SW22 Victory ejection failures

[Deo Bridges]

I cleaned and lubricated my brand new SW22 Victory in the manner shown in the manual and took it to the range. After firing 50 or 60 rounds I had a jam when it failed to eject. I shot another 3 or 4 magazines and experienced multiple ejection failures. Thinking it might be that the gun got dirty enough after 50-60 rounds, I took it home and thoroughly cleaned and lubricated it again. A few days later I went back to the range and put 250 or so rounds through it. For the first 200 rounds or so I averaged 1 failure to eject per magazine. But during the last 50 or so rounds I only had one ejection failure. Advice please.

 

[fiasconva]

Was it all with the same ammo? Some of the latest mass produced ammo seems to do exactly what you described. If you can find a different brand of ammo see if that will solve your problem. Good luck.

 

[VikingDude]

Do as fiasconva says, try different ammo. If this is still a problem, remove the upper and check the ejector with the bolt installed. Try to bend the tip ever so slightly towards the ejection port so that it’s barely touching the bolt. This have been the solution for many failure to eject issues on brand new SW22 Victories I have sold when we have ruled out that its the ammunition.

 

[Deo Bridges]

Yes, as fiasconva asks, it was all the same ammo (Remington Thunderbolt). I'll clean it, lube it, and take it back to the range and try the three other ammo brands I have. (I actually thought that might be the problem, but I wanted to get some input--maybe this was a known problem, with a known solution. If I still have problems I'll try your suggestion Viking Dude. My thanks to both of you.

 

[Doc1500]

This is going to be good I got popcorn on the stove.

 

[fiasconva]

Let us know what out from your next range trip if you don't mind.

 

[Deo Bridges]

I'll post here after I go to the range next week. I've again given the gun a thorough cleaning and lubing and, because it seemed to be running a lot better for my last 5 or 6 magazines, I'm hoping it might be a matter of it just needing a good break-in. But I've taken to heart the advice I've received here and will try several different brands and types of ammo.

 

[Deo Bridges]

I think I discovered what might be causing the "failure to eject" problem on my SW22.

I did a thorough cleaning today and noticed tiny metal flakes on my mat. Then after reassembling the gun, I could barely pull the bolt back--it only opened a half-inch or so. That, of course, will not allow a good ejection.

The pics below illustrate this. The shiny spot on the bolt's rail is from metal to metal contact and is, I think, where the metal flakes are coming from.

A couple drops of oil there and the slide moves freely.

If that solves the problem I'm good. I don't mind running the gun a little wet because I always thoroughly clean my guns after each shooting.

However, I welcome opinions regarding whether I have a deeper, underlying problem with this new gun. Should it go back to Smith & Wesson to correct this problem?

 

[.38SuperMan]

My Victory PC developed ejection problems after about 700 rounds. On average 3 rounds in every magazine would fail to eject. Bending the ejector inward just slightly solved the problem.

You might consider trying different ammo. I’ve read several people say Thunderbolts don’t run well in their Victory. I personally feel they’re the dirtiest ammo on the market. Several years ago I bought several thousand rounds on sale and found they fouled even my revolvers to the point they had problems. I Thoroughly clean my firearms every time I take them to the range and I have never had a problem with other brands. Thunderbolts will cause my model 34 cylinder to become difficult to rotate after 50 rounds.

I still have A box of 500 thunderbolts and the only thing I’ll shoot them in are my Bolt action and lever action rifles. Revolvers and pustols, no way.

 

[Johnnu2]

Two observations:
1) Thunderbolts absolutely are the filthiest ammo I've ever used. I compared them to Federal Auto Match in my pistols and my 10/22. The difference was totally amazing; the TBs required extensive cleaning while the Federal AM could have gone without cleaning at all (except I'm anal an clean after every range session).

2) Last year I was thinking about buying another .22 auto handgun. Several of the guys at my range had new S&W Victory models. Every single one of them had ejections problems. All went back to S&W (one went back twice); I bought a Ruger Mk IV; it shoots flawlessly form day 1.

J.

 

[Deo Bridges]

After several trips to the range I think I have found a few things about my stove-piping problem.
1. The more I've shot it, the fewer problems I'm having. I wonder if it just needed more break-in. The metal flakes on my cleaning pad seem to be gone now.
2. I don't believe the owner's manual when it advises only six drops of oil. I oiled it up pretty liberally and found that it helped a lot. (I tried gun grease too, but it just didn't do as well.) I don't mind running the gun wet if that's what it takes.
3. As others have suggested I tried several different brands and types of ammo. Because ammo is difficult to find now I am pretty much limited to what I have on hand. But I've found that by far, the ammo that worked best for me and for this gun is CCi MiniMag, copper plated,round nose, target, 40 grain.

