Purchased a Sigma 9 yesterday

[blastfact]

Hello all

I ended up in Ft. Smith and purchased a new S&W SW9VE from a buddy that just got a few in. After rebate of $50 it will come in at just over $200. I took my pick out of six he had on hand.

I then set down at a bench and started my trigger job on it. I polished all the trigger parts, took out the pigtail spring at the lower pivot point and installed a lighter outer spring below the shear. Took 3.5 lbs off the nasty trigger pull and got rid of most of the gritty trigger pull. Will work more on the grit as time allows. While at the bench I also polished the sides of the slide a tad and polished the exposed part of the barrel/chamber and the end of the barrel.

I've ran 150 rounds through it so far without problem one. It seems to shoot pretty good. Puts bullets were I aim. With the basic polish work it looks ok also.

 

[BIG DOG]

Lets have a look at it.
I would like to see how it looks with the polish job.
G

 

[blastfact]

Lets have a look at it.
I would like to see how it looks with the polish job.
G

Ok

I put a high polish on the chamber and the end of the barrel. The sides of the slide are a mild polish. I did not want to polish out all of the satin. Just enough to break the satin but leave feature and contrast. The eye wonders all over the slide. You can also see some of the trigger work I've done. Alone with spring removal/replace. I'm really surprised at how bad some of the machine work is. While other work is near perfect. Another 10 sec's, maybe a bit more on the trigger assembly machine tool wise would have made the pistol a hell of a lot better. But I will get that worked out before long. Even if I have to make new parts myself. The barrel is done very well IMHO. I think the guides for the slide could have been just a tad longed. The only loose feel I get from the firearm is the slide to guide if I shake it side to side.

But over all for what I paid for the weapon new. I can put up with some of it's short comings and repair a few of the others.

Another work in progress.

 

[WildCard ZX6R]

Not to bring any gloom and doom in here, but you might want to be aware of the possibility of light strikes and sear reset failures with the removal/substitution of sear assembly springs. Not to say it WILL happen, but its a possibility.

Happy shooting

 

[blastfact]

Not to bring any gloom and doom in here, but you might want to be aware of the possibility of light strikes and sear reset failures with the removal/substitution of sear assembly springs. Not to say it WILL happen, but its a possibility.

Happy shooting

Not my first rodeo.

You can see there is already a wear pattern started in the plastic housing from the pigtail spring. A very small chip in the plastic to be exact. The pigtail spring at the metal and plastic pivot point is a real bad move. When the yoke was made on the stamped out leaver that the cam/shear rides in. No clean up was done at all. This left burrs that were grinding against the cam/shear on the sides. And the contact area was along the edges. Clean that mess up, reduce friction less spring is needed to over come the bad machine production. If you look at the edges of the lever you will notice really bad shear marks from the die that struck the part. You will also find those same shear marks on the face of the cam and in the slot that the pins ride in. Basically all around the edges cam/shear part except on the top surface. This the point of gritty trigger in my example. With most of that being in the slot that the pins ride in. The striations in the slot are making the pins want to roll in there holes in the lever. There is a lot of room for improvement here. I have done some work on the cam lobe and touched on the slot. The slot needs more work while the cam in fine now. The action of the assembly is much improved. Will get better in the near future.

 

[Njanear]

I'm not a Sigma person but must say that one looks nice. Good job!

 

[BIG DOG]

I say"Good Show" Looks good
Keep us updated as to any other things you do. I love to look at work in progress!
G

 

[brianc73]

Nice Sigma!!

Nice SW9VE. I also have one and I am very happy with it. What type of polish did you use. I would like to polish mine up as well. Happy shooting!!

Brian

 

[blastfact]

Nice SW9VE. I also have one and I am very happy with it. What type of polish did you use. I would like to polish mine up as well. Happy shooting!!

Brian

On the end of the barrel and chamber I used jeweler's paste with a dremel and Meg's Swirl X by hand. On the side of the slide I used a set of finger nail clean up and polishing boards with swirl X by hand. The boards have synthetic surfaces. On the shear assy. I used the finger nail boards and the dremel with Swirl X.

