SIG Sauer

SIG Sauer (SIGARMS until October 2007) is the United States representative of Swiss/German manufacturing firm Swiss Arms AG, which was split off of Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) in 2000. SIGARMS was established in 1985 to import and distribute SIG firearms into the United States although it now also has some manufacturing capabilities. As of 2000 it has been a separate entity. The original SIG Arms AG parent company was simultaneously renamed as Swiss Arms AG.

History
1853–1985

The origins of the original SIG company lies in a wagon factory created in 1853 by Friedrich Peyer im Hof, Heinrich Moser and Conrad Neher.[1] Upon winning a contract to produce 30,000 muskets, 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, 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.
1985–Present

In 1985, SIGARMS 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. 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.

On October 1, 2007 SIGARMS officially changed their name to SIG Sauer. SIG Sauer has recently tripled its work force and invested eighteen million dollars into state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and equipment.[1]

SIG Sauer was recently awarded two government contracts. One is for the United States Coast Guard, worth 4.2 million U.S. dollars. This is in an attempt to replace the Coast Guard's current standard issue firearm, the Beretta 92FS. The other contract is from the United States Department of Homeland Security Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, worth 23.7 million U.S. dollars.[3]

SIG Sauer also operates a firearms training school, the SIG SAUER Academy, in Epping, New Hampshire.

According to SIG Sauer, one-third of U.S. police use SIG firearms.
Products

Handguns

* SIG P210
* SIG P220
o SIG P225
o SIG P245
* SIG P226
o SIG P228 (adopted by the US Military as the M11 Pistol)
o SIG P229
* SIG P230
o SIG P232
* 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
o HKS
o K95
o Blaser 93
o Tactical 2
o R8
o LRS2
* Mauser
o M 03 Basic
o M 03 Extreme
o M 03 Trail
o M 03 Match / Jagdmatch
o M 03 Solid
o M 03 Africa
o M 03 Arabesque
o M 03 De Luxe
o M 03 Old Classic
o M 03 Alpine
o M 98
o M 98 Magnum

* Sauer & Sohn
o Sauer 90 (discontinued in 2008)
o Sauer 200 str
o Sauer 202
o S 200 TR target rifle (6mm Norma BR as single shot and 6.5x55mm and .308 Winchester with 5 round magazines chamberings)
* Swiss Arms
o SIG 510/STGW 57
o SIG 516
o 540
o 542
o 550 (Fass 90 / Stgw 90)
o 551
o 552
o SIG 553 SOW
o SIG 522LR
o SIG 556
o SIG 751 SAPR (550 based 308/7,62)
o SSG 2000
o SSG 3000
o Two-Ten

[edit] Machine guns

* MG 710, General Purpose Machine Gun based on the MG42, also known as the MG55.