s&w sigma 40ve or 9mm, anybody have one?

[zapfbroad]

I had one in 40 S&W for a while when they first came out and didn't have any problems with it, but decided to trade it for a Glock 22 instead. I liked the trigger on the Glock better than the Sigma's but thought the Sigma had a better feeling grip.

My friend had one he sold it & got a glock also. He said he had 3 reasons..

1) he was going to the academy & wanted to already own what he would likely be issued when he got out as he knew pretty well where he would end up

2) he liked the trigger better

3) it said glock instead (he said it)

After he had his glock for almost 6 months with around 1000+ through it we had the time to go to the range together (rare for us). After a few minutes we exchanged guns I consistently, with his glock was about 1-2in. low left of target (left-handed too) which is unusual for me. He was a little all over (2in. up down etc) with his glock but was still spot on with my sw40ve.

Alot of similarities, small difference with the unsupported chamber vs the sigma.. endlessly debatable & insubstantial to my tomorrow. Alot of holsters will work for sigma.

Trigger - probably #1 complaint by people. dry fire & see how you like it, it doesn't bother me, i'm accustomed to it by now. I actually appreciate in terms of an SD situation the heavier pull.

Grip - aside from price this was the #1 reason I chose this over a glock. It fits my hand better and feels more naturally attuned to the shape of my palm.

I've put over 1600rnds through without problems excepting one super cheap box of target rounds that were ultra dirty.

One thing to consider no one has mention, it has a proprietary rail & won't accept your standard picatinny without a kit that makes it a bit oversized imho & definitely will limit options for holsters. So if you are looking at lights/lasers down the road it could be an issue.

Some people would make a case for american made versus import but that's your bag to carry if you want.

Nothing against glocks they obviously make great guns, with lots & lots of merit. sigma does get alot of bashing for the trigger & price. "Unless you pay $XXX anything you get will be junk..." is another popular bandwagon. academy sports has em all year long $329 on sale 299/279 holidays

I'd recommend giving it a shot, I am cheap, I like to start with cheapest solutions first & work my way into a spending hole after trial & error. Handle both, shoot them if you can, though I haven't seen many sigmas for rent @ ranges. Ultimately, you should just wait and get a 1911 anyways though haha.

Edited June 24, 2012 by zapfbroad

[Glock30]

Sigma .40 was my first weapon. I kept it for 6 months and traded it for a Glock (which I wanted in the first place) the week I took my HCP course. Not a bad gun, but spend a little more cash and get a better known and more easily accessorized weapon. JMHO.

[Guest T-Bird]

I have a SW9VE that I bought a couple months ago. I have only put about 200 rounds through it so far, but I like it. It is one of, if not THE most comfortable handgun I have ever held in my hand. The trigger pull is long and heavy, but I don't have a problem with it at all. It has also been very accurate for me as is, out of the box. It is my EDC at the moment.

OH, by the way.....bought it brand spankin' new for $289. Another reason I like it so much.

[DevJames]

Another budget friendly make to look at is Bersa. Argentine company but make well built pistols for the price. They're one of the gun shop secrets.

[Mike.357]

they are fine pistols.

I dunno what a truck gun is but I carry my 9mm Sigma daily. I can afford whatever the heck pistol I want for protection.

I have heard all the poor mouthing of the trigger but it has never bothered me. I can hit what I am shooting at.

I think lots of poor mouthing of affordable guns is people trying to justify why they spent more. I have shot Glocks and the trigger is hardly better,

[Lumber_Jack]

they are fine pistols.

I dunno what a truck gun is but I carry my 9mm Sigma daily. I can afford whatever the heck pistol I want for protection.

I have heard all the poor mouthing of the trigger but it has never bothered me. I can hit what I am shooting at.

I think lots of poor mouthing of affordable guns is people trying to justify why they spent more. I have shot Glocks and the trigger is hardly better,

Agreed I have a sigma 40, glock 22 and can barely tell any difference. Except $150

[DevJames]

I genuinely find this very hard to believe. Maybe I should mess with a new Sigma. The old ones had a very long and heavy pull. I had to adjust my grip to get teh trigger to break putting the brunt of the recoil across the knuckle of my thumb...wasn't fun. I wouldn't be surprised at all if it's a now a much improved gun however. I just never gave them a look since the first ones.

[Guest Scwrod]

I see this topic alot. I own a SWVE40 and don't know how you can go wrong. The price is right so I would say just grab one and then if for whatever reason you don't like it, you can sell it quickly and not loose much money. They did a wonderful job on the grip. The trigger is long and hard. It can be worked on and drop a few pounds. But remember there is no external saftey so a long hard trigger could be a good thing. Easy to tear down and work on. Large capacity mag. I use as a daily carry and it receives bangs, scratches and holster wearing which do not bother me becasue of the cost. I am saving up for a SIG 229 and those scratches will hurt worse I carry with a serpa CQC holster and it is very comfortable. I have no accuracy or malfunction problems.

I would carry a sigma over a glock anyday. Last but not least it is a good looking gun.

[Duck]

My Sigma 40 cal is on its way to S&W right now. It had two stoppages in the first 50 rounds so I felt like I should shoot it some more. So I paid another range visit to test it some more the next 140ish rounds did well but then it stopped firing. The lady at the range took it apart and said it has a broken firing pin. Appearantly this is a common thing. The guy at S&W was cool and said oh yeah send it in. Their paying for it but I am without a gun, I paid 350 after tax and registration but after all I have spent going to the range and ammo I could have bought a Sig. While in the Military I never saw a Beretta, Sig, or Glock f up this bad.

[Cherokee Slim]

I got a SW40VE in a trade with Mousegunner before he passed away. It feels good to hold & shoot. MIne doesn't malfunction at all. But it just sits in the safe because I only carry a .45 out of the house & an LC9 in the house. They are a good first gun, good carry gun even if you never "trade up" to a fancier gun.

Cherokee Slim

[Guest T-Bird]

I have had zero problems with mine, other than one squib load, and it's kinda hard to blame that on the gun. The trigger doesn't bother me unless I'm shooting 100+ rounds through it at a time, then my finger starts to get tired. I may do the fix to lighten it up a tad, but I like a heavy-ish trigger for safety. It doesn't seem to affect my accuracy at all.

[Backon4]

The new SD9VE and SD40VE will be a better choice. For a few dollars more you get a standard rail, and a little better trigger. I have an original sigma 40V, a SD9 and a SD40. All of my smiths have been fine weapons. Had a M&P 40c but let it go because it was hard to justify keeping when I carried the SD40 more

[wstrnrdr]

I have had a SW9VE for almost 2 years and 3200+ rounds. With our own range, everything from single target, multiple target, rapid fire to movement and have never exprienced any type of failure or missfeed. It is carried daily in public, working the farm and on horseback. Yes it is cleaned weekly minimum, as well as after every range trip. Trigger is a bit different, but I have found that it has helped improve trigger control. Also have a Sig, but prefer the Sigma myself. My suggestion would be rent one at your local range and put 100 rounds or so downrange, get your own opinion. Dollar for dollar it is a good solid primary, backup, or first gun. Still my suggestion would be to try as many different guns as possible, eliminate all but a few and again go back and try them again. Comfort, feel, accuracy, and dependability all weighed to make your decision. Take care and don't be unduly influenced by Gun Shop people, make your own decisions based on your own experiences and trials.