Unproud owner of Sigma 40 VE

I am a new shooter and bought a Sigma .40. Being a new shooter, I enjoy shooting the Sigma. You get really disciplined on trigger control. I have fired about 900 rounds through it with no failures, and it seems the trigger is not that heavy anymore. I also did a lot of trigger control dry firing it. Give it some time. Wow, my first post.
 
You need to give it more time, more practice. You can remove the torsion (pigtail) spring and it'll lighten the trigger but it's still hard enough for safety but leave the sear and striker springs alone so you won't have light strikes and reset failures. If you have the slide off you can put a dab of grease on the sear cam that rides on the plastic sear housing. It'll make it smoother and lessen the wear to the plastic. Squeeze the trigger and watch the movement of the sear and you'll know what I'm talking about.

I did mine and it's 100% after 600 rounds. Oh yea, mine a 9ve.
 
vipermd said:
Apparently not, otherwise you would bought the colt. Take dime and place it on the top of the frame near the front sight of the gun. After triple checking it is unloaded ( once for you, once for me, once just because), practice your dry firing like this. It can be used on an auto, revolver, rifle and I have found that it has been helpful for myself and others over the past 33 yrs. Once you develop the trigger pull on the Sigma, you will find that it translates well to snubbies, rifles, but the greatest benefit will be your accuracy. Be Safe,
Click to expand...

Vipermd is spot on with his advice -- I was trained to practice trigger pull while balancing a spent .223 round just behind the front sight -- it really does work and if you practice this, it will smooth out your trigger control.

I have never fired a Sigma -- however, I have lots of experience on striker fired pistols -- if it has a trigger re-set,
that is a great trigger control practice tool.

Case in point: I just bought a Springfield .40 cal XDM with 5.25" match barrel. Practiced dry-firing for a week, took it to the range, fired 240 rds at POST targets -- fired each stage
(25 yd, 15 yd, 7 yd, 4 yd, 2 yd) at timed intervals -- had never fired a Springfield before ever (but have fired lots of revolvers, 1911's, M-9's and other auto pistols). Averaged
104 out of 120 pts each time. Practiced one more week, then shot for qualification -- which requires shooting the course 4times -- averaged 109 out of 120 (minimum score for each round is 96). The point is that "perfect practice makes perfect" the XDM trigger pull was all brand new to me, but like driving a new car, you have to learn how it handles.

bottom line: don't get discouraged, practice, practice re the trigger pull.

The poster who wrote about proper grip is also spot on -- poor grip leads to many FTF (failure to feed), especially stovepipes.

The 7 cardinal rules for firing a pistol:

1. Proper stance
2.Proper grip
3. sight alignment
4. sight picture
5.breath control
6. trigger control
7.followthrough

Hope this helps a little.:)
 
COL, yes this all helps very much. I can't practice until this weekend (gun is home) but I will definitely do the practice routines and hand strengthening as suggested. I like your 7 rules (how I was taught but nice to have a numbered list to run down). I'm not that far off what you list as needed to qualify except the 25 yds. so I guess I need to be more patient and work harder on getting a feel for it. Thanks all with positive ideas.
 
With patience & practice your Sigma will shoot fine & youll shoot a 1911 dead-nuts acurite.
IMO a SW40 is a SHTF goto - not a range queen.
 
ikacc said:
Well dry firing is much different than real firing.
Click to expand...


How is that? Other than boom, recoil, and the trigger reset. The trigger pull is the same. Same travel and weight.

Mine works fine it's also modified, but it performed as it should when it was box stock. The Sigma could anyways be better (IMO).

It's not fair to compare a Honda when you have only drove a BMW. Keep shooting it gets better. If not I got $110.00 on that Sigma.
 
Just to jump on the pro Sigma wagon for a minute :D
I bought my SW9VE a couple years ago, and it's the gun I chose to use when we shot for our CCW class.
I, like a lot of others, shot low left to the point I was getting frustrated.
I told the instructor my sights must be off.
He asked if he could try it, I said "Sure", figuring he was going to adjust my sights for me.
He pulled a playing card from is coat pocket, cut a slot in the target backing and stuck the card in.
He then backed up to about 30 ft and spit the card with my Sigma, handed it back and told me "Nothing wrong with your sights"
I became a better shooter once I realized it was all me;)
 
ikacc,

As others have mentioned, comparing a Sigma to a 1911 is unrealistic. I have a number of 1911s, and I've owned a number of S&W polymer pistols, including a couple of Sigmas, a couple of SDs, and still have several M&Ps.

