View Full Version : S&W Sigma 9mm SWV9E *opinions of actual users*
I just got the sigma 9mm. Shoots great, 1,000 rounds and not one hiccup. Many oppose to the heavy trigger but not a issue for me.
The Sigmas are actually pretty nice guns at their price point. The trigger sucks but they tend to function just fine. Wouldn't trust one as my "go to" pistol for high round count duty. The new SD9 is a vast improvement in my opinion and can be had for only a little more. Of course with new M&P 9 & 40's available for $398 I can't see why anyone would settle for less.
16+1 should be more than enough. Im used to the trigger. Works fine to me. With no manual safety, the heavy trigger imo seems appropriate. Looking at the Taurus pt945 next.
F-Trooper05
06-06-11, 20:59
Looking at the Taurus pt945 next.
Dude, you might want to do yourself a favor and increase your standards just a tad.
Got one about a year ago for the heck of it, now have about 500 rounds through it, all my handloads. Have had a few failures to fire, all in reloaded IVI brass which seats primers VERY deep. Those same rounds go off in my BHP which has a much heavier hammer fall and firing pin protrusion. I don't blame the Sigma because those rounds were definitely out of spec. I think it would percolate 100% with factory ammo.
The grip and feel of the Sigma are outstanding. The trigger is fine with me as I am a DA revolver shooter. I cannot shoot a Glock well but hit anything I shoot at with the Sigma. The Sigma to me is actually a better gun than the comparable Glock 19--at about half the cost.
Like I said, I can't see settling for anything less when M&P's can be had new for roughly $400.
I dont think popular brand names, models and price point set any higher standards. Quality is spoken more by performance. As for the Sigma 1000 rounds no hiccups. Speaks quality for me. Many popular names & models cannot perform that well.
Dude, you might want to do yourself a favor and increase your standards just a tad.
What would you reccomend?
Guns-up.50
06-06-11, 21:21
The grip and feel of the Sigma are outstanding. The trigger is fine with me as I am a DA revolver shooter. I cannot shoot a Glock well but hit anything I shoot at with the Sigma. The Sigma to me is actually a better gun than the comparable Glock 19--at about half the cost.[/QUOTE]
This is a bold statment for only having 500 rounds through the pistol. I personaly wouldnt even compare the two..:confused: Different strokes i guess
Hey, love that Sigma so much?? I got a .40 version I'll sell ya...
I've put 1125 rds through mine in the past 2 years I've had it and the trigger still sucks. Heavy trigger and no short reset combine for a craptastic combo.
F-Trooper05
06-06-11, 21:45
What would you reccomend?
I would recommend that you take note of how not a single police department, SWAT team, military unit, shooting instructor, or competitive shooter in the country uses Sigmas or Taurus'. Buy cheap and you'll buy twice.
Hey, love that Sigma so much?? I got a .40 version I'll sell ya...
I've put 1125 rds through mine in the past 2 years I've had it and the trigger still sucks. Heavy trigger and no short reset combine for a craptastic combo.
I think its a better gun than many lead it to be. Its ok to me. For the price its a great gun. It does the job.
Guns-up.50
06-06-11, 22:09
What would you reccomend?
G17,19,21,22,26........ mp9,9c,40,45......hk......
Not brand bashing but my broth bought a pt 1911 and he said it was shooting funny. i took it apart and the ejector fell out:confused: Buddy of mine had a pt 24-7, shot like shit
Welcome to M4C.
You may find that posts like yours will be seen as a hope for validation of your purchase than a real interest in feedback. Your posts are indicative of that.
16+1 should be more than enough. Im used to the trigger. Works fine to me. With no manual safety, the heavy trigger imo seems appropriate. Looking at the Taurus pt945 next.
I dont think popular brand names, models and price point set any higher standards. Quality is spoken more by performance. As for the Sigma 1000 rounds no hiccups. Speaks quality for me. Many popular names & models cannot perform that well.
I think its a better gun than many lead it to be. Its ok to me. For the price its a great gun. It does the job.
If that isn't the case, my apologies.
There is merit in your statement that brand names and price point may not set any higher standards. After all, it was S&W, generally regarded as a quality brand, that made the Sigma. They also initially sold it at about the same price point as one can now buy Glocks, M&Ps, and a SigPro for.
That you fired 1000rds without a problem means nothing without knowing the details of your range session. I have opened many a pistol and rifle case and fired 500-2000rds through them in a couple of hours. I know many a Sigma that would not shoot 800-1000rds over five days.
The search button will give you the information you seek. To avoid being seen as unhelpful, here is my usual input on the topic of Sigmas:
There are a number of other threads on the Sigma. Here are the comments I usually post in threads concerning the Sigma:
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.
Eventually, S&W was unable to give them away to agencies transitioning or standardizing.
The "Enhanced" wasn't, and the guns I had in my hands failed to fire at an alarming rate. Subsequent samples were little better.
A S&W sales rep was heard saying that the Sigma wasn't suitable for a LE gun, but was fine for the commercial market. (My kingdom for a tape recorder.)
There are examples of those that run. Their use is usually minimal in volume and instensity.
That's what I know first-hand.
If you are satisfied with the Sigma, you will likely be very satisfied with the Taurus PT945 you're contemplating.
Shoot well. Let us know how we can assist you further.
©Skintop911
Validation wasnt the issue. No offense taken.
