new shooter makes a mistake and buys on impulse

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rodjos2

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I haven't shot a handgun in 10 years. I wanted to get into shooting handguns so I went to a gun show and bought a pistol. Here's the problem though... don't laugh or yell at me... I spent 279 and bought a Smith & Wesson Sigma. I made the mistake of buying on an impulse rather than what I went there to buy (a Bersa). After I get home and read the reviews, I figure I want another gun before I shoot the new gun.

So I've got a brand new Sigma that I don't want, and I'm not going to shoot it. The shop I bought it from is far from home and doesn't take returns.

I want a semi-auto gun (with a safety!) that will be fun for me and my wife to shoot. The double action only of the Sigma is scaring me off.

If I go to a gun shop in town and try to trade it in what kind of deal can I expect to get on it?
 
Don't jump to conclusions so fast. I also bought a S&W Sigma .40. So far, no problem with the gun. Personally, I like it a lot. Completely accurate. I'd say give it a try and see if you like it. I would think you would take a beating on it if you were to trade it in -used or not. IMHO.
 
DAO is as safe as an uncocked revolver. I had the same concerns when I entered the autogun ranks. My first was a S&W 4043 in DAO it's now my nightstand gun because I consider it the safest for groggy, high adreneline, night time encounters.
 
Which Sigma? The SW9 and SW40 take some getting used to and I don't care for them, but they are not bad guns. The SW380 is an inexpensive, made to a price gun, that is intended for carry and light use; it is not one of S&W's better ideas.

Will you get hosed on a trade-in? Yes, that's the way the world works. But if it is an SW9 or SW40, the deal won't get worse if you shoot the gun a bit. The ergonomics are actually pretty good and you might find you like it. If it is an SW380, you paid full retail and I don't think you can come close to getting your money back on a trade.

If it is any consolation, we all have done something like that, if not with a gun, then with some other product.

Jim
 
The Sigma got a lot of bad press because some of the original ones had problems. The new ones, the enhanced Sigma line, are reported to be decent handguns and quite reliable. There has been quite a bit of discussion about them at the Smith & Wesson Forum.

http://www.smith-wessonforum.com/cgi-bin/sandwcgi/Ultimate.cgi

A lot of cops have reported that they are happy with the guns.

Also Smith & Wesson is a very reliable company and they stand behind their products 100%.

Bill
 
Try it for yourself, I heard a bunch o fbad things about the early Sigma's . I think they had some bugs to work out, from recent reports they are much better now.
Yes, you will lose money on a trade but as Jim said we all have done it from time to time. Plus if you get something you like it is worth losing a little $ in exchange for peace of mind.
 
I don't have the exact model number in front of me, but it's something like sw9ve or something similar.

Will my wife, also a new shooter, be able to handle that heavy trigger pull? Can you get the trigger pull lighter?
 
There not a bad gun overall ive shot uncles and cousins 9 and 40 a lot and there ok i think the recoil is little rough on the 40 but not a bad gun.
 
I've made some similar "mistakes" in my day. Fortunately many actually turned out not to be a mistake after all. Some surprised me despite a lot of bad press and I am quite happy with them. I highly recommend breaking it down, clean it thoroughly, take it to the range, but a whole bunch of ammo through it....then make your own individual evaluation. Also, S&W does honor their warranty completely.

I keep coming close to buying one myself because I can't honestly believe all the bad press that I have read. And I like...being controversial I suppose.
 
Will you get hosed on a trade-in? Yes,
Click to expand...

Not necessarily!! I used to have a stainless SW40VE. I had it for many years. It initially had problems so I sent it to S&W and had it back within a week. It worked flawlessly for the next several years. Well, I finally decided I wanted a Ruger .357 blackhawk so I took my Smith and Wesson to a gun show and I was really surprised at how many dealers wanted it. It was crazy. I ended up trading the Sigma + $50 for a used (but looked almost new) great condition stainless blackhawk .357. The Blackhawk was marked at $350. Not too bad for a 5 or 6 year old Sigma! I had another dealer offer to trade a blued Dan Wesson .357 for it but I didn't like his vibes and I was kinda set on a stainless blackhawk.

rodjos2 - $279 is a good price even with the bad reputation that comes with it. I'd think you could get almost that back in trade. Blue book trade price on my stainless .40 was something like $265 according to one of the dealers that wanted it at the gun show. Otherwise though it might be worth shooting it to see how it operates. They can have a pretty gnarly trigger but I became very accurate with mine. I think Novak can do a trigger job on it but I don't know if I'd invest more money on a Sigma...it could be a good beater gun.

brad cook
 
Although it isn't a favorite of mine, the examples I've shot really weren't bad shooters. Have your wife dry fire it and see if she has a problem with the trigger. If it proves reliable, I don't see it as a bad choice with the price you paid for it.
 
