S&W Sigma .40 or Ruger P96 9mm?

[Guest TargetShooter84]

I'm doing this for a good friend of mine whose husband is interested in either S&W Sigma .40 caliber or Ruger P96 9mm. They are looking to get one for Christmas and they are on a tight budget. This will be their first gun purchase though so I want to help them make things go smoothly and have the right yet reliable gun. Both intend on getting their HCP eventually so that's a good thing.

I told her that I had heard great things about Smith and Wesson but I would ask around so this is where you come in, I need all good and bad info about either of those two and which you would pick and why?

And can you guys give me a couple good gun shops that they can go and look into around Knoxville area? I told them that Frontier wasn't too bad and that Coal Creek Armory wasn't an ideal place to purchase a gun from due to their rude customer services.

[glockster157]

Anything but a Sigma would be my advice.

[Guest NashvegasMatt]

Anything but a Sigma would be my advice.

someones a little biased, you didnt say why.

Honestly man, the sigma is a basic starter model weapon that S&W offers. It has no bells and whistles, but in the year I owned my sw40ve I enjoyed it. It gives people who are not in the position to buy a higher end weapon a chance to still own a quality product. For what it is, it is solid. In the year I owned mine, I learned more about guns and firing them, while not being afraid to "break" it when I took it apart because it was a lower end model. Unfortunately I have no experience with rugers outside of the 10/22 III, so I'm not going to pass judgement. There are a lot of guys on here who bought a sigma and are still very happy. For me, it was a starting point. I have since moved on, but I have had way worse weapons than my sw40ve. Saying anything is better in that price range is just bad information, because what are you going to buy for that price that functions like a smith?

[SonnyCrockett]

I would avoid a Sigma....If your looking for a 300.00 gun Ruger P series wins every time,personally

id just up it to 400 bucks and pick up a used glock or something,my local pawn shops sells em all day long

for 399.99 and some of them are never fired..I picked up an SR9 for 350 not long ago that looked like it was

used once.....get the drift

[Guest NashvegasMatt]

I would avoid a Sigma....If your looking for a 300.00 gun Ruger P series wins every time,personally

id just up it to 400 bucks and pick up a used glock or something,my local pawn shops sells em all day long

for 399.99 and some of them are never fired..I picked up an SR9 for 350 not long ago that looked like it was

used once.....get the drift

to bad that's not what he's asking... if that's the case, why not up it to $1000 and get something really awesome.

[Trekbike]

I think what Sonny was saying was for just a little more you start to get into a better class of guns. Ones that are better suited as a EDC piece since the OP they said they were interested in getting one. One pistol that's a little better now might save having to buy a second pistol down the road.

But back to the original question, of the two I would go with the Ruger.

[Guest NashvegasMatt]

I think what Sonny was saying was for just a little more you start to get into a better class of guns. Ones that are better suited as a EDC piece since the OP they said they were interested in getting one. One pistol that's a little better now might save having to buy a second pistol down the road.

But back to the original question, of the two I would go with the Ruger.

i can agree with that.

[Guest oldslowchevy]

i had a sigma 40... ungodly heavy trigger and the only time i hit the target is when i threw it at it. traded it in on my pt 917 and have never looked back.

[Guest bkelm18]

I've met very few people who didn't love their Sigmas. They're a cheap starter gun. The S&W SD line has been getting good reviews as well.

[frankmako]

if this is their first gun i would look for a wheel gun. a s&w and/or ruger wheel gun would be the best way to go. then later they could move over to an auto. now on the sigma. i pickup one from a person that did not like the trigger. i did a trigger job and the 12 pound trigger dropped to about 6 pounds. i carry a glock on duty and have found that the sigma fits my hand better and is a easy to shoot (after trigger job). before the trigger job the gun stayed in the safe. the sigma is a close copy of the glock. s&w made some changes in the trigger area, but the rest of the gun is very close.

[Guest PapaB]

I can't speak about rugers but I do have an sw9ve which is the 9mm version. My wife learned to shoot with this gun, got her HCP with it and it's her carry weapon. It has a strong trigger so it's not for people with weak hands but it goes bang every time you pull the trigger. After nearly 1000 rounds we've never had an issue with accuracy, f2f or jams even using the cheapest ammo we can find. S&W gives a lifetime warranty with the gun so, no matter who owns it, it's covered, including shipping in both directions. I've heard nothing but good comments about their customer service, although I've never needed it.

Good luck to them with their choice.

[peejman]

I'd recommend the Ruger, but I'm biased because I've got one. It's a tank of a gun, but plenty accurate and feeds anything. I've never owned a Sigma but have shot one once. Only gripe was the heavy trigger.

[Jonnin]

I have the older model ruger, p89 I think is the number, and it will shoot anything you put in it all day long. Fixed sights that are slightly off on mine, but it is one of the most reliable guns I have owned. Its big and heavy and not exactly a target pistol but it is perfect for learning to shoot pistol, car/bedside gun, the price is right, and its well made etc. THe only complaints I have are fixed sights and the typical DA trigger, but for the money, its a great choice. But I would hit up a gun show to pick up a used gun, go along with them to help them choose, you can get a lot of used gun for $300 or less.

[Jonnin]

by the way I thought the 96 was .40 and 95 was 9mm, or something, it didnt sound right in your post. If money is an issue, don't get a .40, the 9mm ammo is cheaper and the difference in ballistics is minor.

