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Old April 21, 2011, 08:59 PM   #1
Vermonter
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S&W sigma 40 s&w

Just purchased this barley used for a great price. It's primary function is as a truck gun and cannot wait to shoot it. Th is my first 40. Anyone have expirence on good loads for this gun.

I did some reading and people complained about the rough trigger pull but dry firing it it didn't seem that bad. Any advice is welcome.
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Old April 21, 2011, 10:24 PM   #2
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If you got a good deal ($200) no more, then you will be happy. But boy oh boy, you will surely be disappointed when you put this up to a Glock 22. The trigger pull breaks at over 8 lbs, and the pull lenghts are horendous!

As far as being a shooter and reliability, you are good to go! This one will take a LOT of practice to master that awful trigger but you will enjoy the heck out of it. Mine ate EVERY type of ammunition, that being said, it shoot the best with JHP, the lighter bullet weights seem to help accuracy a bit.

If I may add, one thing you should really look into is getting a new trigger installed! There are some good ones out there because they realized a great need for it. Once you get that installed you may even want to carry it, haha.

Happy Shootings!
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Old April 21, 2011, 10:36 PM   #3
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If by "truck gun" you mean a self defense gun, the Sigma will do just fine. Buy a box or two of ball ammo, hang a paper plate out at 3-7 yards, and see if you can put every shot on the plate. Go ahead, try 'point and shoot' without aiming, but just pointing it as naturally as you can. Don't think about it, just shoot it. You should find that it works fine in this fashion.

Load it with your choice of ammo, and try a magazine or two, or a box or two, to satisfy yourself that is will feed reliably, then load it and carry it where you need, as you need.

So, as a "truck gun" it should be dead reliable, and you should be pleased.

Ah, go ahead and try some 'run and gun' shooting in the Stock Service Pistol category, and you might just enjoy that too.

Don't over-think it, and don't believe everything you hear or read on the internet...
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Old April 22, 2011, 06:11 AM   #4
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Sw40f / iowa

Your handle seems to indicate that you have specific experience with this. Iowa obviously you owned one. I ask you both this question. Does the trigger feel or act any worse for you than say a Ruger LCP or a DA revolver? I can shoot both of those reliably. P.S. The trigger on mine doesn't feel bad dry firing at all.
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Old April 22, 2011, 06:21 AM   #5
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Don't over-think it, and don't believe everything you hear or read on the internet...
Well stated sir!

Forget the internet and go shoot it!
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Old April 22, 2011, 06:33 AM   #6
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Does the trigger feel or act any worse for you than say a Ruger LCP or a DA revolver?
From my experience, yes, the Sigma has the worse trigger I've ever felt. Long, gritty and uneven. With that said, I shot the hell out of the gun and was surprised at how accurate I was with it.

While they have a well deserved reputation for having terrible triggers, I think for the money they are good guns and certainly make a good truck gun.

I think you'll be happy with yours and find it shoots pretty well. As far as ammo, for a 40 I prefer Speer Gold Dot HPs in my Glock. WWB seems like it runs pretty well through the Sigma as range ammo.
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Old April 22, 2011, 07:01 AM   #7
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The sigma has a bad trigger, growing up on that trigger will make you better with other triggers. I've got 4000rnds on mine and the trigger is certainly smoother and a little lighter. What I do is I slowly bring back the trigger untill I feel it stack, then I complete the cycle. If it was on a revolver, everyone would call it a pretty good trigger. My sigma .40VE hates heavy loads, it won't group 180gr anything worth a darn. It really likes the Federal HST 135gr JHP, 3" groups at 25 yards easy.
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Old April 22, 2011, 07:18 AM   #8
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The 40VE that I had ate everything that I fed it. Granted the trigger is far fron the best but after shooting DA revolvers it isn't too bad. I think you would do fairly well the 165gr JHP's.
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Old April 22, 2011, 07:20 AM   #9
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I know this is debatable, but:

After getting use to the sigma, I shot everything else better. I believe it improved my skills.

In this day and age, people seem to hang their hat on light single action trigger pulls. If you read through thousands of posts, you'll see that many people rate a gun based on the trigger pull more than anything else. This is one of the reasons that the sigma isn't an internet darling. The trigger design on the sigma actually makes it a very safe home defense gun. A negligent or accidental discharge is unlikely.

The sigma almost forces you to get back to basics and concentrate on technique. Once you get it down pat, the accuracy may surprise you.

We've put quite a few rounds through ours with no problems whatsoever.

It's been an Energizer Bunny from the get-go! Big bang for the buck!
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Old April 22, 2011, 07:31 AM   #10
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Sigman 40VE, I got one, I like it,

Three things I learned is, you dry fire the crap out of it, the trigger smooths right up.

The sucker doesn't know what "failure means", the only way I've been able to stop mine is running it out of ammo.

