It's Not A P.O.S. If I Like It, Is It??

For several years, I have heard nothing good about the Smith and Wesson Sigma series. For the uneducated among you out there, this is a polymer framed pistol created by the venerable American gun manufacturer to compete with Glock. I confess I was less than impressed with the first few guns in this series. I will also confess that I am a S&W fan, for the most part. I tend to shoot their third generation pistols pretty well, and they seem to fit well in my hands. I have avoided the Sigmas like the plague.

The early Sigmas felt cheap. They had horrible trigger pulls. Their sights were substandard, to say the least. And they were almost sued stupid over the design of the gun.

It appears the Sigma has evolved, and quite nicely.

Enter the SW40VE. This is a Sigma with a stainless slide and barrel. It also has a redesigned grip, a light rail, and sights. It is chambered in 40 S&W, though it is also made in 9mm. I have to say, I am impressed.

I will freely admit that the Glock is the first word when it comes to polymer framed pistols. Their design was pretty impressive, and the Glock 17 changed the whole concept of automatic handguns. However, there are a few nitpicky things I do not like about Glocks.

First, the trigger. This is somewhat of a conundrum, because I actually DO like the Glock trigger. For a double action, there is none better. It is basically the same on every Glock one picks up, whether 9mm or .45. It is predictable, it is smooth. It is also fairly safe, since it requires direct pressure on the trigger to make it go boom. Therein lies the one thing I don’t like about it: the trigger is pretty light. It is so light that I sometimes worry about the lack of a manual safety on the darn thing. I know that good gunhandling minimizes the chance of an accidental discharge, but accidents do happen on occasion. With that light of a trigger, I would prefer an automatic with some sort of manual safety. I suppose I could add an 8-pound trigger connector to the Glock; but I really hate mucking with a factory gun, unless it is to add new sights.

The SW40VE has similar trigger features. However, the trigger pull is much heavier. The gun in question has a pull in the ten pound range. One has to be very deliberate in pulling this trigger. The lack of manual safety makes me think the heavier trigger pull is not such a bad deal after all.

Secondly, the grip angle of a Glock has always been a bit...awkward. This is simply a matter of personal preference. The SW40VE just feels good, and it points well. It seems to be a bit thinner than the Glock, and this has always been a weakness of Gaston’s little toys. It just fits my hand well. I think Glock has done a great job of addressing this issue with the third generation frames. Those feel much better than the old Glocks, but they are still pretty wide.

Third, the SW40VE holds 14 rounds of .40 caliber. That is a respectable amount of firepower, especially with a spare magazine. It basically manages to do in 2 clips what my favorite .45 could not do in 4. It allows me almost 30 rounds with one reload. It’s on at least an equal footing with Glock on this point. Again, the grip angle is a bit better for me. In order to hold that many rounds, the grip has to be wide. The SW40VE manages to be a bit more comfortable for me.

Fourth, accuracy in a combat pistol is probably overly hyped. I think that if a person can put all their rounds into a man-sized target at 15 yards, that pistol is as accurate as it ever will have to be. The SW40VE is capable of doing exactly that. What more do I need? I would imagine the Glock can outshoot the SW when it comes to putting the holes closer together, but I am not completely convinced of this.

Finally, the price factor is considerable. Glocks are fairly affordable, I will grant you. However, the SW40VE is available for under $300, if you look in the right places. That’s quite a bargain. Most of us do not have unlimited amounts of money to spend on our firearms, unfortunately. So a bargain conscious consumer can do quite well in picking up one of these guns. That can be roughly half the price of a Glock, depending on where one shops.

I would imagine the Sigma series will soon be discontinued, since S&W has now started hyping the S&W 99 series. The 99's appear to be heirs apparent to the polymer framed line for this company. I am eager to try one out. I have shot the Walther P99, and really like it. At any rate, there will probably be some really good bargains available in the Sigma series, if one is a careful consumer. It would be a perfect first autoloader, for someone getting into the shooting thing.

The bottom line: not a bad gun at all, for less than $300.

I know, the Glock purists out there are probably spitting nails at this point. Handgun preference is just that: a matter of preference. This gun feels good. I like it. So sue me.