As a longtime 1911 shooter who has owned four highly customized .45s, I have to say I was somewhat apprehensive about my first range session with the SD40 VE.

I shouldn't have been. For all the talk about the factory trigger, just 15 minutes of dry firing to get the hang of it and this gun rolls.
Shot a box of 18 year old Blazer cheapie ammo from the garage and the SD ate and kicked out everything to perfection. All shots from 10 yards went into center of mass. No cases into the forehead or shirt collar and the trigger really is pretty good. Some night sights and a little more practice and this thing will be a very ergonomic carry weapon.

Welcome to the Forum. I agree with you about the SD series S&W's. They really got the ergonomics right. Mine will shoot 3" groups offhand at 50 feet all day when I hold my mouth right. They're my most used guns these days.

Best Regards,
ADP3

Welcome from Ohio. I have the 9mm version and it exceeded my expectations. Best $300.00 I've spent in a while. Enjoy the forum.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I liked the 9 so much that I bought the 40 also. Great pistols. Welcome fellow 1911 guy.

Bill

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Remember the Alamo!

The SD line really is a great line. I won't swap springs on mine. I'm keeping the trigger stock. It has smoothed out from firing and dry firing. Still nowhere near a single action trigger, but far from how horrible people make it out to be. And most of them are probably just spouting off what they read somewhere else. Sometime I'll get a set of Tru-Glo sights and a wide takedown lever and leave it at that. Well maybe some Cerakote on the slide for a different look. But that one is way down the road.

L8R,
Matt

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SD40-VE owner and proud of it!

I agree. I read some people's comments about difficulties shooting the SD on other forums and after my first range session....."are we talking about the same gun?"
I was amazed at how easy that little thing is to shoot. I think if people just do a little dry fire practice and stick to the basics of a firm grip and an even trigger pull, they will be amazed at how well they can shoot the SD.
I watched the video on installing the Apex Spring Kit which seems like fun. But after shooting it.....I don't know if it needs it.
One question though.........can you dry fire the SD without a snap cap without damaging it? This is my first striker fired pistol.

I have 2 carry guns-1911 45acp and S&W SD9VE 9mm.

Welcome and congrats on your new SD40VE! ENJOY :-)

Agree. I'm quite satisfied with the trigger on my new SD9VE.

Everything I've read says, "Yes, you can dry Fire w/o snap caps." Welcome to the forum. The SD40VE was my first pistol and it shot like a dream out of the box. Of course, being a noob I succumbed to the "make it better" talk and put in the Galloway spring kit to lighten the trigger. No regrets and it did improve the trigger pull. I also replaced the take down lever to make that process a bit easier. Total of $37 to make a great gun even better. It is my night stand SD weapon.


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JR
SD40VE and Shield 9

Thanks for the tip on dry firing. If the SD40 was your first pistol....I would say you are travelling a very direct route to the final destination of pistolcraft.
I had a Lightweight Commander built by NightHawk Custom. It was an obscenely expensive gun that many gunsnobs regarded as the world's best carry piece.
I believe that this SD40.......once the trigger is broken in(or possibly small springs replaced) along with just a little bit of barrel to slide work.........would outshoot that NightHawk.

The SD is that good.

I have an SD9VE. What kind of Barrel/Slide work are needed? How can it be improved without spending a lot of money?

Thanks, Vinny

Vinny....I can't really answer that right now because I'm not familiar enough with the SD at this point to give a definitive response. Most of my experience is with 1911s. If I had to speculate I would say that an aftermarket barrel that is overfit to the slide and would be polished down for a tighter fit than the factory barrel would be the ticket.
The S&W custom shop might have the answer.

Since we are on the topic of the SD I had a customer ask for a holster for one at the last gun show. I said I would check into it. After trying to find a Blue gun for it and then not finding it in my "Gun Digest" it never occurred to me that it was a new gun series.

I found one at the local big package gun store and was surprised at the price. Since this seems like a good gun for a reasonable investment I will be receiving a ton of requests for holsters for it at that price. After convincing the clerk at the gun store that world would not cease to exist if he pulled out more than one gun at a time (idiotic store policy) I held an M&P and the SD side by side and employed my micrometer eyes to it and it looks to be the same frame and slide form factor which should mean that a holster made for an M&P should fit the SD.

Can anyone confirm this for me I am going broke buying guns for molds that I can't get Blue Guns for. Besides wouldn't you guys that own one of these SD's like to know that as well?

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Jason Adams

I think your eyes are pretty good. The people at Tagua holsters have told me that any holster that fits the M&P will also fit the SD perfectly.

