rte148
Member
Just got my 9VE back from SW. Was having FTF due to a faulty extractor. Total turnaround in 7 days. I still think it is a fine gun, but I'll keep my 870 right where it is.
Sigma:What's the truth???
- Thread starter 44Hunter
- Start date
I am at 1,000 rounds (9mm) without a problem! Great comments by everyone and sympathy to the few that had some issues. I have tracked down numerous range masters and instructors and could not find any who had witnessed any malfunctions higher than they have seen with other models. I am going to buy another this Saturday for the wife!
Atlanta_SW40
Member
I came across this thread while I was reading up on some stuff for my brother who owns a 9ve. I had a 40ve which I just unburdened myself of yesterday by selling it to another gentleman who seemed excited to have it.
I had numerous FTE's with the gun out of the box...did everything I could to try and alleviate the problem without actually replacing parts. It got to the point where the gun seized up and could not fire without jamming a round. Naturally I sent it in to LSG due to Frank's reputation for great customer service and fast turn around.
I had called Frank after a week to see if he had a chance to look at my gun as I was anxious to get it back and sell it. He said he was replacing it with a stronger extractor and that should be it. I also mentioned I thought it shot low, which he said it could be my shooting style. But not being a first time semi auto owner I notified him I didn't believe it was a rookie mistake. He fired it and replaced the front sight as well.
On a side note when I called in and he was trying to locate my particular fire arm, he asked me what gun it was. I told him a 40cal sigma with jamming issues, he jokingly replied "well that narrows it down to about 300 I got here"
I guess this happens more frequently than it should. Personally I was not sad sad to see this one go. But I couldn't in good conscious sell a broken gun to some on excited to own a sigma (didn't wanna ruin it for someone else). I hope everything was worked out with it. I didn't even fire it once I had it back as I had someone waiting to buy it. But at this point I don't really care, it's no longer an annoyance in my life.
Through this whole experience I was let down by the firearm, but turned on by S&W's customer service, warranty, and fellowship of owners. I have become a big fan of Smith and Wesson and I ended up purchasing a CS40 which better suits my carrying needs.
My brother still enjoys his 9VE, as he only uses it for HD purposes and wasn't looking for a versatile firearm.
I guess the lesson here is you get what you pay for...and I paid for an entry level firearm, and got entry level problems for my money.
I had numerous FTE's with the gun out of the box...did everything I could to try and alleviate the problem without actually replacing parts. It got to the point where the gun seized up and could not fire without jamming a round. Naturally I sent it in to LSG due to Frank's reputation for great customer service and fast turn around.
I had called Frank after a week to see if he had a chance to look at my gun as I was anxious to get it back and sell it. He said he was replacing it with a stronger extractor and that should be it. I also mentioned I thought it shot low, which he said it could be my shooting style. But not being a first time semi auto owner I notified him I didn't believe it was a rookie mistake. He fired it and replaced the front sight as well.
On a side note when I called in and he was trying to locate my particular fire arm, he asked me what gun it was. I told him a 40cal sigma with jamming issues, he jokingly replied "well that narrows it down to about 300 I got here"
I guess this happens more frequently than it should. Personally I was not sad sad to see this one go. But I couldn't in good conscious sell a broken gun to some on excited to own a sigma (didn't wanna ruin it for someone else). I hope everything was worked out with it. I didn't even fire it once I had it back as I had someone waiting to buy it. But at this point I don't really care, it's no longer an annoyance in my life.
Through this whole experience I was let down by the firearm, but turned on by S&W's customer service, warranty, and fellowship of owners. I have become a big fan of Smith and Wesson and I ended up purchasing a CS40 which better suits my carrying needs.
My brother still enjoys his 9VE, as he only uses it for HD purposes and wasn't looking for a versatile firearm.
I guess the lesson here is you get what you pay for...and I paid for an entry level firearm, and got entry level problems for my money.
Rick-F
Member
I guess this happens more frequently than it should. Personally I was not sad sad to see this one go. But I couldn't in good conscious sell a broken gun to some on excited to own a sigma (didn't wanna ruin it for someone else). I hope everything was worked out with it. I didn't even fire it once I had it back as I had someone waiting to buy it. But at this point I don't really care, it's no longer an annoyance in my life.
Yet . . . in post after post you continue trying "ruin it for someone else" with your words. We all get it: you don't like Sigmas; you bought a lemon. That's too bad-- we're sorry it happened. So why don't you move on now and leave the Sigma forum -- permanently!
The same story and bad mouthing over and over is wearing thin.
Yet . . . in post after post you continue trying "ruin it for someone else" with your words. We all get it: you don't like Sigmas; you bought a lemon. That's too bad-- we're sorry it happened. So why don't you move on now and leave the Sigma forum -- permanently!
The same story and bad mouthing over and over is wearing thin.
Atlanta_SW40
Member
I don't think a warranty center having a shop full of over 300 faulty Sigmas constitutes mine to be a "lemon." I think it's a mere testament to the boxes of **** S&W is selling in the form of a Sigma.
