Mag spring question SW40V

[doingok]

Hello. New here and new to S/W also. I got a SW40V. Had a choice between this and a Kahr CW45. The 45 was tempting. But I felt this pistol was better. It felt better in hand. It had metal on the frame where the slide travels where the Kahr slide traveled on the poly frame. It didnt feel like it would field strip itself during firing. Have no issue with 45 and will get one one day. But I didnt want that 45. I felt this was just a better gun.

Anyway I do have a question about the mags. I got a few 10 round mags with it. Doing research I found that these are 14+1 pistols. I checked S/W and found I can buy the 14 round mags at a price of 42 each.

I took one of the mags apart to find a huge block of spring at the bottom that is not stretched out. Im guessing this is to restrict it to 10 rounds and that both mags are the same size.

So my question is, can I replace this spring with a 14 round spring and make my 10 round mags 14 round? Would save me about 80 dollars. And the only difference would be that the visual indicators on the mags only go to 10. Thats fine with me if I can save the money.



Thanks for reading.

 

[Garpo]

Yes you can but you also have to remove one of the dimples to make it funtcion properly.

Check out this vid: Smith & Wesson Sigma 9 Review and Magazine Capacity Modification - YouTube

Sorry, but you have to watch about 2/3 of the video before he actually talks about the magazine.

 

[doingok]

I was wondering what those slices in the clips were. I see the indents now. I let someone use my dremel. Real nice once too. I moved 800 miles away shortly after and it just slipped my mind.

Keeps biting me in the back side. A replacement and attachments will run me the cost of the mags. Then again, I have been looking at some of the photos here. And that nice polished look you guys got is just as tempting as the mags.

 

[1jimmy]

i am guessing the sku or product number you got was 120023, when you could have gotten a 220023 which is the one that comes with 14 rd mags assuming your not in mass or any other state that has a restiction on mag capacity. in mass we have weird gun laws and even though there is no difference in the two guns the second one is not mass compliant and cannot be sold here

 

[Swockster]

I lucked out. A buddy of mine sold me my SW40VE (only 50 rounds had been run through it) with FOUR of the 14 round mags, a Fobus paddle back holster, Fobus paddle back double mag carrier, and 7 50-count boxes of ammo for $200. He even picked up a new brass jag and through it in the bag. Adding up all of the side goodies almost equaled a free pistol! I didn't think much of it until I was the price on those mags.

 

[doingok]

I purchased it used. But its in excellent shape. I have no idea why it came with 10 rounders. There is no restrictions here. I just thought it was a 10 round cap pistol. Till I noticed the extra room and researched it.

I have no idea why the original owner went with 10 rounds. Maybe a price break? I didnt really have much choice in the matter.

Im not so sure I want to weaken the mags structure because of the cuts S/W put in them. Got to think about it. Its a good idea. But at the same time, the mags are under a lot pressure. Reducing its strength by 50% and increasing pressure sounds too close to failure. 10 rounds of sure fire is better than 14 rounds of maybe. I can always slap in another mag. Besides, if I need more than 10, im in big trouble. No time to face the chance of a failure. Maybe I just buy a single 14 round mag as a main mag.

How do you guys feel about having a round in the pipe on this? My other weapons have hammers and safeties that allow me to chamber a round, hammer back, safety on. Ready for action with very little chance of a accidental discharge due to mechanical failure or shock.

I also had some hammer less weapons many years ago. Very simple. (cheap) Not much holding the pin back on those guns so I never left them chambered.

 

[Wirbech]

I have the SW9VE as my everyday carry, and always keep one in the pipe. Never felt that is was a problem. This is way the trigger pull is so heavy, that is the safety. As for why the 10 round mags, Smith still sells the 40 with a 10 and 14 rnd mag. Might be for the states that had/have a limit on the rnds but not 100% for sure. The price is the same. As for keeping only 10 in the mag, my 9VE holds 16+1, but I only have 10 in each mag + 1 in the pipe also. I agree with you, if I can't get out of trouble with 22 rnds, then that is the least of my problems.

