S&W Victory takedown screw problem

[bipe215]

#1 Build date: 7-21-16
#2 Can't loosen breakdown screw: used a pipe extension to break loose
#3 Loosens after fire (but never #1): No

Love this little gun. Better trigger and accuracy than any of my Rugers

 

[jbercaw]

Same Problem

I'm glad I stumbled onto this forum. I thought it was just me and that I had screwed something up trying to remove the take-down screw. I still have not managed to remove it.

I just bought a new S&W Victory. One of the things that attracted me to is was the ease of disassembly. Just remove one screw, you're done. Yeah, if you can get the screw out. I've already stripped the hex wrench that came with it and another of my own trying to loosen it. I clamped vice grips on yet another hex wrench and torqued it until the hex wrench snapped. At this point, the screw is so chewed up I'm afraid to continue. It will NOT loosen. What did they put that screw in with, an air wrench? Permanent thread locker? I know they want to get it tight, but it is SUPPOSED to come out. Unbelievable. I had to hunt far and wide to even find one of these, and now it looks like I won't even be able to fire a shot before it spends a couple of months at the factory. I had heard Smith and Wesson's quality had improved of late. Maybe not.

 

[Barrie]

jbercaw Welcome to the Forum from Canada, many of the take down screws were put in too tight at the factory. Once you get it to open up I would suggest putting a No.61 O-ring in with it when its time to retighten it back down or set it at around 40 inch lbs with a torque wrench. You may have to use a extension of some kind to unlock it for the 1st time like many others have done.

 

[Electraclyde]

I bought a Victory last Friday. Have had it to the range 3 times and 400 rounds of 7 brands of ammo. Take down screw was tight, but did break loose with just an ordinary allen wrench. It has never come loose during shooting. (last range session was 200 rounds). I do use some "anti-seize" on the threads and I torque to 35 in lbs.
I did have ejection issues for the first 100 rounds. I "tweaked" the ejector and have not had a problem since.
I do like this better than my 22/45 lite. Accuracy is about the same.

 

[larrykay1034]

Just got my victory, Take Down screw was laying in the box, Must have came loose during transit? Called Customer Service they didn't seem all that concerned about it, the guy said he would pass it on. Then he said if you put it back in your good to go. Worst customer service I have ever talked to.

 

[Barrie]

Larrykay Welcome to the forum. What would you have the rep do, send you a mailing tag for you to ship it back. Gone for 2-3 weeks for them to just screw the screw in? There was no damage done at all and the gun probably will shoot fine. You are actually lucky as many posters cannot get the screws out at all. Put a no.61 o-ring on it when you re-install the screw in the gun and it will stay locked up until you take it out to clean it.

 

[larrykay1034]

Larrykay Welcome to the forum. What would you have the rep do, send you a mailing tag for you to ship it back. Gone for 2-3 weeks for them to just screw the screw in? There was no damage done at all and the gun probably will shoot fine. You are actually lucky as many posters cannot get the screws out at all. Put a no.61 o-ring on it when you re-install the screw in the gun and it will stay locked up until you take it out to clean it.

Apparently you didn't get the gist of the post. If I was running a company or worked for customer service I would have at least asked for the Serial number and then go back to the production time and find out who was responsible for the final QC. No I didn't expect them to send me a return label and have them put the screw back in. As for the #61 o- ring Idea. I really don't think that a customer should have to figure out there design flaw or how to fix it.

 

[larrykay1034]

Heres another Smith QC problem about the takedown screw . A friend of mine bought a new Victory , I told him if the screw was tight he said yes. He took it to the range shot about 100 rounds and all went great. Took it home to clean it couldn't get the take down screw out, to tight. He then took it to the dealer who is a gunsmith. And the guy broke the allen wrench. Tried again same thing another broken allen wrench, Gun is going back to Smith. So apparently Smith does not have a fix for this problem yet.

 

[Barrie]

At 1st they were putting them in too loose and now too tight. Seems like overkill with whatever torque specs they are using now. The #61 o-ring helps quite a bit it seems on these pistols and is a very inexpensive part to buy. Basically a 10 cent part that improves a very nice pistol to start with. I think thats a bargain.

 

[larrykay1034]

At 1st they were putting them in too loose and now too tight. Seems like overkill with whatever torque specs they are using now. The #61 o-ring helps quite a bit it seems on these pistols and is a very inexpensive part to buy. Basically a 10 cent part that improves a very nice pistol to start with. I think thats a bargain.[/QUOTE

Not trying to start an argument but Basically 50 cents a piece. I still think it's not the buyer who should figure out a remedy. And it is a very nice pistol, Should have waited for the Mark IV Ruger.
Danco 35775B #61 O Ring (037155357758) [1]

 

[Bigtuna1952]

S&W Victory barrel take down screw can't be removed

I purchased a S&W Victory through Davidsons Gun Genie and had it shipped to a local gun shop. I tried to field strip it and found the barrel locking screw was impossible to remove. I bent the factory Allen and a Sears T handle wrench and the screw didn't budge. It appears my efforts stripped the head of the screw. I returned the pistol to the gun shop for return to Davidsons in accordance with their lifetime warranty. I decided to buy a S&W Victory for ease of take down, I guess I should have waited for the new Ruger Mark IV.

