Accurate 5 vs 7 vs silhouette 9mm
This definitely sped up the reloading process. Most of the features of the P210 were retained, though the bottom magazine release was replaced by a frame-mounted button. However, in 2010, Sig Sauer introduced the P210 Legend, which was made in Germany. I felt a sense of loss, even though I knew that my P210 would outlast me. In 2005, the Neuhausen branch of Sig Sauer ceased production of the P210. More importantly, I could shoot the P210 at 50 meters better than any other pistol I owned, and I could keep half of my shots or better on a silhouette target at 100 meters. I never could shoot my P210 to the “2 inches at 50 meters” standard, but I could get 2-inch groups at 25 meters on a good day, which is as well as I did with any other pistol. Original SIG mags always been expensive and somewhat hard to find. Speaking of magazines, I should note that I only used Swiss-made factory P210 magazines-no aftermarket ones. For my P210, I carried three 8-round magazines. However, I carried a 13-round magazine in my Browning and had two spare 20-round magazines of the type used by the SAS. And I realize that went against the conventional wisdom that backup pistols should use the same magazines. I switched from carrying two Browning Hi-Powers to a single Hi-Power and a SIG P210. I was working on close-protection details in some pretty dangerous places and wanted a pistol that would let me engage an attacker, especially one armed with a rifle or submachine gun, at 50 to 100 yards. That longer-distance accuracy is what first drew me to the P210. It’s designed for shooters who can take advantage of its accuracy, in some cases to engage at a distance beyond that easily obtainable by modern “wondernines.” Accuracy
However, I would note that the P210 is not a “spray and pray” pistol. Compared to many contemporary combat pistols with more modern actions and double-stack magazines, not to mention ambidextrous frame-mounted magazine releases, the P210 seems pretty retro.
It has a single-stack, eight-round magazine, fixed sights, a single- action trigger and a heel-mounted magazine release. Initially, civilian versions of the pistol were designated the SP47/8, but in the 1950s that was changed to P210, the designation by which it is best known.įor a pistol that has attained such iconic status, the P210/P49 has a very basic design, especially by contemporary standards. The PP41 was adopted as the standard Swiss army cartridge.
#Accurate 5 vs 7 vs silhouette 9mm serial number#
Officially adopted by the Swiss army in 1949, the pistol was designated the P49, with military pistols having a serial number with an “A” prefix. In addition to the slide/frame matchup, the SP47/8’s accuracy was also a result of the high-quality steel barrel and crisp trigger. That standard of accuracy continued for later versions of the SP47/8 throughout its production. The SP47/8’s accuracy standard held that the gun had to group five shots into 2 inches at 50 meters using Swiss military-issued PP41 match-grade 9mm ammunition. Also noteworthy in the SP47/8’s design was the modular hammer unit that could lifted out of the frame when the slide was removed to allow for lubrication or access to the hammer spring. Most importantly for a pistol that would serve the Swiss army, the SP47/8, despite and because of the tight tolerances, proved highly reliable. This enhanced slide alignment has contributed to the SIG design’s excellent accuracy. Among the innovative design features in the SP47/8 was the use of full-length external rails on the slide mated with full-length internal rails on the frame. SIG engineers improved upon this design, resulting in the SP47/8 pistol.
In 1937, Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) licensed the Petter design used in the French M1935 pistol. One requirement was that it chamber the 9x19mm cartridge rather than the 7.65x21mm round used in the Swiss Luger.
Prior to World War II, the Swiss army began searching for a replacement for the Luger pistol. In addition to his pistol, he also inherited his grandfather’s Swiss Luger and his father’s SIG P210 pistols. I had one friend in Switzerland who became an officer in the Swiss army shortly after the 9mm Sig Sauer P220 was adopted as the P75 to replace the P210. Often, the weapons were passed from father to son and continued to be shot generation after generation.