West German manufactured Sig?
- Thread starter rcase1234
- Start date
Good luck they will be hard to fine. Almost impossible NIB most likely you will have to find a used one.
There are German X-5 series pistols which are no longer being imported from Germany. These will be $1500-$2500 pistols.
There are some early P226STs out there but those will be hard to find and you will sort through a ton of guns whose frames where made in Germany but were assembled here. You would be looking for gun produced 2006-2008 with triple serial numbers and the proper proof marks.
Good luck.
So, if I’m interpreting the Made in Germany/West Germany issue correctly the only coveted models are the West German ones and the Made in Germany models were actually assembled in the USA of some German made parts. Right?
The reason I ask is I came across a decent deal on a used P226 in a LGS a few months back and the guy kept stressing the Made in Germany markings and how that made it much preferred over the USA models. However, I wasn’t quite sure about the country of origin thing and he was a little too pushy so I passed.
So, Bottom line is this correct?
Made in West German = preferred by many an overall excellent gun with possible minor collectable value.
Made in Germany = A gun that was assembled in the USA of some German made parts. An excellent gun, but with little if any value over a normal made in the USA gun.
The reason I ask is I came across a decent deal on a used P226 in a LGS a few months back and the guy kept stressing the Made in Germany markings and how that made it much preferred over the USA models. However, I wasn’t quite sure about the country of origin thing and he was a little too pushy so I passed.
So, Bottom line is this correct?
Made in West German = preferred by many an overall excellent gun with possible minor collectable value.
Made in Germany = A gun that was assembled in the USA of some German made parts. An excellent gun, but with little if any value over a normal made in the USA gun.
No that is not 100% correct. For the most part you can tell a W. German or German gun because of the proof marks on the slide and frame. They are required to be placed on the gun if it is assembled in Germany. You find similar proof marks on current production Walthers.
W German guns are prized for their construction, no MIM and their balance. Collector value is secondary unless it has never been shot outside the factory. IMHO These guns are marked W. Germany or Germany on the slide and have proof marks on slides and frames and date codes on the slides.
German guns are the next level. After reunification Sig changed the rollmark. This did not happen immediately IIRC it happened around 1996 give or take. These were still proofed and wore classic W German Sig date codes. These are not W. German Sigs but they are still "German" Sigs and for many are considered better than US production. Pretty much the same as W German guns except for the slide rollmark change.
This is where the waters start to get muddy. Sig-Arms Inc started production in Exter. They started with assembly of the P229 IIRC. They were using German frames but slides produced here in the US so they did not always have date codes or proof marks. There are some all German P229s but they are rare. This P239 has proof marked frame but the slide is not.
As Sig started using more and more stainless steel slides for their P series pistols. P226, P220 both transitioned. So after that Sig would import frames and slide marked Made in Germany. No proof marks on the frame like this P228.
There are even guns with proof marks that were assembled in the US but there is no way to know their true origins without the box manual test target etc. All German guns came with test targets. IIRC.
Eventually more and more production was moved to the US. As of today all US market Sig Sauer production guns are manufactured in the US. They do not have any US bound production even the P210 and Mastershop guns are no longer imported into the US. All we are left with are US made guns or gray market guns brought in by secondary importers like PW Arms.
So there are:
-W German Guns with proof marked frames and slides. =100% W German rollmarks.
-German Guns which are 100% German production with proof marked frames and slides with German Rollmarks or W German Rollmarks until about 1996.
-German marked frames with proof marks which were assembled in the US. Using a US origin slide with no proof marks and with no mention of Germany on the slide rollmark.
German marked frames with no proof marks assembled in the US with US origin slides with no mention of Germany.
-German proof marked gun assembled in the US. (There are very few of these and IHMO if you have one it is hard to know.)
Confused yet?
Last edited:
No, not even close, all of the Sig classic P series Sigs made in the 90's are great pistols. WVsig gave made a good post but it has a couple flaws. The main issue is Sig for quite a few years made pistols In Germany, made pistols here in the states, and also when they had surplus parts sent hem over here to use. To confuse the issue even more if you have a rebuilt classic Sig it could have parts from either location.
Could you be more specific about the flaws in my post. I am not sure where our two posts really differ. I wrote that pretty quickly mainly off the top of my head so I am not surprised there might be some small errors here and there. You are correct there was dual production at one time in Germany and in the US. There is a period where there is a lot of nuance in the production of P series Sigs in the early Cohen years.
I have a P228 which is unproofed German parts assembled in Exeter. I know it has to be German parts because they never made P228s slides or frames in the US. I used to have another P228 which was all German with proof marks from the same time period. They often found surplus spare parts or parts from contract overruns and assembled guns from those parts in whatever location was convenient.
Although I prefer W. German and 100% German guns I do not mind the German parts guns assembled in the US as long as they have carbon steel slides and are pre-MIM guns. It is not that I have never owned or do not own US Sigs I just prefer the W. German/German guns.
I am currently considering a P320 compact in 9mm to go with my P320 45 ACP and a Legion P226 or P229 in 9mm is on the want list.
Last edited:
Tactical Jackalope
New member
I like the German, West German, and American made SIGs. I feel people are blowing this way out of proportion and turning minimal differences into extreme differences in deciding factors. It's not life and death. They're great all around.
If it has a folded carbons steel slide, it's lighter and more prone to rust.
If it has a stainless steel slide, it's heaver and less prone to rust.
You'd think we're comparing polymer to stainless steel or something. It's the same company which a few minor differences. If you come across any issues, like any other gun manufacturer.. Just get it resolved. It's not like they're more prone to spontaneous combustion. Geez.... Relax people...
Either or will serve you fine.
If it has a folded carbons steel slide, it's lighter and more prone to rust.
If it has a stainless steel slide, it's heaver and less prone to rust.
You'd think we're comparing polymer to stainless steel or something. It's the same company which a few minor differences. If you come across any issues, like any other gun manufacturer.. Just get it resolved. It's not like they're more prone to spontaneous combustion. Geez.... Relax people...
Either or will serve you fine.
I can remember having a couple of those in the store, but there was a very common rumor (probably from some gun rag) about the slides coming off the frame during firing due to the design of the rails which were intermittent.
Or has my failing memory been thinking of another contemporary German import?