And i think anyone looking to buy one should be aware of the possibly bullshit they'll have to deal with. Also if I want to I could probably start a whole forum with all the complaints and malfunctions I've seen posted on in this forum...if you dont like it then dont read it...
Tweety Bird
Member
Atlanta: Did you ever actually send it back to SW for service? I'm not disputing the abilities of another gunsmith but I'm just wondering (maybe I missed something) if you even gave SW a chance to make it right.
They can't be too bad
.. my dealer just ordered over 3,000 of them 
( assorted .40 & 9's) and they will be gone by July.. Never had one come back and they sell lot's..
.. my dealer just ordered over 3,000 of them ( assorted .40 & 9's) and they will be gone by July.. Never had one come back and they sell lot's..
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I have seen many many people say this gun sucks or that gun sucks after purchasing their first or early automatics. I was one of them, FTE left and right, stovepiping, shooting low etc. My brother recently had the same issues. 99% of the time it is "rookie" mistakes and can be corrected by simple changes and practice. The 40v is a snappy little pistol with a fair amount of recoil. If you have even the slightest weakness in your wrists it will cause problems and you will have issues with ejections. It doesn't have to be a sigma for this to happen as I have seen first hand on many occasions. I have personally picked up guns that people claimed have problems and shot them all day with 0 problems. Truth is no one likes to hear the problem is them and they like to place blame. If the firearm is at fault S&W will fix it, but if you are the problem the only fix is practice and sometimes some professional help. I know I was ready to blame the sigma for all my problems until a professional shot 250 rounds through it in about 2 hours and had 0 issues.
469Shooter
Member
Sigmas are like many Tauruses - Good gun/Bad rep. I have both and have had no failures from either!
There . . .that ought to warm things up a bit
Cheers!
There . . .that ought to warm things up a bit
Cheers!
mawguy
Member
It has always cracked me up that the folks on Glock Talk speak more kindly about the Sigma than folks here on the S&W forum. Go figure. It would be interesting to find out how many units of Sigma have been sold, vs. the rest of favorite flavors. Anyone have a clue?
The other puzzle is this. If the Sigma is as bad as the "experts" say it is, why does it sell like hotcakes?
Mine has been flawless and it is an easy every day carry in concealment.
The other puzzle is this. If the Sigma is as bad as the "experts" say it is, why does it sell like hotcakes?
Mine has been flawless and it is an easy every day carry in concealment.
rmcky
Member
I'll say something nice about Glock, just to help even the score a little. Took my Sigma 9 to the range yesterday and shot another 200 rounds through her with no problems whatsoever. Enjoyed my afternoon, for sure.
While there, I met a couple of cops who were using the range. I let them shoot my PF9 and one let me shoot his Glock 40. While I love my Sigma, I have to say his Glock was a sweet shooting piece. Deadly accurate in this novice's hands, as well. Much more so than my Sigma, I'm afraid. Peaked my interest, for sure. While neither actually knocked my Sigma, I have to say they did tout their Glocks a lot. Without saying so much, I knew they felt I was completely outgunned. I didn't mind, especially knowing they had twice as much in their Glocks. As I said, I did find a new found respect for Glocks.
However, the other one let me shoot a gun that really got my attention. He had a S&W 640 Airweight revolver that I would have taken off his hands on the spot. Gosh, that was a sweet shooting little pocket gun. Deadly accurate, for a snub nose, and just a pure pleasure to shoot. I had just finished running 200 rounds through my PF9 and the difference in the abuse was more than notable. The little gun was even more pocketable than my PF9 and shot like a champ. Got me thinking I want one and found one of it's brothers, the 642, at Academy Sports. Now, I've got to convince myself it's worth the $479 price tag.
While there, I met a couple of cops who were using the range. I let them shoot my PF9 and one let me shoot his Glock 40. While I love my Sigma, I have to say his Glock was a sweet shooting piece. Deadly accurate in this novice's hands, as well. Much more so than my Sigma, I'm afraid. Peaked my interest, for sure. While neither actually knocked my Sigma, I have to say they did tout their Glocks a lot. Without saying so much, I knew they felt I was completely outgunned. I didn't mind, especially knowing they had twice as much in their Glocks. As I said, I did find a new found respect for Glocks.
However, the other one let me shoot a gun that really got my attention. He had a S&W 640 Airweight revolver that I would have taken off his hands on the spot. Gosh, that was a sweet shooting little pocket gun. Deadly accurate, for a snub nose, and just a pure pleasure to shoot. I had just finished running 200 rounds through my PF9 and the difference in the abuse was more than notable. The little gun was even more pocketable than my PF9 and shot like a champ. Got me thinking I want one and found one of it's brothers, the 642, at Academy Sports. Now, I've got to convince myself it's worth the $479 price tag.
My Sigma broke.
I have had a model SW9M for about 10 years. I rarely use it, but started to carry it since I recently got my CCW. I don't know how it compares to other Sigma models, but I am not very pleased with it. Luckily, it was a gift and I did not pay for it!
I was out shooting with my wife and kids last week. My wife wanted to try out my SW9M so I pulled it out and tried to "warm it up" for her by checking it and firing a few rounds through it.