I do appreciate the info you provided. Thank you.
m1a_scoutguy
06-06-11, 23:46
I bought a Sigma 40 Cal when they first came out,,,a Looooong time ago !!! I shot the shit out of it,,I mean really,,I put thousands of rounds down it & the gun never let me down !! Yea I had a few FTF,,,or FTE,,but I shot reloads 99.9% of the time,,so I'm sure it was a issue with my crimp,,or seating depth or something !! I shot some Factory through it,,and never had a issue with Any factory ammo !! Yea the trigger stinks and a Glock has a better rep,,M&Ps are nice,,but so what,,if YOU like it and it works,,that's all that matters !!! I remember looking on the S&W website when I had mine and I think you could send your pistol back to them and they would work the trigger !!! Mite be worth a look !! If you like it and it works,,enjoy !!! :D
I bought a Sigma 40 Cal when they first came out,,,a Looooong time ago !!! I shot the shit out of it,,I mean really,,I put thousands of rounds down it & the gun never let me down !! Yea I had a few FTF,,,or FTE,,but I shot reloads 99.9% of the time,,so I'm sure it was a issue with my crimp,,or seating depth or something !! I shot some Factory through it,,and never had a issue with Any factory ammo !! Yea the trigger stinks and a Glock has a better rep,,M&Ps are nice,,but so what,,if YOU like it and it works,,that's all that matters !!! I remember looking on the S&W website when I had mine and I think you could send your pistol back to them and they would work the trigger !!! Mite be worth a look !! If you like it and it works,,enjoy !!! :D
Translation: "Yeah the gun had malfunctions and was a POS, but it was just a toy and luckily never had to trust my life on it."
Lol
Translation: "Yeah the gun had malfunctions and was a POS, but it was just a toy and luckily never had to trust my life on it."
Lol
The first ones that came out did have many issues (like any new model does). Compared side by side internals & externals its "Almost" identical to a glock.
Im not here to argue or be insulted. So thank you for your opinion. Everyone has one. But I am looking for facts instead.
ghettomedic
06-07-11, 08:01
Im not here to argue or be insulted. So thank you for your opinion. Everyone has one. But I am looking for facts instead.
What facts exactly? Your first post only states you've put 1000 rounds through it without problems and then you devolve into defending your gun against posters who raise extremely valid points regarding the usage of Sigma and Taurus pistols in the duty/CCW arena. As far as your gun, it only matters that YOU have fired the gun enough to deem it reliable to YOUR standards. If your gun works well for you and you like it, then godspeed, but this is not to place to defend a weapon that has failed to gain a significant foothold in American law enforcement, military or CCW usage.
I'll echo the previous posters who think you are looking for validation of your purchase. This is a forum for discussion of the technical and practical aspects of firearms with an eye towards military, law enforcement and civilian self-defense usage; not a forum to seek "facts" about a POS gun you already purchased.
Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the "Purpose and Culture" post located in the General Discussion area of the forum. There is some good information in there regarding this type of post.
In the future, if you need advice or "facts" on a gun you are considering purchasing, then by all means ask the members here. There is a literal wealth of technical and practical firearms information and experience here that would take decades and hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire on your own, but this is not an appropriate usage of that knowledge base.
If you want a gun who's very name is synonymous with crap...then drive on.
Mods can you create an "opinions" folder/forum so pointless threads like this can be avoided and will not distract from the mission statement of this site? The reason I say this pointless is because this topic has come up more than once and the OP doesn't want facts just praise. I haven't visited this site daily for years to inflate other men's egos, I come here for information that I cannot seek elsewhere.
I bought a Sigma 40 Cal when they first came out,,,a Looooong time ago !!! I shot the shit out of it,,I mean really,,I put thousands of rounds down it & the gun never let me down !! Yea I had a few FTF,,,or FTE,,but I shot reloads 99.9% of the time,,so I'm sure it was a issue with my crimp,,or seating depth or something !! I shot some Factory through it,,and never had a issue with Any factory ammo !! Yea the trigger stinks and a Glock has a better rep,,M&Ps are nice,,but so what,,if YOU like it and it works,,that's all that matters !!! I remember looking on the S&W website when I had mine and I think you could send your pistol back to them and they would work the trigger !!! Mite be worth a look !! If you like it and it works,,enjoy !!! :D
The first ones that came out did have many issues (like any new model does). Compared side by side internals & externals its "Almost" identical to a glock.
Im not here to argue or be insulted. So thank you for your opinion. Everyone has one. But I am looking for facts instead.
Most folks want to the believe that product genesis improved upon the Sigma. Sorry, 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 give-aways got them in a bunch of cop holsters. While LE sales are a small portion of manufacturer total sales, they help drive the larger 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.
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, the convo with the S&W rep was had in which he opined, and certain internal S&W events reflected, that the Sigma was not suitable to be a LE gun.
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 bought, and what it is however, nor allow others to do so.
(Model numbers above pertain to the 40SW variant, but are also applicable to the 9mm.)
I've thought about doing a work-up on the SD9 or SD40 to see what this new variant will do, but I'm not sure I want to burn the ammo. I am told that one will be appearing in a pool of demo, so I hope to gather some data later (albeit at a slower rate).
I bought one of the SW40F's when they first came out based on the idea it was supposed to be a domestic Glock and S&W's reputation.
I carried it CCW for a couple of years, and other than a broken mag follower which tied up the gun (not sure how a mag follower breaks while shooting), the gun ran without major issue. Not flawless, but near.
This was my sample of one however, and did not reflect my former Dept's experience when fielding them. They dropped them like the plague and transitioned to Glocks where they have been ever since.
When I sold my Sigma after a few years, I nearly had to give it away based upon the reputation they had earned.
Thank you all for the useful info.
Im not here looking for praise and if this thread I started offends others or is disrupting or distract from the mission of the forum mods please delete it. Im not here to be rude or offend anyone. Again Thank you all who provided info.
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