Smith & Wesson SD9 VE [Archive]

41magfan

11-10-2015, 06:38 PM

Kyle Reese

11-10-2015, 06:39 PM

Lon

11-10-2015, 06:43 PM

Yes. Absolutely.

StraitR

11-10-2015, 06:55 PM

SKU: 34972 (Two Tone / Stainless Slide)

I know very little about them and it wouldn't under any normal circumstance be a primary carry pistol. At $270 for a brand new one, are they reliable enough to serve as a general purpose, knock around, stash pistol?

A straight up Yes or No will do unless there's some need to qualify that opinion.

Thanks

Yes.

When they came out, they were around the $399 market, making them roughly $75-$100 less than the M&P which was continuing to gain popularity. So, they sat on shelves with people either going with the cheaper SW9VE Sigma's priced at $299 or opted for the M&P's at $499. At $275, it represents a great value.

LSP972

11-10-2015, 07:00 PM

Yes.

.

okie john

11-10-2015, 07:01 PM

Yes.

Probably could be a carry gun with a few minor tweaks.

Okie John

JHC

11-10-2015, 07:16 PM

Yes, Sean O ran the hell out of one early this year 2K rounds plus. Shot well.

45dotACP

11-10-2015, 07:44 PM

Yes...and get the Apex kit. One of the better values for a new Semi auto pistol currently.

Sent from my VS876 using Tapatalk

41magfan

11-10-2015, 07:50 PM

Thank you, Gents .... it's been ordered. I'll have $306 in it with shipping & the transfer fee.

hufnagel

11-10-2015, 08:13 PM

where are you getting it for $270? local or online?

hufnagel

11-10-2015, 08:29 PM

thanks.
this thread reminded me an SD9VE was supposed to be added to my collection on this latest round of permits (Nazi Jermany thing)... along with a new offering from Beretta that hasn't even hit their site (as of a few hours ago...) the M9-22

167

11-10-2015, 08:42 PM

Yes.

4319

41magfan

11-10-2015, 08:42 PM

where are you getting it for $270? local or online?

Tom beat me to a response; Palmetto State Armory

JonInWA

11-11-2015, 05:51 PM

Luke

11-11-2015, 07:12 PM

LSP972

11-11-2015, 07:26 PM

Very interesting, guys-so is the informed/experienced consensus that the SD9VE does not, and has not, experienced the accuracy (and other) issues that have seemingly plagued the 9mm S&W M&P, or are potential flaws in the ointment being overlooked simply because of the price point?

Best, Jon

That's a most excellent question. I based my "yes" on the fact that I have shot several HUNDRED of these pistols since they appeared, and the only ones I can recall that choked were either full of chicken grease or had otherwise been severely abused before it hit my bench. No accuracy check or extended shooting was done with any of these… although if that many of them worked every time, with no prep or cleaning/lubricating, that's a pretty good indicator.

Now, I did participate in some extended work (500 rounds) with one example in .40 S&W that a pal bought for a truck gun. I don't recall any stellar groups (or malfunctions), but then I don't recall any horrible ones, either.

If I had need for a disposable hi-cap Euro-Pellet launcher, I would not hesitate to buy an SD9VE. Since I already have a half-dozen Glocks filling that role, such a need should not manifest itself any time soon. Around the lab, we call the SD9VE and SD40VE "Super Stigmas"; because they are, obviously, a product-improved Stigma… :D

Yeah, we're snobs. So sue me…;)

.

Beat Trash

11-12-2015, 10:45 AM

The current SD9VE's are not my gun of choice. Like LSP972 said, call me a gun snob. I'm ok with that.

But if someone I knew was on a tight budget and truly needed a defensive pistol, I would strongly recommend the SD9VE to them. They use the same dovetail cuts in the slide as the M&P, so the same sights. will work. I have a few M&P factory sights floating around that could be tossed onto a SD9.

Selling for $280 currently, i'm tempted to pick one up and throw an Apex kit into it. Just because...

okie john

11-12-2015, 10:50 AM

Selling for 280 currently, i'm tempted to pick one up and throw an Apex kit into it. Just because...

