The Modern S&W Sigma: Good Gun or Not?

[jpruitt]

All right, as I've mentioned I'm thinking about taking advantage of S&W's current promotion/rebate and getting a Sigma, but there are enough reports of bad experiences with Sigmas that I'm somewhat concerned. However, I'm not sure how much of that is due to the fact that people who are unhappy will gripe louder and longer than people who are happy, and how much of it is due to experiences people have had with the first generation Sigmas (back when there were widely acknowledged problems).

I've read several previous threads on this, but after a while it's hard to keep track of who and how many said what. I'm hoping this poll will consolidate the information I'm looking for.

This poll is only for those who have purchased a brand new Sigma (either 9mm or .40) within the last 5 years. How has it performed for you?

1. No problems at all
2. A few small problems, but nothing more than the growing pains/breaking in period/minor infrequent hiccups you would expect from any gun.
3. Major problems, constant malfunctioning, sent for repairs numerous times (you get the idea)

 

[savage116]

I am also wondering about the sigmas because I saw S&W's promotion. For the price if it is any good I think I will pick up a 14 round 40S&W.

 

[kle]

my Sigma sob-story:

I bought my SW9VE back in April of last year, and right off the bat, it was having ejection-failures. I figured it was just the break-in period, but after 500 rounds and being double-sure I wasn't limpwristing, I decided to take a closer look. After slowly cycling the action, I figured out that the rounds weren't striking the ejector properly on extraction. So I took out the ejector and straightened it, and it didn't have another failure for 2000 rounds.

Then the striker broke: the sear-lug broke off, making the trigger unable to cock and then release the striker. S&W sent me a shipping label and fixed it under warranty, no-questions-asked, and sent it back within 2 weeks, test-fired and with a spare magazine.

I verified for myself that it was working with another 100 or 200 rounds, and then sold it at a gun show, six months after I bought it.

So I voted "few problems" -- its FTEjects were annoying, yes, and they happened maybe once every couple magazines, and the broken-striker sucked, for sure, but I still felt that it was a good gun for the money. For me, anyways--I was able to resolve its FTEject issue on my own, and S&W's warranty took care of the broken striker.

If I needed a self-defense type gun on a budget, I'd seriously consider picking up another one.

 

[mljdeckard]

I'll never know. I had so many problems with my 1st gen .40, that if I was being overrun by bandits, and I look down and see a Sigma and a 5 lb rock, I would think about it before I picked up the Sigma. It's like they invented new corners to cut when they designed this gun. This business is too competitive for second chances.

 

[WVfishguy]

I got a new SV40 last year.

Trigger was stiff, so I shot a few hundred rounds and dry-fired even more. Trigger is good now.

Reliability is near 100%. One time, I had the slide lock back with a the last round still in the mag. Shocked me - I thought the SV40 was perfect.

This malf has not happened again.

I like this gun a lot. It's very light, holds 14 rounds of .40, is stainless and polymer, very resistant to sweat and rust, no sharp corners, fairly accurate, always goes bang.

Plus, the ergos are great.

Plus, it's way cheap.

 

[Wes Janson]

They're marginally better than a Taurus.

Don't ask me what I think about Taurus polymer-framed pistols.

 

[kle]

Don't ask me what I think about Taurus polymer-framed pistols.

marginally worse than a Sigma? =)

At least the Sigma has S&W and its excellent customer service to back it up if it ever breaks; Taurus is iffy at best.

 

[jahwarrior]

i bought a 9VE over two years ago; it was problem free 'til last month. it started dropping mags while firing, and having feeding problems. i sent it to S&W, and i had it back in 14 days; not only did they fix the problem, they replaced the whole slide, recoil spring, and sent it back in a new case, all for $20.

 

[plateshooter]

I have had my 9VE for about 3 years now. I was having some problems with the slide not locking back on the last round. I discovered that I was keeping my thumb on the slide lock when I was shooting it. Haven't had any problems since. I consider it a great CCW gun and I like the "heavier" trigger for that purpose. IMO, money well spent.

 

[navyneil]

Zero problems experienced here. Trigger is heavy, but it does get smoother after a couple hundred rounds, and for carry its like having a NY glock trigger spring installed. I've used it for IPSC. For the price and warranty, its tough to beat.