Sigma and Spawn of Sigma

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94045

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I had my old S&W SW9VE I bought 20 years ago to the range today.

Original mag springs, original striker, original striker spring. Still 100% OEM including that 11 lb trigger. No idea how many rounds are through it. It averages about 6 trips a year to the range with an average of 200 rounds through it per trip. 250 Rounds of 115 gr FMJ and 50 rounds of 124 gr JHP through it with zero malfunctions this morning and still shoots the 10 ring out at 10 yards.

Could someone tell me again why Sigmas (and their offspring) suck so bad!
 
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I used to have a 40 VE and a 9 VE about 20 years ago. they were both great guns. the 40 went away on a trade as I chose to stay with 9mm, 10mm, and 45acp. the 9 went away on a trade as well because I'm mostly gun rich and cash poor. that said, if I was in the market for a budget service sized pistol I'd go to Academy Sports and plunk down my money in a minute.
 
Had a 9mm a few years back. Wouldn't make it through a whole magazine. FTF and FTE. Took it to my Smith replaced a few parts. Can't remember what. Worked for a few range trips 100 rounds each. And started doing the same thing. So I sold it at a lose. With full disclosure to buyer.
 
Finish the polishing on striker safety plunger--bore and and interior of plunger--and
add an overtravel stop. Almost gives the snapping-icicle feel to trigger.
 
It's good to hear. I read about them when I first started shooting and avoided them, but now I am waiting to pick up a sw9ve for a price I couldn't resist. I have enjoyed my sd9ve and am curious to try it against the sw9ve even if they are redundant. An Apex spring kit is already waiting for it in anticipation.
 
I've always thought Sigmas and their spawn are reliable and accurate budget pistols. Nothing wrong with that.

But the one I shot had such a piece of crap, gritty, and heavy trigger that I couldn't stand it. They are truck guns to me, but the world needs truck guns.
 
I've always thought Sigmas and their spawn are reliable and accurate budget pistols. Nothing wrong with that.

But the one I shot had such a piece of crap, gritty, and heavy trigger that I couldn't stand it. They are truck guns to me, but the world needs truck guns.

I must of got lucky.
Trigger pull:
Long
Heavy
Minimal Stacking
Crisp Break
Zero Over Travel
Long Reset
Very Positive Tactile Reset

I don't recall any appreciable grit but any that may have existed has long since polished itself out.
 
Still have my 40VE. No idea how many rounds but 10k is probably close. Only malfunctions when it’s really dirty. I know this design really got under Glocks skin.
 
A SW9VE has been my truck gun for many years. It has been dead nuts reliable and never had a single bobble. And yes the trigger had a gritty feel to it. I took apart the trigger sear housing, the part with the pigtail some say to leave off. I don't leave out springs. But in that housing there is a spring inside of another spring. The inside spring is longer than the outside spring. I removed about 1 and 1/2 coils and now no more rubbing and the gritty feel is gone. Easy fix.
 
One of the most unfairly, publicly abused guns from a major manufacturer - ever.

Mock-Glocks-rock!

The triggers are rough but get better with use. And they feel rougher and more gritty if the striker is uncocked and I suppose most base their opinion of the trigger by picking up an uncocked gun in the store and pulling the trigger back. That will give you a false impression of what the trigger really feels like.

Mine is much better since I worked on it but its still not a target trigger. But its better than when I bought it new. You would have to be a real ham fisted dummy to have an ND with one of these guns.
 
I got one of the original Sigma .40s in about 1994. Great pistol. Sold it to a buddy and he still has it. I have offered to buy it back.

after the lawsuit when they had to add a bunch of extra trigger springs or whatever the trigger got much worse but the original was very shootable.
 
I must of got lucky.
Trigger pull:
Long
Heavy
Minimal Stacking
Crisp Break
Zero Over Travel
Long Reset
Very Positive Tactile Reset

I don't recall any appreciable grit but any that may have existed has long since polished itself out.
Well, it’s possible I was just unlucky too. After all we are both dealing with samples of one.
 
