[JRWnTN]

With all the posts about Glock kB's, I was wondering if the S&W Sigmas have similar problems?

 

[Fernando Coelho]

You mean S&W actually sold some of those things?

 

[Tim Burke]

With all the posts about Glock kB's, I was wondering if the S&W Sigmas have similar problems?

No, different ones. :wink:

 

[Charlie Petty]

Yes they did Fernando and as Dean and I can attest we had a great time at the introduction.

I've shot mine quite a bit without incident and I have never heard of a kb- although that doesn't mean there hasn't been one. The chamber is much better and supporting the case and it has conventional rifling. What's not to like?

 

[Dean Speir]

Aye, CeePee, that we did!

The Sigma barrels did in fact offer greater case support, #1, and, #2, S&W declined to adopt other features of the Glock barrels.

And as noted in the Glock kB! FAQ:

At an October 1996 G.S.S.F. match on Long Island, one competitor with a Model 22 had simply switched to a .40 S&W Sigma barrel which he averred not only better allowed him to shoot lead because of the conventional rifling, but that the fully supported Sigma chamber significantly decreased the opportunities for a kB!

Despite Project Engineer Kevin Foley's assertions that S&W had something like 13 patents either granted or pending on the Sigma… built as a .40 caliber gun, BTW, not as a 9 X 19mm… Glock successfully sued S&W on an Intellectual Property issue (the "guide means" beneath the trigger) and the settlement stipulated not only Glock's legals fees, but a licensing arrangement.

Not long thereafter, the Sigma was dropped from the S&W catalogue, and I suspect that one of the factors in the decision was that licensing fee.

 

[Charlie Petty]

You know I had forgotten about the barrel interchangeability. I tried swapping barrels and they seemed to fit but didn't shoot either one.

 

[JRWnTN]

Not long thereafter, the Sigma was dropped from the S&W catalogue, and I suspect that one of the factors in the decision was that licensing fee.

There are three .40 models and a 9mm listed in the S&W on-line catalog: http://firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3
Are these a different design?

 

[Charlie Petty]

No, I didn't think they had been discontinued.

 

[Dean Speir]

Oops…

…it appears that what's been discontinued, is the "Sigma" name!

One can see just how much time I've spent on the S&W site recently!

 

[MikeO]

My sister traded her G19 in on a Sigma cuzz she liked the feel of the grip better, against the advice of many. She shoots it better, and it has been just as reliable as her Glock was for several yrs now. Ya never know?

Yes, I have a sister! She's a PhD, dept chair, and adviser to the university gun club. NRA Life Member, Pistol, Personal Protection, and Refuse To Be A Victim instructor too. There was some resistance to the approval of the shooting club's last purchase order for ammunition, but she sweet talked and bulldozed where necessary, and they are now making lots of noise. Her favorite noisemaker is her old stainless GP100, 3 inch, fixed sight .357 Magnum.

 

[SpecialEd]

Sisters

Is she single?

 

[Fernando Coelho]

Re: Sisters

Is she single?

I saw that coming :lol:

 

[BCG]

I picked up a 9VE version of S&W's Sigma line last year. The reasons were;

1) Wanted a 9 since Winchester white box ammo was cheap
2) Liked the way it fit the hand
3) Price
4) Something for my sister to shoot, other than a .22

What I didn't like was the trigger pull and the safety.

Put several boxes of ammo through it without any problems.

Thinking that the trigger could be worked on to achieve a somewhat lesser pull weight, I sent it off to a 'smith to have it worked on. He stated that he had lots of success smoothing out the triggers on Sigmas with exactly the ammo that I planned on using. Alarm bells should have went off on that statement. The only smart thing I did was ask for all the original parts to be returned. It came back with a somewhat lighter pull.

Next trip to the range and it went bang, bang, click, bang, click, click.

Pulled the slide off and stripped it. Found that the striker spring was clipped to reduce the pull weight. Put the original spring back in and haven't had a problem since. Trigger pull weight was back to factory original.

 

[neisse]

Can someone inform me as to the "problems" with the Sigmas? I've heard from several places that the Sigmas are problematic (not just here), but no specifics. I greatly dislike Glocks for a multitude of reasons, all of them personal, but I've handled the Sigma (or whatever S&W is calling them now) in a couple of shops and I like the way it feels in my hand. The trigger's a different story, but it still feels better than the Glock trigger...

A web link or two would be great, also... Thanks!

 

[BCG]

Problems... none.

Dislikes... see above.

The trigger pull is heavy.

The hinged trigger safety seems more prone to being accidentaly disengaged.

Likes...

Reliable right out of the box.

Does fit the hand better than a Glock.

Has a second spring on the front of the striker that keeps the firing pin from protruding through the breech face when the slide is locked open.