Smith and Wesson SD40VE Review

The Smith and Wesson SD40VE is the most suitable handgun for a variety of different functions such as home defense, police work or private security.

The SD40VE is known for its reliability and extra bonus of a very cheap price. The SD in this series stands for "self defense", and the number 40 indicates it's a 40 caliber. The maximum capacity of this handgun is 16 rounds, which means that it holds significantly more than other guns of the same caliber. The pistol has a barrel length of about 4-inches with overall length of 7.2 inches. The unloaded weight of Smith and Wesson SD40VE is as low as 23 ounces. As compared to an average pistol, Smith and Wesson SD40VE is 6.5% shorter in length, 0.25 in shorter in barrel length and 0.42 lbs. lighter in weight. It comes with two high capacity magazines, containing 14 + 1 rounds.

The arrangement of the sights makes the shooting experience easy and prevents the shooter from getting visually confused in low light conditions. The front sight consists of tritium night sight with white outline. The rear sight is without tritium and comprises of two dots. It also has a notch cutout, which helps clear a malfunction through one-handed cycling. Furthermore, the sights are easy to replace because of their dovetail shape.

Although, Smith and Wesson has incorporated usage flexibility options in the M&P pistols, the Smith and Wesson SD40 does not have ambidextrous or reversible controls. The magazine release and slide stop are on the left hand side. It also does not have the external safety features or the magazine disconnect option. However, the self-defense trigger option improves the accuracy of the gun for the user, by providing a smooth and consistent trigger pull.

There is no manual safety feature available in the Smith and Wesson SD40. The only visible safety feature is on the bottom half of the trigger, which requires being depressed before the striker can be engaged.

The grips of Smith and Wesson SD40VE are slim and based on ergonomic considerations. The grip, although, not adjustable, is quite comfortable. It is moderately textured on the sides, and the front and back strap areas consist of more aggressive texturing. It provides a good, 18-degree angle, for both, aimed fire and point shooting. It consists of diamond shaped checkering on the back strap and front. Serrations found on the slide are deep seated and slightly angled towards the muzzle, which provides a suitable surface for the grip for chambering a round. The textured finger locator below the steel slide helps the shooter to keep their fingers off the trigger, until the pistol is ready to fire by lining up on the target.

Overall, Smith and Wesson SD40VE is a very reliable handgun built for self-defense. The large number of impressive features that it offers in a cheap price is definitely commendable.

Model: SD40VE

Action: DAO

Caliber: 40

Overall Length: 7.20"

Overall Height: 5.30"

Overall Width: 1.29"

Barrel Length: 4.00"

Sights: 3-Dot

Capacity: 14 + 1

Weight: 22.70 oz.