Sig Sauer is a neutral arms manufacturer who has armed police and military forces around the globe, including the Swiss, Germans, Americans, and Indians to name a few. Though the company dates back to the 1800s, they remain one of the most renowned brands, arming nearly a third of the US police force to this day—a testament to their quality and precision. Sig Sauer’s “never settle” slogan resonates among a discerning audience, which also includes civilians.
A Brief History of Sig Sauer
Sig Sauer guns were “born in Europe, perfected in America.” The brand’s history harkens back to a Swiss wagon and railcar factory in 1853. Seven years later, when the Ministry of Defense ran a competition in search of a state-of-the-art rifle for the military to adopt, company founders Friedrich Peyer im Hof, Heinrich Moser and Conrad Neher stepped up to the challenge—and won with their Prelaz-Burnand rifle.
With an order for 30,000 M1863 muzzle-loaders, the nature and the name of the business changed to SIG, short for Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (Swiss Industrial Company). By 1949, the SIG P49, P210, and P220 became legend on the battle and competition fields. The police adopted the reliable, feature-rich P230.
By the 1970s, SIG absorbed Hämmerli Target and J.P. Sauer & Sohn, allowing for the expansion of small arms and hunting rifles. In the 1985, SIGARMS Inc. opened up shop in Virginia, introducing the P225, P226, and P228 in 9mm. They moved operations to New Hampshire in 1990, offering customer service from gunsmiths and state-of-the-art training. They began producing the P229 and soon introduced their first exclusive shotgun line – the Blaser R93.
Their firearms remained popular in both law enforcement and civilian markets throughout the 2000s. The company changed its name to Sig Sauer in 2007 to reflect the vast worldwide growth in demand for its products. The next few years saw rapid growth, with a tripling in its workforce and new innovations in pistols and rifles. They began selling ammo, air rifles, optics, and suppressors in 2015. Today, more than 1,200 employees work at Sig Sauer’s ISO 9001 certified company—one of the largest firearms producers in the world.
Iconic Sig Sauer Firearms
Some of the most well-known Sig Sauer firearms include the:
- Mondragon – one of the first auto-loading rifles with automatic and rapid-fire selector switches
- P210 – a single action, semi-automatic pistol renowned for quality metal design and precise accuracy
- P220 (M75)– “the one that started it all” is a military-grade pistol with enhanced safety features
- P226 – the 10 lb. pull and double column magazine is used by the US Navy Seals and Coast Guard
- P228 (M11) – thought to be the first compact pistol, its shorter slide is favored by the US military
- P229 –this scaled-down P226 is more compact than the Glock 19 or Smith & Wesson M&P Compact
- P320 (M17) – a modular striker-fired pistol that beat Glock and Beretta as the US Army’s preference
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