Why I chose a new Smith & Wesson SD9 VE over a Glock 45.

[ZA_Survivalist]

The two things i just didnt like about the S&W were the trigger and slide stop.

 

[DirectDrive]

Glocks are proven, in factory form, to be among the safest firearms made. Saying it's "less safe" than x is bologna

Some people just have to have that external manual safety.
I'm good with the Glock safety system.

 

[Member 53328]

Some people just have to have that external manual safety.
I'm good with the Glock safety system.

IMO a manual safety is just another thing to forget/get in the way in a moment of induced adrenaline. I want the most reliable, simple and streamlined system possible and that's why I choose Glock.

 

[DirectDrive]

IMO a manual safety is just another thing to forget/get in the way in a moment of induced adrenaline. I want the most reliable, simple and streamlined system possible and that's why I choose Glock.

Agree.
I want that thing running when it clears leather.

 

[Member 53328]

Agree.
I want that thing running when it clears leather.

I'm clearing kydex but I get your drift. Haha

 

[deadeye]

I don't want to build a race gun. I just want a simple and reliable carry defender.

That's exactly what you have, don't take what the glock fan boys say to heart. I have had and have all three versions and never had an issue except on an original that needed the feedramp polished to run gold dots but that was a known issue with some of the originals. The M&P's are also a good choice but haven't tried the shield version. The fact that this is a "self defense" pistol doesnt mean that it needs a lite trigger cause ya aint target shootin. If used for its intended purpose you won't notice the heavier trigger with the adrenaline. Besides it wont give the prosecution any additional talking points about being modified and "deadlier" if it should become evidence in a self defense case. I have had a few glocks in the past but they just don't fit/feel right to me and you won't find one in any of my safes.

 

[nammac]

At the end of the day, the reasons there are many makes, models and calibers is because we are all individuals. What fits and works in one persons hands may not work at all for another person.

Each has to determine their needs, what fits their needs (and their budgets), getting the best, most reliable and most functional firearm(s) that satisfy all that criteria.

Then there's the individuals comfort and confidence in the firearm, not to mention proficiency or potential proficiency. Many factors need to be considered. And I respect the decision each person makes according to their needs and circumstances.

Congrats on the new Smith, now get out there and practice, practice, practice.

 

[papersoldier]

Does anybody here have an SD9 VE (value enhanced)? How do you like it?

I'm a Glock person through and through when it comes to pistols, but I bought one of these (SD9VE) a while back out of curiosity since it was so similar to a Glock in both form and function. After putting it through its paces for a few months I concluded that it's mostly fine.

The gun handles alright, and I didn't have any reliability issues to speak of. The only two features that were markedly poorer than a Glock were the trigger and (for me personally) the length of the slide release, which for my hands interfered with slide lock-back due to where I rest my thumb while shooting. I ended up just dremeling off a large section of the slide release to make it Glock-sized, which solved that particular gripe.

As for the trigger, there's not much to be done to improve it besides just straight up replace it. It was heavy, crunchy, had lot of creep in both the rearward pull and the reset and was just all around pretty terrible in my opinion. Now, I don't really think this is (very) important for a self defense firearm, but having a trigger like that on an otherwise pretty good gun is disappointing, and makes the firearm much harder to shoot well.

In any case, these were just my observations after owning and shooting one for a while. I still own the pistol, and it just pulls duty as a spare home defense gun, but it's not something I take out to shoot for fun or for practice - for that I just fall back on my tried and true Glocks.

 

[FromSomeGalaxy]

I don't see threaded barrels as race gun parts.

Maybe not, but I'm not into customizing things that go BANG! If that sort of thing floats your boat, then fine by me.

 

[Astoria9mm]

Yes, that goes for every person here. What do people here think of Smith's M&P Shield line vs Glock?

My current EDC is a shield. I like it...But will be switching to a Glock 19. I own S&W, CZ, Sig & Glock and have to say my Glock 26 is the most reliable hands down.

 

[titsonritz]

One reason to get a Glock is the availability of threaded barrels.

One reason to get a Glock is the availability of everything.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

S&W M&P 2.0 9mm Full size and Compact pistols were just on sale.




You can also get them with the thumb safety.

 

[FromSomeGalaxy]

I'm a Glock person through and through when it comes to pistols, but I bought one of these (SD9VE) a while back out of curiosity since it was so similar to a Glock in both form and function. After putting it through its paces for a few months I concluded that it's mostly fine.

The gun handles alright, and I didn't have any reliability issues to speak of. The only two features that were markedly poorer than a Glock were the trigger and (for me personally) the length of the slide release, which for my hands interfered with slide lock-back due to where I rest my thumb while shooting. I ended up just dremeling off a large section of the slide release to make it Glock-sized, which solved that particular gripe.

As for the trigger, there's not much to be done to improve it besides just straight up replace it. It was heavy, crunchy, had lot of creep in both the rearward pull and the reset and was just all around pretty terrible in my opinion. Now, I don't really think this is (very) important for a self defense firearm, but having a trigger like that on an otherwise pretty good gun is disappointing, and makes the firearm much harder to shoot well.

