SIG P210


The SIG P210 is a locked breech self loading, semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured in Neuhausen am Rheinfall by SIG from 1948 until 2006.
It is of all-steel construction chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum and 7.65×21mm Parabellum. It was used from 1949 to 1975 by the Swiss army and police units. It was also adopted and is still in service with the Military of Denmark, in 1951 by the German Bundespolizei and in shooting sports.
The pistols were decommissioned and replaced by the SIG Sauer P220 developed in 1975. Swiss production of the P210 continued until 2006. A new model, the P210 Legend, was introduced by SIG Sauer GMBH of Germany in 2010, and another, the P210A, was introduced by SIG Sauer Inc. of New Hampshire in the United States in 2017.

History

The design was derived from Charles Petter's Modèle 1935A pistol. In 1937, Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft acquired a license for the Petter-Browning system from SACM in order to develop a replacement for the Luger Parabellum 06/29, which had been in service since 1900. Apparently not satisfied with the Petter Browning design or the changes they had made to it, SIG evaluated no less than 11 prototypes from 1942 through 1944. Selbstladepistole Neuhausen model 44/16 pistol production began in 1944. Some of the original Petter Browning features had been retained, specifically the self-contained firing and recoil systems. The Neuhausen 44/16 had a magazine capacity of 16 rounds.
Development was slowed by the Second World War. After testing various experimental models, the 47/8 model was adopted in Oct 1948 as the Pistole Modell 1949, and SP47/8 for civilian market. Some previous series were tested by Swedish sport shooters and by the Danish army.
The 47/8 model supported the easy change of the barrels between 7.65 and 9mm Parabellum and a kit to convert to.22 caliber.
44/844/16Mod. SP 47/8Mod. SP 47/8Mod. SP 47/8
Cartridge9mm Parabellum9mm Parabellum9mm Parabellum7.65mm Parabellum.22Cal
Overall Length215mm 215mm 215mm 215mm 215mm
Barrel Length120mm 120mm 120mm 120mm 120mm
Sight Radius120mm 120mm 120mm 120mm 120mm
Height130mm143mm
Thickness3240
Weight900gm1095gm985gm995gm945gm
Magazine Cap816888
Rifling mm250250250250450
Grooves66646

SIG M/1949 is the 47/8 model purchased for the Danish military and issued version for officers, military police, and special forces, chambered in 9mm Luger.
Usually called only Neuhausen in Denmark, this model is stamped "P m/49", and also known as "P210-DK".
First issued beginning in 1950 to the Danish Army Technical Corps, this remained the standard sidearm in the Danish military throughout 60 years of continuous use, since the 2010s being replaced with the SIG Sauer P320 X-5 Carry.
In 1957, the civil designation was definitively changed to P210 according to the company nomenclature policy. Model P210-1 in retrospect covers all models produced until 1965, the designation P210-2 refers to the standard model as produced from 1966.
P210-3 was a police version produced from 1951 to 1964, produced in limited numbers for the cantonal police forces of Basel, Lausanne, and Glarus, with a handful sold on the private market.
P210-4 was the model made for the German border guard.
P210-5 and P210-6 were civilian target shooting models made in the 1980s and 1990s.
P210-7 was a rarely produced.22lr rimfire model, made in the 1950s and 1960s.
SIG was renamed to SIG Sauer upon acquisition by Sauer & Sohn in the 1970s, and to Swiss Arms in 2000.
Swiss Arms continued production of the P210 for private customers until 2006.
From 2010, a new model, dubbed P210 Legend was made by SIG Sauer, GMBH of Eckernförde, Germany. This model was exported to the USA until 2017, when
SIG Sauer Inc. of New Hampshire began production of its own model, dubbed P210A, made in Exeter, N.H., offered in two versions, Standard and Target.

Serial numbers

Serial numbers starting A are the Swiss army ordnance models.
Army models run from serial number A 100001 to A 213110. Those that have a P added to the rear of a serial number that starts with an A have been sold by the Swiss army to civilians. A stamped "P" on the front of the trigger guard shows that a weapon was left as a gift to the owner upon leaving the Armed Services.
Serial numbers 6001 to 6028 are prototypes made during 1938-1947. 6033 to 6406 are early model SP47/8 made in 1947.
Serial numbers with a P were made for police and for private use, running from P 8001 to P 8250 and
P 50004 to P 79150.
Serial numbers from P 79600 to P 97950 are private models made by SIG Sauer, Switzerland, during 1976-1984, and P 300001 to P 331536 were made by Sig Sauer during 1983-2006; the jump to the 300000s range marks the transition from traditional forged frames to CNC production.
During 1966-1969, SIG produced a small number of special heavy frame P210-5 models for the National Match team.
These are extremely rare, with a total of 46 pieces known in literature.
In the 1970s, these heavy frame models were commercialized and offered on the market, with
100 pieces of P210-6 heavy frame pistols made in 1979,
and 50 pieces of P210-6 heavy frame pistols, made for Hofmann & Reinhart of Zürich.
These pistols represent the pinnacle of SIG pistol manufacture and are extremely sought after by collectors, and consequently almost never offered on the open market.

Another special edition is numbered JP 1 to JP 500.
P 555001 to P 555555 are special collectors' edition of 555 sets of five chromed pistols with gilded controls, P210, P220, P225, P226 and P230, made for Vonbank AG in 1987 to 1990), at the time sold for CHF 12,950.
In 1991, another special edition numbered № 0001 to № 1991 was made to commemorate "700 Years of Swiss Confederation", at the time sold for CHF 4,100 per piece.
Serial numbers starting with a D belong to the Bundesgrenzschutz issues .
The Danish m/49 pistols have their own serial numbers, without a leading letter, engraved on the right side of the slide, running from 7695 to 35383.
The rare P210-7.22lr calibre versions have numbers in the range 40501 to 41762.

Gallery

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