New to the S&W forum and new Sigma 40 VE owner. Have owned and hunted with long guns and a 686 for a number of years and really enjoy it. I have heard a lot of unfaverable stories about the trigger pull on the Sigma. Is it that much of an issue and is it advisable to put another trigger in?

No other triggers available. Just shoot the heck out of it and it will get better.

Shoot and then tell us what you think. In the end it's going to be up to you to decide what to do. If you like it, great. If you don't like it, some say it will get a little better the more you shoot it. If you don't like it and don't want to put in the cost of the ammo, then sell it or trade.

If you end up not liking, my opinion would be to keep that to yourself around here. Speaking from experience...

I stayed with the trigger for about a year, then I had Smith and Wesson ease up on the trigger (for free) and now its like a whole new gun.

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

I'd sell it.

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SD9VE, American perfection!

Welcome to forum Just Shoot. Glad you chose the 40, you will be glad you did....pay no attention to that leejack guy....he doesn't know how sweet the sigma truly becomes with some use...LOL
Go ahead and dry fire it to free the whole gun up some. It won't hurt it a bit, and actually help to break it in.
spricks

If I said something nice, I'd get criticized. LOL!

Welcome to the forum Just Shoot.

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SD9VE, American perfection!

HOWDY!

If you were comfortable shooting your 686 double-action trigger, the Sigma should not be much different in terms of weight. Shoot it, and/or dry-fire it, until it no longer feels 'gritty.' Oh, and you only need to pull the slide back about 1/4 inch to reset the striker (you will hear or feel it click) so you can dry fire again.

Welcome. Just go out and shoot it. Then let us know what you think.

Have fun!

LJ we'll probably get along good on here...trust me I can put up with it and DISH IT OUT...LOL I was born at night but it wasn't last night......

Purchased a new Sigma 9 this morning. At first one of the sales guys was letting us know about the slightly heavy trigger pull, then he remembered our carry guns are S&W J frame DAO. Now my question is, how many magazines do most of you keep for one gun? Trying to decide whether to get the $50 dollar rebate or the two free mags which would give me three total.

Slightly heavy trigger pull? We had one go through here that was 22 pounds! Try and shoot that.

My Police Department made the unwise decision to purchase some of the Sigma pistols because they were cheap......They would not feed and fire reliably. We now have Glock pistols with no issues.

In my opinion, the Sigma pistols were/are the worst piece of **** that Smith&Wesson ever produced. They are now VERY cheap for a reason. Smith&Wesson wants to get rid of them. Their cure for failure to fire, is to increase the tension(radically increase the tension as in spring pressure) on the firing mechanism, to the point that you can not possibly shoot one well.

INS purchased some of the first ones...they sent them back. Reason? Would not work reliably as in failure to fire and feed.

Smith&Wesson makes some of the finest guns on God's planet, but they dropped the ball big time with the Sigma in my opinion and in the opinion of LEO.

You didn't get two mags with the pistol? I did.. Sounds like
the store/sales guys kept one if it only came with one.
In my case, I got two with the pistol, and two more with the rebate
for four total. I also got the $50.. I bought mine back when they
were giving both the mags and the money back.
Those mags retail for about $40 a pop.
I'm not aware of S&W cutting to only one mag on those..
Maybe some other recent buyers could chime in. I know I got two
with mine which were in the plastic case when I bought it.

I've put about 700 rounds and I've had only 2 FTF in that time. Frankly I think it's the ammo because it's ONLY happend with the MFS ammo. As far as the trigger goes I too came from a revolver background so the pull to me was not back. Fortunalty mine was never gritty. Just heavy. After shooting it and dry firing it about 300 more times it's lighter.
I think the "Social" stigma of owing the Sigma is worse than the trigger pull. At the range I've had a couple of compliments. Funny how people see the grouping and then want to see what gun did that. What?? Did they think the gun jumped up and fired itself?