The first problem cropped up when I loaded some military ammo I have and the SW9M wouldn't strike the primer hard enough to fire it. This ammo works fine in my Luger. I switched to commercial ammo and emptied a clip with no more difficulty.
I then handed it to my wife for her turn. On the third round the plastic on the back of the stock broke around the drift pin and the action nearly separated from the grip. Thank goodness I was watching my wife rather than looking down-range at the target. I stopped her immediately and made the gun safe. It was lucky neither of us was hurt.
This particular pistol has been sparingly used, probably no more than 1000 rounds ever fired through it. Over the past year it has been my carry gun because I like feel, the weight and that there's no external mag release or safety to get hung up on the draw. However, I've never cared for the stiff trigger pull and poor accuracy. (Maybe the latter was my fault...LOL!)
You can take what you will from this post, but I know I won't buy another one. I have feverishly researched this exact model since the breakage occurred and have found many first-hand complaints about it. Albeit, the research was done on the internet where anonymity is a shield people use to lie and exaggerate. However, my own experience is enough to make my decision!
I have had a model SW9M for about 10 years. I rarely use it, but started to carry it since I recently got my CCW. I don't know how it compares to other Sigma models, but I am not very pleased with it. Luckily, it was a gift and I did not pay for it!
I was out shooting with my wife and kids last week. My wife wanted to try out my SW9M so I pulled it out and tried to "warm it up" for her by checking it and firing a few rounds through it.
The first problem cropped up when I loaded some military ammo I have and the SW9M wouldn't strike the primer hard enough to fire it. This ammo works fine in my Luger. I switched to commercial ammo and emptied a clip with no more difficulty.
I then handed it to my wife for her turn. On the third round the plastic on the back of the stock broke around the drift pin and the action nearly separated from the grip. Thank goodness I was watching my wife rather than looking down-range at the target. I stopped her immediately and made the gun safe. It was lucky neither of us was hurt.
This particular pistol has been sparingly used, probably no more than 1000 rounds ever fired through it. Over the past year it has been my carry gun because I like feel, the weight and that there's no external mag release or safety to get hung up on the draw. However, I've never cared for the stiff trigger pull and poor accuracy. (Maybe the latter was my fault...LOL!)
You can take what you will from this post, but I know I won't buy another one. I have feverishly researched this exact model since the breakage occurred and have found many first-hand complaints about it. Albeit, the research was done on the internet where anonymity is a shield people use to lie and exaggerate. However, my own experience is enough to make my decision!
Rick-F
Member
Since it is junk and was a gift, I'd be happy to take it off your hands. I can send you a $50 bill to cover your trouble for shipping it . . . 
Haha! You need parts for your broken SW9M?
I've tried to locate a replacement part, but it's serialized and probably would constitute buying a new gun. It appears this model was only made for a couple of years back in the late 90's.
If I can't get a voucher from S&W against a different model I may consider your offer.
I've tried to locate a replacement part, but it's serialized and probably would constitute buying a new gun. It appears this model was only made for a couple of years back in the late 90's.
If I can't get a voucher from S&W against a different model I may consider your offer.
leejack
Member
Sorry you has this problem.
That model isn't made anymore. I wonder if you sent it in to Smith for repairs, they might just send you a new 9VE.
Worth a try.
Lee
That model isn't made anymore. I wonder if you sent it in to Smith for repairs, they might just send you a new 9VE.
Worth a try.
Lee
Junk with a life time warranty,,, surprise surprise.
I'm so glad your wife was not hurt. I would be way pissed if that had happened in my hand. But in my wifes hand! Somebody would be in need of pain killers!!!!
Somebody's worthless name is on a patent.
I hope you and S&W can come to a good terms on this.
I'm livid just looking at the pic. Best I stop here.
I'm so glad your wife was not hurt. I would be way pissed if that had happened in my hand. But in my wifes hand! Somebody would be in need of pain killers!!!!
Somebody's worthless name is on a patent. I hope you and S&W can come to a good terms on this.
I'm livid just looking at the pic. Best I stop here.
Knightrider03m
Member
Here's a pic of the breakage just for fun. This is what it looked like immediately after my wife fired it.
is that the .380?
Rick-F
Member
I hope you are pleasantly surprised.
Since you did not drop it on the slide-- or put it in a vice and hit the slide with a 6# hammer . . . I'd say clearly it is a case of a defect in the material or design (or some of each).
Since you did not drop it on the slide-- or put it in a vice and hit the slide with a 6# hammer . . . I'd say clearly it is a case of a defect in the material or design (or some of each).
leejack
Member
b1780, Welcome to the forum!
The sigma lovers are growing by leaps & bounds!
Lee
The sigma lovers are growing by leaps & bounds!
Lee
Everyone has a different opinion about a lot of stuff but that doesn't make the other person wrong. I have had revolvers and autos. I tried the Sigma 40 and I didn't really care for it so I sold it and got something else.
Rick-F
Member
roaddog28
Member
Smith and Wesson will fix the gun and probably not charge you for it. They will also send you a prepaid box to ship back to them.
I would try it.
Regards,
roaddog28
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