After cleaning and lubing the new pistol, we took the new SD9VE to the range today. In the first mag, I think we had 3-4, maybe 5 FTF incidents with the Remington 115gr rounds.

Second clip, another 3-4 FTF's. For the third clip, I think we had 2 FTF's. Finally, things settled down and the FTF indicidents went away.

Havent shot it(the new Sigma". Have the old sigma 9mm and i have never had any issues with it yet and dont expect to and if i do am sure it will be the ammo to blame or the mag as i know my mag spring is do for a replacement soon. Did hold the sd9ve and its smaller than my sigma and has better sights. Speaking of my sigma i get to go shoot her this coming wends after i get of duty!!!! cant waite Shooting and hanging out wiht a good friend....you just cant beat that

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Aim small miss small

Is that Fail To Feed or Fail To Fire? I'm always confused by FTFs.

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_It was love at first shot_

I think its fail to feed.....

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Aim small miss small

Try using magazines in your pistol...the SD9 isn't a clip-fed weapon.

Assuming you had failures to feed, two suggestions:

1) Clean your magazines as well (don't oil them, though...you can use dry lube it desired.)

2) Load your magazines to capacity and let them sit for a week or so.

Thanx for the thoughts. Yep, failures to feed.

Cleaned the pistol today, then I used my laser bore-sighter and adjusted the rear site. The first time at the range, I was consistently placing rounds about 4-6" lower and to the left of where I was aiming. The bore-sighter indicated that the sight was indeed off...to the left and low. I could adjust left to right, but unfortunately no adjustment to raise or lower the shot placement.

Went back to the range this evening. Frustrating. Still consistently shooting 4-6" low. Good left to right. My brother fired it for about 10 rounds and said he thought it was right-on, but from what I could see, he was all over. I took his PPQ that I've only fired once before, aimed at the #8 on the target and then consistently put 5 rounds in a 2" area taking out the #8. So, I didn't think it was me.

Next test, I switched to my left hand and results really were the same as with my right hand...4-6" low.

Frustrating, because I didn't seem to be able to find the right "sight alignment" to be able to create a consistent shot pattern...nothing near what I shoot with my .357 revolver...or even with my brother's PPQ.

My bro thinks it has something to do with the stiffer, longer trigger pull. I don't necessarily concur, as the trigger on my .357 is about the same; so I didn't think the trigger characteristics for this pistol would cause me any problems. Never-the-less, the Apex trigger kit order has been placed as of this evening.

As for the FTFeed's, no problems this evening as I ran about 60 or so more rounds thru it this evening.

Put your sights over the spot you want to hit rather than below the spot (6 O'clock).

Yes, I guess I will have to make that adjustment next trip to the range. I wish I could adjust the sites for elevation.

I don't see where you mention the distance that you are shooting. The pistol is probably sighted for 25 yds. as this is pretty standard for most manufacturers. If you are shooting at shorter distances your bullet will print lower on the target. You can also shoot heavier bullets to raise your group. If you were shooting 115 gr. bullets go to 124 gr. Heavier bullets will print higher on your target at the same range. Hope this helps.

Best Regards,
ADP3

The SD (and many pistols with a white dot system) are regulated for a sight picture with the white dot covering the intended point of impact.

Thanx for the info guys. I'm excited, the Apex kit has arrived. Planned to install today...just too busy. Hopefully installed soon, then its back to the range!

For new shooters I always refer them to this chart



I saw this chart on the internet somewhere and found it to be very accurate.

If you're right handed - it looks like you might be jerking the trigger.

I hope this helps

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5906,M&P5",9c,Shield,9VE, .45c

Thanx for the cool reference charts Don. Since my rounds were striking in the same locations with both left and right hands…I assumed the sights were off. As it turns out, it appears once I adjusted the sites left to right, the only problem I was left with were the rounds striking low. Turns out, I needed to cover the target with the pin; versus at the 6 o'clock position, as I am accustomed.

As of recent. Apex kit installed, pistol voided of petroleum products and then treated with Frog Lube. Unfortunately I've either been too busy or as now, out of town.

