.40 Sigma HORRENDOUSLY inaccurate

[hookandcanman83]

Need some help. I bought a Sigma about 3 weeks ago. Put 100 rounds through it the next day and did not pay too much attention how it shot because I was too giddy that my gf actually let me get a new gun. lol I went home and cleaned it and proceeded to snap the guide rod/recoil spring. Took a while but got a new one from SW. Since then I have put another 150 rounds with the new spring. Today I found out how HORRENDOUSLY inaccurate it actually is. I am not what you call a crack shot but I was aiming at a 5" steel target at 25 yards about 6 ft in the air. My first shot ended up hitting the ground under the target... almost 2 full lanes to the right. I lined up the sights again for the next shot... 3 ft above one lane over to the left!!! The remaining magazine was all over the place. I did hit the steel plate once but that was only when I was getting extremely frustrated and just pointed the gun down range and fired. Go figure.

Now I know I just cant adjust my sights and this problem will go away. My question is does this happen with all new guns? Does it need some time to just be broken in because I have to be honest, between the trigger pull, breaking a part after one trip to the range and terrible accuracy I do not know if this gun has a place in my gun vault. Suggestions please!!!

 

[setxn]

Is this a real post or are we on a game show again?

 

[Swockster]

If this is real........then the answer is NO that is not normal! The Sigma is not a top of the line pistol but it is quite capable of placing it's rounds on target. That one needs to go straight back to Smith & Wesson brother.

 

[scooter123]

Is this a real post or are we on a game show again?

LOL, does seem that way sometimes.

Hook, what you are describing is almost ALWAYS the result of a flinch. If you don't believe that you could possibly be flinching try having a friend or the range officer load a magazine with a few snap caps thrown in at random. When you bonce the pistol off the shooting bench with that flinch it will become rather obvious that your accuracy issue is not the gun, it's the person shooting it.

 

[murphydog]

Consider shooting it supported off a rest (bench, sandbags), at a paper target and at a shorter distance (7-10 yards). The Sigma has a fairly heavy trigger pull but concentrate on keeping the sights as still as possible when the gun fires, and being consistent with your hold and trigger press. Scooter's suggestion about letting someone else try it is a good one too. Please let us know what happens.

 

[Titegroups]

A 5" plate at 25 yds aint a real easy shot. How much do you shoot?

 

[frank_drebin]

See if you accidentally loaded 9mm in the mags.

Guy next to me at an indoor range did that once with similar results. G19 and G23 he grabbed a loaded G19 mag. It cycled and shot.

 

[growr]

Read the thread entitiled "It's not the gun it's You" first. While a Sigma is not a match level handgun it will certainly delivery very good levels of accuracy.

Randy

 

[Scrat]

lots of good suggestions here personally i would take the gun back the to range at a shorter distance and do a bench rest remembering not to lollypop and see if your still extremely off and if you are the answer is simple... give smith and wesson an call and let them fix her up

 

[J R]

The Sigma has a very heavy trigger and it is very common for people to nose the gun down during trigger pull. Try this With the magazine removed and the chamber clear practice trigger pull by laying a penny at the front of the slide behind the front sight and try to pull the trigger without the penny falling off. As you progress, replace the penny with a round of ammo.

Good luck, J.R.

 

[RightArm]

Exactly. Dry fire it a few hundred times keeping your target perfectly lined up. Your trigger will smooth out some. When you feel confident head back out to the range. If you have the same results it might not be the gun for you. Let someone else shoot it. If they have the same results, send it to S&W. I'm very accurate with my sigma ve 40, but I am extremely confident in it and myself. I don't shoot it that often anymore, but every time I do it's spot on. I'd stake my life on it, and do when I carry it.

 

[spcantwell]

I have to add that it is deffinatly not a problem with the gun type. I am a new shooter and half decent at best, but I still keep everything on the paper at 25 to 50ft.

 

[writerinmo]

I was pretty inaccurate with my Sigma at first too, I couldn't figure out exactly when that trigger would break and it gave me fits. I'd be squeezing, more more more, figger "man, somethings wrong with this thing!" then BANG! I was lucky if I hit dirt with it the first few times. SO I moved the target board in closer, closer... 21 feet is the distance we qualify at for a CCW here. Bench rest on a bag, concentrate on the sights and don't worry about when it fires... big difference. The more I shot it the more accurate I got with it, now I can rapid fire it at that distance and keep all shots inside the target that I shoot at, printed on standard printer paper.

I don't know of any way that a guide rod would be capable of changing the pistol that much. The fact that you were able to hit the target on the one instinctive shot that you took kinda looks like you might be anticipating or flinching like I did. Heck, just shoot it like that and see what it does, if you keep hitting the plate then maybe set up a camera to video yourself and see what's up.

 

[Ceapea]

It is NOT the gun!

I know, not very insightful, but the Sigma trigger does take some getting used to. I really love the posts about how the gun shoots low at 20'. I don't 'spose that they are pulling the gun down while pulling the trigger or anything like that.

Just shoot it a lot, dry fire it a lot and shoot it some more. The dry fire thinggy helps...a lot!

 

[cbr6864]

There is no way it is that far off unless the barrel is as crooked as a politician.

 

[EXERCISINGTHE2ND]

Sticky Thread requested AGAIN!

http://www.targetshooting.ca/docs/Pistol_Shot_Analysis.pdf

 

[StatesRightist]

The Sigma has a very heavy trigger and it is very common for people to nose the gun down during trigger pull. Try this With the magazine removed and the chamber clear practice trigger pull by laying a penny at the front of the slide behind the front sight and try to pull the trigger without the penny falling off. As you progress, replace the penny with a round of ammo.

Good luck, J.R.

Read the trigger sucks and S&W should ashamed for making a gun with such a lousy trigger. That said, you should still be able to compensate enough to shoot reasonably well.

 

[elm_creek_smith]

I hate to say it, but the next time you go shooting, have someone else who is more experienced shoot the pistol. It's usually the fastest way to figure out where the problem is.

ECS

 

[kbr1]

Some officers at my Dept. are pretty much doing the same thing you are,but with M&P 40's!!! Probably a flinch or movement during trigger strike. It happens a lot. Pull those steels into 15 yds. and start working your way back. The slightest movement of the front of the slide could move you a foot out at 25. Just takes practice and patience.I've had 30 yrs. worth and still do it sometime. Kinda like that dang slice on my tee shot,LOL!!!

 

[hookandcanman83]

I just wanted to give an update, I know its been a couple of months since i posted. I took the Sigma back to the range a couple more times and with some friends, one who is a state trooper, and all agreed the gun just flat out sucked. No one could get it to shoot consistently. So about month ago I decided I had enough and traded it in for a M&P 45C. I am getting very good groups with that and I was quite surprised that the recoil is a lot more manageable. My g/f wanted nothing to do with the Sigma so she was very happy when I came home with the M&P. It goes perfectly with her Pink Talo M&P 15-22.