Yep.

Okie John

LSP972

11-12-2015, 02:50 PM

Selling for $280 currently, i'm tempted to pick one up and throw an Apex kit into it. Just because...

That IS tempting... but I'm managing to resist...;)

.

Casual Friday

11-14-2015, 08:28 AM

I've had one for 3+ years. With all the Apex fiddly bits it's a good shooter. The stock trigger was pretty blah.

Very interesting, guys-so is the informed/experienced consensus that the SD9VE does not, and has not, experienced the accuracy (and other) issues that have seemingly plagued the 9mm S&W M&P, or are potential flaws in the ointment being overlooked simply because of the price point?

Best, Jon

My sample of one does not have accuracy issues. It's as mechanically accurate as my Sig Pro. I don't run striker fired triggers as well as my DA/SA Sig at speed so that's where I see the difference, but admittedly that's a me problem, not a gun problem.

john c

11-14-2015, 05:34 PM

Casual Friday;

Can you please provide more details on the Apex trigger for these guns? Any comparisons? Are these, new, a better deal with the Apex trigger, compared to a used M&P?

Casual Friday

11-15-2015, 11:18 AM

Casual Friday;

Can you please provide more details on the Apex trigger for these guns? Any comparisons? Are these, new, a better deal with the Apex trigger, compared to a used M&P?

The Apex trigger parts for the SD series are worth twice what you'll pay for them, they really are. The reset is long compared to other striker fired guns, but it's easy to adapt to. I would take a new SD9VE with Apex trigger goodies over an M&P.

MichaelD

11-15-2015, 03:20 PM

PSA has them for $269.99:

http://palmettostatearmory.com/catalog/product/view/id/14713/

and you can often find them on GB for less. Here's one with a BuyNow! price of $248 and an opening bid of $234:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=520500854

Whoa... stop tempting me. With shipping and transfer fee, I could get either one of those for under $300 out the door.

41magfan

11-21-2015, 04:28 PM

I put a set of plain black Heinie Ledges on today and finally made it to the range. I only had time to fire about 125 rounds or so but the pistol is capable if you are. I'm into it for a total of $380.

The first shots fired was 10 rds of headshots at 5 and 10 yards .... 20 rds total.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/907/XqPoYw.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/p7XqPoYwj)

Next, a simple walk-back drill with 5 rds fired at 3,5,7,10 & 15 yards with a minor tweaking of the sights in the middle of all that.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/905/HtIEZT.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/p5HtIEZTj)

And finally, with the stock trigger and my advanced presbyopia this is all I could manage at the 25 yard line.

Should it be relevant to anyone considering them, POI is just a tad above the front sight at 15 yards and perhaps 2-3" high at 25 yds.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/905/yWkxWc.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/p5yWkxWcj)

ranger

11-24-2015, 09:13 PM

Local gun store (Cherokee Gun and Pawn) has them for sale this week for $249. I think this must be a contender for the best "cheap (inexpensive)" 9mm.

LSP972

11-25-2015, 07:23 AM

And then there's this:

4617

for the low low price of $1K.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=521950367

P.T. Barnum was right...

.

MichaelD

11-25-2015, 08:51 AM

And then there's this:

4617

for the low low price of $1K.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=521950367

What I love is not only that the porting on the slide doesn't actually correspond with any ports in the barrel, but they can't even bother to smooth out the inside of the trigger guard for $949 (the minimum allowed bid).

Oh... and it's a New York gunshop selling the thing. Perfect.

Chuck Haggard

11-25-2015, 10:20 AM

Our local Academy has them on sale for $289, my wife gets a 20% discount.

I am tempted to buy one and try to wear it out.

41magfan

11-25-2015, 10:30 AM

Our local Academy has them on sale for $289, my wife gets a 20% discount.

I am tempted to buy one and try to wear it out.

Heck, I'd buy another one if I could get that deal. You can't buy much these days for $232 .....

LSP972

11-25-2015, 11:53 AM

I am tempted to buy one and try to wear it out.

