Anyone with a Smith SD9VE/SD40VE?

[Hokiefyd]

These guns seem to have a pretty strong (if small) following...mostly valuing the amount of gun you get for the relatively little that you pay for it. There are some folks on S&W forums who have shot them for years with great success. My wife shot (and really liked) our M&P Shield this weekend, so I've started to plan ahead and think what I might want to buy if she wants to take the Shield as her gun (or if she wants to stash it above the refrigerator).

Glocks' grip angle doesn't suit me well. I'm not interested in something that's all that expensive for a beat-it-up carry gun (like an H&K, Sig, etc). I prefer either DA/SA or safety-less striker fire. I like the Kel-Tec PF-9, but thought that maybe I'd look at a double stack something. M&P Compact would be fine. But I kind of like the SD-VE series as well.

Anyone own one, or shot one a lot? They have their pros and cons, like any other gun, but it looks like the cons would be minimal for me and what I would use it for.

 

[donnyj08]

My father carrys an SD9VE daily. It's been a great and reliable gun. I like it as well. Our only complaint is it throws the spent casings right in your face just like a glock.

I personally carry a Ruger SR9C and I like it more than his SD9VE. Too me it's worth the extra $40 over the Smith. It also comes with a long mag and a short mag so it can be easy to conceal if you wanted. The Ruger also has a double row recoil spring so it recoils a bit less even tho it is slightly smaller.

Both are great guns. I like the Smith, just don't particularly like to practice with it all the time as I don't like spent casings hitting me in the face the whole time. I agree that there are lots of pros to the gun. It is and excellent firearm for 350-400 dollars.

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: donnyj08
Our only complaint is it throws the spent casings right in your face just like a glock.

fix your glock, or let them, it's free. That should NOT happen

 

[jhMalibu]

I have the 9. Put an Apex spring kit in it. Have no problems with the trigger. Great, low cost pistol. Had an M&P9C (apex sear and ultimate striker block) and I like the trigger out of the box on the SD9 even more than the altered M&P.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Thanks all.

I personally don't mind a long trigger. My Kel-Tec P-32 has a long-but-smooth 6 pound trigger. It's probably 0.5-0.7" long in terms of travel. I hear the SD9VE is similar in travel but heavier at the ~8 pound range. I could probably work with that, but the Apex kit to bring it down to about 6 pounds would probably be perfect.

I'm also interested in materials quality...things like holster wear, does the slide lock or magazine release feel chintzy, are the magazines good quality, etc. Interchangeable grip panels don't do anything for me (as long as I like the grip, and I do), and I rather like the super smooth contour of the gun, with minimal controls on the side. I like the long slide stop lever, because it's also still pretty flush to the frame.

The nominal width surprises me; it looks thinner than the stated 1.3" wide. It looks thinner than a Glock (1.2" wide). 'Guess it's not.

 

[NateDN10]

Aren't the SD9VE/SD40VE significantly larger than, for instance, an M&P Shield?

Just interested in your reasoning behind going to a larger gun for carrying. Most people are going the opposite direction, towards .380ACPs and the like.

(This is relevant for me as well, because I am looking for a good carry gun for when the my CCW permit application is approved. My current front-runner is a Kahr CW9.)

 

[Robenstein]

They are better than the old Sigmas, but I think I would probably just spend a few extra bucks and get the new value Ruger 9E instead.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: NateDN10
Aren't the SD9VE/SD40VE significantly larger than, for instance, an M&P Shield?

Just interested in your reasoning behind going to a larger gun for carrying. Most people are going the opposite direction, towards .380ACPs and the like.

(This is relevant for me as well, because I am looking for a good carry gun for when the my CCW permit application is approved. My current front-runner is a Kahr CW9.)


Yes, the SD pistols are larger than the Shield, and in every dimension. Truly, I don't carry very often; I work on a military installation, so I really only carry on the weekends. I like the Shield for carrying in warmer weather, but would certainly carry an SD9VE OWB during the colder months with a coat on. My thought is that my wife would be able to carry the Shield during the week, and I'd carry either the Shield or a larger pistol on the weekend.

Robenstein, I do like the concept of the Ruger 9E, and I suggest it to others, but I don't like it for me because of the extended manual safety levers (I carry the Shield with the flush safety lever off) and I don't like the magazine disconnect. It's also 5 oz. heavier than the SD9VE, which doesn't sound like much, but it's 20% heavier.

 

[901Memphis]

Hey what's wrong with my older sigma? It goes bang when I pull the trigger, occasionally ejects at the eye, not always.

 

[Robenstein]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Hey what's wrong with my older sigma? It goes bang when I pull the trigger, occasionally ejects at the eye, not always.


I just found the triggers to be deplorable for a striker fired pistol on the older Sigmas that I tried.

 

[KCJeep]

We tried to carry Sigma's for a while but had lots of problems with them. That was under heavy police use though. If you like it, enjoy it!

 

[1989outlaw]

I own a sd40ve good pistol as best I can tell . Got around a 1000 rnds thru it with just a few problems the first 100 rnds . Sigma mags work but the base plate has a different form . I would purchase another one ,

 

[L_Sludger]

Had an SW9VE once... I ran away screaming. Sold it for a huge loss and never looked back. What an absolute piece of garbage it was.

 

[buck91]

Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Had an SW9VE once... I ran away screaming. Sold it for a huge loss and never looked back. What an absolute piece of garbage it was.



Can you qualify that statement?

 

[NateDN10]

Originally Posted By: buck91
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Had an SW9VE once... I ran away screaming. Sold it for a huge loss and never looked back. What an absolute piece of garbage it was.



Can you qualify that statement?

I'd take anything he says with a grain of salt.

 

[Robenstein]

If you look at the price point for new firearms, you can see why these pistols are so popular despite the lackluster trigger.

However, I would consider a police trade in 3rd gen S&W over a Sigma/SD series about anyday.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: buck91
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Had an SW9VE once... I ran away screaming. Sold it for a huge loss and never looked back. What an absolute piece of garbage it was.



Can you qualify that statement?

It was built very cheaply. Trigger was gritty. Finish on the slide was lousy. It had a tendency to jam.. Muzzle flip was awful.. Accuracy sucked. I bought a Sig P6 while they were $250 shortly after I bought the Swock and in comparing the two, I realized that it's worth having a quality gun. Out the swock went. The owner who got a great deal on it is still trying to get rid of the thing!

 

[cb_13]

I've shot the Sigma's and SD series S&W's. For me both were accurate and dependable. Trigger was horrible. The department my dad works at carried Sigma's for a long time. He's the firearms instructor and said they had the same results, dependable, accurate, horrid trigger. The hard trigger did cause some officers to be inaccurate but it was not the gun. As others could fire the same one accurately. If the price was right I would purchase an SD and put a trigger kit in it. I would take it over any Ruger non .22 auto any day but my hatred for most Ruger products runs pretty deep.

 

[Barkleymut]

I came pretty close to buying the SDV9E last year when I was buying my first semi-auto pistol. I ended up buying a Zastava EZ9 since a local dealer had a new one for $299.

 

[FastGame]

Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
I came pretty close to buying the SDV9E last year when I was buying my first semi-auto pistol. I ended up buying a Zastava EZ9 since a local dealer had a new one for $299.


Nice choice, the Zastava EZ9 is a real good gun.