Smith and Wesson Sigma Fails to Fire, help.

dsjackso · February 24, 2014, 07:18 PM

I i own a Smith and Wesson sigma SW40VE and have some fail to fire issues. It happened with no matter what ammo i put through the gun but it does not do it all the time. When i eject the unfired round there is a make from the firing pin but the round did no discharge. if i manually feed the round back in and pull the trigger again it will fire. anyone have any ideas on what could be the cause to this problem? the only this that comes to mind for me is the firing pin spring could be worn out and not throwing the pin with enough force every time to ignite the primer. Any help would be appreciated and i do not just want to get rid of the gun it is mostly a camp and play gun not used for defense or carry ( mostly due to this issue).

ClydeFrog · February 24, 2014, 07:39 PM

Id just contact the customer service line or service rep of S&W. They have lifetime service plans. If anything, you could just get a new SIGMA .40 to shoot.
I wouldn't waste any time with gunsmiths or the FFL holder where you purchased it.
Many of the local FFL holders & gun shops near me have a "no refunds" or "no return of firearms" policy. If you'd ask for them to help you get a replacement or repair, they'd act like you're from Mars.

Kreyzhorse · February 24, 2014, 07:51 PM

Call Smith. They will take care of it.

James K · February 24, 2014, 08:00 PM

If ammunition is ruled out, and the gun is not failing to go into battery, a weak firing pin spring is a good possibility. Did you buy the gun new or was it bought used. Sometimes folks trying to reduce the trigger pull will weaken the firing pin spring or reduce the firing pin weight. The gun may then work OK for a few shots or with some ammo but fail in the long term or with different ammo.

Jim

Technosavant · February 24, 2014, 08:59 PM

Agree on the "call S&W"- they will take care of it, even if somebody boogered it up. I removed the front sight to have some meprolights put on (BAD idea... they just didn't work right) and Smith put a front sight back on for free.

Very impressive, even for something as cheap as a Sigma.

While you COULD try to put in an Apex spring kit to see if that might help, I'd just start by having S&W look it over.

cheezhed · February 24, 2014, 11:11 PM

Did you clean the channel that the firing pin rides in? It might be full of dirt or powder residue.

DaleA · February 24, 2014, 11:34 PM

I'd do as cheezhed suggests (good cleaning) and then if it still misfires do what everyone else has said and contact S&W.

idnative1948 · February 24, 2014, 11:48 PM

jackso, sorry to hear that. I have a 9 and have never had issues with it. Buddy was having issues with his ( a 9mm) and the range master said he was *limp wristing it* At least with him FTF stopped.
Hope you get it figured out. The heavy trigger bother you much? Seems to be what most shooters grouse about.

dsjackso · February 25, 2014, 06:36 AM

Thanks for the ideas guys. Does anyone know if smith is picky on if the gun wasbought second hand. I have owned the gun for about 4 years a bought it from a pawn shop. I will have to do a complete teardown and cleaning to see if that helps. I did run some pretty cheap ammo through it when I got it so I am hoping it is a easy fix like that. As for the trigger pull this was the first gun that I owned so when I got it I did not have much to compare the trigger to yo say if I hated it so the trigger never bothered me. I have thought it would be nice to lighten it up a little after carrying my g23 for so long. Yet a stiff trigger I kind of like because it reduces the chance of a unitended discharge.

carguychris · February 25, 2014, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsjackso

Does anyone know if smith is picky on if the gun wasbought [sic] second hand.

They might be. The only way to know is to call and ask.

You will presumably have to ship them at least some parts of the gun, and it's hard to say if S&W will give you a shipping label since you're technically not covered under the Lifetime Service Plan. Hint: if they won't send you a label, you can save a substantial amount of money by shipping the SLIDE ONLY in a USPS Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box. The disadvantage to this approach is that they obviously won't be able to test fire the gun. However, if you ship them the entire gun, it will have to go UPS or FedEx Next Day Air at substantially higher cost.

More on the legalities of handgun shipments can be found here:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=539529

Technosavant · February 25, 2014, 10:53 AM

No, S&W isn't picky in regards to first buyer or a subsequent owner.

Take mine for example (well, metaphorically, I'm planning on keeping it)... I bought it private party off somebody else. They didn't ask for proof of purchase or anything. Just said "Send it in and we'll take care of it."

It couldn't have been smoother or easier.

ClydeFrog · February 25, 2014, 11:13 AM

I've heard media reports that S&W has increased about 3/4 times it's size in the last 3 fiscal years.

I doubt they are going to hassle a gun owner over details. They have 1000s of handguns going in/out everyday.

As posted, a trained armorer or pistolsmith could dis-assemble & inspect the SIGMA .40. For the efforts, Id just send it to the Smith & Wesson plant if it's free.
Any minor parts could be fixed or replaced. If need be, they could just give you a NIB SD40 pistol.

In the late 1990s, my good friend sent his broken Taurus 82 .38spl revolver to the Miami Florida HQ. Taurus could not repair the firearm & sent him a brand new, unfired .357magnum model 66.

Theohazard · February 25, 2014, 03:05 PM

I'll bet there's gunk in the striker channel. The previous owner probably never detail-stripped the slide and cleaned it. And if the gun has been carried a lot by you or the previous owner there could also be good amount of pocket lint in there too.

Taking out the striker assembly is super easy. Look up a YouTube video or find some disassembly instructions online.

ClydeFrog · February 25, 2014, 04:45 PM

Full inspections & dis-assembly every 12-24mo isn't a bad idea for any duty gun/carry gun.
The dad/retired police chief on Discovery's Sons of Guns had a term for it. There was a show where his daughter had to do it to her carry .45acp pistol.