Got a ton of ammo to burn, do you???;)

.

Chuck Haggard

11-25-2015, 12:07 PM

Got a ton of ammo to burn, do you???;)

.

Not really, but shooting is shooting, and I need to do more of that.

I've found that shooting guns with crappy triggers often makes me better at things like follow through, etc.

41magfan

01-16-2016, 05:20 PM

My first attempt at Dot Torture with the SD9 @ 7 yards .... stock trigger and all. Scores a 46 or 47 (or thereabouts) depending on whether you score touching or inside the scoring circle.

I've only got about 300 rds downrange thus far but I'm reasonably impressed with this $269.00 purchase.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/910/1FnQim.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pa1FnQimj)

hufnagel

01-16-2016, 05:49 PM

Not really, but shooting is shooting, and I need to do more of that.

I've found that shooting guns with crappy triggers often makes me better at things like follow through, etc.

so... you're advocating everyone shoot a hi-point on a regular basis? :D

Chuck Haggard

01-16-2016, 09:05 PM

so... you're advocating everyone shoot a hi-point on a regular basis? :D

No, but doing dry fire with my Nagant revolver makes everything else have a great trigger pull.

Trajan

01-17-2016, 12:11 AM

I shot the 40 version of this the other day. Horrendous. Made me feel like a new shooter. We jokingly were doing 10/10/10 drills with it. Only had 2 on paper...

This thing has the strangest/worst trigger I've ever used. Makes brand new H&K DA seem like a match trigger.

Recoil was pretty bad too, but the only other .40s I've used were Gen 4 23s, and fullsize USPs.

Slow firing I could see my hand pulling down when I thought it was going to go.

frozentundra

01-17-2016, 01:08 AM

I dry fired one in store the other day. The trigger actually felt pretty good to me. Not much worse than my G19 anyway. I liked how it seemed to smoothly roll through the break. The trigger guard was surely kinder to my social finger! I get epic Glock knuckle.

I wonder if there is a ton of variation in the triggers, or if the one I tried had been sitting in the case for 2 years and dry fired a ton.

I'm tempted to buy one and pimp it out with sights, apex goodies and grip tape. I really like the size and ergonomics of the gun. Like a g19 that fits my hands better.

Casual Friday

01-17-2016, 10:26 AM

I'm tempted to buy one and pimp it out with sights, apex goodies and grip tape. I really like the size and ergonomics of the gun. Like a g19 that fits my hands better.

That's what I did to mine. Apex spring kit and AET trigger, talon grips and night sights. M&P sights fit which is nice. The Apex parts really make it feel like a different gun. Mine is currently on loan to a local Pastor who's family and congregation was recently threatened by a knife wielding lunatic. If he likes the gun it may end up being donated to him to do the Lord's work.

LSP972

01-17-2016, 10:38 AM

I shot the 40 version of this the other day. Horrendous.

While the SD version discussed here is generally head and shoulders above the SW "regular Stigma", every now and then I'll run across one with a trigger as you describe… pretty much unusable. We see anywhere from a couple to a dozen or more of these things every week in the lab. It is a very popular pistol down here, both with the nimrods and the thugs. Because its cheap, its got name, so what else do you need???:rolleyes:

I've been told that there are some viable tutorials on cleaning up this abortive trigger, out there in the void. No idea myself, but it would be worth looking into by an owner who is either stuck with one or chooses to keep it.

.

Cincinnatus

01-17-2016, 10:42 AM

While the SD version discussed here is generally head and shoulders above the SW "regular Stigma", every now and then I'll run across one with a trigger as you describe… pretty much unusable. We see anywhere from a couple to a dozen or more of these things every week in the lab. It is a very popular pistol down here, both with the nimrods and the thugs. Because its cheap, its got name, so what else do you need???:rolleyes:

I've been told that there are some viable tutorials on cleaning up this abortive trigger, out there in the void. No idea myself, but it would be worth looking into by an owner who is either stuck with one or chooses to keep it.

.