John

 

[Swockster]

10 rounds is quite a bit of firepower. I agree with not altering the mags. 14 rounds of maybe is a little unsettling. As far as a round in the chamber...mine stays that way. It is my daily carry and it's just easier to leave it that way. Besides, my wife is really small and has trouble pulling the slide back so by leaving it "hot" that isn't an issue.

 

[doingok]

Well sadly my Sigma just broke on me. I ejected a chambered round to clear the gun. And the slide was binding. I pulled the trigger after it was cleared and it didnt snap.

I went to field strip it and it wouldnt come apart. After working the slide back and forth a few times I finally got it to let go. The notch on the striker assembly (that holds the firing pin back) broke.

This is why I never trusted hamerless/non safety guns. I was always afraid of this type of malfunction. I dont know exactly when it happened. But obviously there was no accidental discharge.

Numrich is out of stock on the part. (number 21 Product No. 343390) and it costs 30 dollars.

I guess im going to have to contact S/W about this issue. I am a 2nd owner. And one of the springs was removed by the previous owner to loosen the trigger. I really hope they will take care of me on this.

I am pretty disappointed. I am hoping the life time warranty is honored to me with no issues.

 

[marlin.357]

I guess im going to have to contact S/W about this issue. I am a 2nd owner. And one of the springs was removed by the previous owner to loosen the trigger. I really hope they will take care of me on this.

I am pretty disappointed. I am hoping the life time warranty is honored to me with no issues.

Look at it this way: If you bought a used car, discovered that the previous owner had modified it "to make it run better", and it then broke down on you, do you think the manufacturer would honor the warranty? Replace all of the non-factory parts and pay towing? I don't think so....

 

[GTbob]

Call S&W.... Tell them your Sigma is broken and you wish to send it in for repairs. From what I have heard 99.9% of the time they don't even ask if you are the original owner. They will send a call tag, or you ship it on your dime, on that I am not quite sure. I believe either way it comes back to you prepaid and repaired.. free of charge!

 

[doingok]

Look at it this way: If you bought a used car, discovered that the previous owner had modified it "to make it run better", and it then broke down on you, do you think the manufacturer would honor the warranty? Replace all of the non-factory parts and pay towing? I don't think so....

If the car manufacturer had a no questions asked life time warranty that followed the car and not the owner, and the repair that was made was part of a recall that the manufacturer till this day will fix for free, then yes. Yes I would expect them to honor the warranty.

I would rather fix it myself, on my dime. But like I said, the part is not available right now through any of the parts retailers online that I have checked.

If you wanted to say I am SOL then you could have just said it. But I will still call S/W anyway. Im sure there is a reasonable solution.

 

[doingok]

Well I called S&W. I am not under the warranty. They wont sell me the part because its classified as factory repair only.

I have the gun apart and the broker striker assembly in my hand. But they wont sell me the part.

They told me to ship them the gun. The part is 25 dollars. And they would quote me the labor charges once it reaches the factory.

I will continue to search for a replacement part.

 

[marlin.357]

If you wanted to say I am SOL then you could have just said it. But I will still call S/W anyway. Im sure there is a reasonable solution.

Sorry, no, I meant just the opposite....S&W will take care of you, unlike a car manufacture. Guess I wasn't so clear, made sense to me at the time.....

 

[doingok]

Well I just called back because,...well,.. I wanted to see if I got another result.

Someone else answered the phone. Totally different attitude. I asked him to sell me the part. And he said they could not because it must be fitted correctly and test fired.

I told him that I was not the original owner and he said we dont care. We fix our guns free of charge because we appreciate your business.

So the label is on the way and it will take around 2 weeks total he says. So lets see what happens. Im hoping they dont change their minds again. But I feel better for now.

 

[doingok]

Sorry, no, I meant just the opposite....S&W will take care of you, unlike a car manufacture. Guess I wasn't so clear, made sense to me at the time.....

