S&W SV/SD Series Pistols: Worn Out?

[seeker_two]

I've read a lot about the S&W Sigma-type SV/SD pistols. One criticism that keeps coming up is that the pistols aren't robust enough to handle a lot of shooting compared to the Glock & M&P pistols. However, I've never heard from a SV/SD owner that they wore their gun out.

Has anyone here shot one to failure? If so, what parts failed first?

Thanks in advance....

 

[ritepath]

Normally the folks who whine are glockers still milking a sadon because S&W copied Europes plastic gun of choice.

FWIW from the sv/sd owners I know most aren't in the 1000 rounds a month club, but instead in the 500 a year group. Somewhere around 200 rounds a month your idea of a pistol changes and you upgrade pretty quick.

 

[osbornk]

I got mine in January and compared it with my son-in-law's Gen 3 Glock 19. It is almost identical and seems to be at least as well built and strong. It also has a lifetime warranty. I am confident mine will last several lifetimes with normal to high use and proper maintenance. The more I shoot it the better it works.

 

[745SW]

Over the years it seems many dislike the Sigma but I haven't noticed any breakage issues. Would be nice for folks in general to be more specific and detailed.

 

[745SW]

The book, The Rise Of America's Gun, Glock. CEO of S&W at the time during a meeting was told a plastic pistol could not be done. He places a Glock on the table and says "COPY THE M@%'+*% F@&'& !"

 

[Ibmikey]

I know of a police trade in Sigma .40 that had many hundreds of rounds before retirement and several thousand since without a failure. There you have a reliable test of one pistol, make your own choice.

 

[TunnelRat]

It's been my experience that most budget oriented pistols are bought by those who shoot on a somewhat more limited basis than others. This is not a firm rule, just an observation. As such there are probably fewer people with higher round counts through those pistols. Also, the M&P does have some nice benefits over the SD series and these days can be had only for as low as $400 in some cases so the SD series has a bit less appeal. Certain individuals have negative views of lower priced products and assume because it is lower priced it is of lower quality. It's a pretty common assumption. Combine all of this with the suit against S&W for Glock because of copyright infringement, and I think you will understand the negative opinions about the SD.

From what I've seen personally and read online from others it seems like a generally reliable gun with a somewhat heavy trigger. I have thought a couple times about picking one up and dropping the rather cheap APEX kit into it. I haven't seen anything that indicates it won't be durable, but if you're worried about that specifically there are other options for not a lot more money that have been tested a bit more extensively by a larger user base.

 

[gaaucoin]

reply

I have a .40 SV...I've run about 350 rounds thru it which is not a lot. Of those, I've had 3 FTE. It appears the gun does not like the cheap ammo I've been using (re-man aluminum case). I bought the stuff for 'break in'...should have done more research. It appears the casings swell just enough that they stick in the chamber by about 1/8" as close as I can measure. Anyhow, I'm more than a little 'off topic'...my apologies. I've not heard of anyone 'wearing out' their gun.

 

[Whirlwind06]

S&W SD9VE 2,000 round test thread
https://pistol-forum.com/showthread...2-000-round-test-thread&highlight=2000+rounds

Total round count: 2460
Stoppages: 1
Malfunctions: 1 (Aftermarket trigger problem, not the original parts)
Breakages: 0

If I remember correctly, it wasn't cleaned during the test. It's a budget gun but I doubt that the materials are different then what's in a M&P.

 

[James K]

It is interesting that some folks who shoot relatively little worry the most about wearing out a good quality pistol or revolver. Maybe a modern pistol will wear out eventually (everything mechanical does), but it is not going to happen in 300 or 500 or 1000 or even 5000 rounds. Most likely it will not happen in 10,000 rounds.

Unless you have or can get a lot of money and a lot of ammo and are going to go for testing to destruction, my advice is to stop worrying about wearing out that handgun.

Jim

 

[TunnelRat]

^ This is a good point. By the time you "wear out" the pistol you will have spent thousands of dollars on ammo.

 

[745SW]

Round count durability is a metric important to many and generally not a selling point. Example are informmercials of various gadgets by no name entities. Quick satisfaction ensures the item won't be returned only to have it fail sooner than later.

 

[James K]

It is a bit difficult to see what group requires extreme durabillity. Reliability, yes, but not many people will ever fire over 5000 rounds from a handgun. Police won't; cop guns are carried a lot and shot little; yearly qualification does not involve a lot of ammunition fired.

The military is the same; rifles, carbines and machineguns take a beating in combat, but a military pistol worn out in combat would be a rarity. Where military pistols wear out is in familiarization firing, where the gun is fired hour after hour, day after day. But even there, with the reduction of the armed services, the days of huge training divisions is long gone.

Of course, a few folks, like exhibition shooters, will fire a lot of ammo, often provided free by the ammunition companies who sponsor the shooter. But while those folks do wear out pistols, they are the actually the least in need of a handgun; not only are they never in any danger, but when one gun wears out or fails, they are given another.

Jim

 

[745SW]

As noted elsewhere cleaning an arm causes wear/tear. A good product will give acceptable life to many a user. Knowing how some maintain, I'm surprised the thing still works. And if one part breaks the whole is broke.

 

[indie_rocker]

I actually own a SD9VE, imagine that! I've had it since the summer of 2013 and have put around 2000 rounds through it. I have not had any major malfunction that I can recall. It does have the Apex spring kit installed. I also had some Tru-Glo fiber optic sights installed that are a huge step up from the factory sights. I was fine with the factory ones but got a sweet deal on the new ones ($40), so why not.

The only issue I seem to be having is some striker galling that allows the striker to protrude the breach face when the slide is locked back and I push the striker forward. S&W says is normal wear even though the owners manual says that if this condition occurs to stop using the firearm and contact them. I did so and they said to carry on. It is my nightstand gun and also my primary carry piece in the colder months.

That's my review and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Ibmikey]

James K, with regard to your observations of police training i must disagree as they are a blanket statement and not at all indicative of all police agencies. While being in charge of a med size dept's firearms program i purchased approximately 100,000 rounds of ammunition on a yearly basis. This count included all ammo, rifle shotgun and predominately pistol.

My personnel had the option of shooting at any or all of the four days a month the range was available and were not held to a maximum round count as long as it was used firing an offered course for that session. All officers were required to fire at least each quarter and the courses quite demanding of them and their pistols. If an officer failed to make firearms training during a quarter their weapon carrying was suspended until they could be scheduled for the next available training session. It did not take many days of working as an unarmed desk clerk for officers to understand the need for firearms training.
Most of the surrounding departments had similar training schedules.

 

[Guv]

There seems to be a fair amount of animosity directed towards the SV/SD Sigma's. How much of this is here say or 2nd/3rd hand rumors? I also think some amount of "Gun Snobbery" because of the targeted buyer is out there. That I have seen, like saying you drive a Dodge or a Ford at a BMW convention. If you want a good reliable pistol for not a lot of money, they are hard to beat.