]

I am in search of grips also. May just buy the wood and make my own. I have gun stocks before and done hand checkering. I think when I buy the KDS or Volquaterson grips for my Mark III I may try to copy them to fit the Victory.

 

[10P8TRIOT]

Had my Victory for few months and use loctite blue. I have had problems with the screw coming loose, that's after about 1200 rounds. If yours is still coming loose, I would just upgrade the loctite to red and do not over-torque it. It would be nice to solve the problem with a lock washer, but not really designed that way.

My takedown screw started coming loose at 1200 rounds also. I solved this by applying Vibra-Tite VC-3 to the screw every 4th or 5th time I cleaned the pistol. Haven't had a problem with the screw since and I'm at over 2600 rounds through the Victory.

My problem is the Victory Grips. They are horrible when the humidity goes up. I have average hands and I'm sliding off (down) the grips. No one is making custom or target grips yet, not even Hogue or Nill. Anyone have any ideas on a grip maker, I'm been using cloth tape to bulk up the grips, especially at the butt. Its kinda dangerous to shoot bullseye with it for fear of the shooting hand coming off the grip!

I'm using a Hogue Handall Full Size Grip Sleeve (got on Amazon for $7) until someone starts selling a dedicated target grip for the Victory. The word is that Volquartsen should have one available for the Victory soon.

This is the prototype Victory target grip Volquartsen developed for SHOT 2016. Looks sweet!