SIGARMS
Encyclopedia
SIG Sauer GmbH is the German representative of Switzerland-based manufacturing firm Swiss Arms AG
Swiss Arms
SAN Swiss Arms AG is a Swiss manufacturer of small arms. It was known as SIG Arms AG before 2000 when it was acquired by the German investors Michael Lüke and Thomas Ortmeier from parent company Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft .-Products:...

, which was spun off from Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft , or SIG, is the former name of SIG Holding AG, a Swiss company that has been active in various businesses during its more than 150 years of operation. Since the year 2000 the Society has undergone strategic refocus, concentrating on its core compentence in...

 (SIG) in 2000. SIG Sauer Inc was established in 1985 with the name SIGARMS (until October 2007) to import and distribute SIG firearms into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, although it now also has some manufacturing capabilities. Since 2000 it has been a separate entity.

History

The origins of the original SIG company lies in the Swiss Wagon
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....

 Factory created in 1853 by Friedrich Peyer im Hof, Heinrich Moser and Conrad Neher. After winning a competition put on by Switzerland's Federal Ministry of Defense, a contract to produce 30,000 musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....

s was awarded. They changed their name to Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG), German for "Swiss Industrial Company".

In the 1970s, SIG began work on designing a handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....

 that would balance price with quality. Swiss law limits the ability of Swiss companies to manufacture arms and Swiss companies who wish to do this have to do so by using a foreign partner. In the case of SIG they chose the German firm of Sauer & Sohn
Sauer & Sohn
J. P. Sauer und Sohn GmbH is a German manufacturer of firearms. Founded in 1751 in Suhl, Thuringia, Sauer & Sohn is the oldest firearms manufacturer still active in Germany. The company's production remained there for two centuries, before relocating to Eckernförde in 1951...

. The SIG Sauer line of handguns began in 1975 with the SIG Sauer SIG P220
SIG P220
The SIG P220 is a semi-automatic pistol designed in Switzerland by Swiss Arms AG . It is manufactured in Eckernförde, Germany, by J.P. Sauer und Sohn GmbH. It uses the Browning linkless cam short recoil action of self-loading with a double action trigger mechanism...

. Prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Sauer had been primarily a maker of shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...

s and hunting rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...

s. During the war, they produced a handgun, the Sauer 38H
Sauer 38H
The Sauer 38H or often just H was a small semi-automatic pistol made in Nazi Germany from 1938 until just after the end of World War II by J. P. Sauer & Sohn, then based in Suhl, Germany. The "H" in the model number denotes "hammerless"—the pistol uses an internal hammer.-Development:Sauer...

, but afterwards had retreated from this market. With SIG as their partner/owner, Sauer returned to the business of manufacturing handguns.

SIG also produced a machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....

, the MG 710 which was a general-purpose machine gun chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO and based on the German MG42
MG42
The MG 42 is a 7.9mm universal machine gun that was developed in Nazi Germany and entered service with the Wehrmacht in 1942...

. It also used roller-delayed blowback as used in the CETME
CETME
CETME is an acronym for Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales , a Spanish government design and development establishment. While being involved in many projects CETME was mostly known for its small arms research and development...

/G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....

/SIG 510
SIG 510
The SIG SG 510 or Sturmgewehr 57 is an automatic rifle manufactured by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft of Switzerland. It uses a similar roller-delayed blowback system to the H&K G3 and CETME rifles...

 rifles and sometimes had a muzzle capable of launching rifle grenades. However, the MG 710 had a high price so the weapon was only exported to Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

.

SIG SAUER Inc.

In 1985, SIGARMS Inc. was created as the American branch of SIG in Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Part of the Washington Metropolitan Area located in Northern Virginia, Tysons Corner lies between the community of McLean and the town of Vienna along the Capital Beltway . The population was...

 to import the P220 and P230. In 1987 SIGARMS moved to Herndon, Virginia
Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...

, and in 1990 moved to Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...

 to accommodate new manufacturing.

SIGARMS, and its European sister companies, Sauer & Sohn
Sauer & Sohn
J. P. Sauer und Sohn GmbH is a German manufacturer of firearms. Founded in 1751 in Suhl, Thuringia, Sauer & Sohn is the oldest firearms manufacturer still active in Germany. The company's production remained there for two centuries, before relocating to Eckernförde in 1951...

, Blaser
Blaser
Blaser Jagdwaffen GmbH is a firearms manufacturer mostly of hunting rifles in Germany.It was founded in 1957 by Horst Blaser, developing the Drilling Blaser Diplomat....

, Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH
Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH
Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH is a German manufacturer of hunting rifles in the SIG Sauer group.- 1999–2003 :In 1999, the Mauser civilian gun segment was separated from the military segment and was purchased by the German investors Michael Lüke and Thomas Ortmeier...

 and Swiss Arms
Swiss Arms
SAN Swiss Arms AG is a Swiss manufacturer of small arms. It was known as SIG Arms AG before 2000 when it was acquired by the German investors Michael Lüke and Thomas Ortmeier from parent company Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft .-Products:...

 were bought by Michael Lüke and Thomas Ortmeier in October, 2000. On October 1, 2007 SIGARMS officially changed their name to SIG Sauer Inc.