The Sigma does have a heavy trigger...and it will never rival the trigger on a 1911. Also, .40 S&W is a caliber that some find harder to shoot than a 9mm or a .45 ACP. The snappier recoil impulse may induce some flinch as well. So, you might find that the Sigma in .40 just isn't the best gun for you.

You already know you like a 1911 in .45; if it's possible, rent some other pistols in 9mm and .45, like the M&P line. The M&P has a much better trigger...and it won't cost nearly as much as a Colt 1911.

1911s are fantastic pistols, and I have several of them...but, they have their own set of issues, too. They can be challenging for some to maintain, and often require more "tinkering" than the average polymer pistol. I wouldn't recommend a 1911 as a first gun, and not even an "only" gun.

Just my thoughts...good luck with whatever you decide to do! :)
 
i got a 40ve years ago and almost instantly had ftf and fte. then the barrel got a strange discolored ring around it. the range people and gunsmiths there all had different opinions on what it was, from just a heat mark to a cracked barrel, but no one could tell me 100 percent what was wrong with it. i ended up selling the weapon(disclosing the issues i had and my lack of trust in the pistol) and it ruined me for s&w for years. while i still owned that weapon i would have reached for my baseball bat before the sigma in a life or death situation cause mine just didnt work. i suggest you sell it for what you can and find a better handgun. to this day i wont buy a smith semi auto only revolvers
 
Good... that leaves more S&W semi-autos for the rest of us to enjoy.

Randy

PS. Thank you for your service!
 
Dude, they're tearing you up here. What were you thinking with that post in the Sigma section of the Forum. Go to glocktalk and tell them how much you hate your glock.
 
pappy.gif
Well ikacc - a bunch of members gave you some pretty good advice. Based on your responses - this "old fart" would suggest that you start planning on "selling" or "trading in" your Sigma 40 for a Colt 1911. Yea, Springfield, S&W, Ruger, etc. make 1911's - but, you are totally sold on the Colt 1911 so stick with it. In the meantime, you will live with losing sleep and second guessing yourself - you aren't the first or the last. Look at this (Sigma 40) purchase as an experience that you can use for the rest of your gun collecting life. Hey, you aren't the first one to pick a gun and then wish you had picked the other gun! The lesson you learned is to only purchase a type of gun that you have actually taken to the range.
 
Like everything else in the world, there will be people that love them and there will be people that hate them. I happen to love my sigma, with almost 1500 rds down the pipe it has yet to have given me any problems ( knock on wood!!) not one! Yes it took some time to get use the the trigger but with time and dry firing i became to like the trigger. Give it time and if you still dont like it sell it and move on. In my book the sigma is a good shooter, in my book. :)
 
Does sound like a Glock guy, one S&W made all 20 million of the others bad. I've got two, had 3 before, only problem I ever had was some rounds ejected onto my head, which they fixed in 10 days, and the tritium vial died. Had a new one in 4 days.
 
how many rounds do you have through your sigma. first 2 range sessions I wasn't a fan 1000 rounds later I'd buy a second one without hesitation
 
ikacc: It has been 14 days since your first post, have you gotten to put more rounds down range? Any improvement in your groups with live and dry fire? Do you like the gun any better? Be Safe,
 
Check out the several articles on the net concerning the trigger modifications that can be made to the Sigma.I was well pleased with the result I had.
 
I will give you at least $150 + shipping for your Sigma. You could take that cash and save it until you can get the Colt of your heart's desire. Please PM me if you want to sell the Sigma. This is a serious offer.

If you are intent on keeping it, pay attention to those fundamentals that were mentioned here, and for grip, especially on an auto, make sure you grip it very high, with the web of your hand as high on the tang of the grip as you can get it, and seated well there. Grip it hard too. If you grip too hard with your trigger hand, your finger may not like to squeeze the trigger with the nice fluid motion you want, so keep in mind that your off hand can grip harder.

