Really wanting to give one of these a go, but this issue is bothersome. Does anyone know if they are going to make changes, or are they still saying it's "within spec?"

I bought one a couple of months ago, a 9mm, and never heard of this. It's been back at S&W to replace the tritium sight, should get it back this afternoon. Now I wanta check the d. cover....thanks.....I think...They were also to fix the fact that empties were ejecting on to my head. Related maybe..

I have one each of in 9 and 40 and neither of them have crooked dust covers.

Out
West

No they haven't just checked some out at Academy this last weekend. The fit and finish of the SD is pretty poor the slide has a good deal of side to side play in it more so than the Sigmas. I'm waiting for at least the second generation SDs to come out before I drop some cash on one

it is not my intent to inflame anyone just to promote civilized debate on the issue at hand. it is a $400 mass produced gun that from what ive read and my own experience goes bang when we want it too. expecting the fit of a custom hand tooled highend firearm is unrealistic in my opinion.

Proper and true alignment of components is not limited to the realm of custom guns. It's a basic expectation.

Perhaps the loose fit is intentional, though, like a good old 1911. It is a combat gun, after all.

My point is simple the Sigma appears to be far more refined than the SD. The current Sigmas are I believe the 3rd generation so all the bugs have been worked out.

This is not so with the SD, go to a gun store and compare them side by side. The SD just doesnt have the same fit and finish as the Sigma. Many have complained of the front sight insert falling out or not glowing. If you really get down to it S&W stuck an M&P slide on a Sigma frame and called it an SD to give it that tacticool feel.

I dont remember comparing it to a custom one off, but why in the hell would I buy the first run of a firearm and pay to be the RnD when you could by the Sigma for a $100 less.

The OP asked a simple question....have they fixed the crooked dust cover? No they have not

Is it that the dust covers are truly off (I find this hard to believe), or is it a case of the slide rails being improperly installed, or there being too much play in the slide-to-frame fit so that the slide veers off to one side? A combination thereof?

Its a combination but on the ones I have seen you can clearly see the dust cover is crooked, that combined with the slide play makes it look pretty bad.

does it still fire?...yes....but for $400 id expect a little more from S&W.

The SD is not a SIGMA with a M&P slide on it. The slide is dimensionally very similar to the SIGMA's and clearly not from an M&P. The SD has a different trigger system from either the M&P or the SIGMA -- relatively simple, a trap door sort of set up, it contributes to a better trigger pull (lower weight, and somewhat smoother, and a bit shorter) than the SIGMA. (I agree SIGMAs are much improved from earlier models, but they still have a long and heavy trigger -- which in my opinion (yours may vary) makes them less useful as range guns, albeit still fine as defensive guns).

I believe the SIGMA and the SD are made on the same CNC machines that make M&Ps in the Springfield, Mass. plant. When I visited the plant, all I saw was M&P slides, for specific models, but I assume they make different versions in batches. There were only something like six or eight CNC machines making slides. (S&W has another, smaller factory in Houlton, ME that makes handcuffs and their metal frame pistols -- so they could make them there, but I don't think that is the case). There is no reason to assume the SIGMA is "tighter" than the SD -- they are made the same way.

I own two SD's, and owned a SIGMA, and consider them to be exceptionally well made. This is something that is within reach now at this pricepoint with the CNC machinery being used to mill the slides -- they can easily make a pistol with tolerances that we would have considered exceptional in the old days. I'll got out on a limb and say the fit and finish equals my three M&Ps and my Exeter Sig.

The crooked dust cover is prevalent and annoying. The slide rails aren't improperly installed, and the slide doesn't veer -- the plastic extension (the dustcover) on the front of the plastic frame is simply slightly bent to one side in many examples I have seen (and visible in pictures on the web site). It has no impact on the movement of the slide or the functioning of the pistol. It can be fixed if you have the patience to apply gentle pressure to it for a while. It shouldn't be that way -- I guess it has something to do with the molding process for the frame. On the other hand, you have to pretty much be looking at the muzzle to notice it, and that is not a recommended place to be looking from. I hope S&W is aware it is an issue for some owners and is taking steps to improve the manufacturing process to fix it. It doesn't stop me from enjoying my SD9 and SD40, which are exceptionally accurate and reliable.

Is the sear block a little different than the Sigma yes but not by much, from the SDs I have handled the Sigmas do appear to be a tighter fit.

Honestly I cant understand why S&W came out with the SD. Why not just drop a new sear block in the Sigma? There just isnt that much of a difference in the two, yes you have steel sights the front being night. But what good is only the front being night as you cant line it up with the rear.

The trigger does feel a little shorter but not by much. To me the Sigma has a pretty good trigger you just cant shoot it like a SA, you must have a crisp clean strong pull straight back. It takes a little work but I shoot the tightest groups with my Sigma.

S&W really needs to tighten up their quality control

The SD and the SIGMA are pretty close in design and cost -- I'm not sure why both are on the market (it seems like they'd compete with each other). But S&W seems to know what they are doing, because they have sold a couple of hundred thousand SIGMAs to DoD for the Iraq and Afghan armies/police forces!

There are lots of people who think highly of the SIGMA, and either ignore or work with or even prefer the longer, and heavier, trigger pull. As people say, the SIGMA is far better than its reputation, which was diminished because of problems with the first generation of SIGMAs.

I've heard the Sigma has the lowest return-to-the-factory rate of any S&W product. That is unsubstantiated and I can't remember the source, so it may not be true... but it sounds believable.

I really like my SDs, and as long as they work with total reliability -- which they do, even with my less-than-perfect handloads -- I'll use them for carry and in the field. The M&P is a great gun, too, but I like the thin slide of the SD, and I prefer the SD trigger to the SIGMA's. Both guns are superb value for the money -- my SDs were $320, and Bud's has SIGMAs for something like $289 delivered (and no tax).

nobody said anything about a one off gun which is fit to a much higher standard than a custom gun. all i am saying is mass produced guns have bigger tolerences and less quality inspections than custom guns if you want a nice tight everything perfect gun than go buy it. but as is usual in the internet world everything is talked over and over and over oh yeah and people interjecting things you didnt even say into their reply

bottom line the SD has some flaws, slide stop lever breaking, loose fitting slide, crooked dust cover, insert in front sight either not glowing or falling out.


which is why i never buy the first run of any gun, all im saying is the current sigma is a tighter gun as far as fit and finish.

The SD is just an odd duck as its not a Sigma or a M&P. I really cant understand why they made the SD. If you want a budget gun you might as well get the proven Sigma, if you can drop an extra $100 why not toss out just a little more cash and get a gun that is not a dressed up Sigma.

With the SD and Sigma now on sale and only a $60 difference-- the SD9 at $319.99 seems like a bargain over the $260 Sigma.