S&W sigma

[runs.like]

Hey all,
I joined this site mostly for mn stuff but saw this forum and figured I'd get in with a question or two.
My uncle is selling a sigma 9mm, they'll give him 200 for it trade at a local shop, he says he'll give me the same price. The sigma would not be my first choice for a semi-auto but for the price it seems hard to beat....
Any experience with the sigma? Worth it or save some cash for something better?

[Junk Yard Dog]

Don't know much about the piece, but I do know gun shops. If they are giving him $200 it's because they can sell it for $300, or $350. Do a search on Gunbroker.com and see what that model is selling for.

[Longcolt44]

It's worth the 200 in my opinion. I have one in .40 and once you get used to the trigger I think you will like it. It is one of my carry guns.

[desdem12]

I am not familiar with that model but just try to find a 9mm for that price i don't think there are many and it is a S&W. I think it is at least worth $200

[Greasemonkey]

I own the 9mm model, the price is good, I gave 225 for mine, previous owner didn't like it, he went for the M&P line after the sale. Somewhat decent handgun, I've had no issues with function with any ammo, average accuracy, but the trigger needs some serious work, in my opinion.

Would I buy one new, nope, but for 200 bucks, it's a high cap 9mm, go for it.

[Fred_G]

The Sigma is a good gun. Except for the trigger. It is long. Long like a Ruger LCP... My friend has one. Shot it a couple of times, handed it back to him. It shoots every time the trigger is pulled, and is easy to clean. But that trigger...

For $200, not at all a bad deal.

[mogunner]

The trigger will eventually break in down to around 5 lb pull, which on a pistol with no mechanical safety is about as light as you want it. I EDC a SW40VE, bought it when they had the rebate on it a couple of years ago, paid around $280 for it then got $50 back from S&W. I can't complain at all, it eats whatever I throw in it, even the Tula ammo. A lot of people compare the trigger pull to shooting a revolver DA, I guess that might be why I don't have a problem with it, being an old .35 mag kinda guy. Some folks shoot one a few times and just don't like it, I always give a firearm a chance to show me what it's got. Mine showed me it's 100% reliable which is why it's me current concealed carry pistol.

And $200 is a heck of a good price on it unless it's beat on...

[runs.like]

its far from beat on more like brand new, it was a back up, back up that sat in a safe, probably on has 200rnds through it

[Fred_G]

"A lot of people compare the trigger pull to shooting a revolver DA"

True there. I don't like that in my semi autos. But for $200, a great deal. And I have never seen my friend's gun jam. To each his or her own.

[mogunner]

I'm a tad bit more accurate with my buddy's Ruger P95, I plan on switching to that as soon as I can afford to pick one up. I'll pass the Sigma on to my son when he gets his CC permit, he really likes it as well.

[Bareassmeagain]

I love my SW9VE. I cant out shoot my son and his glock 23 but my patterns are close enough so that I can blame the trigger . Id buy it for 200.00.. easy to clean, ammo's cheap, extra mags are affordable. Good Luck. BAMA

[sheepdog]

$200, get it !

[Ironnewt]

A buddy stopped in the local Police supply store and they were selling police 'trade ins' at the time. They had a pile (literally) of the things and they let him hand pick his. As I recall he paid more than $200 and this was some time back. If I was in your shoes I'd buy your uncles gun, especially at that price. Would I buy it? I tend to doubt it but then again I have 2 9mm's (and all the extras) Just my .02

[Rongo]

A double post... We will consider this the live one & retire the other.... Saves on confusion.

[Rongo]

For $200 grab it! don't pass up that deal.

[bucbilly]

OK...this was me and my team's experience with the S&W Sigma 9 mm's some years back - please remember, these were the real old first edition "Glock Lawsuit" weapons and I'm sure that there have been a lot of improvements made since we were issued ours, so YMMV!

We were with a small Federal Bureau and had been ordered to replace our issue Model 60 3" .357 Magnums with 9mm semi-autos ASAP. Somehow we ended up with the Smith Sigma 9's. At first they seemed OK...a little ammo sensitive, but that didn't matter - they had us changing duty loads as often as we changed our socks in those days. The Miami Massacre and a few other incidents were still in the minds of the higher ups, and they wanted us to have "the perfect duty round" (when everyone else in our world except the Military, Veterans Affairs Police, and a few others, had already went to .40's )

It was after about five years of service that we started having issues with them. We qualified every six months and put several hundred rounds through them every time, we ran through at least two, and sometimes three, different scenario based runs to make qualification. They started acting up over a period of time, every possible problem in the book - FTF, FTE, jammed up stovepipes, light strikes...it was a nightmare. It came to a head when I had to borrow another class member's Glock to finish the range portion of a specialized class that I was in...the Instructor was a salty old timer, and was not happy that I was slowing down his range, he told me in no uncertain terms to get rid of that weapon, and offered to shoot a memo to our boss telling him that we needed new weapons, because my duty weapon was JUNK! I might add that we had tried new mags, cleaning, more lubrication, less lubrication...nothing helped.

We had all of the Sigmas tore completely down by an armorer with another sister agency. His five word answer - Get Rid Of Them Now! He returned them along with a number of little zip lock bags containing unidentifiable pieces of plastic and other broken matter that he had found upon total teardown. We were horrified to say the least that we had had been counting our lives to those weapons - we knew that they had issues, we just didn't dream how bad. We went to another brand in .40 immediately, and in six years have had no trouble whatsoever.

That said, If It were me, I would grab that Sigma for $200.00 in a heartbeat and take it immediately to a good gunsmith for a thorough inspection and cleaning and lube. That is an outstanding price, I shot one of the new V series Sigmas last year and it was worlds apart from the one that I was issued (an SW9 I believe was the model number)...no comparison. I would concur with the group and say go for it...with the caveat that if it were me, I'd have it checked out prior to carry time.
Good luck!

[mogunner]

The first gen Sigma's are pretty much out of circulation now. They were recalled due to frame cracking, as a matter of fact if you stumble across one now and send it in for any work at all they will send you back a new one and trash the first gen.

[tjtM38]

I can't give you any experience to draw on. I shoot a Walther P99 and ocassionally a Russian capture Luger; the only two 9's I own. Both of them are great, except the Luger is finicky about ammo. The P99 eats anything.

The duty experience from bucbilly turns me off and I've never even handled a Sigma. If your life depends on it, you want it to go bang every time. Reliability would seem to be in question.

If you are looking to go low cost and concealable 9MM, I recommend the Kel-Tec PF9. I have a buddy who owns one and it is really a nice little gun. I've shot it quite a bit and it performs well. I own a Kel-Tec P32 and I think I like the PF-9 better because of the sights and a couple of other features, although my P32 is flawless and is also the smallest, lightest .32ACP on the planet. Good luck.

[Ironnewt]

based on everyone's comments, if i were you, I'd buy it but and this is a big but (but not a BIG BUTT) I would not consider it as a self defense pistol.

[mogunner]

A LOT of LEO's carry GLocks, but they had the same problem with the frame cracking when they first came out as well. Designs change, and the Sigma's are time proven to be durable and reliable pistols since the first gen problems.