Sig Made in...?

X

xtreme122

New member
I went to look at some new pistols today and one of them was the Sig P220. It said on it made in Germany. I thought all Sigs were made in Switzerland. Are there different variations. Thanks.
 
Sigs are made in Switzerland.

Sig-Sauers are made in Germany. Most pistols here are these.

Sig-Sauer is a joint venture between Sig & Sauer to manufacture firearms of Sig design a little cheaper, qualify for police & NATO bids, and to get around other legal matters in Europe.
 
I was curious about this after today. The guns in the catalog say on them made in Switzerland and the one I saw today in NY had made in Germany or W. Germany can't remember exactly. Thanks.
 
SIG-Sauer was originally a joint venture between SIG of Switzerland and John Sauer and Sons, a German gun maker. SIG designs were manufactured by the joint venture in Germany. I believe SIG bought Sauer at some point, and now owns both Sauer and SIG-Sauer.

SIGs (SIG-Sauers) sold in this country made be totally made in Germany, or may be partially made and fully assembled in the US. In general, all frames are made in Germany or in Swizerland. Some slides are made in this country for pistols sold here. Depends on the model.

For example, The P228 is fully made in Germany. It says "Made in Germany" on the slide, on the right side near the barrel.

On the P226, on the frame on the right side near the barrel, says:
"SIGARMS INC. EXETER NH
FRAME MADE IN GERMANY"
The P226 slide is made in the US, the frame is made in Germany, and the firearm is assembled in the US.

The SigPro 2340, on the frame on the left side above the trigger says: "Frame made in Switzerland". On the slide it says "SIG Arms Inc EXETER-NH-USA". The slide is made, and the gun assembeld, in the US.
 
Hi xtreme122,

All SIG firearm are made in Switzerland - what you are seeing is a triumph of marketing :-)

The answer to your question is SIG purchased a controlling interest in J. P. Sauer of Germany. The manufacturer of the P220 (and P230, P230, etc.) is not SIG of Switzerland, but Sauer of Germany - hence the “Made in Germany.” Since SIG in essence owned Sauer, and knew a firearm would sell better with their name stamped on it than the same firearm would if stamped Sauer, the line of pistols was marked “SIG/Sauer.”

People buy ‘em, thinking they are getting a SIG :-)

Hope this helps!

Best regards,

Kyrie
 
I thought the original deal was that Switzerland prohibited exportation of firearms (neutrality or such). SIG worked around this prohibition by giving the prints and equipment to JP Sauer (license perhaps?), in West Germany, to build firearms that would be exempt from Switzerland's laws. Of course SIG didn't do it out of the kindness of their hearts; they received a percentage. At least that's the story I heard.
 
Destructo6 has it right. My P228 was manufactured
in West Germany, in 1990. The P228 was introduced
in 1989; and mine may very well have been one of the first imported into the U.S.? Serial is:
B111XXX. My P220 was manufactured in 1995; it is
also of West German origin, and has the "green
colored" spring; which indicates it's rated for
+P ammunition, however I don't ever shoot those in
my beloved Sig.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.
 
Ala Dan,

My P228 (also 1990 vintage) s/n is B109XXX. It has had less than 500 rounds through it.

Any information on what the first imported production runs s/n's were?
 
I believe that manufacture and assembly go something like this:

P220 - Germany
P220ST - USA
P225 - Germany
P228 - Germany
P229 - Frame in Germany, Slide and Assembly in USA
P239 - USA

P226 and P232 - don't know but probably Germany. My guess is that if the P226 would have beat out the Beretta 92 for the military contract, that they too would be made in USA.


In looking at my P239, the slide says Sigarms, Inc., Exeter-NH-USA. The magazines, however, do say "Made in Italy."
 
As Kyrie noted, my SIG P-210-6 (recently sold to help pay for a truck) was made in Switzerland... A fine gun, too. (But not too handy for IDPA, my current shooting focus.)

(The proof target that came with it showed a 1.75" group at 50 meters -- roughly 55 yards. It was made new in 1978, and purchased new in 1999.)

Sgt. Pepper:

The reason the mags on newer SIG/Sauer weapons say "made in Italy" is that Mec-Gar is now exclusive OEM mag maker for SIG/Sauer (and Beretta, and S&W, and H&K, and EAA, and ....)
 
My P226 was manufactured in 1991, and is stamped "MADE IN W. GERMANY". I was tickled with that when I bought it (used) this year---West Germany hasn't existed since 1992!:cool:
 
There are US-assembled P226s and P228s also -- no German proofs. It looks like they are running these off both in Germany and in NH.
 
Jager1,

While I don't know at what point the P228's began
arriving in the U.S.; there is a website that is entitled Sig Companion- Serial Number's and Idenifications. I recently lost the correct
web address and haven't been able to relocate it?
Any help would be appreciated.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
Aren't the milled stainless slides on newer P-226's and P-229's done in Exeter, NH? I seem to recall that's where all the stainless milled slides for US-market guns come from.
 
New Management

I believe that SIG, (Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft Swiss Industrial Business) recently sold their "SIGArms" division.

Yup... they did...
"2000 Divestment of SIG Arms and SIG Positec"

www.sig.ch (ch is the country code for Switzerland)

go to their "corporate info" then "history" page.

So what does SIG do now? Make packaging. That's right, packaging. Lots more politically correct AND profitable.

SIGArms, fortunately got to keep the use of the SIG part, even though it no long stands for the same thing anymore. Granted before they were SIG-Sauers. There's still a branch of SIGArms that is Swiss owned though, I believe that might be a result of the Swiss wanting their country's long arms made domestically.

-Morgan
 
Tamara,

You are right. The milled stainless steel slides
as found on new Sig P226's and P229's come out of
the plant in Exeter, New Hampshire.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
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