Im sorry for misunderstanding you my friend. Im a little frustrated to be honest by all of this.

Lets see how it goes. If it is done the way this guy just said, I will be totally satisfied.

 

[doingok]

Just got my sigma back from S&W.

14 days from pickup at my door. 10 days from the day they got it. (shipped on a Friday so the weekend held it up 2 days)

Rather than replacing the broken striker, they replaced the entire upper half. It looks dramatically different. The original upper half was 40V. Very blocky. No curves just hard angles.

This upper half is marked 40VE. The chamber can be viewed from both sides of the weapon. The upper edges are rounded off running the length of the slide front to back almost giving it a racing stripe. Where as before it was just a big block and honestly not very good looking. It also has a smaller grip area for racking it back.

They also replaced the barrel and guide rod. It has a view in it so you can visually see if a round is in the chamber. It racks much much smoother than I remember.

No mention of any trigger work. But its also very smooth and easy. Before it seemed grainy. It also felt like the overall pull was much longer. I had to adjust the way I put my finger on the trigger with it before. Using just the very tip of my finger. Other wise the pad of my finger tip would block the trigger from traveling far enough back. It took a whole lot of effort before. Now its very smooth. I can grip it naturally and engage the the firing pin comfortably with room to spare.

All the paper work said was they replaced the slide and barrel and adjusted it to their standards.

It looks noticeably different with the new slide and barrel. Easily a more attractive firearm. It racks smoother. And the trigger pull feels totally different. Almost as if was moved forward a 1/4 of a inch and placed on ball bearings. Instead of a long very hard pull that felt like running through mud and fine gravel.

Had it not been for the fact that it was the same frame without the rail (something they could not replace due to the serial as you know) I would think they sent me a new gun. Totally different look and feel.

I would be dishonest if I said I was not very disappointed with this failure. Especially so soon after getting it. I would also be dishonest if I said I thought it was a good looking weapon that was comfortable to fire. I got it for 2 reasons over the Kahr 45. It felt and looked better constructed. And it was a Smith and Wesson.

I didnt want to ship it. I wanted to fix it myself. What I ended up with in the end was a totally different pistol. Almost as if they knew there were things I didnt like but settled on when making my decision. And they took it upon themselves to erase any doubt from my mind about my choice.

In a strange way this disappointing failure, that undoubtedly left me with regrets, turned out to be a total makeover of the product and my opinion of it. I no longer feel like I settled. I no longer feel any regrets. And I no longer look at this pistol wishing this or that was different. 100% satisfaction from top to bottom.

 

[doingok]

One thing that I notice. The tab on the striker assembly that broke was sent back with it. Looking at the old tab and tab on the new slide, the new tab seems to be closer to the slide. As if it has a shorter neck, if that makes any sense to help visualize it. Leaving less room for it to have a weak point. And in my opinion, this may be the reason the trigger pull feels dramatically smoother and shorter. Less room to have to travel to release the striker.

Also, I remember the original firing pin and opening being flat. Shaped like a rectangle. On the new slide it is round. Now I kind of understand why they did not want to sell me the part to repair it myself. Its probably out of date and discontinued. It may also explain why they replaced the entire top half. Like I said this was a older model 40V. It only makes sense that they found ways to improve it over time. And rather repair the old, they just updated it.

And the difference is really noticeable in looks and feel. I would highly recommend anyone who has a older model like I had, and experienced what I did with the trigger or striker, send it in to them. I dont know if its standard for them to do what they did with mine. But its zero cost out of pocket and takes 2 weeks. I think its well worth a shot.

Outside of the original customer service rep, I am floored by my experience with S&W. In this day and age, its safer to expect disappointment. I cant recall the last time a company went above and beyond my expectations. I am going to purchase a Smith and Wesson bumper sticker and proudly display it. And I hate bumper stickers.

 

[Ruger Nut]

DOINGOK,stories like yours makes me feel much better on the purchase of my SW40VE.