SIG Sauer
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SIG Sauer GmbH is the German representative of Switzerland-based manufacturing firm Swiss Arms AG, which was spun off of Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (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, although it now also has some manufacturing capabilities. Since 2000 it has been a separate entity.
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History
The origins of the original SIG company lies in the Swiss Wagon Factory created in 1853 by Friedrich Peyer im Hof, Heinrich Moser and Conrad Neher.[1] After winning a competition put on by Switzerland's Federal Ministry of Defense, a contract to produce 30,000 muskets was awarded. They changed their name to Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG), German for "Swiss Industrial Company".[1]
In the 1970s, SIG began work on designing a handgun 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. The SIG Sauer line of handguns began in 1975 with the SIG Sauer SIG P220. Prior to World War II, Sauer had been primarily a maker of shotguns and hunting rifles. During the war, they produced a handgun, the Sauer 38H, 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, the MG 710 which was a general purpose machine gun chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO and based on the German MG42. It also used roller-delayed blowback as used in the CETME/G3/SIG 510 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.[2]
SIG SAUER Inc.
In 1985, SIGARMS Inc. was created as the American branch of SIG in Tysons Corner, Virginia to import the P220 and P230. In 1987 SIGARMS moved to Herndon, Virginia, and in 1990 moved to Exeter, New Hampshire to accommodate new manufacturing.[1]
SIGARMS, and its European sister companies, Sauer & Sohn, Blaser, Mauser and Swiss Arms 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.[1] 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.[1]
According to SIG Sauer, one-third of U.S. police use SIG firearms.[3]
In the U.S. SIG Sauer also operates a firearms training school, the SIG SAUER Academy, in Epping, New Hampshire.
Products
Handguns
- SIG P210
- SIG P220
- SIG P226
- SIG P228 (adopted by the US Military as the M11 Pistol)
- SIG P229
- SIG P230
- SIG Sauer P238
- SIG P239
- SIG P250 DCc
- SIG GSR (M1911 clone)
- SIG Mosquito
- SIG Pro series (includes SP 2009, SP 2022 and SP 2340)
Rifles
- SIG SHR 970 (Swiss Hunting Rifle). Multiple calibers. Barrel change capability.
- Blaser
- HKS
- K95
- Blaser 93
- Tactical 2
- R8
- LRS2
- Mauser
- 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
- Sauer & Sohn
- Sauer 90 (discontinued in 2008)
- Sauer 200 str
- Sauer 202
- Sauer 200 STR (Scandinavian Target Rifle)
- S 200 TR target rifle (6mm Norma BR as single shot and 6.5x55mm and .308 Winchester with 5 round magazines chamberings)
- Swiss Arms
Machine guns
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 About Us
- ↑ BELLUM - SIG Maschinengewehr (MG) 710-1, 710-2, 710-3
- ↑ SIG Sauer Military/LE customers
