Smith & Wesson SD9VE: A Budget Friendly Striker-Fired 9 mm

by
posted on October 20, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Smith

Smith & Wesson’s budget-friendly self- and home-defense SD9VE pistol was introduced on June 1, 2012. “At Smith & Wesson we continue to introduce new and innovative products that provide today’s consumer with diverse and dependable firearms that address their multiple needs,” Mario Pasantes, Smith & Wesson’s senior vice president of marketing and global professional sales said at the unveiling.

“With the introduction of the new SD9VE and SD40VE value enhanced pistols, we have taken the best features of the Sigma and SD series pistols and evolved them into a new generation of firearms that meet our customers’ requirement in terms of both functionality and price.”

The reception by enthusiasts was a warm one, and sales of the semi-automatic 9 mm pistol remain strong. There are good reasons, too. The polymer-framed handgun has a distinctive, two-tone finish and comes with a stainless steel slide with aggressive front and rear slide serrations for improved handling. A textured finger locator aids in acquiring a proper grip and aggressive texturing on the backstrap and on the grip’s front ensure positive purchase, even when wearing gloves or with sweaty palms.

A Picatinny-style rail on the dustcover makes the addition of lasers or weaponlights a breeze, and the gun ships with a pair of 10-round magazines. The standard version of the pistol comes with white-dot front sights and a pair of dots at the rear. A variant wears Hi Viz green fiber optic up front, red Hi Viz dots at the back and comes with a loaded chamber indicator and magazine safety (for those regions where they are required). Weights are 22.4 and 23 ozs., respectively.

Both versions of the striker-fired, 9 mm semi-automatic have 4" barrels and an overall length of 7.2". MSRP for the standard model is $395, while the fiber-optic version comes in at $442.

If you prefer a .40 S&W chambering, prices are identical for the SD40VE, although specifications change slightly.

Latest

smith and wesson mp 22 right-side view on table indoor shooting range
smith and wesson mp 22 right-side view on table indoor shooting range

Rifleman Review: Smith & Wesson M&P 22 Magnum

One of Smith & Wesson's recent additions to its M&P handgun line is the M&P 22 Magnum, and there's a lot more going on in this gun, technologically, than it appears at first glance.

New For 2025: Beretta BRX1 Ranch

Beretta has expanded its BRX1 straight-pull action into a "ranch rifle" configuration, providing a handy, lightweight platform that still includes some of the groundbreaking features of the original BRX1 rifle.

Ruger Buys Anderson Manufacturing

Ruger announced on July 1 it has acquired all assets of Anderson Manufacturing, a recent top 10 producer of firearms in the U.S.

Favorite Firearms: Anticipating Answers

Everyone has a favorite gun, but not many have a story quite like the one from NRA member Jim Schollhammer.

Rifleman Report: Safe Passage

While the phrase “tools of the trade” may refer to specific items that a worker uses to ply his or her vocation, it could just as easily be a reference to the firearms, knives and other everyday carry, or EDC, gear that the average citizen uses to ensure his or her safe passage through the course of an uncertain, sometimes dangerous, daily existence.

I Have This Old Gun: Star Model 1914 Auto Pistol

The Spanish/Basque city of Eibar is one of Europe’s great arms-manufacturing centers, with a history in gunmaking dating back to the 1500s.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.