Sigma FAQ

[Prime Winner]

just my luck, I bought a Sigma yesterday largely due to what I thought was a lifetime warranty.

EDIT: Im really confused now. I found this on the S&W site ......

Warranty Information
The Smith & Wesson Advantage™

In addition to providing some of the highest quality products available today, Smith & Wesson is committed to providing our customers with support and services second to none. When you purchase a Smith & Wesson handgun, you receive the Smith & Wesson Advantage™, comprised of four service features:

1. Lifetime Service Policy

We will repair any defect in material or workmanship without charge to the original purchaser for as long as you own the handgun.

 

[Tweety Bird]

Straight from SW website:

Warranty Information - Smith & Wesson

I don't know exactly what this means; if you shoot it a lot, and things wear out, is this a defect in materials or workmanship? I guess it depends on whether you or SW is the one to define the term.

The book I got with my SW40VE last week also says 1 year.

 

[leejack]

What do you use to clean the polymer?

Anybody use something to shine it up on the outside? grip, frame trigger guard, etc...?

Lee

 

[zygotemrsmith]

Sigma 9

I like the feel of this pistol -

100 rounds to break in had 1 jam per 30 -

Standard range ammo -

 

[tuica]

Anyone have any idea how many Sigma's in .357 Sig. (Sigsigs?) were manufactured? Thanks in advance.

 

[spricks]

I'm in the back of the classroom with My hand raised in excitement! The teacher calls on me.... Ok spricks how many.... none. That's correct you are the best. LOL!

Actually if you did'nt know they only are available in 9mm& 40S&W.

spricks

 

[40cal]

.357sig SIGMA - YES

Ok spricks how many.... none. That's correct you are the best. LOL!

Actually if you did'nt know they only are available in 9mm& 40S&W.

spricks

ACTUALLY.... FYI spricks they did make .357 sigma for about 8 months.
No I dont know how many, but YES there really was a SW357V Sigma! around about 1998-99 IIRC

 

[Joker84]

40 cal is correct. They only made the .357 sig for one year. They also made a .380 model SW380M. This was all stated at the beginning of this thread.

 

[ddd]

When did the lifetime warranty come into being? I bought a used Sigma originally purchased in 1997 and the manual shows it had only a one year warranty. And yes, it's broken. Seems the striker assembly is bad. It will not cock.

 

[dazlin]

Here's my experience...

I bought a used 1st generation SW40 for about $200. A couple of months later I had a case head separation on the range. The ejector was blown off, the slide retention lever was sheared in two, the slide was jammed partially open, half of the shell casing was stuck in the chamber, and the mag was blown out onto the ground. Later, I discovered the bullet lodged in the barrel. I contacted S&W about getting it repaired and they sent me a a prepaid shipping label. I sent tham the gun and about 10 days later I got the gun back. It had been repaired and test fired; cost=$00.00. But as I gave the gun a careful inspection, I noticed a crack in the frame that wrapped up around the trigger guard. So I called S&W and told them what I had found. They sent me a new prepaid shipping label and I returned the gun to them. A few days later I got a call from the service department and was told that the gun was not repairable. So, they offered me the choice of a new 2nd generation SW40VE or credit toward another gun. I took the new SW40VE and got to take advantage of a promotion to get a free range bag.

I still have that Sigma. I used it in IDPA competition for a while with good results. The trigger has smoothed out AND I have gotten used to it. Above all, it is reliable. If only it had a standard sized equipment rail!

BTW, Crimson Trace has a new product coming out shortly for the Sigma. It is a really cool looking laser that fits into the shape of the Sigma's frame, just ahead of the trigger guard. And no, it doesn't use the Sigma's rail. Check it out at S&W Sigma Laserguard Coming Soon | Crimson Trace Laser Grips

Dan

 

[Prime Winner]

thanks for sharing thst dazlin. about when did that take place?

also, heres a little info that may clear up the warranty questions between one year (as referenced in Sigma manual on page 27) and lifetime. I posted this in another thread but hopefully it will help here.

I purchased a Sigma 9VE on 2/27/10 and found that the instruction manual, page 27, states that there is a limited warranty, not a lifetime warranty. I then checked Smith-Wesson.com and found that it states there is a lifetime warranty. So, I emailed S&W and asked for clarification. Below is the email I sent to S&W, and the response I received from S&W.

RE: Warranty clarification‏
From: ******* (*****@smith-wesson.com)
Sent: Tue 3/02/10 2:50 PM
To: *********

It is a lifetime warranty.