 

[Barrie]

Once the screw is out use the No.61 o-ring and you will be very pleased with the results of ease in cleaning this gun versus any Ruger made. LarryKay I was able to pick the o-ring up at a wholesale for 10cents each here in Canada. I think .50 is someones store being quite greedy myself.

 

[rrcop200]

I bought a new Victory and fired 100 rounds and yes, cannot get the hex bolt out. Mine is the Kydex Highlander camo model, looks great but wondering if they sprayed the Kydex on then assembled the gun and the spray is acting like threadlock?
Also noted that the metal corner of the slide cover on the right edge is bent'broken and just held on by the camo spray so this gun is going back to S&W today. Very disappointing. It shoots great though.

 

[NYlakesider]

I bought a new Victory and fired 100 rounds and yes, cannot get the hex bolt out. Mine is the Kydex Highlander camo model, looks great but wondering if they sprayed the Kydex on then assembled the gun and the spray is acting like threadlock?
Also noted that the metal corner of the slide cover on the right edge is bent'broken and just held on by the camo spray so this gun is going back to S&W today. Very disappointing. It shoots great though.

It appears that they use locktite or a very strong person with a long leverage tool to put that screw in place. It appears it was set in with foot pounds not inch pounds.

Make sure the gun is unloaded, have a friend hold on a padded table top it and use a GOOD Allen wrench with a 10 or12'' crescent wrench to get sideways torque and apply a lot of power and it then should come off.

That the way we got my wife's out! She held it and I did the wrenching

 

[3strokes]

Just got my Ruger Mark III Competition and must say it is the first firearm I have ever owned that you were required a hammer to field strip and put back to gather. I cringed beating on the brand new gun but did it just like Ruger's video showed and it works.

I no longer am having screw problem but they should have used a system like Beretta used on the U22 I have no problems with it. If it had the Victory's trigger it would be a darn good gun.

I have also had my problems with the Ruger Mark III 22/45. They have come up with a New Design that is so simple to disassemble (and re-assemble) that you can laugh yourself silly. It's the Ruger Mark IV. Look it up. I have just placed an order yesterday with IrunGuns for the SW22 Victory.

 

[tlmetesh]

My production date on the box is 9/19/16. I managed to stab myself in the thumb with the provided allen wrench when it slipped as I tried to get it to break free. Finally got it out and some strands of red loctite were present on the threads of the screw.

 

[Targets Guy]

Hate reading about all the problems. I just tighten mine when it gets loose.

 

[larrykay1034]

It appears that they use locktite or a very strong person with a long leverage tool to put that screw in place. It appears it was set in with foot pounds not inch pounds.

Make sure the gun is unloaded, have a friend hold on a padded table top it and use a GOOD Allen wrench with a 10 or12'' crescent wrench to get sideways torque and apply a lot of power and it then should come off.

That the way we got my wife's out! She held it and I did the wrenching

Thats funny. I had my Wife, 2 of my kids and 2 grandchildren and Grandma hold it down. while I wrenched it off. What a Fiasco Smith caused with this pistol or Edsel.

 

[PLG]

I couldn't remove my takedown screw out, and broke a few tools trying to get it out, so I sent it back to S&W. Got it back in a couple of weeks, works fine now. Put 100 rounds through it yesterday. I'll try to clean it this weekend and report back.

 

[3strokes]

Just got my Ruger Mark III Competition and must say it is the first firearm I have ever owned that you were required a hammer to field strip and put back to gather. I cringed beating on the brand new gun but did it just like Ruger's video showed and it works.

I no longer am having screw problem but they should have used a system like Beretta used on the U22 I have no problems with it. If it had the Victory's trigger it would be a darn good gun.

My Ruger is a Mark III 22/45. I hate more than disassembling, reassembling it. I'm drooling over the new Mark IV. One Push-button disassembly.

The main reason I got on this thread is my new S&W22 Victory. I did manage to unscrew the take down screw, basically byusing the Allen wrench and the barrel as one of those grip exercisers that Tennis players use. I did experience several (too many) FTEs. I'll try the ejector tweak tonight.

I'm in Canada so sending it back and forth to the S&W Customer Care Centre is out of the question. If the ejector tweak doesn't work I know there's a S&W Warranty Center in Quebec. It's a hassle to ship restricted (handguns mostly) firearms in Canada.