From your statements I'd imagine you'd feel about the same way about one of the vaunted Glocks... When I first shot striker fired DA type auto pistols, I thought I would hate them forever. Now I own one that is my every day concealed carry (Kahr CW40).

All of that being said, I'm no expert on the Sigmas, but I'd like to get to know one! So seriously, contact me if you want to sell it!
 
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I honestly cant believe that you made a thread complaining that your sigma doesnt shoot as well or have as nice of a trigger as a colt 1911. I hope you spent the rest of your hard earned money on a flame suit, im sure the mods will stop this thread before it gets bad but wow is all I can say.
 
Jswiney9 said:
I honestly cant believe that you made a thread complaining that your sigma doesnt shoot as well or have as nice of a trigger as a colt 1911. I hope you spent the rest of your hard earned money on a flame suit, im sure the mods will stop this thread before it gets bad but wow is all I can say.
Click to expand...

OMG!! On a Sigma forum too!! ;)
 
I put over 2500 rounds downrange and carried a Sigma over 4 years. The way I dealt with the trigger was PULL it. NOT squeeeezzze it. Learn to shoot it like a double action wheel gun and you will improve quickly. If the do-do hits the fan everybody will PULL, sqeeeezzze goes out the window. It'll never be a 1911 but give it a try, you might suprise yourself.
 
I have been shooting handguns for over thirty years, I own and shoot a 1911, a High Standard target pistol, Colt and Smith & Wesson revolvers and a host of other handguns including a Ruger LCP. I also own and shoot a Sigma SW9VE that I bought when I needed an inexpensive 9mm handgun. If the Sigma were my first handgun I too would have had difficulties. The biggest criticism of the Sigma is it's heavy and long trigger pull. Every other aspect of the gun is top notch and comparable to Glocks, M&Ps, Springfield XDs, etc. The trigger is different. What it is, is a essentially the same as a double action revolver trigger pull. If you shoot a Sigma than switch to a S&W revolver and shoot it double action (using the trigger to cock the hammer) there is little difference. A 1911 is a different animal with a delicate single action trigger.

The main problem with the Sigma is that due to its price it is often the first handgun many shooters buy, but it is not a handgun for beginners. It is a hard gun to shoot well, especially in 40 S&W. But if you can master a Sigma you can probably shoot any handgun well.
 
ikacc said:
Well dry firing is much different than real firing. I did try the trigger before buying but feels totally different when actually firing. It takes SO long for the trigger to actually fire the round as compared to the Colt.
Click to expand...

Why didn't you go the M&P line? The trigger can be modified to smoothen, shorten the action. I went with ATEi (shop is driving distance) new sear and have a 4lb trigger weight as well on my SHield and also my 9c. Both are pretty darn good quality, reliable and affordable.
It's my understanding the Sigs are not about quality, the cheaper end of S&W pistols. You get what you pay for.
 
About 6 years ago I bought a $1200 Kimber, it looked cool but it always jammed on me so after 3 months I sold it for a $300 loss. I later figured out I was limp wristing it. I took it back to the shop I bought it from and they tried twice to get it to fail and it never did. I was so sorry I sold it because if I had just learned to use the gun I would have been fine. I now have a Sigma 40 and it is my 4th Sigma. I guess I learned on the Sigmas so well I had trouble changing over to the 1911 style gun.
I guess what I am trying to say is give it some time because they may not be for everyone but they sure are for me. I have bought so many guns and traded them off before they even cooled down because I thought they were just not the gun for me. What a total waste of $$$$
 
RPNelson said:
I agree..I have only had my 9VE for about 2 months now and have put about 500rds thru it and I still have some issues with it. Low and left...but its hitting the target. Doing alot better then when I first shot it. hang in there...
Click to expand...

Low and left is common with right handed shooters, it is caused by that dang "trigger actuator" slapping the trigger.
A good way that I've found to remedy this situation is to put a pencil down your barrel during dry fire practice. Practice your trigger pull, while keeping the tip of the pencil from going side to side or up and down. All the pencil does is give you an extended point of reference that will magnify any sway you may have, and make it more perceptible to your eyes.
Focus on your pull, take it nice and slow. Soon you'll be blasting those rounds down range quickly and accurately.
The Sigma does indeed have a bit of a tough trigger to master, but it's cheap and reliable.
A gun in the hand is worth 2 in the case!
 
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