2017 Handgun of the Year: Smith & Wesson SW22 Victory

by
posted on April 29, 2017
sw_22_gba_.jpg

Being recognized as “best in class” is much easier said than done, but the companies’ products featured in these stories have outdone themselves, and have truly earned the title.

Handgun of the Year: Smith & Wesson SW22 Victory
“Heavy,” “handgun” and “.22 LR” aren’t words that are usually strung together. But it is that weight, along with other features of the Smith & Wesson SW22 Victory, that makes this semi-automatic pistol so great.

The Victory owes its 2.25-pound weight—hefty for .22 LR handgun standards—to its stainless steel frame, bolt and bull barrel, but it owes its accuracy to those attributes, too. According to AH contributor Bryce M. Towsley, “The accuracy results produced by the Smith & Wesson Victory are some of the best I have seen from a production semi-auto .22 LR handgun.” (“Hardware,” June ’16)

The Victory is designed to be modular so that the match-grade barrel and the sights are easy to replace. The bull barrel is quickly removed and can be swapped out for an aftermarket lightweight carbon-wrapped barrel or one threaded for a suppressor, making a gun that is easy to “kit out” to fit any personal wants or needs. Towsley has some gripes about the gun’s configuration (he’s a lefty), but he confidently claims, “This thing can really shoot.”

Editor's Note: Winning products must be tested by the editors, meet or exceed expectations on innovation, and provide hunters and shooters with value for their money. NRA Publications presented the annual Golden Bullseye Awards at an invitation-only breakfast during the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Atlanta, Ga., April 28-30.

Latest

Tips For Moving Your Stand During Deer Season Lead
Tips For Moving Your Stand During Deer Season Lead

Tips for Moving Your Stand During Deer Season

Hunt long enough and you’ll encounter the need to move a deer stand during the season. Here are some tips for the best ways to do so.

Behind the Bullet: .300 Savage

Having celebrated its 100th birthday in 2020, the .300 Savage remains a sound choice as a big-game cartridge—especially in the woods of the Eastern United States.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Hunting Public-Land Bucks

Perhaps the best thing a hunter can do to up their odds on public land is to cover a trail a buck uses to get to his bed at daylight. Look closely to find it, because you can be sure it won’t be covered in sign.

Ducks Unlimited to Rejuvenate Nesting Habitat in Nebraska

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded grants to Ducks Unlimited (DU) for three projects in the Great Plains, including $6 million to endeavors in the heart of Nebraska’s prairie wetlands.

Federal Ammunition Adds Prairie Storm Upland Loads

Federal Premium has added several new loads to its popular Prairie Storm product lineup, which are part of it's Pheasants Forever royalty program.

Red-Dot Ready .22 Magnum Handgun Comparison

B. Gil Horman takes a closer look at two uncommon optics-ready rimfires.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.