S&W SD9 VE a Piece of Crap?

M1911 said:
You want to buy a gun for home defense. You want to cheap out on buying it, because spending money for target shooting with an air pistol is important to you, but your life is less important. However, you also want that cheap ass gun to be in .357 SIG, which is perhaps the most expensive defensive pistol caliber available?

I will clearly never understand where you are coming from and any practical advice from me or anyone else will be lost on you.

Go buy your SD9. When you decide that you hate it and trade it at a loss, don't come back here whining about it.
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Well you raise an interesting point. We all have our interests and passions. It would appear to me that the individual likes air rifle shooting better than shooting with a firearm. The point is, Sigma pistols and Sigma derived pistols which is apparently what the PD VE series are, do work as evidenced by the posters who have responded. I knew a gentleman who was perfectly satisfied with his Taurus .357, but insisted on having the finest boat and boating equipment that he could afford. I buy my polo shirts at Ocean State Job Lot for five bucks a piece, yet I know at least one gentleman who will wears nothing but Brooks Brothers...why? Because of priorities in personal life. A budget grade handgun by a reputable manufacturer will suffice. Now whether the new PD VE series represent the best value is another issue all together esp in the .357 Sig chambering (I have an extra .357 Sig barrel for my .40 P229, and while I like the cartridge very much, it is an expensive proposition if you don't handload, and those that do tell me that it can be a bit challenging because of the bottle neck case, I don't know for sure and am only relying on the opinions of others with regard to that).

There may be better values in so-called economy grade firearms Ruger or a used 3rd Gen S&W come to mind, but for the intended purpose I am confident (as a Smith and Wesson stockholder [smile]) that the PD VE pistol will suffice. Ravens were actually very reliable .25's, I have seen good and bad guns made by Taurus, and I tend not to like them much, the same can be said about Rossi, I know don't much about Bersa or some of the Eastern European brands. There is a whole world of what I call secondary makers out there which we in Massachusetts are distancing ourselves more and more as these guns in new condition are unavailable to us. My FM Hi-Power (Argentina) has the best out of the box trigger on any Hi-Power I have ever owned (and I have owned 5 Hi-Powers over the years).

Although not popular, I still maintain for the average person who wants a personal defense handgun and is not into handguns, a used S&W, Ruger or Colt (if you can find one) 38 special or .357 revolver in good condition will do quite adequately, and for the non-enthusiast provide a very decent level of protection coupled with simplicity of operation and reduced maintenance.

As with most things: YMMV [wink]
 
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Baikal49 said:
I was told this the other day by a gun shop that refuses to carry this pistol. Is this hyperbole or are these pistols OK for range practice and home defense (possible carry too). The price is certainly right, meaning cheap. Opinion and experiences appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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I shoot the sigme .40VE (basicaly the same as a SD). The worst thing I can say about it is that it has something like a 14lb trigger. Personaly I LIKE that. For a first hand gun, it forces you shoot correct and not just easy. I CC mine but I am a fat bastard so its not to hard to mostly hide... it is a large gun for carry though...
 
M1911 said:
You want to buy a gun for home defense. You want to cheap out on buying it, because spending money for target shooting with an air pistol is important to you, but your life is less important. However, you also want that cheap ass gun to be in .357 SIG, which is perhaps the most expensive defensive pistol caliber available?

I will clearly never understand where you are coming from and any practical advice from me or anyone else will be lost on you.

Go buy your SD9. When you decide that you hate it and trade it at a loss, don't come back here whining about it.
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Now, now. You need to carefully read what I wrote.
I have a dependable Bodyguard 380 that I CC for personal defense and which I keep accessible for home defense. I don't have to spend more than $400 for a dependable self-defense pistol so it is NOT at all accurate for you to say that I value my life less than I do target shooting. I also NEVER said I was looking for a cheap ,357 Sig. I used that as a MSRP example when a poster stated that M&Ps can be had for $350. Not all of them can be had in that price range at all.

I enjoy 10 meter air pistol competition very much. It is practical for indoor practice and pellets, even the best are dirt, cheap. That said, I also enjoy small bore three position which I did as a youth. I plan to try 50 meter smallbore and will begin that with my 1961 bought Mossberg 144LS that is in pristine condition. If the 50 meter bug bites, I can see spending $1500 or so on a Feinwerkbau Universal 700 or similar rifle.

