"Victory is mine"

Posts related to handguns (pistols, revolvers)
User avatar
xl_target
Old Timer
Old Timer
Posts: 3488
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:47 am
Location: USA

"Victory is mine"

Post by xl_target » Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:33 am

One of Monty Python's greatest movies; The Holy Grail, has a scene in it where King Arthur is challenged by The Black Knight. After a sword fight, he manages to cut off both of the Black Knight's arms. Arthur then exclaims: "Victory is Mine"! Of course, then The Black knight starts kicking him so he has to cut off one of his legs. So then The Black Knight starts hopping and running into him, So Arthur cuts off his other leg, As they are moving away, The Black Knight, laying on the ground with no arms or legs, yells:"... come back here... I'll bite your legs off".
Hmmm! I guess you have to see the movie.

This afternoon, on the way to the range from my dealer's place, I felt like repeating King Arthur's exclamation. I was also hoping there would be no persistent issues that would dog my session at the range. I had just picked up Smith & Wesson's newest .22 LR pistol, the SW22 Victory and I am happy to say, The Black Knight never made an appearance. I put about 300 rounds of assorted .22 LR ammunition through her and she never missed a beat. I even had some cheap Mexican ammo that cycled through flawlessly.

I mostly just ran it for reliability and didn't seriously try it for accuracy. I'll have to do that another day when it isn't so windy.


The Official Smith and Wesson video

Image
The very recogizable Smith & Wesson box

Image
SW22 Victory


Image
This is what you see when you open the box

Image
What's in the box

Image
The pistol comes with two stainless steel magazines

Image
With the bolt locked back

Image
The controls: The bolt hold open is under the V in Victory, the safety is at the back of the grips.
The mag release is behind the trigger guard. Notice that there is an adjustable overtravel stop in the trigger.
The grips are removable and can be changed out for aftermarket grips.

Image
The pistol comes with fully adjustable (rear) Williams Firesights

Image
Crowned barrel

Dissassembly is extremely easy as you can see from the video here.


Pros:
Removable Interchangeable Match Barrel
Steel Reinforced Polymer Thumb Safety
Picatinny-Style Rail Included
Fiber Optic Front Sight
Adjustable Fiber Optic Rear Sight
(2) Ten-Round Magazines Included
Adjustable Trigger Stop
Stainless Steel Frame
Removable Textured Grip Panels with Finger Cuts for Easy Magazine Removal
100% reliable so far
Unblemished satin Stainless finish.


Cons:
I had to think really hard to come up with something. The magazine had a rather stiff spring and after loading the mags thirty times, my thumb was a little sore. I guess I'm going to have to come up with a tool to assist me in pushing down the little button on the side.

This is a very modular pistol and there should be a plethora of aftermarket accessories available for it.

Image
Image from here
I really like the look of the fluted Volquartsen barrel

Desktop background image here
“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” — Winston Churchill, Oct 29, 1941

For Advertising mail webmaster
spin_drift
Almost at nirvana
Almost at nirvana
Posts: 242
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:25 pm
Location: Noida

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by spin_drift » Tue Apr 05, 2016 8:58 pm

This is an awesome pistol.

and btw, if you really want to break the gun then try using IOF's .22 ammo :mrgreen:
I believe in second chances… it’s called reloading

User avatar
AgentDoubleS
Poster of the month - Apr 2015
Poster of the month - Apr 2015
Posts: 629
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:12 pm
Location: Here and there..

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by AgentDoubleS » Tue Apr 05, 2016 10:39 pm

Congratulations XL! Victory looks gorgeous. I dont think the black knight would have stood a chance.

Look forward to an accuracy report too. What would be the trigger pull on a match pistol vs an SD pistol?

Cheers,
SS

User avatar
Vikram
We post a lot
We post a lot
Posts: 5059
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:14 am
Location: Tbilisi,Georgia

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by Vikram » Wed Apr 06, 2016 12:04 am

XL,

That is really a sweet looking pistol. Congratulations!

Best-
Vikram
It ain’t over ’til it’s over! "Rocky,Rocky,Rocky....."

