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Old 03-15-2015, 08:57 AM
Chizble44 Chizble44 is offline
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Default First Pistol

I went with the sd9 as my first pistol and I wasn't sure about what I was getting. With the price point I was worried but I liked the look of the sidearm and the feel. After I bought it I went on youtube to watch some review videos and I quickly became happy and excited about my first pistol. I know there are some concerns with the trigger and the poundage but I am very satisfied with how it shoots. Ill probably leave it just the way it is. Any feedback or advice is appreciated thanks guys and gals.
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Old 03-15-2015, 09:31 AM
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Get some ammo and shoot it, and some snap caps for dry firing, and you'll find the trigger will noticeably improve. If this is your first handgun, I'd also recommend a quality safety course.

Welcome to the Forum!
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Old 03-15-2015, 09:36 AM
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Default Total Satisfaction!

I believe you are going to find you made an excellent choice.
I have the SD40ve and couldn't be happier!
It shoots very well and is accurate, and as you said, for the price break...perfect 1st. pistol!

mb
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Old 03-15-2015, 10:10 AM
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First thing before you shoot it though, is to field strip it and clean it of all its protective oil. This is more of an anti corrosion oil, not a lube. Then get yourself a pistol cleaning kit and a good quality gun lube. Personally I use FrogLube, but the choices out there are endless. Clean and lube according to the manual, then enjoy it at the range! Just buy cheap ball ammo to get that pistol broken in. You can usually find ammo like CCI Blazer, Federal Champion, or Speer Lawman for between $10-$13/box. I use Blazer and Champion in my SD40VE for practice at the range, but I have it loaded with Hornady American Gunner ammo for carry.

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Old 03-15-2015, 10:33 AM
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chizble44-- Welcome to the group and thanks for telling us about your new gun. You know the SD9VE is just a tool and there is nothing magical about it We all have to learn how to use it and to be able to use it well, we have to practice and learn. I have had a SD9VE for about 2 months now and I really like mine alot. I now carry mine 24/7 and carry a 642 for backup. You will see as you go along that everyone has their own opiniion on which gun is the best and which caliber is best, and which gunmaker is best, and bla, bla, bla. It is MY feeling that the SD is a good weapon, and is well made, and certainly has the pricepoint advantage that many of us appreciate. I plan on shooting mine alot in the coming months and hone my skills with it so I can be confident that I can use it to save my life if ever the need arises. And as a side note--the SD9 is a fun gun to shoot.

Keep us posted from time to time on how you get along with your new gun. Pictures are good. Stay safe.
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Old 03-15-2015, 10:41 AM
AnthemBassMan AnthemBassMan is offline
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Well said, JAREDSHS. As far as caliber, with modern defensive ammo, the 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45acp are so close in performance, just shoot what you like best. I have the .40 S&W, not because I think it's better than the 9mm, but because when I bought it, 9mm ammo was really hard to find. There are those who say you need to carry a .45. Know what? A .45 isn't a guarantee either. I'd feel just as safe carrying my Wife's Taurus 85 .38 Spl. And one thing a 9mm has going for it is the ammo is less expensive than the other two which means you can get more for more practice.

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Old 03-15-2015, 11:04 AM
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Being that it's your first handgun, the trigger won't be as big of a deal for you probably. Just practice with it and you'll be fine.

I did the apex trigger kit on mine and it improved it a bit... some extra polish and tweaking made it even better. I've since gotten rid of it, but I never had any issues.

For the price and quality, it's tough to beat.
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Old 03-15-2015, 03:11 PM
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I've been at this for over 50 years and I've handled and owned a whole bunch of handguns. If I were advising someone just starting out today, I'd advise an SD9 or a Ruger 9E. Either gun would serve a new shooter well for years to come. I'm partial to the SD series, of course, but some new shooters want a thumb safety.

Try all weights of ammo, don't let someone tell you that a new shooter should stay with 115 grain stuff. Strangely enough, 124 and 147 can actually have milder recoil feel than the light stuff. See what feels best to you and stick with it.

You've made an excellent choice, now shoot it every time you get a chance. Clean it regularly and practice, practice practice.
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Old 03-15-2015, 03:35 PM
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Welcome to the forum. Congrats on a good choice. I have more expensive pistols but the SD resides on my nightstand.
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Old 03-15-2015, 04:10 PM
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Welcome and enjoy-

I suppose I'm considered a holdout in that I like my SD9 trigger just as is. In target shooting I don't have a problem and if I were actually in a defensive situation I assume the threat would either be within 20' or outside at a longer distance.

In the first case the trigger would be the least of my concerns and I would hit the target.

In the second case I would be prohibited, by local laws, from shooting at anyone.

I did make one change, however - I replaced the barrel stop/takedown bar with a longer one from NDZ precision. It's only 1mm longer than stock but makes an incredible difference in taking the slide off. (I was amazed when I decided to take the length measurements.)

The only other thing I have done is to smooth the outside edge of the trigger bar and put grease between the bar and the frame - that's all.

The result is that I have a gun that is reliable, doesn't have a soft trigger, and stays in warranty (when I switch the bar back to stock).
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Old 03-15-2015, 04:29 PM
3hounds 3hounds is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chizble44 View Post
I went with the sd9 as my first pistol and I wasn't sure about what I was getting. With the price point I was worried but I liked the look of the sidearm and the feel. After I bought it I went on youtube to watch some review videos and I quickly became happy and excited about my first pistol. I know there are some concerns with the trigger and the poundage but I am very satisfied with how it shoots. Ill probably leave it just the way it is. Any feedback or advice is appreciated thanks guys and gals.
Is this the SD9 or the SD9VE ?

A lot of different models for this gun.

3
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Old 03-15-2015, 04:34 PM
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My first pistol was an SD40VE and it's still one of my favorites. I applaud your willingness to leave it stock. I made changes that I've partially backed out (spring kit) thinking I needed to lighten the trigger. The better course of action, IMO, would have been to learn to use the trigger as it was and maybe make changes down the road. I believe I'd have decided none were needed ... except for the takedown lever. I did swap mine for a wider one ($12) which makes field stripping much easier.

As others have said, shoot it, buy more ammo, and shoot it some more. Consider a basic NRA Pistol class or something similar. It will be the best money you ever spent.
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Old 03-15-2015, 08:31 PM
Tmatahead Tmatahead is offline
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Default Consider the trigger spring.

My wife's first hand gun, and favorite is SD9VE. After 500 rounds down the tube I let her shoot a highly modified .45ACP. I explained to her why her groups were much better with the heavier gun, lighter trigger pull. The SD model is a Double Action weapon, so you are pulling the trigger for longer distance. As you pull learn to pull slowly, yet with harder trigger pull the muzzle of the weapon will move. With a shorter, lighter trigger you tend to move the muzzle less, and hold a tighter group. As you use the weapon, it will polish the internal parts and stretch out the spring. The Apex or Galloway spring kit will reduce the time it takes you to learn to control the weapon.

Welcome to the group, continue learning.
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Old 03-20-2015, 01:02 PM
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Congrats on choosing the SD9VE, lots of fans here including yours truly...ENJOY!
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