I agree, I have the first edition Sigma (no rail). It is still to this day the most comfortable firearm to hold and shoot. I did remove a spring and did repeated dry fires to loosen the trigger. Has never failed to do anything but put rounds down range. I just cold qualified with it last weekend drawing from the holster. Cold right out of the case not cleaned from last outing, qualified slightly outside of what my new 40 shield did but I had been putting around 400 rounds through the Shield before qual. The thing is so comfortable everybody that holds it wants to buy it from me. For an inexpensive gun I'm very happy with it. Strangely enough I qualified worse with my H&K USP. I'm sure mostly due to the difference in triggers. Didn't really matter though as all qual targets were WELL within where they needed to be. CCW class was holster draw Combat Focus curriculum.

Adams; My SD fits and locks into my M&P SERPA and FOBUS holstres like it was born to them. S&W made the SD to be an almost perfect mimic to the M&P, at least in the frame, trigger guard and slide. I have heard some individuals say that this brand or that brand of M&P holster would not allow an SD to fit, however, every brand of holster I have tried for a full size M&P fit the SD just perfect. Of course YMMV. But I haven't seen a problem, so far. Try it, you'll see what I mean.

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LEO, Instr, Armorer, Gov's 20

yes the sigma 40 is one great gun. i like the way it fits my hand. will eat anything i feed it. loves my reloads. drop in the galloway trigger spring kit and you will be happy.

I've had the SD40 for three weeks now.
Shot 250 live rounds through it(150 was 18 year old Blazer cheapie from the garage) and 100 fresh stuff. Did a fair amount of dry fire practice....probably 1000 dry fires.

Biggest surprise?
Accuracy............very good. When you get the sight picture down, this thing shoots to point of aim and will get solid 2 inch groups consistently at combat distances. A
Reliability......only had one failure to eject. That was with one of the 18 year old aluminum case Blazer cheapies. Gotta think that was the ammo. A
Trigger?..........has smoothed out great and loosened up noticeably to the point that I'm thinking about skipping the Apex spring kit(except I want to mess around with it for some cheap entertainment).A

This gun is a real winner and has exceeded my expectations. I'm gonna put an Ameriglo night sight on the front and get a Tagua IWB holster for it.
You can't beat this thing for the money.

Noob Question:

Do I have to rack the slide every time when dry firing to break in the trigger/springs?

Yes


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JR
SD40VE and Shield 9

Preach on!

Yours truly: The Choir

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

The best thing to break in a new gun is to simply go to Walmart or some other store and buy a couple of hundred rounds of ammo. Then go to the range or shooting area and run them through it. Said done and over with. If you want to make a ritual out of it then bring a bore brush and some Gunzilla, CLP or other gun cleaner and lube and after each fifty rounds give the bore a quick range cleaning. Don't get all scientific just knock out any lead or copper fouling.

Besides this way you even get to practice hitting things with the gun.

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Jason Adams

It never ceases to amaze me at how surprised new SD VE owners are about the quality of these guns! Do they think, because of the low price, S&W is making a "cheap" gun? I wouldn't trade my SD40VE for anything...great gun.

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S&W SD40VE; So mote it be.

I agree sending rounds down range is optimal but dry fire serves a good purpose. Particularly when getting used to a new trigger. I struggled with the trigger on my SD40VE when I first got it. Dry fire helped immensely. Not all semi's require that you rack the slide to reset the trigger. My MIL's BG380 doesn't. You can pull the trigger over and over w/o racking which is what I thought BKohl was asking.

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JR
SD40VE and Shield 9

The SD40VE and SD9VE will fit M&P, Glock 30 holsters.
I have a Forbus OWB that is labeled M&P40/9.
HICKOK45 on youtube, used a Glock 30 holster in his SD9VE review.
I've shot about 300 rounds in my SD9VE and I love this gun.
Sure the trigger is a little heavy, just remember that it's a self defense weapon, not a precision shooting gun. Although, at 25 yrds with my limited experience I can shoot a 5" group.

I have the .40 and I love it, especially the trigger. It reminds me of the DA revolver triggers I was raised on.

And these SD40's will eat anything you feed it! Excellent piece!

mb

About dry firing . . . The S&W FAQ says it's no problem for these models. I think it says OK for all their center fire models. I had the same concern from my .22 days.

I learned how to move the block back on my Remington Fieldmaster to unload the trigger. I sold it a while back before learning it was a collectors item. My grandparents had a .22 with an octagon barrel and the breach was trashed from dry firing.