User avatar
xl_target
Old Timer
Old Timer
Posts: 3488
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:47 am
Location: USA

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by xl_target » Wed Apr 06, 2016 12:21 am

spin_drift wrote:This is an awesome pistol.

and btw, if you really want to break the gun then try using IOF's .22 ammo :mrgreen:
Thanks spin_drift.
As long as IOF .22 LR meets SAAMI specification in external dimensions, I'm sure that this pistol would have no function issues with it

I started with 50 rounds of CCI MiniMags, then about 50 rounds of CCI std. velocity. After that I tried 50 rounds of Wolf Match Target. Then I opened a box of Winchester 555 bulk hollowpoints and shot a bunch of that. I finished up with a couple of magazines of Remington Subsonic (low powered).
I had absolutely no issues of any kind.
AgentDoubleS wrote:Congratulations XL! Victory looks gorgeous. I dont think the black knight would have stood a chance.

Look forward to an accuracy report too. What would be the trigger pull on a match pistol vs an SD pistol?

Cheers,
SS
SS,
In today's litigious society, many pistol (and Rifle) manufacturers have gone to horrendously heavy triggers. There are pistols out there with over 12 pounds of trigger force required. Most of the BuckMark's and Ruger .22 pistols will be between 5 to 8 lbs. The really serious target pistols have pull weights that are measured in ounces. A pull that light, for an SD or hunting/plinking pistol, would be an accident just waiting to happen.

Image
Here is the trigger in the cocked position. You can see how little travel is required to pull it all the way back. Once you take up the small amount of slack, there is very little movement left before the over travel screw bottoms out against the back of the trigger area.

This pistol has a 3 lb, two stage trigger and after the first stage of takeup, the break is crisp. The takeup is very light and smooth and there is almost no overtravel. The reset is nice and short. The controls are in the perfect place for my hands and the grips are surprising comfortable and secure. In addition to the really quick takedown, easily replaceable barrel, grips and sights, I think Smith has a winner here.

As far as SD pistols go, they vary all over the place. My Sig P225 has between a 7lb and 8lb double action pull and a 4lb to 5lb single action pull. My Ruger LC9 has a long and heavy pull (much like a double action revolver) but it is smooth so it feels lighter. To shoot well, you just have to get familiar with the pull on the that particular pistol. More important than the weight is how smooth the trigger is. Some pistols have heavy, gritty pulls and that makes shooting accurately a challenge. However, you can get by with a heavier pull or a longer pull if it is smooth and has a crisp break.

Added in 15 minutes 20 seconds:
Thank You Vikram,
When you go looking for a .22 LR pistol, this is a viable alternative.
It's direct competitors would be the Ruger Mark series or the Browning Buckmark but S&W has managed to bring the Victory to market at a significantly lower price than those two.
It is still new to the market but I'm sure it will be more readily available soon.
“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” — Winston Churchill, Oct 29, 1941

User avatar
mundaire
We post a lot
We post a lot
Posts: 5404
Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 5:53 pm
Location: New Delhi, India
Contact:

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by mundaire » Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:18 pm

XL, that's a really nice looking pistol, congratulations! Looking forward to your range report and targets. :)

Cheers!
Abhijeet
Like & share IndiansForGuns Facebook Page
Follow IndiansForGuns on Twitter

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS - JOIN NAGRI NOW!

www.gunowners.in

"Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire." -- Robert Heinlein

User avatar
dev
Old Timer
Old Timer
Posts: 2586
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:16 pm
Location: New Delhi

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by dev » Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:28 pm

The accuracy seems target pistol like. very nice looking pistol.

Regards,

Dev
To ride, to speak up, to shoot straight.

User avatar
Vikram
We post a lot
We post a lot
Posts: 5059
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:14 am
Location: Tbilisi,Georgia

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by Vikram » Wed Apr 06, 2016 3:14 pm

Always liked the Ruger and Browning models. This one certainly looks like a worthy contender.
It ain’t over ’til it’s over! "Rocky,Rocky,Rocky....."

User avatar
xl_target
Old Timer
Old Timer
Posts: 3488
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:47 am
Location: USA

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by xl_target » Wed Apr 06, 2016 8:31 pm

mundaire wrote:XL, that's a really nice looking pistol, congratulations! Looking forward to your range report and targets. :)

Cheers!
Abhijeet
I hope to get to the range this weekend to do that.

Dev wrote:The accuracy seems target pistol like. very nice looking pistol.