I've pretty much decided to not buy a SD9. I will likely pay a little bit more and buy the Shield in .40 or A Ruger lc9. Both dependable, not expensive and well suited to my purposes. Please try to read and respond to what I've actually posted in future. Thanks.
 
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I question the choice of a 380 Bodyguard as a home defense gun. As for Sigmas, when I have the cash I may buy half a dozen and stash them in each room of my future home.
 
vellnueve said:
I question the choice of a 380 Bodyguard as a home defense gun.
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Agreed. A .380 Bodyguard is a pocket gun. It is very small and light, with a short sight radius. That makes it easy to carry in a pocket, but compromise its accuracy. For home defense, a full size gun in a larger caliber will be much easier to shoot and will have less felt recoil.

i have a Kahr PM9 that I use for pocket carry, but it isn't what I use for home defense.
 
Baikal49 said:
I also NEVER said I was looking for a cheap ,357 Sig. I used that as a MSRP example when a poster stated that M&Ps can be had for $350. Not all of them can be had in that price range at all.
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So, you're not looking for a gun. You're just looking for an argument.
 
M1911 said:
Agreed. A .380 Bodyguard is a pocket gun. It is very small and light, with a short sight radius. That makes it easy to carry in a pocket, but compromise its accuracy. For home defense, a full size gun in a larger caliber will be much easier to shoot and will have less felt recoil.

i have a Kahr PM9 that I use for pocket carry, but it isn't what I use for home defense.
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At 20ft I can rapid fire 7 rounds and have a spread of 6 inches. My preference for home self-defense is a short barrel 12ga pump shotgun, one of which I used to have until I sold it several years ago while living in another state.

- - - Updated - - -

M1911 said:
So, you're not looking for a gun. You're just looking for an argument.
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No, not at all.
 
Baikal49 said:
I've pretty much decided to not buy a SD9. I will likely pay a little bit more and buy the Shield in .40 or A Ruger lc9. Both dependable, not expensive and well suited to my purposes. Please try to read and respond to what I've actually posted in future. Thanks.
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[rofl]

A shield is about the same cost as an M&P, (or even many used Glocks) more or less. You're arguing over mouse milk at this point money wise.

-Mike
 
mark056 said:
Well you raise an interesting point. We all have our interests and passions. It would appear to me that the individual likes air rifle shooting better than shooting with a firearm. The point is, Sigma pistols and Sigma derived pistols which is apparently what the PD VE series are, do work as evidenced by the posters who have responded. I knew a gentleman who was perfectly satisfied with his Taurus .357, but insisted on having the finest boat and boating equipment that he could afford. I buy my polo shirts at Ocean State Job Lot for five bucks a piece, yet I know at least one gentleman who will wears nothing but Brooks Brothers...why? Because of priorities in personal life. A budget grade handgun by a reputable manufacturer will suffice.
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Mark, I see what you are saying, but I just think that skinflinting on a lifesaving device, that you will only ever have to buy once (a handgun will last a lifetime) is a fools errand. This isn't like buying the cheap shoes at costco because you know you will need another pair in a year anyways, or something like that. It's a different kind of purchase.

-Mike
 
drgrant said:
Mark, I see what you are saying, but I just think that skinflinting on a lifesaving device, that you will only ever have to buy once (a handgun will last a lifetime) is a fools errand. This isn't like buying the cheap shoes at costco because you know you will need another pair in a year anyways, or something like that. It's a different kind of purchase.

-Mike
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I'm beginning to think that you're something of a pretentious gun snob. That's ok. I'm that way about some consumer goods, too. BTW, I'm not the one arguing. I asked for info; explained my needs; took the info and made a decision on what not to buy and what to buy. You might not agree, but it's not your decision. If some people can't understand what I've expressed, that isn't my problem. I do very much appreciate the constructive info and reasoned opinions expressed.
 