[sschrick]

if you have budget issues, also consider ammo. . ..40 ammo is more costly than 9mm.

Sigma has too much bad reputation for problems, even if the new ones are fixed, still the bad rep follows it. That is basically why the M&P series was released.

Ruger P-series is a good solid gun.

Maybe you should consider shopping around a little bit more. Can't come up with another $300 gun off the top of my head, but I am sure they are out there

[Guest NashvegasMatt]

if you have budget issues, also consider ammo. . ..40 ammo is more costly than 9mm.

Sigma has too much bad reputation for problems, even if the new ones are fixed, still the bad rep follows it. That is basically why the M&P series was released.

Ruger P-series is a good solid gun.

Maybe you should consider shopping around a little bit more. Can't come up with another $300 gun off the top of my head, but I am sure they are out there

where are you getting your information about about the sigma having problems? new ones being fixed? Saying that's why the M&P was released is not factual... but if you can prove this, I'll eat my words.

[Guest twpayne75]

I owned a Sigma when they came out. For about two days. That's how long it took to sell it after shooting it. Horrible trigger. Other than that it seemed to work. Never been into Rugers, but have shot with other people that had them. They seemed to like them. What exactly is your budget? Before I would consider buying either of these I would look around for better used alternatives. You can get police trade in Glocks and Sigs for mid to high $300's. Most have been carried but rarely shot. Usually once a year during qualifications.

[glockster157]

Several reasons I said to avoid a Sigma...Are they a reliable pistol, yes...Are they ergonomic, yes...are they inexpensive, yes...do they horrendous triggers, yes....does this make learning to shoot properly more difficult, yes...can the trigger be fixed as stated above, NO!....I have 30+ years gun experience and I have been in the firearms business twice. I bought a couple of new Sigmas a while back and sent one to a certified SW pistol shop for a trigger job. It helped but was still very hard and a lot of creep. So I picked up a used 9mm to experiment with. I tried all sorts of springs and polished everything till it looked like chrome. Fixed some of the creep and pistol was unreliable in rapid fire. Put the factory springs back in and it became reliable again but back to that God awful trigger. I tried several more times with different weight and types of springs, including leaving out that small one that people say you can on you tube....you can't.

Buy a good used Ruger P series pistol (P85/P89/P94/P95) or better yet find a clean SW 3rd Generation auto( 3900/5900/6900/4000 Series), now those were some real pistols. Also 2nd Gen Glock police trade-ins can be had cheap as can Beretta 92/96 police trade-ins.

[Guest TargetShooter84]

I owned a Sigma when they came out. For about two days. That's how long it took to sell it after shooting it. Horrible trigger. Other than that it seemed to work. Never been into Rugers, but have shot with other people that had them. They seemed to like them. What exactly is your budget? Before I would consider buying either of these I would look around for better used alternatives. You can get police trade in Glocks and Sigs for mid to high $300's. Most have been carried but rarely shot. Usually once a year during qualifications.

I dont know their budget but they are not looking to spend a lot and I want their first gun purchase to be good and reliable. Where would you find used police trade ins? I am going to recommend ruger and 9mm. I have all 9mm guns and it's easier yet cheaper with ammo.

Any ideas of a good gun shops in Knoxville or around it that you'd recommend?

[MarkInNashville]

What I know:

Ruger fixed a used P95 I bought from a dealer (not the original owner), no questions asked; Excellent customer service.

Everyone talks about how good S&W customer service just the same, I just have no personal knowledge of it.

What I think: The S&W Sigma is a good gun but does need some slight modification to be better. Removal of what is known as the "pig spring" goes a long way to easing the heavy trigger (Google it).

Both are good. I, personally, like black guns and the Ruger was available black off the shelf while the Sigma has always been a two-tone model (although that may be out of date information)... I would go for black. But that is personal preference. The couple looking to buy need to make that decision for themselves.

[Guest chrisdridley]

I have the S&W 40ve and the Ruger.....they are both good $300 guns in my opinion. Both have put hundreds of rounds down range and I have had no issues with either of them. I just purchased a XDm40 and so far, after only about 50 rounds, the $300 Smith will out shoot the much more expensive Springfield.

[Guest twpayne75]

Any ideas of a good gun shops in Knoxville or around it that you'd recommend?

Ummmm......NO. Been to most all of them in the past two weeks and came back home and wanted to kiss my dealer. (Mikes Gun Shop in Tazewell TN) Anyway, as someone mentioned before and I always forget about, the third generation S&Ws. I don't know of any gun that has a better trigger from the factory. They were crazy reliable and held up with heavy use. Forget buying those at a gun shop anywhere. The price will be jacked up. I come across them a lot online in the low 300s. By the time you pay shipping, transfer and BGC, you will still be in the 300's. Would rather have one of them than two of the others you mentioned.

[Guest twpayne75]

Here is what I'm talking about.

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[Guest ochretoe]

I carried the S&W Sigma for 10 years as a duty weapon. It is accurate and never a bit of trouble. I carry a Glock now and I liked the Sigma more. It's just easier to shoot. I also recomend Mike's in Tazwell. When I lived up there they did good by me. There is also a nice shop in Kingston by the interstate. I can't recall the name, it was 8 years ago. They were good to deal with also.

[Guest twpayne75]

Here is what I'm talking about.

You must be a member to continue!

For some reason this site never wants to allow you to edit a post. Anyway, in case it won't let you see it, it's a stainless S&W 6906, which is a 9mm, in very good condition for $300.