Regards,

Dev
I believe it has potential, Dev. I'm sort of ambiguous about the sights. They are well though out and will work well for most things. Notice the grooves on the back of the sight and on the back of the pistol. They help cut glare. Little details that make a difference.

Image
While they are quick to acquire and use, the front sights "bloom" in bright sunlight and that makes placing them precisely on target an issue. A black front blade would be more precise but would be harder for my aging eyes to pick up.
I'm trying to decide whether I should set it up for a red dot or scope.
Our club is starting a "Steel challenge" this year. It will entail very quick shooting on relatively large targets. A red dot will work well for that.
On the other hand, if this pistol turns out to be very accurate, then I might want to put a scope on it and use it for squirrel hunting. That would certainly be a challenge compared to using a rifle.
Vikram wrote:Always liked the Ruger and Browning models. This one certainly looks like a worthy contender.
It looks like someone left their Ruger and Browning unsupervised in the safe for too long and this is the result :)
“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” — Winston Churchill, Oct 29, 1941

User avatar
shooter
Old Timer
Old Timer
Posts: 2002
Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 8:55 pm
Location: London

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by shooter » Fri Apr 08, 2016 1:46 am

congrats on the good find.
Ive seen the movie but never fired the gun.
Thats what I get for paying taxes to the leftist cookie cutters.
Anyways wishing you a very long anf fulfilling partnership together.
You want more gun control? Use both hands!

God made man and God made woman, but Samuel Colt made them equal.

One does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted. by Jose Gasset.

User avatar
ckkalyan
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 1484
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 10:37 pm
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Contact:

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by ckkalyan » Sun Apr 10, 2016 12:01 am

Hi xl_target Congratulations on your er...Victory! :lol:

What an amazing package; like you said very few cons. Seems like a sure shot, target .22 trend setter in time to come.

(y) Enjoy!

Sorry, I have been a bit off the radar on IFG, what with my recent move back to the UAE and settling in and hectic schedules.
When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns!

User avatar
xl_target
Old Timer
Old Timer
Posts: 3488
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:47 am
Location: USA

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by xl_target » Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:34 am

Thank You, Shooter, for your kind words.
We miss your action packed hunting stories. Looking forward to more of them soon.

CK, we sure hope that you get settled in your new digs quickly and get back to being a regular contributor.
Both you and our resident journo (TC) seem to have been missing in action lately.
“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” — Winston Churchill, Oct 29, 1941

Sakobav
Old Timer
Old Timer
Posts: 2973
Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 7:28 pm
Location: US

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by Sakobav » Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:08 am

XL
Congrats yes it does look like it was conceived by Ruger and Browning Like Mode 41 too but its pricey
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/ ... 7751_image

User avatar
xl_target
Old Timer
Old Timer
Posts: 3488
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:47 am
Location: USA

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by xl_target » Mon Apr 11, 2016 9:34 am

Navi,
I wish I could own a model 41. Not only are they pricey but they are hard to find.
In 1990 or so, I was offered a Model 41 for $400. Back then, I had just started a family and couldn't afford $400 so I had to let it go.
Now they are three times that price and I just can't justify one.

This afternoon, I went to the range. It was windy and the temps have still not gone above the 50's (deg F).
I fired about 400 rounds of various .22 LR ammo. I picked some of the best groups. The idea is to show what the pistol is capable of and not my ineptitude.


Image
five rounds bulk ammo


Image
five rounds premium ammo

Image
ten rounds bulk ammo


Image
ten rounds bulk ammo

LIke most firearms, this pistol will outshoot me.
When I got home and cleaned it, I was surprised by how clean everything was. Usually that much .22 LR ammo will leave a filthy mess.
The joy of stainless steel is that everything just wipes clean.
“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” — Winston Churchill, Oct 29, 1941

User avatar
shooter
Old Timer
Old Timer
Posts: 2002
Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 8:55 pm
Location: London

Re: "Victory is mine"

Post by shooter » Mon Apr 11, 2016 3:14 pm

A rifle shooter would be proud of that kind of shooting.
For a handgun, its great great great.

Do you do lessons? !
You want more gun control? Use both hands!

God made man and God made woman, but Samuel Colt made them equal.

One does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted. by Jose Gasset.

Post Reply