Just picked up my SW40VE a day ago...

[SQUIREBANDON]

Hey guys I've been on here reading and doing research since before I picked up my first handgun the other day. It's a sweet little SW40VE! I now feel like one of the boys on here so I figured it was time to make my first post and say hi, and tell ya I'll give you an update after my first trip to the range with it. Thanks for all the informative information that went into helping me make the choice of the 40VE. I love the feel and look of the gun and am very pleased so far with it as my first handgun.

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Hey guys I've been on here reading and doing research since before I picked up my first handgun the other day. It's a sweet little SW40VE! I now feel like one of the boys on here so I figured it was time to make my first post and say hi, and tell ya I'll give you an update after my first trip to the range with it. Thanks for all the informative information that went into helping me make the choice of the 40VE. I love the feel and look of the gun and am very pleased so far with it as my first handgun.

 

[dennis51]

Welcome aboard. I felt just like you about a year ago, after I bought a SW9VE--the 9MM version of your .40--on the strength of research here. You will be very happy with the gun, and you can buy a LOT of ammunition to shoot through it using the money you saved on the purchase. The main gripe SOME people have with it is the trigger weight, but if it's your first pistol, like mine was, you have nothing to compare it to. Practice will make perfect!

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Thanks for the welcome Dennis, I have done a lot of research on these guns and I don't think that the trigger pull will give me any problems. I have shot handguns before and most them were DA revolvers and other than that just my old trusty 12 gauge

 

[Camprunner]

How could you buy that hunk of junk!! .... That's what my friend said after I bought my SW9VE last year. As of today his new Sig has been back to Sig twice and im still shooting my Sigma he also paid $900.00 for his Sig jam "O" matic and I still have not had one FTF The Sigma is the best bang for the buck you can get.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[WoodyUSSLUCE]

I've owned a few pistols over the years but I can honestly say that my SW40VE is the best bargain that I've ever gotten in a pistol ! I like it so much that I'm hoping S&W will bring back another rebate and then I'll buy the 9mm version ! Enjoy your new pistol as much as I enjoy mine !

 

[cshoff]

Welcome to the boards, SQUIREBANDON.

I've got two SW40GVE's with about 5000 rounds through one, and about 2000 through the other. Both have been completely reliable. IMO, you can't find a better value in a semi-auto pistol from ANY manufacturer. I trust these pistols to the point that I use one of them as my daily carry gun.

 

[Camprunner]

I think we should all keep telling people the Sigma is crap! If everyone thinks they are great then S&W may raise the price before I purchase my second one this summer.

 

[bbaaspencer]

I curently own a S&W 457 and coudn't afford to shoot the .45 rounds, plus am having problems finding ammunition for it. I picked up a Sigma 9mm for $249 (after rebate) the day before Christmas. My friend is a huge Taurus fan and he shot 15 rounds through it last week. He checked the target and was amazed how accurate it was right out of the box. Now, I am having trouble finding 9mm ammunition and am thinking about purchasing a .40 handgun because I can find that round anywhere. S&W is offering two free magazines for anyone that purchases a M&P right now. Would it be a better choice to purchase the M&P and get the free magazines or the Sigma and save $160?

 

[cshoff]

Originally posted by bbaaspencer:
I curently own a S&W 457 and coudn't afford to shoot the .45 rounds, plus am having problems finding ammunition for it. I picked up a Sigma 9mm for $249 (after rebate) the day before Christmas. My friend is a huge Taurus fan and he shot 15 rounds through it last week. He checked the target and was amazed how accurate it was right out of the box. Now, I am having trouble finding 9mm ammunition and am thinking about purchasing a .40 handgun because I can find that round anywhere. S&W is offering two free magazines for anyone that purchases a M&P right now. Would it be a better choice to purchase the M&P and get the free magazines or the Sigma and save $160?

They are two very different guns, really. Personally, I would love to get an M&P one of these days, but with money being tight these days, I would probably be thinking "Sigma" right now if I was in the market. IMO, the M&P is the Cadillac of polymer frame handguns, whereas the Sigma is more like the dependable old truck that doesn't know when to quit, and get's great gas mileage.

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys! I have had so much fun already messing around dry firing and just generally messing around with it. But I can't wait until I get it to the range and throw some lead through it!!! Thanks again for making me feel welcome

 

[Walthernut]

I had S&W do a trigger job on mine and it works about 200% better.
The .40 ammo seems more available now than 9mm and the Sigma will eat anything.

 

[Kevin Dotson]

Hey, new here myself, got the sigma 40 cal about a month ago and love it, very similar to the military side arm I used 16 years ago. Could be happier. A close friend of mine and police officer, looked at it the other day and kept asking, "wow how much did you say you paid for this?", mine was 339.99, and he compare to his Glock 22, he liked mine better and now has to get him one.

 

[sigma 9 & 40]

See I am having a different issue here. I am having issues finding 40 cal ammo. Luckily I have been stocking up. So the 9mm sees more action but honestly the Sigma good defensive gun. And I actually like the longer trigger pull I sold my glock 17 because I liked the Sigma better.

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Yeah I keep stopping by my local Waliworld to see if they have any .40 ammo and they haven't had it forever! If I see any on the shelf I am gonna snatch it right up.

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

I have a couple questions for you guys...
1) My new gun came with a bullet casing, is this intended to be used for dry firing or is it an example of the round that is supposed to go in the gun for people who might get confused to reference?
2) When using snap caps for dry firing, do you only use one round? Or do you load up a few in a mag. and fire and reload the next by pulling the slide back?
Thanks for the help.

 

[robjiii]

no that is the 1st one that test fired. just a keep sake.

