S&W Performance Center SW22 vs. Volquartsen Scorpion

[468shot]

I'm looking to pick another .22 handgun in the next month and have a couple in mind.

The Volquartsen Scorpion: https://volquartsen.com/inventory_configurations/983

S&W Performance Center SW22 Victory Target: https://www.smith-wesson.com/firear...-sw22-victory-target-model-fiber-optic-sights

Does anyone have experience with either of these? Any other pistols I should take a look at?

Use will be for general plinking and daily truck/ranger carry for snakes, skunks, etc. on the ranch. It will be suppressed and I prefer to stick with iron sights.

Any input is appreciated.

 

[MarkCZ]

I have had a SW22 Victory when they came out. With the add on's from the Performance Center, it would be great.

Mark

 

[huntsman22]

I actually prefer the Buckmark over any flavor of Ruger (including VQ's)..... Tacsol 4" barrel on a Black Label



factory.... with TK bumpers and Halo

 

[EddieE]

I have the regular SW22 with the threaded barrel. No need (for me) to have a 6 inch barrel. I dressed mine up with Tandemcross trigger, Halo and mag bumpers and homemade camo G-10 grips. Toss on a reddot and go have fun.....

The VQ stuff is nice, but too rich for my tastes....

You must be the cat whisperer to get that cat to sleep so nicely next to your gun...There are too many peta idiots out there that would flip out at that picture. If you are trying to ruffle some feathers...I think that picture will do it.

 

[huntsman22]

So will the duck. With real feathers...

 

[EddieE]

I'm looking to pick another .22 handgun in the next month and have a couple in mind.

The Volquartsen Scorpion: https://volquartsen.com/inventory_configurations/983

S&W Performance Center SW22 Victory Target: https://www.smith-wesson.com/firear...-sw22-victory-target-model-fiber-optic-sights

Does anyone have experience with either of these? Any other pistols I should take a look at?

Use will be for general plinking and daily truck/ranger carry for snakes, skunks, etc. on the ranch. It will be suppressed and I prefer to stick with iron sights.

Any input is appreciated.

I have a SW 41 that I love, but I think that is too nice of a gun for the truck....I would think any of your options mentioned, including the Buckmark and the new Ruger with the easier take down should meet your needs.

 

[468shot]

I appreciate the feedback, great pics as well. The S&W is becoming more appealing than the VQ, especially with the price difference.

Also, I've had a Buckmark for ~20 years now that's about worn out. Instead of investing in a threaded barrel for it I figured I'd try a new flavor.

 

[natdscott]

468Shot, do yourself a favor, and take a really close look at an older Smith & Wesson Model 41.

No comparison.

Ray-Vin makes bull, optic, STC, etc. barrels as well.

 

[Strykervet]

You do know S&W still makes a hand made match grade .22 right? The Model 41? I also understand one can be modified to accept a suppressor, though how you go about doing and who does it I simply can't recall. But I do know that is one of the best .22's out there and it's something you can get today and say, "they still make it like they used to". They still only turn out so many per year. Man I want one. Only 3 handguns I want, that one, a nice 1911 and a 329PD.

They used to make a cheaper knockoff of the 41 but I don't think it sold well. And not many people are aware of the 41 today.

 

[natdscott]

The older no-prefix-loaded-round-indicator-and-lazy-S 41's are better though. The best of late 1950's American manufacturing.

Takes some looking to find one you want, but it's worth it.

-Nate

 

[bnanaphone]

I had this same dilemma a few months ago. I wanted a .22 that was very reliable, with an integral top rail, good trigger, great accuracy and threaded barrel. I was considering the S&W 41, Victory and Scorpion.

Ultimately, I chose the Scorpion. I had my own reasons for purchasing it: it was a pistol I had wanted for a few years, it had the features I wanted, it is a copy of (albeit a vastly-improved copy) the MKIII with is known for being very reliable, and it just looks bad-ass.

I passed on the Victory because I knew I would have always regretted getting the Scorpion, since that is what I really wanted, and it doesn't look that great to me. Looks shouldn't matter with firearms but I just can't warm up to the Victory (even though the gun I replaced was an old S&W 22A with bull barrel & laminate grips).

I passed on the 41 because it would look odd with a threaded barrel, to me. I am sure it is phenomenal but I planned to shoot mostly suppressed and wasn't sure how it would hold up with regard to reliability either.

I have run 400-500 rounds through it so far and have only had 2 issues (all suppressed). On one issue, I had my thumb slightly blocking the ejection port, preventing the spent casing from flying free. The other issue was a spent shell that didn't fully eject on its own.

Overall, I have been very pleased with my choice.

 

[natdscott]

I have run 400-500 rounds through it so far and have only had 2 issues (all suppressed). On one issue, I had my thumb slightly blocking the ejection port, preventing the spent casing from flying free.

Shoot the pistol with the correct (right) hand, and that won't happen.

 

[468shot]

I had looked at the S&W 41. It honestly just seemed a little too high end for what I intend to put it through, plus the lack of a factory threaded barrel.

The VQ offerings had most of my interest when I started the thread. With the positive feedback on the SW22 and the price gap I'm back on the fence. I always end up back on the VQ web-page though...

 

[bnanaphone]

The VQ offerings had most of my interest when I started the thread. With the positive feedback on the SW22 and the price gap I'm back on the fence. I always end up back on the VQ web-page though...

I think this is pretty telling. Go for the VQ and don't look back! I picked mine up from rimfiresports at a great price. You can choose MKIII or 1911 grip, 4.5 or 6" barrel, sights or no sights, etc. build it your way and enjoy it.

