• If you are having trouble changng your password please click here for help.

Review: Smith & Wesson SW22 Victory Target Gun

I finally got the Sub-Sonic ammo test completed. Results forthcoming, and then I'll shut up about this gun and this thread.

IMG_20160217_063636145.jpg
 
Ok, first and foremost you have to understand that "subsonic" is a relative term. Everybody throws this term around almost in a generic sense; kind of like the word "bullet", and they really don't know what it is they are saying. So, let me just clarify this a little for you.

NASA defines the "speed of sound" in terms of temperature and pressure of the atmosphere. Obviously this makes sense because we all remember back in science class that "air" has different density depending on whether it's cold or hot. According to NASA, the speed of sound at Sea Level on a 59 degree "standard day" is 1,116 feet per second. As it gets colder, say 32 degrees, again at Sea Level, the speed of sound drops to 1,088 feet per second.

Now, I am here to tell you that you can't always believe these numbers because I know for a FACT that the speed of sound is often much slower than that. For example, on warm summer days when my kids were young, the speed of sound was quite often close to zero. I know this because, even though we were in the same room together and I asked them to mow the lawn or clean their room, the sound of my voice NEVER reached their ears at all; thus proving that under some circumstances the speed of sound is in fact zero. It's the same as when a tree falls in the woods and all that... you know! But I digress...

I tested the 4 different types of ammo shown above, as well as the CCI Quiets again. I wanted to give them all the same test of function and accuracy, so I set my targets at 10 yards and used my ammo box for a rest. I took 5 shots of each at my targets and completed each round of 5 in less than 30 seconds. So, not rapid fire, but not slow fire either.

I was impressed will the performance of all the rounds, and not surprised at the performance of the CCI's. Keep in mind that I wanted to be environmentally responsible so I used a recycled target and kept taping the holes shut. The results are in the pictures below:

American Eagle Suppressor - 45 grain rated at 970 fps
Result: All rounds cycled, ejected and performed perfectly, very consistent accuracy.
IMG_20160216_214138307.jpg

Remington Subsonic - 40 grain rated at 910 fps
Result: All rounds cycled, ejected and performed perfectly, consistent accuracy.
IMG_20160216_214500480.jpg

CCI Suppressor - 45 grain rated at 970 fps
Result: All rounds cycled, ejected and performed perfectly, very consistent accuracy.
IMG_20160216_214828914.jpg

Federal Premium Target - 40 grain rated at 1,080 fps
Result: All rounds cycled, ejected and performed perfectly, marginal accuracy
IMG_20160216_215137540.jpg

CCI Quiets - 40 grain rated at 710 fps
Result: All rounds fired, 0 rounds ejected, 0 rounds cycled, consistent accuracy.
IMG_20160216_215607961.jpg

Conclusion: I would say that any of these rounds would work on the Smith & Wesson SW22 with any suppressed application, with the exception of the CCI Quiets. I have resolved that the Quiets are for pump action or bolt action use only, as they are very accurate out to a nominal distance.

Ask any question you may have and I'll try to answer the best I can given my limited scientific experience.

Oh... and enjoy your new Victory... WHEN you get it.
 
My final round of shooting consisted of 2 full magazines of Winchester M22 round nose ammo. I wanted to test this ammo because I have found that my Mark II's and III's don't always like it so I don't ever use it in competition because of failures. I even sent some back to Winchester last year and they sent me a $55 check for my trouble.

I was impressed, as the SW22 ate this ammo just like all the other. I shot 20 rounds inside 40 seconds (including magazine change) using the same criteria as above. See for yourself... this is a NICE gun and I can see myself owning all three variants at some point in the future!

IMG_20160216_215957714.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom