New Sigma Owner

[John@JCDLESales]

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.

Absolutely Frickin True Elvis

 

[OKFC05]

So do you think two is enough then?

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.

 

[Walthernut]

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.

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.

 

[Walthernut]

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 crap 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.

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.

 

[HspncElvis]

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

 

[John@JCDLESales]

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 crap 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.

"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."

 

[bryan11]

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."

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.

 

[John@JCDLESales]

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!

 

[Jim H]

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. Maybe I have a defective one, who knows.

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.

 

[HspncElvis]

Jim, well said.

 

[LTMEMORY]

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

 

[airman]

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.

 

[HspncElvis]

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!!!

 

[Tslepebull]

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.

 

[Just Shoot]

Sigma new owner

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.

 

[HspncElvis]

It's Range Time Again

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!

 

[Wheel-er]

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

 

[Quanah]

Hi JustShoot!



I was worried about inexpensive also being cheap. So I called Cor-Bon and asked if a 40VE had a good barrel, able to shoot +P and hot loads? He said it was a very strong & well made barrel that could easily handle the hotter loads.

I've enjoyed mine.

.40sw is an interesting round. Can approach .357's lower speeds in a wider, heavier bullet. The quip I read back then was "shoots like a 9, hits like a .45."

Read what wiki sez about .40sw round.

I've never had a jam or misfire. But I haven't put all that much ammo thru it as I got a bit of gun fever and then bought an m64 and it is such a beautiful piece of art that I'm still infatuated with it. Even the famed .38sp 158gr LSWCHP "FBI load" can't touch something like an affordable .40sw Remington Golden Saber on paper.

If I'm wrong about that, I'd like to know, btw. LOL.

Seems S&W is a lot like Lays Potato Chips.

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!

 

[ET.]

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.

 

[russp1]

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.