The only fault I find is it scatters brass all over the county.
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Old April 22, 2011, 08:22 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vermonter
...Does the trigger feel or act any worse for you than say a Ruger LCP or a DA revolver? I can shoot both of those reliably. P.S. The trigger on mine doesn't feel bad dry firing at all.
I have a 1st generation SW40F, hence the handle. I also have a S&W 442 Airweight that I bought the same day. Neither is a "finesse" gun, and both have heavy triggers. Both reward practice with acceptable groupings for any self-defense situation. I find that they both work 'best' when I pull the trigger in one continuous, deliberate pull to the rear until the trigger hits its stop, and concentrate on holding the sights on target. That's what I meant by just go ahead and shoot. No slow, deliberate target squeeze here, just pull it.

The feel of the 1911's trigger has been described as having the break of a "glass rod." In that case, the feel of my SW40F (and 442) is like popping industrial-strength Bubble Wrap; long, tough, but consistent each time!

Go play with it, and you too may develop the admiration and respect for this gun that many here will share with you any time.
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Old April 22, 2011, 10:59 AM   #12
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Good Buy Then

From what I am hearing the gun can be described by the following.

-Long DA trigger pull that is unlikely to AD
-Reliable
-Reasonably Accurate
-And I know I paid a good price for mine.

This to me sounds like exactly what I wanted if for. A daily truck gun to come to work every day and to take on longer trips. I find it difficult to reach for a holstered deep concealment gun while seated in a truck. (I am left handed so the seat belt is in the way for me.)

This gun fits holstered in the side door storage of my dodge and I can draw it while seat belted in the truck. I can also dismount from the truck and have it in hand by the time my boots hit the ground.

I am going to shoot it within the next several days and I will know for sure from there.
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Old April 22, 2011, 11:04 AM   #13
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Let us know how you like it.

It really is ideal for defense.
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Old April 22, 2011, 11:54 AM   #14
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I, and my wife who has claimed it, love my 40VE. Like previously mentioned, the trigger pull really is akin to what some would call a good DA pull on a revolver. Some might be gritty early on, all my Glocks (was once 4, now is one) had gritty triggers too until I polished them, but will wear in nicely.

For what it is worth, the Sigma I own is the one gun that I can't seem to get rid of. 3 Glocks, 2 1911s (including one Kimber), a couple of Kel Tecs and more then a few rifles/shotguns have all come and gone, but the Sigma stays put.

It really is a pretty damn decent firearm, it's reliable, plenty duty accurate and it's pretty ergonomic to boot. For the money, I paid $279 (SS over black) plus tax roughly 10 years ago for mine NIB when K's Merchandise closed out, it's hard to beat the overall package of the Sigma.
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Old April 22, 2011, 12:24 PM   #15
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Quote:
Does the trigger feel or act any worse for you than say a Ruger LCP or a DA revolver?
About the same as a Taurus DA revolver trigger. Not horrible, not great either. If you learn to shoot with it, you will be able to shoot almost anything. BTW, the Sigmas are dang reliable. Good ergonomics too. Accuracy (if you learn how to master the trigger) is on par with a bare bones mil-spec 1911 - meaning it hits a small plate size group at 25 yards. Very do-able. Got 6 of 'em... with 2 in my GO bags.
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Old April 22, 2011, 12:29 PM   #16
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Got 6 of 'em... with 2 in my GO bags.
And here I thought I liked my Sigma, lmao!!
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Old April 22, 2011, 01:53 PM   #17
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Yeah, I know... But they're the perfect toss around pistol for the toolbox, briefcase, hideaway...etc.
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Old April 22, 2011, 02:21 PM   #18
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The VE Series guns are excellent pistols, fully as good (and accurate, and reliable) as any poly-popper on the market. The trigger is loosely comparable to a stock DA service revolver. If you can shoot, or will simply make the investment of time to master it, you will be pleasantly surprised.

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Old April 22, 2011, 02:52 PM   #19
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I had read all the internet blasting of the Sigma's, most notably a "cheap version of a Glock", but goes to show you don't believe all the internet chat.
Picked all this up recently for couple of hundred, took it to the range; and had no hiccups and accuracy was okay. I actually liked the DA trigger compared to some horrendous pulls of some revolvers I've owned. Field stripping is quick for cleaning and I like the integral barrel ramp. I plan to use mine for home-night-stand duty with all the light accessories...
Give us a range report & pics when you can...
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Old April 24, 2011, 07:55 PM   #20
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Range report

Just put 80 rounds through the Sigma. The gun did not fail in any way and fed three different types of ammo flawlessly. Groups were shot at fifteen, twenty, and thirty yards. The images here are presented in that order.

We did shoot fast which heated the barrel which sent the last mag of the cheapest ammo a little low at thirty yards.



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Old April 24, 2011, 09:41 PM   #21
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Not too shabby for a "truck" gun, eh?

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Old April 24, 2011, 10:13 PM   #22
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Truck gun

Most accurate "truck" gun I've seen so far. Thanks for the advice.
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Old April 25, 2011, 12:52 PM   #23
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Looks like you've got a winner! My dad is trying to swap me his 40VE and a shotgun for my LCP, I reckon I'll let him!
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Old April 25, 2011, 12:55 PM   #24
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Fine job, Vermonter.
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Old April 25, 2011, 01:02 PM   #25
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My dad is trying to swap me his 40VE and a shotgun for my LCP, I reckon I'll let him!
Bob, I'd take the 40VE over the LCP anyday, without the shotgun!

Lee
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