Trade up?

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308Loader

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Traded in my CIA zastava m70a 9mm for a Smith & Wesson SDVE Pistol 9mm at the LGS +100$. Did I trade up or down? the zastava had some feed issues, mag release issues... great trigger reset, hard to see sights. Haven't shot the new SW yet but the trigger pull seems to me outrageously long. 2 part trigger also has me worried. The wife picked it up and said "this part already broken, its another cheep POS" meaning the bottom part of the trigger.

2nd thought is ammo. Range fodder standard ball 115gr? 124gr? +p? Is the SW rated to +p+?
 
While the SD9ve is not an expensive gun you definitely traded up. You will get used to the trigger. You will also get used to not having the issues you had with the Zastaza.
 
You traded an obsolete gun with feed issues for a modern gun that has features you want and a good reputation for reliability. Apex Tactical sells a popular spring kit that supposedly fixes the trigger pull issue.

Check the manual on ammo, but any normal 9mm through +P should be OK--it was originally designed for police use. Also was first released as a .40 cal.

Don't worry about the "two-part" trigger--that's just the Smith way of doing the Glock's trigger safety, to prevent discharge if the gun is dropped on its tail.
 
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No gun is rated for +P+, and there is no need to shoot +P, even if a gun is rated for it. Carry premium JHPs with heavy-for-caliber bullets that have been shown to penetrate adequately while expanding reliably.

I think the SDVE is the better of the two guns.
 
The S&W SDVE 9mm and .40 have the reputation for a horrible trigger.

A good gunsmith, or sending it back to S&W, can fix that -- and then these guns are as good as most Glocks -- maybe better if you don't like the Glock grip angle. And I think APEX now offers trigger kits for them.

You just can't brag about how good they are, 'cause nobody will believer you. :)
 
SDVE is a great gun...but lot people confuse them with the old sigma...get a apex kit and trigger... I kinda like the factory trigger ..I got one and it eat any ammo no problems.. These are one best guns for the money.. It's a Smith.. Lifetime warranty.. You got a great gun enjoy
 
The S&W SDVE 9mm and .40 have the reputation for a horrible trigger.
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It ain't a target trigger for sure, but the gun ain't a target gun either.

The kit does not help people with trigger issues. I think a lot of unnecessary stock is put into triggers anyway. Mostly, it is just something to complain about.

I have 4 of the SD9VE and have learned the trigger well enough to keep 15 shot groups in the 2-3" range at 20 yds. My wife took her CCW class with hers and had no misses on the target.

I have had 8 different people (women, men, teenagers) shoot the gun and all said they like it and would buy one for themselves.

I am not a fan of the 9mm, but I like the SD9VE very much.
 
Traded in my CIA zastava m70a 9mm for a Smith & Wesson SDVE Pistol 9mm at the LGS +100$. Did I trade up or down?
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Dunno. Your call. My take would be "traded up, slightly".

Hammer fired single action cheap gun, vs. striker fired "whatever" action cheap gun. Just a guess, you'd have less trouble getting the S&W fixed, if need be.
 
I owned a sigma 9mm VE (?) in the last 90s-early 2000s. it was a top performer. I actually shot it better than my glocks. if I ever come across one when I have the money I will impulse buy it.
 
In my opinion the SDVE looks much better not that that effects performance or "trade up" value at all unless that is what you were looking for. As for ammo I would think that just for target practice 115gr would be the best way to go. Some 124gr can be crazy expensive. Winchester just came out with dual boxes that have FMJ loads similar to their hollow points for good practice, kind of a cool concept too. Just an after thought.
 
They are reliable pistols... Trigger has long and heavy pull.


The apex spring kit makes reset weak in my limited experience with someone else's pistol I have shot a few times. Pull is a bit lower, but not drastically.

The Apex replacement trigger feels better than the stock one for sure. But apex sent the wrong one or they have fit issues, as I had to relieve a bit off the front of the trigger in order for the trigger to move forward enough to reset. (This was in combination with their spring kit as well... I put it in for them)


The pistol is reliable and accurate in my hands. The owner has issues with accuracy, related to the heavy trigger and lack of regular practice.



Good pistol, with a bit heavy and long trigger... An apex upgrade may or may not be a benefit for you.

Practice regularly and you will learn to shoot it well.
 
Yeah, with pretty much every load I have seen tested... At least the modern designs... The standard pressure penetrated deeper, with only a slight loss in expanded diameter.

I use 124gr HST 9mm standard pressure as my go to load, and will go with other respected loads if those are unavailable.


The new defensive loads from Lehieh and Polycase show promise, especially for the .380 loading. The Polycase/ruger ARX 9mm loads are +p but recoil is on par with standard FMJ target load. (So not even a hot standard pressure load) So despite the added pressure, I don't thing it would cause wear on the pistol. It needs the added pressure to ensure the slide cycles reliably due to the lightweight bullet.
 
I have a SD9VE and I like it a lot. The trigger works fine for me and I don't understand why so many complain about it since it reminds me of a DA revolver trigger. I have shot a bunch of the cheapest 115 gr. ammo in it and I have had no problems with it at all. Both Brass and aluminum work well and most of what I shoot is under $10 per box (Perfecta mostly).
 
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