The store only had 40s in stock so I had to order in the 9mm which I pick up Friday. I was just assuming it would come with one mag, I'll have to ask about it if it diesn't come with two. So do you think two is enough then?

I bought a SW40VE Sigma several years ago. It came with 2 mags. I bought another mag because I like to keep at least 3 mags for each semi that I own. My Glock 27 has 6 mags because I run it with a 9mm barrel, the 40s&w original barrel & a 357 sig barrel, so I needed different mags for the different calibers. Other than that, 3 mags is all I keep for my other semis. Some gun owners keep a lot more than 3. I don't think I've made that many enemies yet, but give me some time I'm sure I can add to that list.

Yep, the J-frames do have a heft pull, and my 442 is the most difficult gun to shoot 'accurately' in my fleet, including my SW40F. It does, however, make a dandy 'dry fire' trainer and trigger finger exerciser.

My SW40F came with two, and I bought two more so I could participate in shoot-reload-shoot-reload-shoot drills. I haven't really needed four mags, though. One magazine, loaded, is all you really need...

Can't have too many magazines. IMHO four is the bare minimum.

I'd rather spend my range time shooting than filling magazines.

Well, four is nice to have as a "feel good" type of deal, but
in the real world I've never bothered loading up more than two
at a time. Which I usually do when out in the sticks..
That's 28 rounds, not including any in the chamber, and I figure if I can't
take out my attacker/s with 28 rounds, I might as well hang it up.

Besides, my holster only holds two mags anyway. And that is for woods
use, mainly for animals. Here at the house, I usually only keep one mag
loaded.

So yea, I could easily live with only two. But I wouldn't want to have
only one.. Out in the sticks, I could run into dog packs, etc, and I feel
better with another mag, if anything just to be able to continue to
make noise. If I had a dog pack attack me, I'd try to avoid shooting
the dogs at first. Some of those dogs belong to people around there,
and they get to running with the wild ones. So I'll give a warning shot
or three before I starting thinking about popping one. Course, if I have
a bad one coming at me fast, looking to eat my legs, I'm probably going
to blast em first shot. But I think just the noise will cause most to
rethink their behavior and runnoft. :/ So I like a good bit of ammo out
there. I feel pretty comfy with 28+1..

My experience with my SW9VE is a good one. Why? Practice!! If you can't figure out the Sigma, get rid of it!! Those of us who have figured out the Sigma find it to be a fantastic firearm. Accurate and reliable.

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Sigma 9mm/XD 9

Absolutely Frickin True Elvis

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John McCaw
FFL/SOT2

Not if you intend to train to use the Sugma as a defensive handgun, take a serious defensive handgun course, or try some IDPA, USPSA or other competitiion to get some practice with a bit of stress.

Three is minimum for these uses, and it never hurts to have one or two that are your primary carry and do not get used and dropped a lot in practice.

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Science plus Art

You should've gotten 2 with the pistol + 2 with the rebate = 4. I'd go with the mags.
When I bought my XD it didn't come with 2 mags and should've. I think the dealer held one back trying to make a few extra $. I was so impressed with the gun I didn't push the issue. The dealer won't get any more of my business though and he didn't offer to give me any factory support on the second mag.

Are you trolling? Maybe you're with the Iraqi PD or the city council 'bean counters' chose the Sigma.
I have a .40 for daily carry and the trigger is no problem and it is accurate.

PBCaster,

It's obvious the Sigma isn't for you. You can't seem to figure it out. Those of us who have figured it out find it to be an accurate and reliable handgun.

Opinion of LEO? My buddy a 23 year veteran (still active duty) finds my Sigma to be a fine handgun. Been to the Police range with him several times. He has no problem with my SW9VE. He picked it up for the first time and was dead on at 25 yards. I asked him about the trigger, accuracy, etc. He told me do not modify ANYTHING on your Sigma. It's fine the way it is. Just takes practice, as it would with any firearm.