PG



From: ********
Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2010 9:18 PM
To: Smith & Wesson Support
Subject: Warranty clarification



Hello,

On Feb 27, 2010, I purchased my first Smith & Wesson handgun, a Sigma 9VE. When I purchased the gun the dealer told me that the gun has a lifetime warranty. However, upon reading the manual included with the gun, page 27 states that:

Smith & Wesson firearms are warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship. Any such defects of which Smith & Wesson receives written notice within one year from the date of purchase by the original owner , will be remedied by Smith & Wesson without charge within a reasonable time after such notification and delivery of the firearm is provided below. (Delivery instructions are listed after this paragraph)

When I checked Smith-Wesson.com for clarification, I found this:

Warranty Information
The Smith & Wesson Advantage™ In addition to providing some of the highest quality products available today, Smith & Wesson is committed to providing our customers with support and services second to none. When you purchase a Smith & Wesson handgun, you receive the Smith & Wesson Advantage™, comprised of four service features:

1. Lifetime Service Policy
We will repair any defect in material or workmanship without charge to the original purchaser for as long as you own the handgun.

Can you please clarify what type of warranty is included with my purchase of the Smith & Wesson 9VE?


Thank you

 

[blastfact]

I would like to have the choice of opting out of a lifetime warranty and paying less for the product. You do know you are paying for your warranty and others. That's how a world of no personnel responsibly works.

I recently had a extractor fail in my Sigma. S&W was more than willing to pay for the shipping replacement and so on.

So lets look at this for a sec. The part cost me with shipping from NUMRICH a whopping $14.00. Had the part in a week, pistol back in service in 7 days from the failure.

If I had let S&W fix it and use my warranty. That would have cost you and I what, near $100 bucks. Shipping $80.00 both ways. Part a $1.00, Labor to install the part and check weapon $10.00 maybe. Support by phone/email, record keeping, tracking and handling of firearm $4.00 to $8.00. Even if it's only $60.00 to $80.00 total, Somebody would have had to pay for it. You can bet it's not S&W. That leaves the distributor, retailer and you and I.

Now if S&W would have dropped a extractor or two in the mail to me. That would have cost you and I more than likely $10.00 or under. BUT the marketing dept. would look like a bunch of baffons and the lawyers would have been slamming the Scotch down and biting there nails given the current climate of no personnel responsibly.

Did I mention a fragment of the extractor some how ended up in one of my fingers! I bled, I had to pull it out! OOOOO the trama! Maybe I should have contacted a lawyer to make the current circle complete by todays standards. LMFAO!!!!

Be Good

 

[dazlin]

blastfact: I think you are missing a fundamental point here. IF S&W is willing to stand behind their product for life, that means they want to keep you as a customer and be more appealing to new customers. That is worth much more than the cost difference between their current warranty practice vs. sending you a replaement part that you may or may not be skilled enough to replace without compromising the safety of the weapon.

It is a simple equation:

Companies survive based on their reputation. Reputation is based on customer experience. Customer experience drives customer opinion. Customers share their opinions (which is what we are doing here, after all). Those shared opinions add to OR subtract from a company's reputation. A good reputation = more business. More business = more profit + new product development.

Prime Winner: Those events happened about 5 or 6 years ago.

Dan

 

[tuica]

The .357 Sig. Sigma was the model SW357V #120124. Another unusual Sigma, according to the Catalogue of Smith & Wesson, 3rd. ed. is the model SW9F #12007 with a two-tone blue frame. Anyone ever see one of these? Thanks

 

[hybridsquirrel]

Quick question: Is +p "short barrel" ammo safe to shoot through?

 

[Joker84]

I wouldn't shoot +P ammo in a sigma if I were you. It's liable to turn into a glock and blow up in your face.

 

[hybridsquirrel]

I wouldn't shoot +P ammo in a sigma if I were you. It's liable to turn into a glock and blow up in your face.

Thanks for the advice =D the users manual is pretty vague on the subject. So +p not even for self defense?

 

[OKFC05]

Thanks for the advice =D the users manual is pretty vague on the subject. So +p not even for self defense?

He's pulling your leg. The manual says you can shoot any SAAMI ammunition, which includes +P.
Shoot all the +P you can stand; the gun will be fine.
If you have "improved" the gun by removing springs from the sear assembly, you may get failures to reset (think single shot).

 

[hybridsquirrel]

He's pulling your leg. The manual says you can shoot any SAAMI ammunition, which includes +P.
Shoot all the +P you can stand; the gun will be fine.
If you have "improved" the gun by removing springs from the sear assembly, you may get failures to reset (think single shot).

Doh, hard to detect sarcasm on the internet. I pawned off some of the ammo I had to a friend with a kel-tec pf9 since it was designed for short barrel and I didn't realize that. Bought some Winchester ranger +p instead. Haven't removed any springs from the trigger, but I did polish it up a bit.

EDIT: How does the blazer aluminum handle in this gun? I know it wasn't recommended in my Bersa.

 

[Backon4]

Only hickup I have ever had was shooting blazer aluminum.