Smith & Wesson has put out a brochure on the new SD9 and SD40 pistols.

The best description I can give is this: SIGMA lower with different stipling/molding, stainless slide and barrel with melonite finish, styled to look like M&P slide. Slide has front and rear grasping grooves.

Steel white dot sights, front and rear are both dovetailed in, tritium night sight in front only.

Constant double action only trigger of 8 pounds on each shot (as opposed to 13 pound SIGMA and 6.5 pound M&P), which they are calling the SDT (self-defense trigger).

16 + 1 in 9mm and 14 + 1 in .40 S&W. The pictures make it look like the SIGMA mags will work, but I stress this is just a guess. I have no confirmation on magazine interchangeability.

No .45 ACP, don't ask!

Picatinny style equipment rail, as opposed to SIGMA's proprietary rail.

They are being billed as for home and personal defense for the everyday consumer. Price point is between SIGMA and M&P. It looks like retail may be less than dealer on other competing brands. Check with your dealer for actual pricing, but the brochure shows an "average retail price" of $429.00 for the SD pistols. For comparison, the brochure lists "average retail price" for SIGMA as $349.00 and $569.00 for M&P.

Uses are listed in the ad brochure as home/personal defense, security details and range practice.

I am sure we will hear alot more about these new pistols in the coming months.

UPDATE: Someone in customer service at the factory told me today (May 6, 2010) that the part number for the magazine assembly was not the same for the SD40 and the SIGMA 40, leading him to believe the magazines were not the same.

I was not, however, convinced that he was entirely sure of his answer as he seemed not very confident. He did, however, say he was looking at a build sheet on the computer which supposedly shows a complete listing of the parts in a particular SKU number.

I wonder if the magazine tube could be the same and the floorplate is different leading to the use of a different part number for the magazine assembly. I just cannot believe we have to go out and stock another magazine, especially when the frame on the SD40 and the SIGMA look so much alike and the capacities are the same on the two pistols within caliber. If they made an entirely new magazine, why not go with higher capacity than SIGMA?