Piece of ****? To you, yes. To many of us who have FIGURED it out. Noway! A fine handgun.

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Sigma 9mm/XD 9

"We had one go through here that was 22 pounds!"

I'm Calling BS On This. 50 Plus years of working on all kinds of weapons kinda gives me a nose for outragious claims.

"My Police Department made the unwise decision to purchase some of the Sigma pistols because they were cheap......"

This I believe most assureadly. Show me a PD that isn't!

"They are now VERY cheap for a reason. Smith&Wesson wants to get rid of them."

They are an Entry Level Personal Protection Firearm and offered in both 9mm and .40 S&W. Their Lower Cost is due to Wise Choice of a High Strength Polymers utillitized in Frame/Receiver with Steel Inserts for the slide to ride on as well as some other internal parts. Essentially the very same componets and configuration that Glock Of Austria uses in the production of their firearms. CHEAP? By No Means, Sought After? YES You Bet They Are. Up To The Task Of Self Protection? The weapon is if You Are Up To The Task Of Learning How To Use It Properly!

"Their cure for failure to fire, is to increase the tension(radically increase the tension as in spring pressure) on the firing mechanism, to the point that you can not possibly shoot one well."

Again BS Plain And Simple! Their GOAL was to present the Average Citizen with the ways and means to Protect Himself/Herself with a SAFE Weapon they could call upon should the need arise to Bear Arms to protect self or family.

"to the point that you can not possibly shoot one well."

I feel very strongly that everyone reading this post can shoot their Sigma
quite effectively at (7) Seven Yards if ever the need to do so does arise.

I for one find that I shoot the Sigma as well as I shoot any of my Glocks or numerous other handguns and so does my wife.

Take a $300.00 Sigma and shoot it 100-200 Rounds a week and you will become quite profecient. Take a $2400.00 Race 1911 and shoot it twice a year and you'll STINK! It is all Relative and "Thems the Facts My Good Man."

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John McCaw
FFL/SOT2

Not for me. I've shot my Sigma plenty and can't shoot it very accurately. I tried shooting other guns and shoot pretty good. I just picked up my friends Kimber 1911 and on the first attempt had excellent grouping from about 20 yards, same with his Beretta 9mm. My Sigma makes me look like a newbie and this is the same opinion from other shooters I go with. Maybe I have a defective one, who knows.

Funny though is that my Sigma is perfectly reliable. I've never had a FTF or jam whereas with other guns it has happened. For home protection, this gun will probably save my life, so its a keeper. So long as the perp is only 7 yards away.

And some folks just suck at driving and never will be proficent at it. Every now and then nature pops one of these into the unsuspecting masses!

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John McCaw
FFL/SOT2

Well, you can contact S&W and they will probably have you send it in for a good look-over.

I was convinced that my SW40F sights were off. When I sent it in for other repairs, I questioned its accuracy. They made the repairs and test fired it. I still have their test target with a really nice group right in the middle.

I found out that because of its longer, heavier trigger I have a tendency to anticipate the shot which makes me 'flinch' before it fires, pulling the shot off-center.

I have also drilled the "x" with the first shot of a new gun, then scattered the rest, so I figured it is anticipation that does it.

Usually I am interested in "all shots on a pie plate at 7 yards" accuracy, which is plenty good for self defense. When I do try for more bullseye accuracy, as a challenge, I try to shoot every round as if it is the first and let it be a complete surprise. Sometimes this produces very good accuracy and groups.

So, Bryan, don't give up on yourself or your Sigma. A 'better' trigger helps, but you may be pleasantly be surprised at how 'good' you can be with your Sigma.

Jim, well said.

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Sigma 9mm/XD 9

I am a retired police officer, and I will say there is NOT a better value for a quality firearm out there than a SIGMA. With a choice of 9mm or 40 cal you can even decide how much power you want for yourself. Kind of like the old days when you could fire 38 special in a .357 magnum.

