The SIG P210 (Swiss Army designation Pistole 49) is a locked breech semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured in Neuhausen am Rheinfall (Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland) by Swiss Arms AG, formerly SIG Arms AG (distributed in U.S. by the SIGARMS).

It is of all steel construction chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and 7.65x22mm 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 Royal Danish Army, in 1951 by the German Bundespolizei and in shooting sports.

The pistols were decommissioned and replaced by the SIG P220 (Swiss Army designation Pistole 75) but second-hand 210s are greatly valued by shooting sports competitors. The P210 is also considered as an investment for some collectors and often fetch prices over US$2000. This varies around the world; an average price in Sweden is $1000–1500 where in Spain a 210 will sell for no less than €4000.

History

The design was derived from Charles Petter's Modèle 1935 pistol. In 1937 SIG acquired a license for Petter's system in order to develop a replacement for the Luger Parabellum 06/29, which had been in service since 1900. Development was slowed by the Second World War. After testing various experimental models, the P210 entered service in 1949 with the Swiss army. Some previous series (original designation SP47/8) were tested by Swedish sport shooters and by the Danish army.

Design

The SIG P210 is a single-action pistol, with a magazine capacity of eight rounds of 9 mm, 7.65 mm, or .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR). It is a licensed development from French-Swiss designer Charles Gabriel Petter's Modèle 1935 pistol. It has a frame-mounted manual safety that blocks the trigger and a magazine disconnecter safety that blocks the trigger when the magazine is removed. It has a 120 mm high quality barrel (150 mm in the 210-5 variant) and the pistol is very durable and reliable. The slide and frame of this well-regarded weapon are completely machined from blocks of steel, which makes production rather costly compared to recent pistol designs, manufactured of pressings and welds. Its hammer action is built into a removable assembly for easy maintenance, after the fashion of the Tokarev TT-30 pistol, whereas its slide rides inside the frame rails, rather than outside as in the traditional Browning pattern. This latter featured mimics the frame-to-receiver interface of its predecessor in Swiss military service, the Luger pistol, allowing for a very tight fit between the slide, barrel, and frame without compromising reliability. This construction feature contributes to the unusually high accuracy for which the SIG P210 is known. It ships with a 50-meter test target typically showing a group of five to 10 shots in a cluster under 5 cm in diameter.

Variants

There are a number of SIG P210 model variations.

SIG P210-1: The commercial version chambered in 9 mm Luger and .30 Luger, with wood grips, fixed sights, and polished blued finish.

SIG P210-2: The original Swiss army version chambered in 9 mm Luger, with plastic grips, fixed sights, and bead blasted finish. Note the modified stock of tropical wood instead of plastic on the main image.

SIG P210-3: The Swiss police version chambered in 9 mm Luger and .30 Luger, with wood grips, fixed sights, and polished blued finish.

SIG P210-4: The German border guards Bundesgrenzschutz issue chambered in 9 mm Luger, a modified version of the P210-2 that omits the lanyard loop and includes a plunger on its slide that allows to tell whether a round is chambered. Serial numbers are D 0001 to D 5000.

SIG P210-5: The sports extended barrel version chambered in 9 mm Luger and .30 Luger, with wood grips, an adjustable trigger, a 150 mm extended barrel with a detachable front sight mount, adjustable target sights, and bead blasted finish.

SIG P210-6: The sports (120 mm barrel) version chambered in 9 mm Luger and .30 Luger, with wood or plastic grips, an adjustable trigger, fixed or adjustable sights, and bead blasted finish, built on the standard or heavy frame.

SIG P210-7: The .22 LR rimfire version with wood or plastic grips, fixed or adjustable sights, the latter version fitted with a special cut down hammer. The special slide, barrel, recoil spring, and magazine fitted to this pistol are available as a conversion kit adaptable to all P210 centerfire models.



SIG P210-8: The deluxe sports version chambered in 9 mm Luger, with a side mounted magazine catch, wood grips, an adjustable trigger, adjustable sights, and bead blasted finish, built on the heavy frame.

SIG P210-5LS: The 2003 version chambered in 9 mm Luger, which has a side mounted magazine catch, wood grips, adjustable sights, bead blasted finish, and a longer slide and barrel fitted on the heavy frame.

SIG P210-6S: The 2003 version chambered in 9 mm Luger, which has a side mounted magazine catch, wood grips, adjustable sights, bead blasted finish, and a standard slide and barrel fitted on the heavy frame.

A certain geometrical variation on half moon configuration trigger, are done in sports versions.

The SIG M/49, usually called only Neuhausen in Denmark, is the Danish military issued version for officers and special forces, chambered in 9 mm Luger, and is a specially marked version of the P210-1 or P210-2. This is the standard sidearm in the Danish military, though heading on nearly 60 years of continuous use, the SIG M/49 is being replaced with the HK USP but still in service as main pistol in the Danish military.

Serial numbers starting with a P were made for private use. Those that start with an A are the property of the Swiss army. Those that start with an D belongs to the Bundesgrenzschutz issues. 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" (="privat") on the front of the trigger guard shows that a weapon was left as a gift to the owner upon leaving the Armed Services. Danish and German P210s have their own special serial numbers.

References

• Armbruster, Erwin, & Werner Kessler (ed.). Begegnungen mit einer Legende—SIG SP 47/8 / P 210. Kessler Waffen AG, 2007. Sample
• Doebeli, Hans P. Die SIG-Pistolen. Stuttgart: Motorbuch-Verlag, 1981. ISBN 3879437394.
• Vetter, Lorenz. Das große Buch der SIG-Pistolen. Dietikon-Zürich: Stocker-Schmid, 1995. ISBN 9783727671234.

External links

• Description of Pistole 49, official Swiss Army webpage.
• SIG P210 History and images.
• SIG P210 history and design features.
• SIG P210 parts and variations.
• SIG P210 serial numbers.