SIG Sauer: a buyer's guide
SIG Sauer made more pistols in America than anyone else in 2024. Its roots are Swiss and German, but its U.S. company in New Hampshire now builds the Army's service pistol and the P365, one of the most popular carry guns made.
Swiss and German roots
SIG traces back to a Swiss railcar maker founded in 1853, renamed Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) in 1864 when it won a government rifle contract. J.P. Sauer & Sohn, the German half of the name, dates to 1751. Strict Swiss export laws pushed SIG to partner with Sauer, and the first SIG Sauer handgun, the P220, launched in 1975.
The American side began as SIGARMS in Virginia in 1985, moved to Exeter, New Hampshire in 1990 and started building the P229 there in 1992. It became SIG Sauer, Inc. in 2007 and is headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire. Since 2015 it has also made suppressors, optics and ammunition.
In 2024 SIG built 944,605 guns in the U.S. (third overall), including 874,707 pistols, the most of any American maker (see the full ranking).
Military and police guns
- P226 and P229: the double-action/single-action service pistols that built SIG's reputation with police and special forces.
- P320 / M17 and M18: on January 19, 2017 the U.S. Army picked the modular, striker-fired P320 for its Modular Handgun System, issued as the M17 (full-size) and M18 (compact).
- M7 and M250: in April 2022 the Army chose SIG for its Next Generation Squad Weapon, the M7 rifle and M250 automatic rifle.
- MCX and MPX: SIG's rifle and pistol-caliber carbine platforms.
For carry and home
The P365 packs a double-stack 9mm magazine into a pistol about the size of a single-stack carry gun, and it changed the micro-compact market. It now comes in many sizes (P365X, XL, X-Macro and more). The P320's removable fire-control unit lets you move one serialized part between different grip and slide sizes.
Buying a SIG: what to know
- DA/SA vs. striker. Classic SIGs like the P226 have a long, heavy first trigger pull and a decocker. The P320 and P365 are striker-fired. Try both before you choose.
- P365 sizes. The variants share a lot of parts but not all magazines and holsters. Know exactly which one you have.
- Used P320s. Ask whether the gun has had SIG's voluntary upgrade, which SIG offered on early P320s in 2017, and check the serial with SIG if you're unsure.
SIG Sauer at Trademark Guns
We don't have any SIG Sauer items on the rack right now. Ask us about the model you want, or buy it online and have it shipped to us for a $25 FFL transfer.
Common questions
- Where are SIG Sauer guns made?
- SIG Sauer, Inc. is headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire, and builds guns in the U.S. SIG also has European roots in Switzerland and Germany.
- Is the Army's M17 a SIG P320?
- Yes. The Army selected the P320 for its Modular Handgun System in January 2017 and issues it as the M17 and M18.
- What makes the P365 popular?
- It holds a double-stack 9mm magazine in a very small pistol, so you get more rounds without a bigger gun.
Sources
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