I have owned four (4) Sigmas, and trusted them to do everything I wanted -- including defending my life on duty. Yeah, some of the other officers carried the GLOCKS, and SIGS, Springfields, Berettas, and all the others -- but they also spent two to three times the money for their sidearms too. I always had TWO. One in the holster, and one in the case in the event I had to have anything adjusted, repaired, or whatever. Even when we carried revolvers, they would occasionally get out of "synch" and require an adjustment (it is STILL a precision mechanical instrument), new rear sight (from getting knocked off in a fight or whatever) some other "nit-picky" thing. When this was the case with the "full time" Sigma, I merely pulled the identical one from the safe, and I was "back in business". I didn't have to go searching for another "borrow gun" or go spend another $600 to $1000 for a quick duty gun. I spent a total of $600 for BOTH of them (the "full-time" as well as the "safe-keeper"). Yeah, I got a good deal on them together -- but thinking ahead never hurt anyone, has it? For one year worth of clothing allowance I had TWO duty weapons that lasted the rest of my career. Didn't cost me a dime out of my pocket. By the way -- they were BOTH first generation (bought 'em in 1995) Sigmas in .40 SW caliber.

I fired them enough to know they get the job done, and for the money I bought two to the other officer's one. They loosened up the more I shot them, and in the end result, I was just as accurate as anyone else at the police shooting range, if not more so.

When I retired, I gave my "full-time" Sigma to a family member who wanted it badly (to keep in the family heirlooms for generations of keepsake) - along with my old trusty Smith & Wesson Model 19 Combat Magnum, and Chief Special (I used for plainclothes work). The revolvers were from the days of the "wheelgun" duty years.

Just recently a young man from the neighborhood joined a local police force, and I sold him my "safe-keeper" second Sigma. I knew it to be accurate, dependable, and a good shooter. According to him, it shoots well enough than nobody "rags" him about his Sigma when the targets are studied. It shoots precisely where it is aimed.

I now have just two Sigmas presently. My 9mm is a smooth shooting piece. I bought the SW9VE new in 1999 and through the years it has as light a trigger pull as I would ever want with this gun. The pull is smooth and precise, and feels great to me.

I DID just recently buy my fourth Sigma brand new. It is a SW40VE, and I do have to admit the trigger pull is a bit heavier than I have ever experienced with the other three I have owned. I emailed Smith & Wesson, then called them about it, and I already have the address label to send it back for adjustment.

I know this has been a bit "windy", but I wanted to put my "two cents" in about this firearm. I would recommend it to anyone --- including police and security personnel who are looking for quality without having to spend a full $600 to $1000 for a sidearm for protection. It makes a great duty weapon and served me well. As a matter of fact Smith & Wessons have served me well since the early 1970's. I am sure there is a bit of prejudice here, but the others just never seemed to fit in my hand or shoot as well as a Smith.

Okay ----- I'll shut up now ---- (LOL) --- hope you have a great day.

LTMEMORY

I learned about trigger pull with a BB gun, so the Sigma was no problem.
My 9VE is broken in, fully loaded and resides in the motor-home. The lady of the house is asking for practice time just a few months after saying she doesn't like guns.

LTMEMORY,

I enjoyed reading your post. Purchased my SW9VE in late 2009. Yes trigger was a bit stiff at first, but not a problem. I found the more you shoot it, the better the trigger gets. I really enjoy my Sigma. Sits in my nightstand as my Home Security Weapon. Thinking of taking it to the range this weekend.

Airman,

She changed her mind, huh? LOL My girlfriend was the same way. Haven't taken her to the range as of yet, but soon.

Enjoy your Sigma's!!!

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Sigma 9mm/XD 9

I do not have a way to quantify the trigger pull on my Sigmas (9 and 40) but just for giggles I took some of my revolvers out of the safe over the holiday to comare trigger pulls qualitatively. For the record I have polished/smoothed the sear cam and striker with 600 grit emory paper wrapped around a popsickle stick on both Sigmas but all springs are stock.