IMHO,a newbie to shooting is well served with a DAO semi,or a revolver.Far less likelyhood of an AD .You have to actually PULL the trigger,not just press it.It will also build up muscle tone in the shooting arm,so when and if you decide to go 'reular' semi auto,it will be a breeze.
Do your ego a favor and start with big bullseyes up close,and move'me out as you learn the gun.
I understand WalMart's price on 'white box' 9mm is about the best buy going.buy a bunch and shoot a lot...repeat.:)
 
I'd hold on to the Sigma but try again looking for a Bersa. A really fun range gun is the 22 caliber Bersa (sold under the Firestorm name). It's an accurate little plinker with the look and operation of a traditional double action semi-auto. Better quality (and reliability, durability?) than the Walther P22, and at about the same price.

A double action only gun does not need a safety (which is why double action revolvers don't have safeties). If you're really into safeties, however, the Bersa has a decocker/manual safety, a magazine disconnect, and an internal lock. A corporate lawyers dream! It's still a great shooter, though.

If you're looking more along the lines of a home/self defense type gun, look at the Steyr M series in 9mm or 40 S&W. A Steyr M9 is everything that the Sigma (or Glock for that matter) should be. The Steyr action is similar to DAO, but it has a manual safety and internal lock. I saw them for $299 at a gunshow last weekend. In terms of quality, the Steyrs are about the same as Glocks (nicer than the Sigmas by any account).
 
If you truly don't want it then don't trade it (you will get hosed). Sell it outright on the classifieds of the internet boards or put it on the auction sites. You will probably get more of your money back that way then purchase what you originally set out for.
 
You had the impulse for a reason. The SW9VE is the "enhanced" version and all reports, from people who've actually used them, that I've seen say they are good guns. I've handled them and think the ergos are good and the compromise trigger, like the Glocks, doesn't lend itself to precision shooting but works well in most pursuits.

Give it a work out yourself and don't believe everything you see on the internet ;)
 
I understand WalMart's price on 'white box' 9mm is about the best buy going.buy a bunch and shoot a lot...repeat.
Click to expand...

Unless you live near an Academy Sports and Outdoors store...which sells CCI Blazer ammo for $3.86 per 50. I just bought half a case the other day for $40.

brad cook
 
The SW9VE is the "enhanced" version and all reports, from people who've actually used them, that I've seen say they are good guns. I've handled them and think the ergos are good and the compromise trigger, like the Glocks, doesn't lend itself to precision shooting
Click to expand...

As I stated earlier I shot a Sigma enhanced version for years. However, there is NO comparison to Glock. The Glocks I've shot were pretty much tack drivers and had WAY better triggers than the Sigma. You're right, the Sigma doesn't lend itself to precision shooting, but the Glock does just about as much as any stock service pistol.

brad cook
 
Keep it!

The sigma was my first gun and also an impulse buy. My eyes lit up at magazine capacity (17+1) and price. I qualified CCW with it and it goes bang EVERY time. Don't get dissuaded by nay-sayers. You have the enhanced?! well mine is the old 9f and it is great. yours should definitely be ok. Just try her out before you do something you REALLY may regret by selling it without trying it. You may just like it.
 
I vote - Shoot it. You will take a loss selling it. You will not take more of a loss if it has been fired. A reliable handgun is always of some value. Might as well clean it, oil it, and put a couple hundred rounds through it. The good news is that you cannot lose a lot of money, since you do not have a lot in it.
 
Generally as a rule of thumb, when selling to a dealer you will get half of your purchase price, he will mark it up to make a 50 % profit, and sell it for 3/4 of the new price, if it's pristine condition.

I'd keep it and stock up on hi-cap mags as soon as the AWB 10 round mag cap expires. Use the "Search" button and find out what the problems you may run into are, and keep your eye out for them. If it stays reliable with hollow points for 200 rounds,
 
Well, I put 50 rounds through it yesterday. I varied from 10, 20, and 50 feet targets. All rounds fired hit the silhouette (sp?). In the 10-20 foot range, all rounds within the center 2 rings. At 50 feet, they all landed somewhere on the chest, but not necessarily right in the middle of the bullseye. I took a few head shots at 50 feet and they all hit the head (well, one would have shot his ear off, but it was still in the blue).

I don't know much about handguns, but this was really fun, I think I'll keep it for awhile.
 
Good shooting , glad to see that you gave it a chance . I've never fired one of the original Sigmas but have fired the VE our club uses for Basic Practical quite a bit and never have had a problem with it . Actually , how well the grip fits is quite surprising . The trigger is a bit rough but it's meant to be an affordable service type piece so that's easily forgiven . At $279 they're one of the best new gun buys available to us here in MA IMO ; I've even thought about getting one " just cause" myself .
 
Glad to hear you had fun. Not bad shooting :)

And DigMe, I can't vouch for other guns but my Glock has an excellent, if somewhat long, trigger pull. It's kinda cheating thogh because it's a 24P with the 3.5# connecector and I've worked over the trigger a bit to help out with the grittyness :D
 
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