 

[scottaschultz]

Originally posted by SQUIREBANDON:
1) My new gun came with a bullet casing, is this intended to be used for dry firing or is it an example of the round that is supposed to go in the gun for people who might get confused to reference?

Originally posted by robjiii:
no that is the 1st one that test fired. just a keep sake.

Not (entirely) true! The fired cartridge is more than just a keep sake they threw in with the gun for the heck of it because they thought you might like a nice memento. They don't mention it in the S&W manual, but in the Ruger manuals, there is a very detailed explanation.

"WHY ARE WE INCLUDING A FIRED CARTRIDGE CASE WITH EVERY RUGER PISTOL AND REVOLVER?

Certain states and jurisdictions now require that all newly manufactured pistols and revolvers must be accompanied by a cartridge case, which has been test fired from that gun at the factory. The case must be placed in a sealed container bearing certain information concerning this test cartridge.

At the time of retail sale in those jurisdictions, firearms dealers must forward such test cartridge to a designated destination such as their State Police Laboratory. As independent Ruger Distributors have nationwide markets without territorial restrictions, we have decided to include a fired cartridge case with all new Ruger pistols and revolvers, to minimize the possibility of inadvertent noncompliance with these laws.

Retail customers located in other states, where laws or regulations do not require the dealer to so act, may be assured that the fired cartridge case they receive with the firearm at the time of retail purchase is proof that your new Ruger firearm has undergone our normal test firing procedures during manufacture."

Scott

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Thanks for the explanations, that makes a lot more sense now. What about the snap caps though for dry firing?

 

[scottaschultz]

Again, it is not stated in the owners manual (I don't know why they are being so chintzy with the ink!), but according to their website's FAQ section:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/we...12&sectionId=10504#2

"Can I dry fire my S&W handgun?
Q: Can I dry fire my Smith & Wesson?

A: Yes, except for the .22 caliber pistols..."

As an interesting side note, here is the section from one of my Ruger revolver manuals:

"DRY-FIRING: Going through the actions of cocking, aiming, and pulling the
trigger of an unloaded gun is known as "Dry Firing." It can be useful to learn the
"feel" of your revolver. Be certain the revolver is unloaded and that the gun is
pointing in a safe direction even when practicing by dry-firing. The Ruger New
Model revolvers can be dry-fired without damage to the firing pin or other
components."

And from the SR9 manual:

"Going through the actions of cocking, aiming and pulling the trigger on an
unloaded gun is known as "dry firing." It can be useful to learn the "feel" of your
pistol. Be certain that the pistol is fully unloaded (both the chamber and magazine
are empty) and that the pistol is pointing in a safe direction even when you are
practicing dry firing. The RUGER® SR9 pistols can be dry-fired without
damage to the striker or other components as long as the magazine is inserted.
CAUTION: Dry firing your RUGER® SR9 with the magazine removed may
result in damage or unnecessary wear to the striker blocking mechanism."

Scott

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Hmm, well that's interesting. I did know it was ok to dry fire, I have dry fired my gun a few times but I didn't have the mag. in all the times I did it. Could that cause a problem like in the ruger? And my original question was when using snap caps do you recommend using like a few of them in a mag. and then run through the paces dispensing each snap cap with each pull of the slide after firing. And repeat?

 

[conn ak]

Welcome and great choice of guns.

 

[Ray1970]

I just picked one up today myself... I have read so many good things about the newer ones I thought I would try one... I had one of the first models in 40 cal and wasn't very happy with it for one simple reason- it was very ammunition sensitive and would frequently have feed/extraction/ejection problems... I got rid of it in short order and replaced it with a Glock 23 that ate everything I fed it with no complaints... now, years later, I decided to try one again as it sounds like the newer ones have gotten the bugs worked out of them... wish me luck!

 

[scottaschultz]

I believe the issue of dry firing causing damage without a magazine is something specific to the Ruger SR9. I have not seen this issue with other models and other brands, but my arsenal is not big enough to own them all!

Scott

 

[leejack]

Congrats and welcome to the forum!

I'm happy you like your new gun. More and more sigma owners are standing up and proudly talking about this great gun!

Post a range report when you can!

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Thanks leejack! I just gave my gun it's first good cleaning a couple days ago before I take her to the range this week. I too love the smell of Hoppe's No. 9

I will give you a report this week after I take it to the range. I am planning on putting some Federal hi-shock 185 gr. JHP(my SD ammo) through it to see how it reacts to those since in truth those will be the most important loads to get used to since those might be the ones to save my family and I's lives one day you know. And then I will run some regular old Winchester rounds through it to break it in a bit. I can't wait, I am sooo excited to go shootin!!!!

 

[Deltaboy]

I use snap caps out of habit S&W says they are not needed. Get S&W to do a trigger job on it and your set.

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

While doing fry firing I don't find the trigger pull that bad at all. And seeing as how this is gonna be my home defense gun I don't think I want the trigger pull to be any lighter you know. Seeing as how if God forbid I did have to use my gun on an intruder I for sure would have a ton of adrenaline kicking in I think I would rather a heavier trigger rather than a lighter one so that I would not accidentally pull the trigger due to the stress of the situation. I guess I need to make a decision on the trigger though after I put some live rounds through it this week since I haven't yet broke her in yet. Can't wait!!!

 

[CG2]

You don't need snap caps with the sigma for dry firing. Better off dry firing without them.

 

[conn ak]

The spent round is required for a few states (Maryland, I think) to be forwarded to the State Police DPS for potential future forensic evidence. What a joke. Otherwise, S&W told me when I bought a brand new Sigma, the round is proof-fired before it goes to market and signed as proof the gun was tested for function before leaving Springfield.