Before I go any further on this thread, I want all to know that I myself am a proud owner of a Victory. My question is has S&W manufactured a generally flawed pistol? I've been reading message after message of complaints with regards to broken extractors, failure to feed, jamming, barrel screw falling out etc. etc. Your thoughts on this....
S&W Victory Or Not
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Targets Guy
US Veteran
I bought mine in Jan 2016 and love it. I had an issue with extracting until I bent the extractor guide just a smidge and the barrel would come loose after about 50 rounds. An o-ring fixed that (I didn't mind all that much as I took the hex key with me and had five mags all loaded up so I just tightened when it was time to reload the mags).
I clean after each session and after 2,000 + rounds it is error free. I had to use 1100 + fps ammo until about 1500 rounds and now it eats everything I give it.
My wife even loves to shoot it.
I clean after each session and after 2,000 + rounds it is error free. I had to use 1100 + fps ammo until about 1500 rounds and now it eats everything I give it.
My wife even loves to shoot it.
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2ffat
Member
I, for one, have not had any problems. There are some that have and they tend to be vocal about. I know I would if my new pistol didn't work. I can't give you a percentage of those without to those with problems, just my own experience.
That said, you will find all guns can have problems when they first come out; S&W, Ruger, Sig, Kimber, etc. These are mechanical beasts and anything can and does happen. Just look over the other forums and see how people get upset when they don't work.
That said, you will find all guns can have problems when they first come out; S&W, Ruger, Sig, Kimber, etc. These are mechanical beasts and anything can and does happen. Just look over the other forums and see how people get upset when they don't work.
I don't own one. They seem to me to be a somewhat visually altered version of the 22A Model which I did own. I found the 22A Model to be a poorly designed pistol that wasn't enjoyable to own, did not exude quality and simply didn't fit the classic S&W brand in my opinion. On the other hand, my circa-late 1980's Model 2206 feels and acts like a quality handgun that anyone would be pleased to own. My circa-1993 S&W Model 41 has the build quality and feel of a top-tier, expensive product with a lot of attention to detail.
Personally, I feel that it's ludicrous for anyone to plunk down a stack of cash on a new pistol and find the laundry list of failures and problems that we have seen (like an epidemic) with this new Victory model. Many of the long time shooters and gun owners such as those active in these forums can trace issues, tinker and find solutions. That's fantastic, but for a brand new out of the box pistol?
And when the same thing happens to new gun owners that don't have decades of experience in dealing with the mechanics of semiauto pistols?
I wouldn't buy a Victory, I wouldn't furnish a new shooter with one and I couldn't possibly recommend one. If a good buddy who doesn't tinker with guns got one, I can only imagine that I would be helping him sort out the problems shortly after a range trip or two.
Personally, I feel that it's ludicrous for anyone to plunk down a stack of cash on a new pistol and find the laundry list of failures and problems that we have seen (like an epidemic) with this new Victory model. Many of the long time shooters and gun owners such as those active in these forums can trace issues, tinker and find solutions. That's fantastic, but for a brand new out of the box pistol?
And when the same thing happens to new gun owners that don't have decades of experience in dealing with the mechanics of semiauto pistols?
I wouldn't buy a Victory, I wouldn't furnish a new shooter with one and I couldn't possibly recommend one. If a good buddy who doesn't tinker with guns got one, I can only imagine that I would be helping him sort out the problems shortly after a range trip or two.
misswired
Absent Comrade
No problems to report here after a couple thousand rounds....none whatsoever. I like the Victory, shoots better than I do.
RGVshooter
Member
I bought mine early summer 2018 and had nothing but minor little issues. For the first 1000 rounds or so it was great but then it threw a extractor & had to send it back to S&W. Then when I got it back it was great again for another couple hundred rounds but then the trigger stop screw kept coming loose. Loctite helped but then the barrel nut unscrewed during take down and it was a bear of a time trying to undo that. You need a special tool to grab hold of the barrel nut in order to tighten it down.
When the gun worked, it was fantastic but in my opinion it has too many screws holding it together and when it comes to competition having too many screws is too much.
When the gun worked, it was fantastic but in my opinion it has too many screws holding it together and when it comes to competition having too many screws is too much.
AveragEd
Member
I had the hots for one when they were initially released but then cooled off somewhat when I read all the complaints on this Forum. Granted, dissatisfied customers always will tell more people about their negative experiences than happy customers will share their positive experiences. But I waited...
Instead, I bought one of the new Ruger Mark IV Competition pistols. It looked positively great but its grip angle was uncomfortable for my arthritic hands and wrists so after one box of shells, I sold it. I can shoot 1911s comfortably but you can't change the grip angle on a pistol as you can with Ruger's Precision Rifles (which I have done).
So I'm back to using either my Model 22A-1 Talo edition or my Advantage Arms 22LR Target conversion kit of one of my 1911s. And I'm still waiting...
Ed
Instead, I bought one of the new Ruger Mark IV Competition pistols. It looked positively great but its grip angle was uncomfortable for my arthritic hands and wrists so after one box of shells, I sold it. I can shoot 1911s comfortably but you can't change the grip angle on a pistol as you can with Ruger's Precision Rifles (which I have done).
So I'm back to using either my Model 22A-1 Talo edition or my Advantage Arms 22LR Target conversion kit of one of my 1911s. And I'm still waiting...
