New S&W Victory .22LR

S&W's new .22LR target pistol - http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category4_750001_750051_804153_-1_757752_757751_image

The website doesn't show the match grade barrels already available for it.  Looks like it might be a good entry level pistol for BE.

I don't see any ability to add optics. This sure explains why they quit making the 22A.

Len

The description says that a picatinny rail is included.  Could that be used to mount an optic?

IMO, it looks like an upscale and upgraded Ruger 22/45 with the exception of interchangeable barrels.


http://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/2016/01/07/smith-wesson-22-victory-pistol/

http://americanhandgunner.com/exclusive-a-victory-from-smith-wesson/

https://www.volquartsen.com/tags/5-barrels,52-sw-22-victory


Nice quick video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcacaD4hRT4

While it may look like a Ruger 22/45, it actually resembles one of the old Highstandards with the screw mounted barrels.

Not going to sell my 22A yet but I like everything I read about it. It would be nice to see them start filling some stores with them. I will probably have to take one for a test drive.

Len

Hmmm. They already have 5 of them on GB.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=537515843

Looks nice. It will be nice to hear how they shoot, hold up, and ease of service in the real world. I shoot old High Standards, but it would be nice to have another pistol to lead new shooters to other then the Ruger.

Agreed, I need to buy pistols to support new shooters for my command team who can't afford equipment and the options are limited.

At 36 ounces the new Victory weighs about 5 ounces less than than the S&W 41.  Add a Matchdot II and it weighs about the same.  The Victory is not a lightweight pistol but apparently not too heavy either.

Ugly but looks like a great option , Vorquartsen barrel could not be bad? If they make barrels my guess sears, grips and triggers will follow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng-0FGrvBTg

rich.tullo wrote:Ugly but looks like a great option , Vorquartsen barrel could not be bad? If they make barrels my guess sears, grips and triggers will follow.

I don't think there's a barrel on earth that could make that gun pretty. The way the receiver doesn't reach the end of the frame is just awkward. The grips don't help the situation, either, they're just too big. A nice set of laminates, either in a black or a rosewood would help.

Fortunately, every other entry-level target .22 is absolutely hideous, so all we need to worry about is modern S&W build quality and how good/terrible the trigger is.

It looks too much like a bloated BB gun pistol. I think for starting out, Ruger offers a lot of options for a 22 pistol at a pretty good price for what you get. And I think the older Browning Buckmark pistols were good too. Not fond of their latest model designs. Which remind me of this S&W Victory. Can't say I'm excited about the way that grip looks. But someone once told me not to judge a book by its cover.

Keyholed wrote:

rich.tullo wrote:Ugly but looks like a great option , Vorquartsen barrel could not be bad? If they make barrels my guess sears, grips and triggers will follow.

I don't think there's a barrel on earth that could make that gun pretty. The way the receiver doesn't reach the end of the frame is just awkward. The grips don't help the situation, either, they're just too big. A nice set of laminates, either in a black or a rosewood would help.

Fortunately, every other entry-level target .22 is absolutely hideous, so all we need to worry about is modern S&W build quality and how good/terrible the trigger is.

Kinda looks like a Star Trek Phaser

Cool fabricated sheet metal receiver; the plinker for the AK lover.

It's too bad it doesn't come with all-black iron sights as an option. All of the model variants have fiber optic sights. No good for bullseye.

The grip looks almost identical to the S&W 22a.

It probably also fits the 22A magazines.

desben wrote:It's too bad it doesn't come with all-black iron sights as an option. All of the model variants have fiber optic sights. No good for bullseye.

Devil's advocate, I'd rather see them offer fewer SKU's and be more successful in an already-crowded market. Bullseye shooters--and there aren't as many of us as there used to be, despite us still blowing Competitive Covering Fire out of the water--already have a lot of really good options in that sort of price bracket. There's the old 22As and 22S's, Rugers, Buckmarks, the odd Sig/Hammerli Trailside, and the fairly-rare Walther SP22-M4. Most of which have a lot of inertia in their favor.

A much larger part of the .22 semiauto market leans towards plastic fantastik plinkers because they just don't know what they're missing. And/or lack the skills to appreciate the differences. Which I think is kind've odd, given how cheap 9mm and .40 Mall Ninja is these days, and how tough it is to get .22LR.

Hence, I think the fibers are fine. Most new bullseye shooters are going to jump to a red dot anyway, and I'd rather have substandard iron sights that can be easily changed than another plastic plinker or ammo-can-on-dry-gravel trigger.

Side note, kinda depressing seeing the way the gun market is going. I'm not really an old timer, but old enough. I can't believe the number of people that have never shot anything really good. Or how many truly terrible shots (can't hit the paper at 7 yards) suddenly get a lot better when introduced to a K-38, 1911, or even a decent Ruger Mk III. Can't even blame the LGS anymore--new shooters come in demanding pistols that are awful to learn on. Thank God I had a dad to teach me on a K-22, even if I only really started to appreciate it the last few years.

I just watched a 22 Plinkster vid on YouTube about the new victory. Very cool actually. Still not a fan of its image BUT way easy to take down, and way easy to change out barrels. Looks like it could be a good choice for entry level shooters or with good ammo and a good barrel maybe even mid/intermediate level shooters. Looking forward to seeing some aftermarket grips. But so far they have my positive attention. I'm gonna have to find one to try out.

Nice to see an alternative available. A couple of us (well, I only showed up at the end) just cleaned the Mk III version 22/45s that our club uses in the youth and women on target programs. To say that they can be a bit challenging to service would be an understatement. They present issues for the students as well.
I might have to get a Victory when they reach local store shelves to see if, overall, they are an improvement on what we have been using.

Bruce

Rugers are not hard to take down... That's a myth. You just need to read the manual and know the procedure (different than most). I can take mine down and reassemble it in under a minute. It helps if it's a MkII without the magazine disconnect (that adds 10 seconds).

desben wrote:Rugers are not hard to take down... That's a myth. You just need to read the manual and know the procedure (different than most). I can take mine down and reassemble it in under a minute. It helps if it's a MkII without the magazine disconnect (that adds 10 seconds).

+1. Twist tie.,

The only 22LR pistol I've had was a Walther P22 for plinking, but I'm really interested in the Victory now that I'm shooting bullseye. It seems like the nice, affordable option to adding to the stable.

I might be in the minority here, but I, for one, am glad to see that gun manufacturers have enough resources and confidence in the market, that they are designing and making new guns.  Better than the opposite.

If this new S&W Victory proves to be a viable bullseye gun... great.  If not, I'm ok with that, too; it doesn't make my current bullseye .22 shoot any worse. 

Oh, and Keyholed, you're on my do-not-like list. Your post above made me laugh out loud, twice, and right now that hurts (I'm recovering from surgery). Keep up the great work.

GP, my suggestion get RUGER or a Buckmark to start. Buckmarks are not that horrible and some of the older ones are nice. 

Zero after cleaning is a little of an issue but if you were careful you wont be too far off zero. 

If you flip the sear that generally drops the trigger well under 4 lbs 

Older ones have an adjustable sear.

I would not recommend Ruger right now. I've been seeing some really bad QC problems lately.