A Victory from Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
We love new guns. Especially when they’re fun, easy to shoot, and flat out reliable.
Meet the SW22 Victory from Smith & Wesson. According to the company, “the new SW22 Victory is a fully featured .22 LR pistol with a convertible design suitable for multiple sporting applications. Dependable, easily modified and inherently accurate, the … Victory is constructed on a single-action, enclosed hammer-fired, blowback semi-automatic design. Chambered in .22 LR, the SW22 Victory comes highly featured with innovative design qualities that include a match-grade, interchangeable barrel for superb accuracy on the range or in the field along with a simple one-screw takedown design. The pistol’s high-end features, modern styling and enriched functionality place the SW22 Victory in a category of its own with an affordable price to match.”
Helpful info, sure. But Roy Huntington, Editor of Handgunner, has been living with an early prototype of the Victory for some months. Here’s his take so far…
… on reliability and accuracy: “I’ve had this early prototype of the Victory for six months or so. I’ve fired well over 1,500 rounds of assorted .22 ammo through it and there’s been exactly zero malfunctions, which is pretty much unheard of, especially in what is, by all rights, a price-point .22. Accuracy with the stock barrel at 25 yards using optics hovers around the 1″ mark, and the target barrel (shown) is a stunner, delivering .5” or less — usually less — at 25!”
holster for Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
… on shootability: “The trigger is crisp and very predictable right out of the box. Being all stainless steel, it had a ‘heft’ to it the lightweight polymer guns don’t have, allowing a steadier sight picture — at least in my semi-aged hands!”
Smith & Wesson
… on overall value: “With an MSRP of $409, the new Victory is pretty much within any shooter’s budget. Mount a longer barrel and an optical sight and you have an outstandingly accurate small game or target .22 auto.”Thanks,
Roy, for the insights!
Watch for my range review and long-term test in a future review. I’ll give an additional perspective on what it’s like to have the Victory in hand.
