SIG Sauer GmbH, more commonly known as SIG Sauer, is a subsidary of the Swiss firm L&O Holding, based in Eckernforde, Germany. Recognised as a producer of high quality, highly engineered firearms, SIG Sauer is in the top five firearm companies in terms of size and sales. Their range of pistols and rifles are highly desired, particularly in the US by both civilians and police and armed forces.
The first reference to SIG is found in a contract awarded to the Swiss Wagon factory, based in Switzerland, in 1853. The contract was for 30,000 muskets for the Switzerland Federal Ministry of Defence.
Sauer & Sohn
SIG Sauer P220
Swiss law prevented Switzerland based companies from producing firearms, unless the firearms were produced by a foreign based partner. In 1975 Sauer & Sohn, a German manufacturing firm that had previously dabbled in the firearm industry before the Second World War (producing hunting rifles, shotguns and the Sauer 38H pistol), were chosen to be SIG's partner. Their first product, the SIG Sauer P220 , was released in the same year.
A general purpose machine gun, the MG 710, was also produced between the two companies. Heavily based on the German MG42, the MG 710 was only exported to Bolivia due to its high cost.
SIG Sauer Inc.
SIG Sauer P226
Originated in Virginia, United States as Sigarms Inc. in 1985 to import the P220 and P230 pistols. Five years later the company moved to New Hampshire. Current parent company L&O Holding bought Sigarms Inc. along with Sauer & Sohn, Swiss Arms, Blaser and Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH (all companies in the SIG empire) in 2000, later renaming the combined group SIG Sauer Inc. in 2007.
SIG Sauer's emergence in the top five gunsmiths in the world has coincided with this merger. Large amounts of money have been invested in machinery and the workforce, meaning the sales of SIG firearms has increased by 50% since 2005 and continues to rise.
The SIG Sauer Academy, Epping, New Hampshire, is operated by German specialists and owned by SIG Sauer Inc. The company also claims to supply one third of the police forces in the US with pistols.
