like mentioned earlier. i got my first SD40VE back in oct of last year, about the same time i joined the forums. i have been a glock guy for 10+ years. not quite a fanboy but preferred glocks. this SD40VE changed my mind about that, and i now have a SD40(not VE) a SD40VE (EDC) and a SD9VE. but back to the initial purchase of mt fist SD. i took it to the range directly from the LGS i was in, luckily the range was only about 15 feet as this is a shop/range setup. i fired 100 rounds out of the box. it went bang most of the time. had a few FTF and FTE. thats when i started reading up and google searching. its how i found here. recommending polishing seemed the solution. i broke out the dremmel and polish. since then no issues with FTF/FTE. yes it was COMPLETELY FINE OUT OF THE BOX. personally i wanted to make it "mine" so to speak. thats when i started upgrading. the trigger spring kit was #1. took the pull down some and made it appear more crisp. then i installed the guiderod. it brought the felt recoil of the 40 down a bit to a little more manageable. it sure kicked like a kangaroo but is much less now. i them got some night sights and apex trigger off a member here. got a good deal too. $50 for both. installed those. i wanted night sights because alot of time when searching for a fugitive i am working late night as thats when the scum of the earth is most active. night sights are a must for a carry gun for my purposes. i love the new trigger.in conclusion....

yes it was just fine out of the box. im not complaining about anything. i did what i wanted to to MY gun. would i recommend the upgrades. 100% yes. are the necessary? no. do they make it feel like a better gun that compares alot more to my glock than it did stock. yes. i can say for about $150 less after upgrades my SD has all the same features as my glock 23 now. and it shoots just as well. although my glock does have the 3.5 lb ghost trigger which is a monster. but thats another story for another forum.

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Fugitive Recovery Agent