 

[Deo Bridges]

My Victory PC developed ejection problems after about 700 rounds. On average 3 rounds in every magazine would fail to eject. Bending the ejector inward just slightly solved the problem.

You might consider trying different ammo. I’ve read several people say Thunderbolts don’t run well in their Victory. I personally feel they’re the dirtiest ammo on the market. Several years ago I bought several thousand rounds on sale and found they fouled even my revolvers to the point they had problems. I Thoroughly clean my firearms every time I take them to the range and I have never had a problem with other brands. Thunderbolts will cause my model 34 cylinder to become difficult to rotate after 50 rounds.

I still have A box of 500 thunderbolts and the only thing I’ll shoot them in are my Bolt action and lever action rifles. Revolvers and pustols, no way.

You are certainly right regarding the Thunderbolt ammo, Johnnu2. It was virtually unusable in my gun.

BTW, you mentioned bending the ejector inward. But in a post above, Viking Dude suggests bending it outward, toward the ejection port. Now I'm confused.

 

[MJK-MOD-547]

The bolt could be chafing against a sharp edge of the slide.

 

[Doug44]

You getting metal flakes then something is wrong somewhere. Disassemble and clean some more. Look for a burr. As for ammo you will get bad batch regardless of brand. Federal Auto Match is about the best out there but I ran into two boxes that would not cycle in my two Victories. Yea they will shoot Thunderbolts just fine but I switched to CCI MiniMags.

 

[.38SuperMan]

If you’re still having issues I’d call S&W. They’ll issue a shipping label and take care of the problem.

I had a 2206 I bought new when they first came out in the 90’s. It never functioned properly. At the time I bought It I asked the dealer to send it back to S&W to get it straightened out. Unfortunately the problem was never solved so I stuck it in the safe for 25 years. Two years ago I ran across it while going through the safe and decided to try it again. Time didn’t heal it unfortunately. Three or four rounds per mag would fail to eject and jam the pistol.

I discovered the pistol was made just after Smith started the lifetime warranty program. I called Smith and said they had worked on it twice before. The lady I spoke to took the serial number and checked it and said there was no record of it having been in for repair. So it looks like my dealer never sent it in and only had their gunsmith work on it if even that.

Smith issued a shipping label and a week later I had it back working as it should have from the beginning. Even after 25 years they honored the warranty with no proof of purchase or any questions.

 

[MTC(SS)Ret]

I have never had ejection problems with my SW22 but all I use is high velocity ammo, minimum 1250fps such as CCI Minimag 36 & 40gr, Aguila Super Extra HV 40gr, and Winchester 333 36gr. I have about 300 rounds through the gun and only one malfunction, a FTF and that was the ammo.

 

[Deo Bridges]

I have never had ejection problems with my SW22 but all I use is high velocity ammo, minimum 1250fps such as CCI Minimag 36 & 40gr, Aguila Super Extra HV 40gr, and Winchester 333 36gr. I have about 300 rounds through the gun and only one malfunction, a FTF and that was the ammo.

I think you are right, MTC. I put 100 rounds of CCi through it without a mis-fire or stovepipe. At the other end of the spectrum, Remington Thunderbolt doesn't work at all on my gun.

I'm hoping I don't have to send it back to S&W, but certainly will if I don't get the problem resolved. I have some after-market stuff on it that I'd just as soon not have to take off. So if running it wet, thoroughly cleaning it after each shooting (which I do anyway), and using higher quality ammo keeps me from having to send it back to S&W, that's what I'll do. The problem with that is that ammo is scarce. Sometimes I just have to take what I can get.

 

[Deo Bridges]

I want to thank everyone for the advice I've received here. It's been very helpful. Here's a question for you all.....................

I noticed on a Youtube video that someone had polished the rails (I assume with a dab of metal polish and a felt-tipped Dremel tool). Do you think if I did that it would cause me to have warranty problems?

 

[miker15677]

The SW22 likes hot ammo I only use CCI minimags in mine. A lot of the guns have come from the factory with the ejectors a little off. If you take the slide off and put a fired cartridge in the bolt you will see where it hits the base of the cartridge. A lot hit right at the edge. Take a needle nose pliers and bend it in so it just touches the bolt. You don't have to move it much don't have it touch the bolt. You will never have a stove pipe again. This even worked with subsonic ammo.

 

[Bigborgel]

I just got a new Victory, went to my range yesterday, and it was a nightmare, I could not shoot more than 3 rounds at a time, mostly stovepipes, sometimes it would double load the cylinder. I found the mags were very greasy on their interiors, so much so the rounds would not drop into the mag, but rather stay in the top lips, cleaned them with bore cleaner, rounds drop now into the mags. I also bent the ejector bar inward a bit towards the ejection port, so it doesn't touch the chamber walls. Hope to try again on Friday.