I bought an SD9VE about 18 months ago when S&W had a rebate on them. The trigger pull in mind is kind of heavy at 8-9 lbs but it's a smooth pull. I shoot revolvers a lot so it doesn't bother me. Have probably only shot 500 rounds but it's been trouble free so far
 
It's mostly just the trigger (which doesn't make the gun any mechanically less accurate - just harder to shoot). I've got one of the relatively rare original Sigma's in .357 SIG that I bought used and the trigger isn't too terribly bad. I've also got one of the SD's in .40 S&W where I swapped the trigger out for an Apex trigger and that brings it up to par with a really nice "stock" trigger, but I don't think there's anything you can do to get them into that sub-3 lb target trigger zone.
 
I never messed with a Sigma simply because it was never a blip on my radar. However, the SD9VE from years later was. I ended up with the SD9 with the black slide, grey frame. It hasn't given me any issues and I believe I paid $289 NIB with 3 magazines.
 
I just brought home a lightly used sw9ve. The trigger feel is different than the sd9ve for sure, and it's a heavier gun. It feels more robust and higher quality. Less slop in the trigger and slide catch. Stronger slide spring. The magazine release isn't quite as light as the sd9ve which has been one of my complaints with it. My sd9ve already has an Apex spring kit but I think it had a lighter trigger from the factory than the sw9ve does now. Sights and extractor are a different design and I'm sure the internals aren't quite the same either. Ergonomically the sd9ve is very, very slightly superior in my hands due to the texture and contour. It feels the slightest amount narrower at the top of the grip. I do not have large hands and I imagine difference may be imperceptible to others if they didn't compare them side by side. Both of them feel better than a typical Glock to me. I can use Glocks but the the shape and rake of the grip have never felt natural so I haven't spent much time with them.

Overall they're actually more different than I imagined seeing the pictures side by side. I will report back after shooting or changing the springs.
 
I just brought home a lightly used sw9ve. The trigger feel is different than the sd9ve for sure, and it's a heavier gun. It feels more robust and higher quality. Less slop in the trigger and slide catch. Stronger slide spring. The magazine release isn't quite as light as the sd9ve which has been one of my complaints with it. My sd9ve already has an Apex spring kit but I think it had a lighter trigger from the factory than the sw9ve does now. Sights and extractor are a different design and I'm sure the internals aren't quite the same either. Ergonomically the sd9ve is very, very slightly superior in my hands due to the texture and contour. It feels the slightest amount narrower at the top of the grip. I do not have large hands and I imagine difference may be imperceptible to others if they didn't compare them side by side. Both of them feel better than a typical Glock to me. I can use Glocks but the the shape and rake of the grip have never felt natural so I haven't spent much time with them.

Overall they're actually more different than I imagined seeing the pictures side by side. I will report back after shooting or changing the springs.

SW99 = Economized Walther P99
M&P = SW99 + SW9VE
SD9 = SW9VE + M&P
SD9VE = SD9 + SW9VE

At least that's my understanding although that's an oversimplification.
 
The original Sigma's made in the 1990's deserved every bit of the negative comments directed at them. They were truly a bad gun. I had one that was returned to Smith 3 times before I got 50 rounds through the gun. It took 5 months to get the issue resolved. And only when I insisted on they replace my gun with a new upgraded version that had recently been introduced. This was in the early 2000's.

The gunshop allowed me the full price I originally paid for the Sigma in trade on a Glock when the new gun came in. I went Glock and never looked back. I understand that the newer version and subsequent versions are much better. But the experience left a bad taste in my mouth and lots of others had similar experiences. It has taken years for that reputation for poor quality to be overcome.
 
Yeah... Bought one of the originals back in the late 90's, before I was on the internet and could find out how to improve the trigger, was raising two kids and working long shifts, so I got rid of it rather than waster time trying to improve it. It never failed, but that trigger was simply awful.
 
At the price I just paid I could get 4 of them for the price of a used Glock, so I am not going to complain too much about the trigger. I have a build date of 2013 so it is probably as improved as they get.
 
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