Smith & Wesson’s Introduction
When Smith & Wesson first came out with the Victory, I was a little surprised and (at the time) uninterested. It’s not that I don’t value the .22lr round, but my typical application for the round is best served by a long gun.
Over time, my situation and opinion has changed. .22 handguns have proven effective tools for introducing new shooters to handguns. This is a role that I take pleasure in and the Victory is a valid contender for this application and a variety of others.
A Hunting Heritage
My people come from Appalachia and before that, from Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and England. Early in America’s development, the Appalachian mountains were filled with long-hunters—tall, lean, Scots-Irish woodsmen with a fighting spirit. A lot of attention has been given to the men of our heritage, but the women that stood by the men were strong and notable in their own right. Many stories could be told of women, relatively alone, caring for kids, surviving entire winters, and even fighting when necessary while her man was away.
My great grandmother’s attitude revealed a direct through-line to these women of renown. She was quite a character. One story consistently translates into looks of unbelief from my urbanite friends. I tell them how upset my great grandmother would get when family hunters would return to her house with a bunch of squirrels that had been head shot. In case you don’t have a hunter’s heritage, let me briefly explain: Most squirrel hunters target the head because this leaves all the meat unaffected. Since squirrels don’t offer an abundance of meat, this is even more important. Some of the old-timers would even practice a technique called “barking;” this method involved shooting the bark directly under the head of the squirrel with a shotgun. The goal is to knock the squirrel unconscious but leave the meat completely unspoiled… i.e. no (or limited) pellets in the squirrel’s carcass. My great grandma would get so upset when a squirrel was head-shot because she LOVED squirrel brains. She would crack them open with a nutcracker and eat them with glee.
Two Reasons
I relay this culturally unacceptable story to you for two primary reasons.
- The Smith and Wesson Victory would not only prove a great choice for teaching new shooters, for competition, and for general plinking, but it could also be an effective small game hunting or survival tool. If I’d had this handgun as young man instead of a single shot shotgun, I would have certainly spoiled less meat.
- Culturally acceptable or not, I’m proud of this heritage and think it’s one of many beautiful stories that I feel privileged to be able to pass down.
Now let’s get into the Victory itself.
I’ve enjoyed the initially apparent and later field-proven quality construction of the Victory’s design. The stainless steel frame, easy take down, fiber optic front sight, and adjustable trigger stop scream utilitarian quality. The choices S&W made work together well.
Above all, I like the modularity and accuracy of this design. the match barrel is great, but because of its interchangeable design, it can be upgraded or function changed with ease. The gun is clearly designed to be able to morph into a gun perfect for the end-users specific use. I’m personally thinking of setting one up for suppressed plinking. The only downside that I’ve come across so far is that early testing seemed to indicate that the gun is a little finicky with budget 22 ammo. I don’t hold rimfire to centerfire standards, but I do want a measure of reliability. In the end, I believe the handgun will prove reliable enough for its intended purpose, but let me stress that it’s important that you clean and lube the gun as the manufacturer specifies.
Caliber: .22 LR
Capacity: 10+1
Safety: Thumb Safety
Barrel Length: 5.5″ / 14 cm
Overall Length: 9.2″
Front Sight: Green Fiber Optic
Rear Sight: Adjustable Fiber Optic
Action: Single Action
Grip: Polymer
Weight: 36.0 oz / 1,020.6g
Barrel: Stainless Steel
Slide: Stainless Steel
Frame: Stainless Steel
Overall, I’m really excited about the Smith & Wesson Victory, and that’s really saying something considering I’m a guy who was kind of underwhelmed to begin with.
This article was first published at KickStop’s Blog.
