Alright guys I am currently talking to a friend who has a .40 caliber smith and wesson pistol and its in nice condition that he got from his dad and his dad is a retired policeman so the gun is in clean and in good shape. Its fairly new but i dont know what year and model #, but it will come with a leather holster and 3 clips. He wants $200. Good deal? The other question i have is that i am only going to be using the gun for recreational and safety purposes getting to and from my stand during the morning and night hunting. I obviously live in texas and bow hunt so i dont carry a gun and we do have a hog problem. Will this gun be a good decision. Oh and money is limited!
Thanks for the input
First- it sounds like a good deal, provided the pistol is in good working order and decent shape. It would help to know the model name, how old it is, etc., but in general if you can pick up a good condition Smith & Wesson .40 cal for $200, I'd call it a good deal.
Second, do you want to use it for protection against 2 legged critters or 4 legged? You mentioned hogs, but I didn't know if that was your only concern. The .40 is an excellent choice as a self-defense round. It's maybe a little light for hogs, but certainly better than a 9mm or .38. If you use it as hog defense, load it up with the heaviest bullet you can find (180 grain XTP, maybe?). If money's a concern, I think this looks like a really good deal for you - I'd go for it!
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I just sold my S&W 40VE for $280 last fall. Went with the 2 factory magazines, manual, hard case, and a slip on Hogue grip. I had problems with the bullets feeding at first so I polished the feed ramp and it seemed to cycle any kind of bullet I wanted to put through it after that. Decent gun for the money. The only other draw back was it had a terrible heavy trigger. I purchased a H&K 40USP....a much better gun but it's worth $700+. Here is a pic of the S&W
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Well.........if it's an older S&W then your are in business. If it's a Sigma (like the one in sjsfire's post) then it's "hit or miss" with more misses than hits. The Sigma has had it's share of problems over the years with FTF (fail to feed) and it's reliabilityis not the best nor is it's accuracy track record[]. However, the newer ones supposedly have all the quirks worked out of them, but I haven't shot a newer one yet. It's a shame because the Sigma feels really really good in your hand. I just wish it shot as good as it felt. I sold mine (which is huge because I rarely sellmy guns) for slightly more than what your buying yours for and I didn't have a problem getting a buyer.It's a decent price for a Sigma and it's asmokin price if it's any other model.Not to worry, you can still get a Sigma to feed and shoot properly but it might take some tinkering and polishing (feed ramp) etc.. I'm not trying to paint the Sigma in a bad light, it's just that it doesn't have the best track record. Do a little research and you will see for yourself.
Please post back when you get it, I'm interested to see what model it is. I hope I didn't turn you sour on it (if it is a Sigma) I just wanted you to be as informed as possible.
We use to carry the S&W 4046 as a our on duty firearm, I didn't care for it. We now carry the H&K USP full size in .40S&W great made gun, but most of us don't care for it as well, we all love the GLOCKS
You could always pick up a lightweight 12 gauge for around 200. Not as convenient maybe as a sidearm, but with 00 buck or slugs it would be more of a hog stopper. Don't know your gun laws, but a pistol grip or folding stock can make a 12 gauge pretty compact and easy to stick in your pack or sling over your shoulder.
I have a 40 cal Sigma which is the red headed step child of my collection. Its been my work concealed carry , hunting & fishing side arm not to mention thats its scratched up bad and I general dont care for its look , but its been super reliable. I've shot over 2000 rounds thru it , no function problems and believe it or not accurate.
My stepson had a sigma for a short while. Had about the worse trigger on it I have ever shot. Other than that it performed ok but the trigger is awful.
.40 Caliber Smith and Wesson Pistol?
]. However, the newer ones supposedly have all the quirks worked out of them, but I haven't shot a newer one yet
. It's a shame because the Sigma feels really really good in your hand. I just wish it shot as good as it felt. I sold mine (which is huge because I rarely sellmy guns) for slightly more than what your buying yours for and I didn't have a problem getting a buyer.It's a decent price for a Sigma and it's asmokin price if it's any other model.
Not to worry, you can still get a Sigma to feed and shoot properly but it might take some tinkering and polishing (feed ramp) etc.. I'm not trying to paint the Sigma in a bad light, it's just that it doesn't have the best track record. Do a little research and you will see for yourself. 