My tuned model 66 has a lighter DA trigger but it is actually longer. My untuned Highway Patrolman is about the same weight but again longer. My tuned Security Six and Redhawk may be slightly lighter (and slightly shorter). My NIB Rossi 641 is considerably heavier, nowhere near as smooth, and longer (gotta get inside that one).

One thing I did notice is that the trigger break on the Sigma is abrupt and has a fair amount of overtravel after breaking and I can feel the striker jump forward. In many ways it feels like firing a break-action air gun where the piston slams forward following the trigger break; the "sproing effect". My Glock 23 feels very similar after the trigger breaks. It is my belief that the combination of overtravel and "sproing effect" are what some shooters object to when shooting the Sigma and may contribute to innacurate bullet placement if the shooter does not follow through with the trigger pull. I am going to experiment with a stick-on overtravel buffer. If that works I may drill and tap the trigger guard for a set screw. I can correct overtravel; "sproing effect" is just something a shooter has to adapt to.

Some shooters may never be able to adapt to the Sigma trigger; that does not make a bad gun. Neither of my Sigmas have ever mis-fed, mis-fired, failed to eject, or mis-behaved in any way. Both have provided quite good accuracy when I did my part. To me, that makes the Sigma a good gun. The fact that I was able to put both Sigmas in the safe for about what I paid for my Glock makes them a good gun value.

It's great to hear all the opinions on the Sigma. I have had freinds tell me I made a good investment and others say I should have saved up more and baught an M & P, which I will own in the future. The money was not an issue. I have thaught about Glock & Sig but was always partial to the S & W. and for a sport/home defence weapen I still think it is an outstanding investmant for the money.

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1911Pro9 M&P9 40 45c 686.357

Ok, I'm off to the range in the AM. My SW9VE has been stuck on 1000 rounds for 3 weeks. The time has come to put another 150 to 200 rounds through it.

Thank you, thank you very much!

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Sigma 9mm/XD 9

Wouldn't you get used to anything you used regularly?

The .40 S&W is an excellent, versatile service cartridge which blends the better characteristics of some old, proven pistol cartridges.

The .40 S&W- Your Tax Dollars at Work!

My Sigma has been 100% reliable. I'm very accurate with my 40ve up to 15 yards. When I stretch it out to 25 yards I start to scatter it across the target. I still hit the human outline, I just can't keep a grouping worth a damn. It is either my trigger technique or the fact that I am nearsighted & with my glasses on I can't focus on the front sight at all. Without my glasses the target is a blurr at that distance. If I need to drop a BG behind a hostage at 25 yards I might be in trouble... or should I say the hostage might be the one in trouble.

I'm having a similar problem because of the need for thick glasses and bifocals. When having the target in good focus, I see as many as six site dots, if I move my head a bit to get the sites in focus, I lose the target. I can usually play with my focus to get by at a certain distance but I soon as I move the target, I have to start all over again. The weird thing is I don't seem to have the same problem on my little 442 snubnose, perhaps because the sites are so close together.

Just bought mine last month and got two mags.

(I realize this is an old post, but since someone else posted in it today, I will mention what I wanted to mention)

I don't think most people would be foolish enough to try to take out a BG from behind a hostage, with a handgun, at 25 yards (that is 75 feet). Now, if you were meaning 25 FEET that is a different story. My pistol range is a 50 foot range and I wouldn't expect to try a takeout on someone like that at even that distance without great risk of killing the hostage.

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G21C,Shield.40,LCP

Hmmm I have put 500+ rds thru my 9VE and have not had one FTF or a FTE. I like it, I am still practicing and getting better every time I go. I received 2 mags but no rebate. I guess it depends on where you buy it or which state. Wouldnt give up my Stigma ...I just want to go to the range more often!!

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SW9VE, Tactical 12GA, S&W 22A