Smith & Wesson Sigma 40 Review

[plouffedaddy]

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Sigma pistols have a mixed record among the shooting public with many saying they're complete garbage while others saying they're a great bang for your buck. Here's what I've found of them over the years as well as specifically the Sigma 40...

Pros:
-Price. These guns can be had for roughly $300 +- $50 even today
-Fairly accurate pistols. In terms of inherent accuracy, this gun groups around 3'' at 25 yards with most defensive ammo (seems to like 165gr loads)
-Reliability. I know some will (truthfully) report otherwise but every Sigma pistol I've laid my hands on has been very reliable.
-Easy to maintain
-Easy to field strip
-Good amount of aftermarket support
-14+1 capacity
-Smith & Wesson has excellent customer service
-Requires very little cleaning/lubrication to run reliably
-Ergonomic frame
-Trigger has a positive reset

Cons:
-Trigger. This has been slightly improved in the newer "SD" models but the Sigma trigger is heavy (this one around 9lbs) and has an overly long reset point. This really is the biggest "con" of the gun and ruins the gun for a lot of folks out there.
-The rail doesn't work with most modern lights/lasers. There are adaptors (as shown in the video) available however.

All in all it's a decent gun for shooters looking to not spend a lot of money but still have a reliable platform. Would it be my first choice? No, but there are worse options out there in my opinion.

Here's a video with a little shooting, disassembly/assembly of the pistol, a size comparison with other guns, and a discussion of the pros and cons of the pistol:

Smith & Wesson Sigma HD Video Review Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW_xEztq17U)

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

Good review. You know Apex has a Sigma trigger spring kit for around $20, and if it's like the spring kit of theirs I put in my SD9, it will make a world of difference in the trigger pull.

[ST911]

Most folks want to believe that time and product genesis improved upon the Sigma. It isn’t so.

The first version was the SW40F, which was supposed to unseat Glock and retake the market for Smith. The SW40F had a sluggish start but some low-balls and giveaways got them in a bunch of cop holsters. While LE sales are a small portion of manufacturer total sales, they help drive the larger commercial side significantly.

Not long thereafter, problems with the guns were fairly obvious and there were various complaints. I had one of the earliest SW40Fs. It felt good in the hand, which was about the kindest thing I could say about it. I saw many more SW40Fs thereafter over a period of years, performing similarly.

A training venue that used to see a lot of them advises students to bring a spare gun if they're planning to shoot a Sigma. Or have an armorer standing by.

Each of several agencies that used them had a multitude of issues, mostly unresolved even with replacement guns. They then had to beg LE firearm dealers for a trade allowance toward something else.

Enter the SW40E "Enhanced", which wasn't, incorporating mostly form/cosmetic/style changes. The obsessive owners and armorers seeing a lot of them identified some small parts tweaks. Issues still remained, and the SW40Es I had in my hands and watched ran a consistent 10% or greater failure rate. I had one of the first SW40Es out of the factory, which was sent for a T&E in an attempt to remove the bad taste its predecessor (SW40F) left.

Not long thereafter, a conversation with a S&W rep was held in which he opined, and certain internal S&W events reflected, that the Sigma was not suitable to be a LE gun.

Eventually, S&W was unable to give them away to agencies transitioning or standardizing. With the reputation of the Sigma in the tank, LE users not wanting them, and sluggish commercial sales, S&W resigned the Sigma to the commercial side with the SW40VE. Renamed the "Value" series, they again made no meaningful changes and the issues endure. The market likes "Value", which the consumers reads as "inexpensive" or "cheap". This is why those sell.

If you want a Sigma, it meets your needs, and performance is acceptable, enjoy it. Shoot well! Don't kid yourself about what you buy, and what it is however, nor allow others to do so. There are examples of those that run. Their use is usually minimal in volume and intensity.

(Model numbers above pertain to the 40SW variant, but are also applicable to the 9mm.)

If you are buying a S&W, buy an M&P or a used 3rd generation. In the latter, I’m partial to the 6906 and 3913 for CCW.

[Devildawg2531]

Brings back HORRIBLE memories. I was in college in the mid 90's and bought the Smith and Wesson Sigma 40/ It was amazing how utterly unreliable my Sigma was - complete garbage. It would FTE or FTF 20 % of rounds. I spent a year messing with it and trying various ammo and NOTHING worked. Sold it and got a Glock 22 in 95 and was amazed the improvement. Total 100% reliable.

My Sigma 40 was the least reliable semi I have ever seen including the garbage brands.

[plouffedaddy]

Well ya'll have me beat in the experience category for sure. I didn't get into shooting handguns until about 1999 and didn't shoot any handguns but Glocks until about 2004 so my experience with these guns is more recent than many of you.

[Kilroy]

The Sigma does represent a 'double action only' model for the S&W line up. The S&W 99/990 are also DAO, as represented in their catalog and owners manual. Definitely a trigger cocking pistol, unlike the misleading advertising S&W puts out on the M&P.