THE BEST .22 HANDGUNS - S&W VICTORY SW22 - part VI

  THE BEST .22 HANDGUNS

part VI

 

S&W VICTORY SW22

 

It is a fact that Smith & Wesson with Model 41 set the standard for an American-made competition .22LR target pistol. With the introduction in 2016 a new model called SW22 Victory; they approached the new crop of precision rimfire semi-autos from the early 21st century. Like many modern sidearms, the S&W Victory shines due to its customizability and modularity favored by modern hand gunners. The Victory is a full sized .22 caliber pistol compared by some gun writers as a hybrid of Ruger's Mark III Series 22-45 and the Browning Buckmark pistols. However, the SW22 Victory is intended for target shooting with steeper grip angle than 1911s and is much more comparable to the Glock’s steeper grip angle. As for the mechanics, the Victory utilizes the proven and popular fixed-barrel concept where the entire slide does not reciprocate; just the bolt.  The Victory`s bolt’s operation is very smooth and easy making the gun inherently very accurate.

The SW22 Victory comes standard with an excellent 5.5-inch match-grade bull barrel which guarantees substantial velocity, while combined with the heavy weight of the pistol help in achieving an outstanding accuracy. Actually, the newest rimfire S&W`s handgun has nearly neutral balance but is just muzzle-heavy enough to hold consistently on target. The S&W Victory is an all stainless steel pistol which tips the scales at 36 ounces with the unloaded 10-round magazine. It has removable polymer grips similar to Buck Mark with somewhat oddly shaped grip, not as ergonomic as one might wish with a precision pistol. 

The most eye-catching characteristic on Victory are an excellent, high-visibility fiber optic 3-dot sights. The rear sight utilizes fiber optic tube for increased visibility and is adjustable for wind and elevation while the front sight assembly is located on a metal ramp and featuring a fiber optic tube is also removable. Also, the rear sight module can be replaced with a Picatinny rail (included in the package) that allows you to mount optic accessories quickly. 

SW 22

The gun possesses several unique features that stood out and quick and easy takedown, and component replacement is maybe the most valuable characteristics. Unlike some older counterparts, the Victory, using just an Allen wrench, can be easy disassembled for cleaning and maintenance, or even could be reconfigured with different barrels with the removal of only one single Allen screw. The aftermarket upgrade components are affordable and not overpriced.

As one of S&W's more popular pistol, the SW22 Victory has, as expected, crisp, light, smooth, and consistent trigger with short travel distance. The single-action trigger has vertical serrations on the face, and the trigger press out of the box is averaged about 3.5 pounds.

Despite the .22LR guns are notoriously finicky with ammo, this relatively inexpensive a semi-auto .22 LR pistol proved excellent reliability results with a broad range of ammo right out of the box, and earned every recommendation for a target, competition, and fun range plinking pistol.