Apex has a trigger kit and tutorial video with some lighter springs.

41magfan

03-13-2016, 08:46 PM

I'm up to about 600 rounds total through mine at this point and while the trigger is difficult to manage compared to most striker fired pistols, I wouldn't personally characterize it as horrendous.

A attempted a couple of runs at the 10 yards - 10 rounds - 10 seconds drill and my best effort yielded a 98/100. A couple of clean runs at the FAST Drill have averaged 5.32 sec with my -1 scores averaging 4.91 seconds. None of my shooting has been fired from concealment at this point.

A 3/4 steel silhouette at 75 yards isn't much of a challenge and a 10" round plate at 50 yards is more than doable. It's worth noting that a handful of other instructors have shot the gun equally well. Our curriculum requires that an instructor demonstrate the qualification COF for our LE recruits so I did a demo run last week with the SD9 and held 48 of 50 rounds inside the 9-Ring on the B-27 target. That performance is nothing remarkable but if you knew how deficient my sight picture is without corrected shooting glasses you'd question how I hit the target with any degree of predictability at 25 yards. :^)

I may eventually install the APEX kit that's routinely mentioned but I really don't consider it too much of a "have to" at this point. For a $269 pistol, I'm not sure what more could be expected.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/924/UAifYJ.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poUAifYJj)

Lon

07-12-2019, 03:36 PM

Was in my local shop to get a Holosun 507c and saw a SD9 in the used case for $199. Came w 3 mags. Since I have kicked myself for the last year for not getting the last used SD9 I saw for $199, this one went into layaway after they told me they’d sell it for $200 OTD.

OlongJohnson

07-12-2019, 06:11 PM

It's a simple enough action, easy to clean it up and smooth it out. Except for one part: The bore in the slide for the striker block plunger was drilled really, really rough on the one I had. I wasn't able to smooth it out enough to make the trigger reasonably smooth, so it went down the road. Every other part of the action got nice and smooth. If you can check the bore of the striker block and find a clean one, it should be fine. Like Tom_Jones, I do like the fundamental robustness and safety of the mechanism.

The striker that was in mine when I got it was bent like a banana, so the firing pin hit the inside of the slide before exiting. I'm guessing that might lead to a problem with ignition reliability. S&W sent me a new one just for asking.

The recoil spring assembly self-disassembled itself while sitting on my bench as I was cleaning. The two plastic parts that are snapped together let go of each other. Read on the blue forum, it's a thing that happens. The solution that worked for me was getting a G17 RSA for $7, popping the head off the end, and trimming the main part to the right length for use in the SD9VE. Easy. Use the S&W spring, not the Glock spring, duh. It's fiddlier to reassemble after a field strip due to the assembly being non-captured, but at least you have a one-piece guide rod that won't turn the gun into a lightweight, awkwardly shaped striking implement at the worst possible time.

willie

07-12-2019, 11:35 PM

Mine worked reliably. My lgs pays $100 for these pistols in like new condition and sells same for $175. Some consider them marginal. They have poor resale value in my area. My opinion is that they are ok. But remember that S&W makes these to sell as an economically priced handgun aimed at a certain group of buyers. I doubt if this model would prove satisfactory if issued in large numbers to a police agency. I have known cops who carried Kel Tecs and Charter Arms weapons as backups. I know a recently retired Army Ranger whose concealed carry weapon is a Taurus pistol. When a person has already bought a pistol, then he wishes not to hear criticism.

hufnagel

07-13-2019, 08:01 AM

*IF* I ever get ahead of the money curve again, this is still on my list of guns to buy, if only to have.

JonInWA

07-13-2019, 09:15 AM

Reading through the thread, my thoughts are while it's likely to per viable, my constrained dollars would more likely to be spent on a Sigpro 2022 in this "credible but inexpensive" niche.

Best, Jon

john c

07-17-2019, 02:15 AM

I just shot a friend's SD9VE last Saturday. Every time I do, it seems like it shoots better than my G19, in terms of smoothness. I think they're simply excellent for the money, and superior to the Sig 2022. Admittedly, I've only ever shot a Sig 2340, which I owned for a while, but it's the same basic pistol.