 

[shoot4fun]

I have owned a couple Rugers but they are gone now. Replaced by my SW M41 with ten mags and three different barrels. I bought a Victory right after they hit the market. Installed a Trijicon RMR and VQ chain-link fluted barrel and I can honestly say I have way more fun shooting it Han any other rimfire pistol I've ever had. It's lighter and faster for target transitions than the 41 ever thought about being. Also, very accurate and 100% reliable to date.

 

[bnanaphone]

I don't know why I am trying to push you into one direction. Your best bet is to try out any of the guns you are thinking about and see for yourself. Fortunately, there are plenty of great options from numerous companies. Good luck on your purchase.

 

[468shot]

I don't know why I am trying to push you into one direction. Your best bet is to try out any of the guns you are thinking about and see for yourself. Fortunately, there are plenty of great options from numerous companies. Good luck on your purchase.

No worries, no pressure here. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.

 

[mdmp5]

I have the regular SW22 with the threaded barrel. No need (for me) to have a 6 inch barrel. I dressed mine up with Tandemcross trigger, Halo and mag bumpers and homemade camo G-10 grips. Toss on a reddot and go have fun.....





The VQ stuff is nice, but too rich for my tastes....

Why’d you shoot the cat?

 

[huntsman22]

For killing my chukars

 

[mdmp5]

For killing my chukars

Birds?

 

[huntsman22]

Yeah. Birds. I run a commercial bird hunting operation and feral cats and raccoons are hell on them....

 

[mdmp5]

Yeah. Birds. I run a commercial bird hunting operation and feral cats and raccoons are hell on them....

I figured it was something like that. I love cats but you gotta bang them out if their killing your birds. They won’t stop

 

[Pepper]

I have both. I bought the Victory when they first came out. I put a Volquartsen barrel and a Tandemkross trigger and hammer in the Victory. My favorite one is the one I'm shooting at the moment. Both of them put me in .22 heaven. But, if I had to do it over, I would have just stayed with the Victory.

 

[Rolltide]

I think rimfire handguns are more subjective than almost any other handgun out. The lack of recoil makes it all about the feel and fit. I've got several MK II's and MK III's and a couple of the 22/45's, but if I were shooting for more than plinking, I'd probably skip them for one of my 41's or my Sig Trailside.

If I were shooting steel, I'd go 41 or Buckmark because they shoot great and I don't have jamming issues with them like I've had with others. FWIW, the pistol I grab every time I go to the farm or the range though is one of my 422's, a 4" fixed sight model. It's lightweight and shoots great. Now that I've started the suppressor process, I'll get the threaded adapter for it.

 

[468shot]

I have an SW22 on the way from Brownells(~$310 shipped). I'm going to add some TandemKross parts to it out of the gate. With the TK parts it will still be under half of a VQ. Thanks for the guidance.

 

[Pepper]

I have an SW22 on the way from Brownells(~$310 shipped). I'm going to add some TandemKross parts to it out of the gate. With the TK parts it will still be under half of a VQ. Thanks for the guidance.

Watch all the Tendemkross "how to" videos. There are a couple of tricks that will make your installation easier, especially if you install the Thunder hammer. Also, there is a surprise in the box with the hammer.

 

[huntsman22]

468, did ya ever get it? Thoughts?

I banged a skunk this morning

 

[468shot]

I did get it, for under $300 it's a steal(Brownell's sale + promo code). The TK hammer is out of stock, so I haven't done any upgrades yet. Functions 100% with the Prime sub-sonic ammo and is accurate. Nice skunk!
SAM_0167 by 468shot, on Flickr

 

[Fig]

I have a dozen .22 pistols; all different kinds. Nothing compares to the top left Colt Match Target. It’s heavy, stable, and shoots straight as a laser with tenex or other good rifle ammo. I have a long barrel Woodsman (not pictured) that shoots pretty good too. Only thing that sucks is no threads on the old colts. You get spoilt shooting .22 suppressed all the time and then it sounds unreasonable and unpleasant when you shoot naked.

 

[Subwrx300]

I've also got a Victory which took some deliberation over Buckmark and Scorpion. Decided on Victory mainly due to quick change barrels options (including Volquartsen barrels), trigger (very good trigger IMO) and grip angle. Also nice plus to be able to run a pic rail thay includes rear sight cutout Or dedicated fully adjustable irons, as both are in the box.

The grip size on Victory is a bit odd and can feel a bit small so I put a rubber Ergo grip over the existing and it is GREAT! Although I am really liking the talon grips on @huntsman22 pistol.

 

[Kevin Gregoire]

I have the regular SW22 with the threaded barrel. No need (for me) to have a 6 inch barrel. I dressed mine up with Tandemcross trigger, Halo and mag bumpers and homemade camo G-10 grips. Toss on a reddot and go have fun.....





The VQ stuff is nice, but too rich for my tastes....

you really are a sick son of a bitch for posting a picture of a dead cat. i never knew cats or dogs were sporting type animals? i can understand shooting skunks, ducks and other game animals but that picture of the orange cat is plain offensive!

 

[264win]

I was in the same quandary as the op, I decided to go with the S&W performance center and really like it.
I have shot a scorpion and own a few buck marks.
IMHO the buck mark is the best design for running suppressed.

 

[earthtrekker1775]

I recently picked up a used MKII and plan to get the muzzle threaded for supressor. The Ruger is an accurate and reliable option that doesn't cost too much. I bought one that already had all the Volquartsen internals, sights, and triggerand is a sweet shooter.