As noted, lint, crud, dirt, sand etc can work its way into a firearm.
Carry guns & duty sidearms are not "safe queens". They'll get dirty.

Clyde

February 24, 2014, 07:18 PM	#1
dsjackso Junior Member Join Date: February 9, 2014 Posts: 7	Smith and Wesson Sigma Fails to Fire, help. I i own a Smith and Wesson sigma SW40VE and have some fail to fire issues. It happened with no matter what ammo i put through the gun but it does not do it all the time. When i eject the unfired round there is a make from the firing pin but the round did no discharge. if i manually feed the round back in and pull the trigger again it will fire. anyone have any ideas on what could be the cause to this problem? the only this that comes to mind for me is the firing pin spring could be worn out and not throwing the pin with enough force every time to ignite the primer. Any help would be appreciated and i do not just want to get rid of the gun it is mostly a camp and play gun not used for defense or carry ( mostly due to this issue).

February 24, 2014, 07:39 PM	#2
ClydeFrog Junior member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Posts: 5,797	QC?.... Id just contact the customer service line or service rep of S&W. They have lifetime service plans. If anything, you could just get a new SIGMA .40 to shoot. I wouldn't waste any time with gunsmiths or the FFL holder where you purchased it. Many of the local FFL holders & gun shops near me have a "no refunds" or "no return of firearms" policy. If you'd ask for them to help you get a replacement or repair, they'd act like you're from Mars.

February 24, 2014, 07:51 PM	#3
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	Call Smith. They will take care of it. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

February 24, 2014, 11:48 PM	#8
idnative1948 Member Join Date: March 5, 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 50	jackso, sorry to hear that. I have a 9 and have never had issues with it. Buddy was having issues with his ( a 9mm) and the range master said he was limp wristing it At least with him FTF stopped. Hope you get it figured out. The heavy trigger bother you much? Seems to be what most shooters grouse about. __________________ A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user. Theodore Roosevelt

February 25, 2014, 11:13 AM	#12
ClydeFrog Junior member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Posts: 5,797	Smith & Wesson.... I've heard media reports that S&W has increased about 3/4 times it's size in the last 3 fiscal years. I doubt they are going to hassle a gun owner over details. They have 1000s of handguns going in/out everyday. As posted, a trained armorer or pistolsmith could dis-assemble & inspect the SIGMA .40. For the efforts, Id just send it to the Smith & Wesson plant if it's free. Any minor parts could be fixed or replaced. If need be, they could just give you a NIB SD40 pistol. In the late 1990s, my good friend sent his broken Taurus 82 .38spl revolver to the Miami Florida HQ. Taurus could not repair the firearm & sent him a brand new, unfired .357magnum model 66.

February 24, 2014, 08:00 PM	#4
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	If ammunition is ruled out, and the gun is not failing to go into battery, a weak firing pin spring is a good possibility. Did you buy the gun new or was it bought used. Sometimes folks trying to reduce the trigger pull will weaken the firing pin spring or reduce the firing pin weight. The gun may then work OK for a few shots or with some ammo but fail in the long term or with different ammo. Jim

February 24, 2014, 08:59 PM	#5
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	Agree on the "call S&W"- they will take care of it, even if somebody boogered it up. I removed the front sight to have some meprolights put on (BAD idea... they just didn't work right) and Smith put a front sight back on for free. Very impressive, even for something as cheap as a Sigma. While you COULD try to put in an Apex spring kit to see if that might help, I'd just start by having S&W look it over.

February 24, 2014, 11:11 PM	#6
cheezhed Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2007 Posts: 302	Did you clean the channel that the firing pin rides in? It might be full of dirt or powder residue.

February 24, 2014, 11:34 PM	#7
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,313	I'd do as cheezhed suggests (good cleaning) and then if it still misfires do what everyone else has said and contact S&W.

February 25, 2014, 06:36 AM	#9
dsjackso Junior Member Join Date: February 9, 2014 Posts: 7	Thanks for the ideas guys. Does anyone know if smith is picky on if the gun wasbought second hand. I have owned the gun for about 4 years a bought it from a pawn shop. I will have to do a complete teardown and cleaning to see if that helps. I did run some pretty cheap ammo through it when I got it so I am hoping it is a easy fix like that. As for the trigger pull this was the first gun that I owned so when I got it I did not have much to compare the trigger to yo say if I hated it so the trigger never bothered me. I have thought it would be nice to lighten it up a little after carrying my g23 for so long. Yet a stiff trigger I kind of like because it reduces the chance of a unitended discharge.

February 25, 2014, 10:53 AM	#11
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	No, S&W isn't picky in regards to first buyer or a subsequent owner. Take mine for example (well, metaphorically, I'm planning on keeping it)... I bought it private party off somebody else. They didn't ask for proof of purchase or anything. Just said "Send it in and we'll take care of it." It couldn't have been smoother or easier.

February 25, 2014, 03:05 PM	#13
Theohazard Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2012 Location: Western PA Posts: 3,829	I'll bet there's gunk in the striker channel. The previous owner probably never detail-stripped the slide and cleaned it. And if the gun has been carried a lot by you or the previous owner there could also be good amount of pocket lint in there too. Taking out the striker assembly is super easy. Look up a YouTube video or find some disassembly instructions online. __________________ 0331: "Accuracy by volume."

February 25, 2014, 04:45 PM	#14
ClydeFrog Junior member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Posts: 5,797	American Guns; inspections.... Full inspections & dis-assembly every 12-24mo isn't a bad idea for any duty gun/carry gun. The dad/retired police chief on Discovery's Sons of Guns had a term for it. There was a show where his daughter had to do it to her carry .45acp pistol. As noted, lint, crud, dirt, sand etc can work its way into a firearm. Carry guns & duty sidearms are not "safe queens". They'll get dirty. Clyde