Smith & Wesson Victory Performance Center 22lr details

[Baldheaded]

Does anyone here own this gun and if so can you talk a little bit about what you like and dislike about it. I am thinking of buying one but not sure. The cost and comparison to the Ruger Mark IV lite has got me scratching my head. I don't plan on doing any gun competitions just want something fun to plink with. I have 10/22 rifles but no handguns yet. The gun available right now has the Crimson red dot on it and is listed at $899.

 

[slsc98]

I’d not proceed without further deliberation …

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/search/314908/?q=Victory+Performance+Center&o=relevance

 

[Bafflingbs]

I’ve asked 3 different gun stores which 22 pistol they liked the best. The Browning, the S&W and the mk IV. Everyone of them said the Ruger. The others cost more, so I’ve been surprised. I ended up buying a black 22/45 with the gold trigger. It won’t be paroled until Saturday, unfortunately.

 

[erwos]

MkIV 22/45 Lite is where it's at. Slap a VQ trigger kit in, and it's a top tier 22lr pistol. TBH, I'm not sure why I'd ever consider a Victory or Buckmark.

 

[dontpanic]

MkIV 22/45 Lite is where it's at. Slap a VQ trigger kit in, and it's a top tier 22lr pistol. TBH, I'm not sure why I'd ever consider a Victory or Buckmark.

Because you don't need to do anything to a Buckmark. Good right out of the box.

I also can't stand that the barrel is the firearm on Rugers.

 

[Sundazes]

Because you don't need to do anything to a Buckmark. Good right out of the box.

I also can't stand that the barrel is the firearm on Rugers.

This.

 

[alucard0822]

Have a MK4 and Buckmark, fired the S&W VIctory, but don't own one. IMO the MK4 22/45 is the best design, a factory model with VQ trigger, or one of the Tandemkross or Volquartsen models depending on budget/features. It's true that unlike the others with a serialized lower frame, the MK4 has a serialized barrel, but this also means you can swap to an aftermarket grip frame / trigger assembly without an FFL, or order an aftermarket barrel to go to your FFL and build around that. The only real shortcoming on the MK4 is the mediocre factory trigger, the VQ kit makes it awesome. The Buckmark is a good pistol and accurate, better trigger out of the box made great by simply flipping a spring, aluminum grip frame instead of polymer in the 22/45, but I don't like the control layout and feel as well as the Ruger. Dissasembly also is more difficult, and there are nowhere near as many factory options. While the trigger on the Buckmark with a flipped spring is short light and crisp(about the same as the mk4 VQ kit), it has a really tight radius on the trigger that is no where near as comfortable as the nearly flat VQ trigger on the mk4. The Victory is always a step behind the competition, not as comfortable as the BM or MK4, and has little aftermarket support.

 

[John from MD]

Have a MK4 and Buckmark, fired the S&W VIctory, but don't own one. IMO the MK4 22/45 is the best design, a factory model with VQ trigger, or one of the Tandemkross or Volquartsen models depending on budget/features. It's true that unlike the others with a serialized lower frame, the MK4 has a serialized barrel, but this also means you can swap to an aftermarket grip frame / trigger assembly without an FFL, or order an aftermarket barrel to go to your FFL and build around that. The only real shortcoming on the MK4 is the mediocre factory trigger, the VQ kit makes it awesome. The Buckmark is a good pistol and accurate, better trigger out of the box made great by simply flipping a spring, aluminum grip frame instead of polymer in the 22/45, but I don't like the control layout and feel as well as the Ruger. Dissasembly also is more difficult, and there are nowhere near as many factory options. While the trigger on the Buckmark with a flipped spring is short light and crisp(about the same as the mk4 VQ kit), it has a really tight radius on the trigger that is no where near as comfortable as the nearly flat VQ trigger on the mk4. The Victory is always a step behind the competition, not as comfortable as the BM or MK4, and has little aftermarket support.

Agree with all this. Plus the aftermarket support for the S&W is nothing compared to the Ruger Mk or 22/45 models. Go Ruger or go home.

