Garber1-
I'll give you my opinion and it is not crap nor small minded or hateful.
I own a Sigma, I've also owned a Glock.
I've also been to the Glock police armourer's course, and Smith & Wesson's pistol armourer's course at Springfield and I am a gunsmith and machine gunparts and gunsmithing tools too.
The low down on the Sigma is that is a great firing pistol. It is ergonomically excellant and points naturally. The 1st gen of Sigmas had some trouble with the dust cover op-spring guide area of the lower reciever cracking, but not really making it unserviceable. S&W replaces older Sigmas with new models if you have an older one that has this defect. The triggers on the Sigma is very heavy. It is a true double action. It cocks and fires with a full pull of the trigger like Glock.
Glock sued S&W over the 1st version and they came to an agreement that S&W wouldn't use Glock's trigger. Sigma has a new trigger that is heavy like the older model, but slightly different. It becomes smoother and lighter with use though. Sigma's new frame has a fantastic new grip and nicer contoured slide that also makes it slighty more compact than the 1st vers.
They have excellant steel magazines. The pistol shoots where it is aimed.
The Glock & Sigma field strip the same. The Sigma now has a small counter bored hole in top of the bbl to reveal a round in chamber. The slide & bbl of the Sigma are made of stainless.
I've never had any malfunctions with my SW40VE yet, and it's over 1000 rds now. I like it very much. It cost between $269-309 depending where you purchase it. Mine was under $300. 2 magazines & lock box included.
My Glock 9mm was a good gun, but I felt like I was muscling it down to the target because it's natural point of aim is into the sky. I went to the armourer's course for that one and was impressed. It is very durable and functionable and has a better trigger than the Sigma out of the box.
Many folks who rag on the Sigma have never had any practical experience with it and must have some kind of chip on their shoulder like nothing can replace the Glock. Maybe the fine Glock won't be replaced for a very long time, and I hope it isn't, but I hope people will be open minded enough to accept that other great guns are everywhere and some are not to be liked by some, and some are. The Sigma is a great value for anyone who wants to get into the shooting or self defense world at a lower cost. I like some other guns better than the Sigma but I am an enthusiest and happen to also like the Sigma more than the Glock due to fit in hand and aesthetics and because it always shoots straight without malfunction.
Hope this helps you to understand a little better, and I hope you buy something you like.
Best regards-Mike