Today, SIG Sauer is the largest of the five companies and one of the largest firearms manufacturing entities in the world. It is also the fastest growing firearms maker in the United States, expanding its operations and increasing sales nearly 50% since 2005. SIG Sauer has recently tripled its work force and invested eighteen million dollars into state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and equipment.

According to SIG Sauer, one-third of U.S. police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

 use SIG firearms.

In the U.S. SIG Sauer also operates a firearms training school, the SIG Sauer Academy, in Epping, New Hampshire
Epping, New Hampshire
Epping is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,411 at the 2010 census. Epping includes the area known as Camp Hedding....

.

Handguns

  • SIG P210
    SIG P210
    The SIG P210 is a locked breech semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured in Neuhausen am Rheinfall by Swiss Arms AG, formerly SIG Arms AG .It is of all steel construction chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and 7.65x21mm Parabellum...

  • SIG P220
    SIG P220
    The SIG P220 is a semi-automatic pistol designed in Switzerland by Swiss Arms AG . It is manufactured in Eckernförde, Germany, by J.P. Sauer und Sohn GmbH. It uses the Browning linkless cam short recoil action of self-loading with a double action trigger mechanism...

    • SIG P225
    • SIG P245
  • SIG P226
    SIG P226
    The SIG P226 is a full-sized, service-type pistol made by SIG Sauer. It is chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and .22 Long Rifle. It is essentially the same basic design of the SIG P220, but developed to use higher capacity, staggered-column magazines in place of the...

    • SIG P228 (adopted by the US Military as the M11 Pistol
      SIG P226
      The SIG P226 is a full-sized, service-type pistol made by SIG Sauer. It is chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and .22 Long Rifle. It is essentially the same basic design of the SIG P220, but developed to use higher capacity, staggered-column magazines in place of the...

      )
    • SIG P229
    • SIG P239
      SIG P239
      The SIG P239 is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured in Switzerland by Swiss Arms AG The SIG P239 is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured in Switzerland by Swiss Arms AG The SIG P239 is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured in Switzerland by Swiss Arms AG...

  • SIG P230
    SIG P230
    The SIG Sauer P230 is a small, semi-automatic handgun chambered in .32 ACP or .380 Auto. Beginning in 1996 it was replaced by the model P232.- Overview :...

    • SIG P232
      SIG P230
      The SIG Sauer P230 is a small, semi-automatic handgun chambered in .32 ACP or .380 Auto. Beginning in 1996 it was replaced by the model P232.- Overview :...

  • SIG Sauer P238
    SIG Sauer P238
    The SIG Sauer P238 is a compact .380 ACP caliber, single-action pistol announced by SIG Sauer at the 2009 SHOT Show. It is a version of the Colt Mustang pistol with a classic SIG Sauer scalloped slide and finger relief under the trigger guard...

  • SIG P250 DCc
    SIG P250 DCc
    The Sig Sauer P250 is a semi-automatic pistol made by J.P. Sauer & Sohn, and Sig Sauer of Exeter, New Hampshire. The P250 chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum was introduced in the North American market on November 7, 2007 followed by the .45 ACP compact model at SHOT Show 2008 in February...

  • SIG GSR
    SIG GSR
    The SIG Sauer GSR "Granite Series Rail" pistol is a stainless steel frame and slide M1911 clone produced by SIG Sauer. The SIG Granite Series was awarded the 2004 Handgun of the Year Award by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence...

     (M1911
    M1911
    The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S....

     clone)
  • SIG Mosquito
    SIG Mosquito
    The SIG Mosquito is a blowback-operated, semi-automatic pistol based on the SIG Sauer P226, but 10% smaller in size and chambered for the .22LR cartridge. The pistol is manufactured with an aluminum-zinc alloy slide and polymer frame...

  • SIG Pro
    SIG Pro
    The SIG Pro is a series of semi-automatic pistols developed and manufactured jointly by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft and J. P. Sauer & Sohn...

     series (includes SP 2009, SP 2022 and SP 2340)

Rifles

  • SIG SHR 970 (Swiss Hunting Rifle). Multiple calibers. Barrel change capability.

  • Sauer & Sohn
    Sauer & Sohn
    J. P. Sauer und Sohn GmbH is a German manufacturer of firearms. Founded in 1751 in Suhl, Thuringia, Sauer & Sohn is the oldest firearms manufacturer still active in Germany. The company's production remained there for two centuries, before relocating to Eckernförde in 1951...

    • Sauer 90 (discontinued in 2008)
    • Sauer 200 str
    • Sauer 202
      Sauer 202
      The Sig-Sauer 202 is a light weight bolt-action rifle.The Sig-Sauer 202 is manufactured by Sauer & Sohn in Germany, the rifle was imported to the US by SigArms...