In any case, these were just my observations after owning and shooting one for a while. I still own the pistol, and it just pulls duty as a spare home defense gun, but it's not something I take out to shoot for fun or for practice - for that I just fall back on my tried and true Glocks.

The Smith SD9 VE trigger can be squeezed to make the gun go BANG! but only when you REALLY mean it! Folks not accustomed to double-action revolver firing might view the Smith's auto's trigger dimly, indeed. I'm a frim believer of mastering the double-action pull and using double-action only for revolvers in defensive shooting. This man in the video below has me sold on the double action pull (controlled squeeze) and I do feel more comfortable with a defensive auto that get's closer to that double-action feel. The SD9 VE has no thumb safety either. The best gun safety is between the two human ears.

Here, Hickok45 really puts the hammer down on the SD9 VE at the range (this humble Smith can really shoot when the heat is on):

 

[oremike]

You don't got to 'splane nothing to me.... the correct number of guns is just one more.

 

[papersoldier]

I'm a firm believer of mastering the double-action pull and using double-action only for revolvers in defensive shooting.

I think anyone who's used to shooting double action revolvers or DAO autos would be much more prepared to shoot the SD9VE well, so I think you're on the money as far as that goes. My issues with the trigger likely stem from the hours of shooting done with the lighter striker-fired pistols, and the muscle memory that has come along with those hours.

If it wasn't clear from my last post, I think that the SD9VE is a perfectly decent pistol for anyone who doesn't mind the trigger. I found it reliable and just as accurate as my other Glocks and Glock-style pistols, which is one of the reasons why I ended up keeping it instead of just selling it.

 

[BAJ475]

Throw one of these in it and you will like it even more!

Action Enhancement Kit for SDVE

Action Enhancement Kit for SDVE The Apex Action Enhancement Kit totally transforms the SDVE (and SD) pistols. This kit is a significant improvement over the stock factory trigger pull, yet still ideal for duty/carry and personal protection purposes, as we

www.apextactical.com

Yes. I won a SDVE in a raffle at a LGS so the price could not be beat. Had the worse trigger of any pistol I had. The LGS, which was also a range, had me try the trigger on their rental gun. It had the Apex kit. What a difference. I had the kit installed before I picked it up. Later, I changed the trigger to an Apex trigger. With these mods they are nice guns and it became my primary carry gun.

 

[WillametteWill]

Glocks are proven, in factory form, to be among the safest firearms made. Saying it's "less safe" than x is bologna

My usual disclaimer, everyone should carry what they want whether it be the SD9 opening this thread or a Glock. Carry on and good for you that you are carrying. I'm not anti-Glock but how so?

How are they safer than a gun with an added safety feature...or two? How are they safer than a DA revolver with a 12 pound trigger pull? When I'm running with my SF gun with the same trigger pull as a stock Glock but with a manual safety, whether it is between stages at a match or moving to cover during a self-defense situation, how is the gun without the safety as safe? In a high stress scenario training, trained officers were found to discharge 12 pound triggers accidentally 6% of the time but the rate goes up to 20% with a 5 pound trigger. But what is the percentage if the safety is on? (Answer, approaching 0%.) In one study, of the ND's with SF guns "well over half of the unintended discharges were the result of intentionally pulling the trigger before clearing the chamber during disassembly [i.e., field stripping the weapon]." What would happen in these cases if you have a SF gun where the safety can be activated during this process? How is a gun that, per the Glock instruction manual, you are to pull the trigger to disassemble the firearm safer that one where you do not have to do this?

I get that some / many folks don't like manual safeties because they can be left on when trying to shoot. Factually true. Train.

Again, with experienced gun owners they can decide for themselves. My issue is when new shooters are exposed to these gun same gun owners, their bias may not be in the best interest of new shooters. I agree safeties should not be crutch. I've heard people say, "I carry a revolver so I can just throw it in my backpack without a holster and it is safe." Stupid. Same if they said this about a gun with a safety.

When I watch ND videos, many to most would not have happened if a manual safety was activated.

But because of the above logic, somehow I'm viewed as a Fudd. Sigh.

 

[BAJ475]

Maybe not, but I'm not into customizing things that go BANG! If that sort of thing floats your boat, then fine by me.

You may not be into customizing but if you can find a SDVE with the Apex kit, you should try it. As I posted earlier, the improvement was so great that I had the kit installed before the gun left the LGS. There is not that much difference in trigger pull weight but the grittiness is gone. If you wern't so far away, I would let you try mine.

 

[spookshack]

S&W has definitely milked those SD frame molds for all there worth. They should be MSRP'ing them for $199.99

While not a bad entry level gun, I would have ponied up the extra money and sprung for the M&P. Other than being a bit dated, the trigger is about the only thing that sucks on the SD. With your DA skills though, it should be a none issue. Enjoy your new S&W!

 

[amc82]

Cheap guns are not good good guns are not cheap. You want a very good pistol for a lower price then a Glock get a Sig p320 then mod the heck out of it.