 

[Knightrider03m]

Very nice!

 

[TDR911]

Great job. I like the contrast of the satin and polished together.

 

[KyWstJoe]

Check this out if you like shiny...

 

[brianc73]

Very nice polish job!!

Wow!! What an incredible shine!! Thanks for posting how to get it to that point in a previous thread. I will heed your advice.
Brian

 

[blastfact]

Check this out if you like shiny...

Your pistol was the catalyst for my polish job. I,,, didn't want that much bling. Just glints of bling.

Once I get through this busy spell at work. I want to set down and detail the lower half of the pistol. And finish up the trigger. And yes I think the pistol is worth a sight upgrade. With sights being the last mod at this point.

I think,,, If you can buy a Sigma right and finish what S&W gave you to work with it can be tuned into a very good weapon. And may well be the bargain of our time. I see windows for personalization and craft in this little machine.

Since purchasing my Sigma. I've found out many folks I know own one. Seems to be a lot of closet Sigma owners. From first time buyers to LEO's. Too what I would term very good shooters to so called know it all's. Seems to be there dirty little secret, If you will.

 

[colt_saa]

I do not consider myself a closet SIGMA shooter. I own 6 of them at the moment. The SIGMA is a great value in today's market. The trigger is clearly not for target work, but it is acceptable for a defensive arm. With some repolising like blastfact has done, the trigger gets almost good.

My first was a SW40F that was bought in 1994 at WAY too high a price. With night sights and full capacity magazines it was over $500. Normally I do not like to be the first owner of a new firearm but the the BAN on the horizon I bit the bullet and bought one.

I paid $200 for my second SIGMA, a used SW40VE. A better deal than the first one. This has been my spare car/console gun ever since acquiring it.

Since then I have added two SW357 SIGMAS. This is my favorite. 15 rounds of 357 SIG in a lightweight package. The 357SIGMA replaced the 40 as my spare, however I keep the 40 anyway.

The remaining two SIGMAS that I own I consider to be collectible and are unfired. I know that there are SWCA members that would call a Collectible SIGMA and oxymoron, but I disagree. One is a SW9, product code 120021. Mine is mentioned by serial number in the SWCA and is believed to be the introduction of the product code (first pistol).

My remaining SIGMA is a SW40Ti. This pistol has a Titanium slide instead of a stainless steel slide. The stainless version of the 40 SIGMA weighs 20% more than the Titanium version. I believe mine is the fifth of five pistols produced. It remains unfired to this day. I have never seen another SW40Ti in person or heard of another outside of S&W.

 

[thejestersgate]

Now that is awesome, wish they would make more. I wonder how much it would increase the cost.

 

[Cruiser RN]

I am not a sigma person but that is a sweet polishing job and nice trigger work.I too love works in progress.....God Bless.......Mike

 

[blastfact]

I wanted to go shoot yesterday. But the local GMA/WMA range was closed for special hunts. I didn't want to drive 50 miles or so one way to go to a club or private ranger and fork out money. So I played with the Sigma.

So bored out of my gord I pushed a sizing sluge through the barrel. Measured out good and used the slug to do a very light polishing. And I do mean light. No tight spots in the barrel. More than likely a waste of time. It does look cleaner.

I have also noticed the semi polish job done on the side's of the slide was not working out. I was hoping time would have it looking more like black chrome. Oil from the hands from handling the pistol did darken it up some with a nice sheen if you will, it also took on a blotchy look. Si I have started working it to a high shine. I only have 360, 600, 1000, 1500 and 2000 grit paper right now. At 2000 grit with some hand polishing done Its taking on the wet look. Just not wet enough! I need to get some 2500, 3000 and 4000 to make it right. Now the polish on the chamber will need to be brighten up.

Plus there is still the lower half of the pistol to detail out.

Ain't it fun to turn a pigs ear into a silk purse when not shooting.

 

[btmlinedan]

that ti one looks sweet, wish they would put that in production

 

[bocephusfan12]

I have 4 factory 16rd mags for one these pistols, does anyone know what they are worth?

thanks