sigmas

[paintballdude902]

im looking to get my first centerfire handgun and my dad told me he wants to buy me another gun for graduation

i have alot of experience with guns both rifle shotguns and handguns but i just dont own any yet i have ruger single six in .22 and love it but id like a more powerful hand gun for the range, hunting (as a sidearm), home defense, and when i turn 21 cc

i did search but didnt find any real review other than i like mine and i sent it back to s&w for a mush trigger but they fixed it

what is your personal opinion of the sigmas in .40s&W

any problems with yours?

how are after market mags and holsters?

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

I've heard the newer ones are much better, but some of the original Sigmas were terrible. The one I had was a nightmare. Light strikes, broken springs, picky about ammo, terrible trigger, etc.

 

[wuchak]

Great writeup on the Sigma at http://smith-wessonforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/520103904/m/4561077362/p/1

I have one in 9mm and love it. I don't know about aftermarket mags for a Sigma, I think only S&W makes them.

If I were you I'd go for a 4" stainless .357 instead. Much better sidearm for hunting. You might like the 3" Ruger SP101 as well. Fantastic all around gun.

.357 is also very easy to reload for which will cut your ammo costs down dramatically and with a revolver you can go from very light target loads to full power 180 or 200 gr bear loads in the same cylinder.

Get some of these and you can practice in the basement or garage http://www.meisterbullets.com/asccustompages/products.asp?cartID=&affID=&categoryid=45&navParent=0

 

[paintballdude902]

wuchak i already load .40s&w for my brother inlaws glock 22 that well........tends to go missing from his house for a few days a month good gun but i think its ugly and the sigma atleast looks a bit better

i like to be able to share ammo with my friends that shoot alot and i like the .40s&w round

hunting is an occasional thing i normally take a .44 for deer and .454cas for bear then a .38 with shot shells if im using a rifle just for snakes


i want an auto i have access to all the revolvers i could ask for really and i like them alot but id actually like to own atleast one "black" gun as in synthetic and somewhat nasty looking lol plus autos are tons more fun for blastin paper bad guns and ebb's (evil bad bottles )

 

[wuchak]

Glad to hear that you already reload.

Sounds like the Sigma in 40 is for you!

One nice thing about the Sigma is you only need to move the slide back about 1/4" to reset the striker. This lets you use a snapcaps for dry fire practice and trigger break-in without have to keep ejecting them and reloading them in the magazine.

 

[graffer]

sigma

I got a deal on one like 4 years or so. My son has it now and he likes it.

The grip on that model is very comfortable and the trigger does take some
getting used to. I would not hesitate to buy another sigma.

I had the Glock 23 that was a 40 SandW. It was fine.

Either one is an excellent choice.

graffer

 

[22lr]

A lot of people bash on Sigma for being a "cheap Glock knock off" my take on it. I had a SW9VE and loved it. It was light, grip was very good feeling, it pointed well, in shot well, and for a low end gun it was awesome. Im a S&W fan and the Sigma is a nice gun, ya there is better and the M&Ps are amazing. But hey if you buy a Sigma you will be hard pressed to not like it.

 

[orchidhunter]

pbd902, Uncle Sam thought they were good enough for the Afghan National Army and Police. S&W still has got a smile on it's face, over that deal. If there good enough to guard the world's poppy crop, they have got to be good. orchidhunter

 

[paintballdude902]

orchid...........is thata good thing?

haha im gonna go look at one in a few days maybe while im in dc this weekend

 

[trlcavscout]

I had a 9mm Sigma. Shoulda kept it, even with the factory trigger it was very accurate, even double tapping and rapid fire was fun. I just didnt like mine because it was OD green. I would like to get one of the allied forces.

 

[Jim K]

I have been told they have been improved. Mine is an early one, and I have never been able to shoot it with any accuracy. There is something about that trigger that results in the gun pulling off target just as it fires. I have been able to overcome that only with a "death grip".

On the plus side, the gun fits my hand and is totally reliable.

Jim

 

[MadMercS55]

I have a newer 9VE Sigma. It has alot of rounds through it at this point and the trigger isn't horrible. Actually it's very smooth, just long. The 9VE will fit most Galco holsters for a Glock 19 I find. For the price, it's a nice package. It rides as my dedicated backup/truck gun in my Maxpedition bag. Mine has also never had any reliabilty or breakage issues to speak of.

 

[Texasred]

I would second the notion of getting a .357. I did. But the neat thing about Smiths is the lifetime warranty is reassuring. The ultimate policy of truth.

 

[paintballdude902]

cav scout thats what im looking at they look good and with the reviews im getting on the new ones its my main looker

 

[bonedust]

while i think the Sigma is a reletivly well built gun and i havent personally seen or heard of any problems...i do take issue with S&W tech saying the trigger pull can be from 7lbs to 11lbs from the factory. 4 pound tollerance? come on smith...

 

[Sato Ord]

I have a S&W 40. I've had absolutely no trouble with mine. It feeds anything I put into it, and it's never jammed or failed to feed even once. Not one misfire either.

It has a twelve and half pound trigger, and the pull is very long. However, like every S&W I've ever fired the trigger is smooth and consistent from one end to the other. The Sigma's trigger takes a bit of getting used to, but once you do it's not a problem. Even my eleven year old (well, he's twelve now) had no trouble with my S&W.

Now all of this comes from a 1911 fanatic. Up until recently I've never given Smith and Wesson a second thought. For autoloaders I wanted colt, and I've always been partial to Ruger for revolvers, but, since you asked, I don't think you can go wrong with a Sigma.

One last point, the Sigma isn't nearly as expensive as the competition, so if it ends up sitting in an evidence room for a couple of years you aren't out a fortune when yo have to buy another one while you wait to get yours back.

 

[gglass]

The current generation of Sigmas really are a great value. Dealers just don't see them come back after the sale... Just ask your local dealer and I'm sure they will tell you the same.

The triggers are long and heavy by design. It is the only safety on the weapon. The trigger feel is not much different than many DAO revolvers. If you can learn to shoot a heavy 12 lb DAO trigger well... You will be able to shoot anything well.

I finally sold my SW40VE after countless rounds to my boss. Now if that is not saying something about my confidence in this weapon, I don't know what would.

 

[gglass]

Oops! Double post.

 

[bonedust]

Dealers just don't see them come back after the sale...

eh, thats not true really. of all the polymers we see sigmas trying to be traded the most. people are unwilling to get acustom to the trigger and try and dump them. plus, a TON of people bought them when Smith was doing the rebate deal a few summers ago...and now are getting rid of them. weve also had alot of people want to trade up to the M&P.

 

[chauncey]

crappy trigger. spend another $100 or so and buy a used sig, xd or glock, you'll be a lot happier, shoot it more and keep it longer, instead of upgrading sooner than you'd think.

sigmas are a great $200 gun. any more than that, is too much imo. don't buy something you plan to replace.

 

[1911user]

If you like the ergonomics of the sigma but are less than thrilled with the trigger pull, spend the extra for an M&P. I did and still have no regrets about selling the sigma SW9VE (latest gen in 9mm) 3 years ago. I usually regret selling a firearm later (sure wish I'd kept a pair of M1 carbines...), but not the sigma.

My advice would be to find a range that has one for rental and shoot a box or 3 of ammo through it before buying. Based on web postings, it's a great choice for a few and lousy for many others. I've lost track of the number of new posters that just bought a new sigma who "need" to send it off for a trigger job. Sorry, there isn't one that doesn't compromise reliability. Live with the stock trigger or buy something different.