Ed
I bought my Victory early last year. Like a lot of us, I like to tinker with aftermarket add ons, and I put a Tankemkross trigger in mine. I have shot mine probably 5-600 rounds, so not a bunch. However, it has ran flawless during that time using mainly either CCI standard velocity or Walmart/Federal 36gr hollow point bulk pack ammo.
I am basically a Ruger fan when it comes to .22 semi-auto pistols, but I bought the Victory mainly out of curiosity. I still prefer the Ruger, but the Victory is in my opinion a nice pistol. You will read a lot of opinions and experiences on the internet. You can search Youtube for .22 Plinkster and Hickok45 and see some test reviews that are very complimentary of the Victory. You can also do searches of the relatively new Ruger MKIV and see a fair number of complaints and issues. You just have to keep in mind that those who have had issues with their Victory pistols will usually be more vocal than the hundreds of others who have not had issues. I'm just going to keep shooting mine until I have an issue.
I am basically a Ruger fan when it comes to .22 semi-auto pistols, but I bought the Victory mainly out of curiosity. I still prefer the Ruger, but the Victory is in my opinion a nice pistol. You will read a lot of opinions and experiences on the internet. You can search Youtube for .22 Plinkster and Hickok45 and see some test reviews that are very complimentary of the Victory. You can also do searches of the relatively new Ruger MKIV and see a fair number of complaints and issues. You just have to keep in mind that those who have had issues with their Victory pistols will usually be more vocal than the hundreds of others who have not had issues. I'm just going to keep shooting mine until I have an issue.
Bought one used in excellent condition about 18 months ago. First time out had the not-uncommon problems with jamming. Turned out it was the ejector tab that was not properly located, and found the quick & easy fix on this site. After that, zero problems with it. It was too bad the factory QC didn't catch this before shipping, but at least it was an easy fix. I've made no mods to it, it shoots fine, nothing has come loose, and I like the "just right" fiber optic sights.
I think overall they are a decent design for the price. Its just that the Factory is letting unfinshed work out of the door before all the bugs have been worked out of it. To me thats where the fault lies. Thankfully most fixs only involve the tweaking of the extracter or using a No. 61 O-Ring on the bottom screw. They seem to have rectified that at this time from all reports on here.
cjt50
Member
Guess I got lucky with mine. Just broke the 16k rounds fired mark and have only replaced 1 firing pin rebound spring. Overall the pistol has been flawless with CCI SV, Aguila standard and high velocity and it's most accurate round federal automatch.
Never had a problem with the take down screw and replacing the spring was actually very easy.
Overall I'm very happy with it and would buy another again If I needed one.
Never had a problem with the take down screw and replacing the spring was actually very easy.
Overall I'm very happy with it and would buy another again If I needed one.
>>I am basically a Ruger fan when it comes to .22 semi-auto pistols, but I bought the Victory mainly out of curiosity<<
The same would apply to me. I bought a Victory and had my share of "teething" problems with it, and have far too much invested in it with Tandemkross aftermarket goodies. Were I to do it again I'd have put the extra money into a Mark lV Competition or the like, as I feel they're a much better built gun. But that's just me....
The same would apply to me. I bought a Victory and had my share of "teething" problems with it, and have far too much invested in it with Tandemkross aftermarket goodies. Were I to do it again I'd have put the extra money into a Mark lV Competition or the like, as I feel they're a much better built gun. But that's just me....
X ring hunter
Member
Long story short - bought my first Victory before the Ruger Mark IV came out - because didn't want the complexity of the early Rugers .
Now own 2 Victories - both built up with Tandemkross and Volquartsen parts for a Bullseye league (Primary and Plan B).
From a bench rest: 1 jagged hole (10 shots) from 50 feet with Federal Automatch.
The rest is up to me.
Now own 2 Victories - both built up with Tandemkross and Volquartsen parts for a Bullseye league (Primary and Plan B).
From a bench rest: 1 jagged hole (10 shots) from 50 feet with Federal Automatch.
The rest is up to me.
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I would recommend one to any good friend of mine and several have bought them. They all have had great success shooting the Victory so far. Overall its much more Useable due to the factory doing better grade work then in the past. Most of the complaints are fairly easy fixes which don't cost a fortune either.
oldhilltoper
Member
I test shot one at local range that lets you rent guns. Both me and my Son tried one,liked the feel and fun accuracy it had. Later I bought one and my son borrows it. I also let a couple of his friends fire it at our local range they all like it. I clean it after every trip from the range some little things such as barrel screw was a little loose a couple other odds and ends but nothing serious. I'm guessing to say that we have put several thousand rounds thru this gun and it eats them just fine. I installed a red dot site on it and am itching to try out.
OLdHilltoper Welcome to the forum. I suggest you put a no.61 O-ring on the barrel nut which will resolve the loosing problem. Most hardware stores sell them quite cheaply. They fully solve that problem for good.
HOUSTON RICK
Member
I have a Victory, that I won at a PPC match. I only have 500 or so, rd thru it, but it has been 100% flawless. I just picked up three more mags, but do not intend on "gussying" it up at all, as I have a 41 and a Nelson Custom conversion on a S&W 1911 Pro Series frame. Those two, and aBeretta 87T take care of any required "fancy" work.
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