The Forgotten SD9VE?

[Terry G]

I'll start off with I am a very bad impulse buyer. With Dogs, cars, investments, and Rifles I take my time and do some research. With handguns I'm a total I see, I want. Checking out a medium sized Gun Show I came across the S&W SD9VE. $335 NIB. I offered $300 and the dealer took it. I needed another 9 MM carry gun like I needed a mortgage, but there I was handing over the cash. A Friend told me it was just another version of the failed Sigma; inaccurate, unreliable, and not worth $300.00. I cleaned it and loaded up the three magazines it came with. 115 Grain FMJ and 115 Grain HP's. The gun worked fine and shot where I aimed it. The trigger wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. So what's the deal? It seems to me to be a fine gun to fill an inexpensive carry or home defense roll. I'm carrying a S&W M&P .45 Compact, but I wouldn't feel poorly armed with SD 9VE. Something I don't know? The one Sigma I shot was not something I would want, but this gun seems fine.

 

[drumminor2nd]

The triggers are the universally hated part, but by all accounts the guns function well enough. It's basically a Sigma with a modern rail and a few other cosmetic tweaks. There's a 2.0 with a better trigger available, but they still sell these new for the California crowd.

 

[MelvinWalker]

I personally like them alot for the money. About ten minutes ago, I won another one at an online auction in Tampa for $170 OTD. Like OP said, I need it like a mortgage.

They function just like a Glock and are almost G19 size. Mag capacity is good....The triggers are the only downside, but if you have shot double action revolvers your whole life like I have, they are about on par with a revolver... I think even with the existing triggers, they are an excellent buy.

 

[ColbyBruce]

I purchased a SD9VE and a SD9 recently. I added an Apex spring kit to the VE and have purchased a few extra magazines and a MFT brand IWB holster. These guns inherited a negative reputation from the original Sigma and suffer from the bad-mouthing of previous owners as well as folks who repeat what they have heard and read, though most have actually never fondled or fired a SD variant. I am currently searching for one in FDE.

 

[MelvinWalker]

I purchased a SD9VE and a SD9 recently. I added an Apex spring kit to the VE and have purchased a few extra magazines and a MFT brand IWB holster. These guns inherited a negative reputation from the original Sigma and suffer from the bad-mouthing of previous owners as well as folks who repeat what they have heard and read, though most have actually never fondled or fired a SD variant. I am currently searching for one in FDE.

Without asking you to type a book, why does everyone hate the Sigma in the first place?

I seem to remember that Glock sued S&W and won over the design being so close to a Glock, but I would take that as a compliment for the type of firearm that it is.

 

[ColbyBruce]

Melvinwalker, the Sigma was "blocky" and had a horrendous trigger pull. The trigger group design was such that it really could not be improved upon. I believe too many people expected the Sigma to be something other than what it was designed and intended to be, and turned their nose up at it. I live in metro Atlanta, GA within fifty miles of Glock, Inc. in Smyrna. Glock offers walk-in service on their products which has made the guns quite popular here.

The SD series is quite worthy of consideration by a prospective buyer.

 

[Ameshawki]

Have one, like it a lot. Fits my hand well, somewhat mimics the 39 grip. The trigger isn't that bad but I put an Apex kit in mine and it improved quite a bit. The M&P series is "nicer" (I have several) but there's nothing wrong with the SD guns.

 

[bigggbbruce]

I got one of these I'll make you a smokin deal...

 

[mikeruns]

I have one that is a SW40VE(Smith and Wesson Value Enhanced) and I think it was the 1st descendant of the original Sigma….still a hard trigger…shoots 180 gr jhps' never jamming, I've never fired anything but 180s' fmj and hp in this. A great traveling companion and anyone who can hit their ass with both hands should be accurate enough to make successful shots on target. I think mine was $279 new and I also received a free crappola Chinese s&w knife as an incentive. I heard of many people get a cash back on them but I'm good as it was inexpensive and good. Still use it as personal defense when traveling often as it isn't something that I would stress about losing and find it a comfort to have at hand when at hotels, on the road, etc. cheers.

 

[oldcop71]

I picked up a SW9VE at a pawn shop several years ago for a song. Since I was introduced into pistol shooting with double action revolvers starting at the 50yd line, I learned trigger control and sight picture early on (1972). The SW9 has a long, relatively heavy trigger pull, but as someone above said, if you shoot double action revolvers the trigger is not a problem. Those who were raised in the gun world shooting only striker fired triggers would find the SW trigger to be heavy and long.
An Apex trigger kit reduced the trigger pull by a couple of pounds. I wore it as a duty pistol, alternating with a 6946 DAO. Both are accurate shooters if you do your part.

 

[dusty3030]

They are reliable and mechanically accurate. Ergonomics are good they fit the hand and point well. They are inexpensive. My opinion it's 100% the trigger that gets them the bad rap. It was an easy sell to growing crowd of new gun owners, cheap price from a good name brand. Felt good in the hand. Out the door it went. Then when they actually get to the range and are hitting the ground 5 feet in front of the target because of a novice shooter trying to wrestle it the bad reputation was earned. It will teach you if any of your fundamentals are off.

 

[CajunBass]

I've had a couple/three of them over the years. I never saw anything wrong with them. Being an old revolver shooter the trigger didn't bother me too much. I thought the grip was much more comfortable than a Glock, and I don't really dislike Glocks. The SD was "just another gun" to me.

But I always managed to find a reason to sell/trade them off for some other "bright shiney thing" as I have done way too often.

 

[Martin67]

I never sell guns or guitars, My wife loved the grip angle of the SD9VE. But after awhile she got so she had trouble racking it. I bought her an Equalizer and a Charter Arms undercover 38.
The SD9VE became my gun.
I my favorite gun is a model 64-5 overseas LE trade in. It's a DAO that has been worked on by a very competent armorer before I got it.
The trigger shoe on the SD is similar and the pull length is similar. Apex springs really made a difference. I love the look of it. The frame is a little too grippy. I love it, the only drawback is the version 2 is $100 less. I paid $398 for my SD9VE. The new version is $299. I won't sell it because a pawn shop's going to give me a hundred to $125 for it because I have the box and all the paperwork with it and then they're going to turn around and sell it for $250 because of brand new is $299. I like the gun I see no reason selling it and I don't want to take that big of a loss on it.
For me it's like one of my guitars it has a purpose It fits well in my collection, And it's a good shooter

 

[YouveHadYour6]

Have had several of these, never had an issue with one. I seem to end up getting them in trades or for dirt cheap (I've never paid over 180 for one cash) - I am a revolver guy and still hate the trigger on these, so I've always traded them off, but if it's all I had I wouldn't feel defenseless, going off the examples I've seen and used personally.