Baikal49 said:
I'm beginning to think that you're something of a pretentious gun snob. That's ok. I'm that way about some consumer goods, too. BTW, I'm not the one arguing. I asked for info; explained my needs; took the info and made a decision on what not to buy and what to buy. You might not agree, but it's not your decision. If some people can't understand what I've expressed, that isn't my problem. I do very much appreciate the constructive info and reasoned opinions expressed.
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Whoa whoa, Mike knows what he is talking about and has been around firearms for a long time. His posts are always spot on and I know that I speak for most members on here that Mike is just trying to give sound advice. If you don't want to take it then that's your business. Pretentious? You asked if a Sigma is a piece of crap. If you want serious answers then don't ask questions that you can clearly answer yourself. Read more, post less. [thumbsup]
 
ColdDayInHell said:
Whoa whoa, Mike knows what he is talking about and has been around firearms for a long time. His posts are always spot on and I know that I speak for most members on here that Mike is just trying to give sound advice. If you don't want to take it then that's your business. Pretentious? You asked if a Sigma is a piece of crap. If you want serious answers then don't ask questions that you can clearly answer yourself. Read more, post less. [thumbsup]
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No, I think some of his comments belie a pretentiousness and something of a know-it-all attitude. I made clear the price range I choose to spend within to purchase a dependable self-defense weapon. His comments about not valuing my life by not spending more when I don't have to are pretentious at best.

I asked a serious question about the SD9-VE, not the Sigma per se. I got serious, informed answers and took them into consideration in deciding to not buy a SD9. Go back and read through his comments and judge for yourself how useful they were. I found them to be some of the least useful/helpful comments posted. Your opinion my differ.
Eg. "skinflinting on a life saving device" I don't consider a BG 380 or a M&P Shield in 9mm or .40 to be skinflinting. Do you?
 
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Baikal, I don't have the time to read through this thread, but it seems like people are saying there are better firearms with better track records, ergonomics, reliability etc. than the Sigma for marginally more money. The sigma is cheap for a reason. What type and caliber of pistol are you looking to try exactly?
 
He knew what he wanted to buy when he posted and just needed one person to say its okay to solidify his decision. We see this happen all the time. I just hope he never decides to buy and AR, "is Olympic arms a piece of crap?"
 
Madball13 said:
He knew what he wanted to buy when he posted and just needed one person to say its okay to solidify his decision. We see this happen all the time. I just hope he never decides to buy and AR, "is Olympic arms a piece of crap?"
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You have NO idea what I wanted to buy when I posted to start this thread because I did not know what my next gun purchase was/is going to be. I'm still not certain what I will buy, but I know I will not buy a SD9 or 40 VE. It's clear from posters comments that the SDs aren't "crap." They are functional and inexpensive. For a bit more, there are better choices for self-defense. Why you continue with semi-insulting comments is beyond me.

Again, thanks to all who posted good info and reasoned opinions.
 
Post count:

DrGrant
29,197 highest reputation attainable and a mod

Baikal49:
177 and one green default square.

I think I know which one is acting pretentious.
 
Baikal49 said:
I'm beginning to think that you're something of a pretentious gun snob. That's ok. I'm that way about some consumer goods, too. BTW, I'm not the one arguing. I asked for info; explained my needs; took the info and made a decision on what not to buy and what to buy. You might not agree, but it's not your decision. If some people can't understand what I've expressed, that isn't my problem. I do very much appreciate the constructive info and reasoned opinions expressed.
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You can call me all the names you want, I'm just trying to save you some potential pain down the road.

I see friends buying crap like sigmas and tauruses and 9 out of 10 times they get pissed and dump the guns a few months later. A lot of people blow smoke on the internet, but with some guns their reputations of failbus are well deserved.

I don't have a lot of hi brow guns anymore. That said I can say I've probably spent a soft 20 grand on handguns in my short life, you tend to learn a lot in that process. Finances have forced me to downsize. I only offer advice because if I knew 8 years ago what I know now I would have saved a shitload of money, time and gasoline. You wanted opinions, I gave mine. Not going to bother me how you spend your money. [smile]

-Mike
 
josei710 said:
Ruger lol

just save up your money to you got enough to buy something good
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My next pistol will likely be either a S&W M&P Shield in 9mm or a Ruger LC9. While I like the Bodyguard 380 very much, I would have bought the Shield 9mm had it been MA compliant at the time. A bit more stopping power would be a nice option when getting ready to go out. [grin] After that I'm looking at a .22LR pistol for inexpensive range practice. The short list there is Ruger 22R, Ruger 22/45 or a M&P 22. I might consider a Sig Mosquito which I've fired and like. Many conflicting opinions on it's quality might be an issue. We'll see.
 
xtry51 said:
Post count:

DrGrant
29,197 highest reputation attainable and a mod

Baikal49:
177 and one green default square.

I think I know which one is acting pretentious.
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Doesn't change my opinion based on my experience here. You're entitled to disagree. [grin]
 

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