    • Sauer 200 STR
      Sauer 200 STR
      The Sauer 200 STR is a bolt action rifle mostly used as a target/competition firearm.The weapon was approved for use in Det Frivillige Skyttervesen from 1. January 1990 in Caliber 6.5 x 55 mm, 7.62 x 51 mm NATO and .22 Long Rifle...

       (Scandinavian Target Rifle)
    • Sauer 303
    • S 200 TR target rifle (6mm Norma BR
      6mm Norma BR
      The 6mm BR is a centerfire cartridge created for benchrest shooting. The cartridge is also known as the 6mm Bench Rest or simply 6 BR, and has also developed a following among varmint hunters because of its efficiency...

       as single shot and 6.5x55mm and .308 Winchester
      .308 Winchester
      The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65...

       with 5 round magazines chamberings)
  • Swiss Arms
    Swiss Arms
    SAN Swiss Arms AG is a Swiss manufacturer of small arms. It was known as SIG Arms AG before 2000 when it was acquired by the German investors Michael Lüke and Thomas Ortmeier from parent company Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft .-Products:...

    • SIG 510
      SIG 510
      The SIG SG 510 or Sturmgewehr 57 is an automatic rifle manufactured by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft of Switzerland. It uses a similar roller-delayed blowback system to the H&K G3 and CETME rifles...

      /STGW 57
    • 540
      SIG SG 540
      The SG 540 is a 5.56mm assault rifle developed in the early 1970s by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft based out of Neuhausen, Switzerland as a private venture primarily destined for export markets and as a potential replacement for the 7.5mm SG 510 automatic rifle known as the Stgw 57 in...

    • 542
      SIG SG 540
      The SG 540 is a 5.56mm assault rifle developed in the early 1970s by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft based out of Neuhausen, Switzerland as a private venture primarily destined for export markets and as a potential replacement for the 7.5mm SG 510 automatic rifle known as the Stgw 57 in...

    • 550 (Fass 90 / Stgw 90)
    • 551
    • 552
    • SIG 553 SOW
    • SIG 516: 5.56 NATO with AR-15
      AR-15
      The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....

       design (gas impingement), 16" barrel
    • SIG 716: 516-based .308
      .308 Winchester
      The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65...

      /7.62x51, due to be released in early 2011
    • SIG 522LR
    • SIG 556
    • SIG 751 SAPR  (550 based 308/7,62)
    • SIG-Sauer SSG 2000
      SIG-Sauer SSG 2000
      -Service use:The SSG-2000 sniper rifle is a joint effort by Swiss company SIG Arms and German company J.P.Sauer & Sohn. Production of the SSG-2000 started in 1989 and it is still in production.-Description:...

    • SIG-Sauer SSG 3000
      SIG-Sauer SSG 3000
      The SIG-Sauer SSG 3000 is a bolt-action, magazine fed rifle. It was developed in Switzerland and Germany. It is a common law enforcement sniper rifle in both Europe and the United States. The SSG 3000 was developed by SIG Sauer and is well renowned for its high quality.-Users:-External links:**...

    • Two-Ten

  • Blaser
    Blaser
    Blaser Jagdwaffen GmbH is a firearms manufacturer mostly of hunting rifles in Germany.It was founded in 1957 by Horst Blaser, developing the Drilling Blaser Diplomat....

    • HKS
    • K95
    • Blaser R93
      Blaser R93
      The Blaser R93 is a popular European Hunting rifle offered in a multitude of calibers and barrel lengths.Designed in 1993, it held many constructive novelties:* Manual cocking system* Straight-pull bolt action* Direct trigger* Original Blaser saddle mount...

    • Tactical 2
      Blaser 93 Tactical
      The Blaser LRS 2 and Blaser Tactical 2 are German sniper rifles, used by German and Dutch police forces as well as the Australian military and special police units. The rifles are manufactured by the German fire arms manufacturer Blaser. The LRS 2 and Tactical 2 rifles are straight-pull bolt-action...

    • R8
    • LRS2
  • Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH
    Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH
    Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH is a German manufacturer of hunting rifles in the SIG Sauer group.- 1999–2003 :In 1999, the Mauser civilian gun segment was separated from the military segment and was purchased by the German investors Michael Lüke and Thomas Ortmeier...

    • M 03 Basic
    • M 03 Extreme
    • M 03 Trail
    • M 03 Match / Jagdmatch
    • M 03 Solid
    • M 03 Africa
    • M 03 Arabesque
    • M 03 De Luxe
    • M 03 Old Classic
    • M 03 Alpine
    • M 98
    • M 98 Magnum

Machine guns

  • MG 710, General Purpose Machine Gun based on the MG42
    MG42
    The MG 42 is a 7.9mm universal machine gun that was developed in Nazi Germany and entered service with the Wehrmacht in 1942...

    , also known as the MG55.

See also

  • Pistol
    Pistol
    When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...

  • Rifles
  • Carbines
  • Winchester
    Winchester rifle
    In common usage, Winchester rifle usually means any of the lever-action rifles manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, though the company has also manufactured many rifles of other action types...

  • Colt
    Colt's Manufacturing Company
    Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...


External links

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