 

[BUffaloSocks]

Does anyone here own this gun and if so can you talk a little bit about what you like and dislike about it. I am thinking of buying one but not sure. The cost and comparison to the Ruger Mark IV lite has got me scratching my head. I don't plan on doing any gun competitions just want something fun to plink with. I have 10/22 rifles but no handguns yet. The gun available right now has the Crimson red dot on it and is listed at $899.

I have a (non Performance Center) S&W Victory that I shoot Steel Challenge with three times a month year around. Fresh from the factory I had ejection issues, which were fixed by tweaking the ejector guide slightly and that fixed that. I lost an ejector+plunger at 1k rounds. Had some weird slide issues that resolved itself with TandemKross springs. Kind of annoying, however I have at least 3k rounds through it and it has been working rather well. In the winter I had to switch from CCI standards to CCI mini-mags, but only on sub-freezing days. Federal Auto Match behaves decently well in it. TK and VQ are the main parts people, but TK has been AWESOME to deal with.

If you want to roll up to Frederick County I would be happy to let you test drive it. If I was in the market for another rimfire pistol, I would seriously consider a Volquartsen built off the Ruger platform. That is from my Steel Challenge point of view though.

 

[Baldheaded]

Well I think I will go with the Ruger. And I will probably upgrade the trigger since everyone says it is such a big improvement. If I recall they are pretty expensive. So between the gun at around $560, the VQ Accurizing Kit at $114, and a nice red dot I'm looking at about $850ish. Recommendations on the red dot? I am a Vortex fan. Is the viper a good fit?

 

[John from MD]

Well I think I will go with the Ruger. And I will probably upgrade the trigger since everyone says it is such a big improvement. If I recall they are pretty expensive. So between the gun at around $560, the VQ Accurizing Kit at $114, and a nice red dot I'm looking at about $850ish. Recommendations on the red dot? I am a Vortex fan. Is the viper a good fit?

Look around on Gunbroker. Here is a MkIV for $500 shipped.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/968860874

 

[Jimgoespewpew]

I love my tx22 competition. It is absolutely reliable.

 

[Baldheaded]

Look around on Gunbroker. Here is a MkIV for $500 shipped.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/968860874

That model is the target. I really wanted the 22/45 lite.

 

[Red1917]

I have a standard SW victory I shoot bullseye matches with about every other week, sometimes more. Also used it in some steel matches. I've had very few issue with it through multiple thousands of rounds, maybe every once in a while the bolt is sluggish to go home on a full mag but really not a big deal for me. What sold me was that it came with good iron sights, the optics rail, and spare magazine when the others didn't. Zero regrets here. Not to say the ruger isn't good lots of guys shoot them too, but that's my experience.

 

[BUffaloSocks]

I have a standard SW victory I shoot bullseye matches with about every other week, sometimes more. Also used it in some steel matches. I've had very few issue with it through multiple thousands of rounds, maybe every once in a while the bolt is sluggish to go home on a full mag but really not a big deal for me. What sold me was that it came with good iron sights, the optics rail, and spare magazine when the others didn't. Zero regrets here. Not to say the ruger isn't good lots of guys shoot them too, but that's my experience.

I do love those factory fiber sites! Shot a match today actually.

 

[Bafflingbs]

I ended up getting a set of grips and the Volquartsen trigger, in gold

 

[Bafflingbs]

Copy and paste, what it will look like

 

[Biggfoot44]

Because you don't need to do anything to a Buckmark. Good right out of the box.


Plus , partial DNA from Woodsman .

The flipside of a gazillion aftermarket upgrades . is an admission that the stock gun is mediocre , and in need of improvement .

Of newly mfg ( non understudy) mainstream .22lr sporting semiauto pistols , the Buckmark .

 

[OMCHamlin]

Prefer even the "old school" Ruger MK III over the S&W offerings, I've just seen too many unsatisfactory Victory's have to get sent in to the Mother Ship. Mine has a bunch of Tandem Cross parts and a heck of a clean trigger.

 

[Bafflingbs]

I just got done installing the Volquartsen Firearms Accurizing Kit. It was kind of a bitch to put in, but DAUUUMMMN it’s nice! And contrary to belief, the OEM trigger wasn’t too bad. Had I not read it here, I might not have ever been the wiser.