I wonder what an Apex trigger and spring kit would do to one of these.

David S.

07-17-2019, 06:37 AM

Reading through the thread, my thoughts are while it's likely to per viable, my constrained dollars would more likely to be spent on a Sigpro 2022 in this "credible but inexpensive" niche.

Buds and Grabagun show SigPros a hundred bucks more than a SD9. The Pro's magazines are also twice as expensive.

I guess it depends on how constrained your dollars are.

sparkyfender

07-18-2019, 07:54 PM

Yes.

Well worth the asking price. I know a couple of people who carry them regularly as their mainstay, I consider them well armed.

mmc45414

07-18-2019, 08:45 PM

I wonder what an Apex trigger and spring kit would do to one of these. I snapped them at the NRA meeting in ATL last year and was very impressed. They make a trigger and a spring kit, and the one they said only had the trigger was pretty darn nice.

I have about nine M&Ps, and wonder about this because the striker is (obviously) not fully tensioned. Is it not even partially tensioned? I am perversely intrigued by them.

ETA: $269 shipped:
https://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/products2.cfm/ID/116856

JonInWA

07-26-2019, 10:49 AM

Buds and Grabagun show SigPros a hundred bucks more than a SD9. The Pro's magazines are also twice as expensive.

I guess it depends on how constrained your dollars are.

True, but keep in mind that the SIG P2022:

1. Comes with an inherently quite decent triggerpull out of the box;

2. Comes with OEM trijicon nightsights.

3. Quality MecGar magazines as OEM

Arguably, it's a case of "a little more outlay gets you a lot more value," or you're paying incrementally more initially, but likely less than you're likely to end up paying in the long run on the Smith to achieve the same quality of performance.

Kind of depends on where you're at, and your mindset perspective. Regardless, both are quite decent pistols.

Best, Jon

Best, Jon

Lon

07-26-2019, 06:23 PM

Got everything in the pic for less than $350. When I get back from my weekend daddy/daughter trip I’ll get to work.

40526

RAM Engineer

07-26-2019, 07:41 PM

Never seen those baseplates before.

Lon

07-26-2019, 08:06 PM

Never seen those baseplates before.

I got em from MidwayUSA. I don’t know if they’re still made.

11B10

07-26-2019, 08:59 PM

I've been waiting for someone to bring up the SD40VE, a pistol I owned for several years to be used in a back up/home defense role. I estimate I put approximately 2,500 rounds through it during that time, plus a fair amount of dry fire. I always took it along on each trip to the range, shooting at least a few dozen rounds. Although the sights and firearm were never altered or modified, the trigger did become much smoother. I experienced absolutely no malfunctions, but in all honesty, the shooting I did was not in any competition or timed. In retrospect, I believe the decline of the .40 caliber round influenced my decision. Just my 2¢.

Lon

08-01-2019, 08:32 PM

Put a 100 rounds down range this morning. Haven’t added the Apex parts yet. Wanted a baseline. More details here:https://gunsnobbery.wordpress.com/2019/08/02/sd9ve-first-shots/

4given

08-23-2019, 11:11 AM

I had one that I used for a "downstairs" stash pistol. Installed the Apex trigger kit which worked well. Ran quite a bit of ammo through it and had no issues. Ended up selling it to buy something else. I would have no issues carrying it if it were my only choice.

Dusty Stone

09-27-2023, 10:19 AM

Lon

09-27-2023, 01:02 PM

I realize this is an old thread, but I love my SD9VE with it's APEX trigger... came that way, and got it for a really good price. I can see why Glock hated it, as it feels better than the Glock 19 gen3 I had... yep traded that one for a Glock 20sf gen3.

Huh. Thx for reviving this. Just realized I never posted the final article I wrote. Well, here it is:
https://gunsnobbery.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/a-tale-of-two-pistols/

I’m seriously thinking about sending a slide to Nameless Arms and having it cut for an RMR. Would be a good travel gun.