Somewhat patiently waiting to return…then return to the range to put it thru it's paces. ;-)

Mine had a few problems when i bought it a few months ago, and all it really took was polishing the feed ramp and dry cycling it several times to smooth it out. The pistol has since been flawless with a few exceptions relating to someone limp-wristing it pretty hard. The slide and trigger seem to be pretty rough when it comes out of the box, but after cycling it and dry-firing several times mine smoothed way out. The trigger seems slightly lighter now and much, much smoother. A drop or two of rem oil onto the moving parts of the firing mechanism (striker and firing pin included) seemed to complete the process. This is mostly stuff that should be done anyway, but it seemed to help my pistol out in particular. Also, the place you have to hold depends on the range you are shooting. At close range holding the dot on target should produce good accuracy (assuming there is not a problem with the sight alignment or your shooting form). 25-50 yards seems to be the range where I have to hold the target above the dot and anything past that barring the longer ranges you shouldn't be using a pistol for anyway holding the dot on the target produces adequate accuracy. Again this is all relatively basic stuff, but it seemed worth noting, as this will usually fix the problem in my experience.

edit: also after polishing the feed ramp be sure to apply 2-3 drops of oil or a similar volume of lubrication. This will drastically reduce the friction and may help prevent anymore FTFs.

2) Load your magazines to capacity and let them sit for a week or so

Ken, I actually took this advice before I hit the range and I can say that not only my SD9VE eat every type of ammo I put through it today, I was also able to load all 16 rounds in each mag without the use of a loader.

Thanks for the info!!

I too had issues with FTF the first and second time at the range. I also had the low left issue because of the trigger pull. I installed the Apex spring and trigger kits and what a difference it makes. Much less pull and smoother trigger pull made a big difference in my accuracy. The kits where a bear to put in. But watching the videos very closely helped a lot.

Ive just bought y sd9 ve an it shoots hard left any ideas on how to fix it ive shot 200 rounds through it but still the same

This is the target that I started using. It's helped me tremendously!



L8R,
Matt

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SD40-VE owner and proud of it!

Crosbo, welcome and congrats on your new SD. Help me out here I am having a very senior moment---where the heck is "SATX" ?

Do they make them in 3' size?

Don't know if you will get this but it worked for me.
Make your sight picture look more like this ,,,,
,,,, o0o ,,,, with the front sight just a bit higher
I try to have the top of the rear sights lined up with the center of the front sight shooting at 10 yards.

I got this pistol target for you

[IMG][/IMG]

Great, I would set that target about 10' out.

i could hit that one.....

Well, pistols are a different animal from a rifle. That's why I got on the rifle team and didn't try out for the pistol team. I did check out .22 chambered 1911's for the weekend and was able to shoot down mistletoe in the canyons, as they existed in the 1950's. The pistol team used a different gun, not sure which, I guess I could check the yearbook.

We did, however, have to fire .45 1911's, just because, and we only had cotton to stuff in your ears. Wow, loud!

(I carried one in the navy and never gave a second thought to grabbing one tossed to me when I came on watch or when I passed one along. In those days we had to take them along on shore patrol, specifically in Tiawan. They were loaded and came with a full ammo belt, but I never once thought one would fire.)

Back on topic, the rifle teams. As I recall, the range was 50' and the 10 ring was less than .25" in diameter. You had to touch it to get a 10 on a shot. Sometimes we took out the whole black dot, hard to believe but we did. A few years back I went out to Fresno to sell some mountain property and was still able to hit a coke can tossed up, using a borrowed rifle. I couldn't have hit one sitting on a fence post, at that range, with a pistol.

I shot on rifle teams in high school and college, between 1960 and 1970 or so. Our original targets (at 50 ft.) were standard NRA's that sound like you describe. About halfway through college we moved to "international" targets with just a dot to score a ten....no "10" ring, just a pencil point. Wow, did everyone's average go down. I shot a Winchester Model 52b, with international type stock...canvas jacket with elbow pads and a shoulder pad. The really hardcore guys started shooting in all leather, 10,000 buckle-up coats that made us look like amateurs.

dandecember, if I might; S&W states that there should not be any kind of lube in the striker channel, at all. Glock states the same, for the same reasons. Several problems can and will occur if you do so. One is the amount of debris that can collect in the striker tunnel. Lubricants are dirt and debris magnets, so to speak, and will not let the striker self clean(which it does do). Also, and this is Industry wide, some polymers are susceptible to reaction with hydrocarbon lubricants. The lubricants can and do change the properties of the "plastic' so it is no longer self lubricating. Remove the striker ***'y from your pistol and wash the lube out of the tunnel and striker w/ a good brand of silicone lube spray and then blow the silicon lube off of the striker and out of the tunnel. Get the last of it w/ a Q-tip and re-assemble it. You might find an improved trigger pull in the process. Trust me on this, too. S&W is correct , keep the lube out of the striker ***'y. The ***'y is self lubricating anyhow. All you need do is clean it on occasion. On the metal surfaces on the pistol: whatever lube you prefer, no problem.
IMHO, anyhow, after years as an Avid shooter and Armorer. Have fun and be safe, Ofc.Lewis

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LEO, Instr, Armorer, Gov's 20

Some days, I'd like to have something that size at 7 yards! LOL Then my groups would REALLY look small
Thanks for posting, made my evening!!