SIG Pistole 49
Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) · Pistol · Discontinued · 1949
Also known as: SIG P210, P49, 9mm Pist 49, SP47/8, M/49 Neuhausen
Overview
The SIG Pistole 49 is the Swiss Army service designation of the SIG P210, an all-steel, single-action, locked-breech semi-automatic pistol adopted in 1949 to replace the aging Luger 06/29. Designed around Charles Petter's Petter-Browning locked-breech system and manufactured at Neuhausen am Rheinfall, it is distinguished by its slide riding inside the frame rails rather than outside them, a feature that gives it a reputation as one of the most accurate service pistols ever built. It chambers the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge from an eight-round detachable magazine.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 970 g (34.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 215 mm (8.46") |
| Barrel Length | 120 mm (4.72") |
| Height | 133 mm (5.24") |
| Width | 33 mm (1.30") |
| Sight Radius | 164 mm (6.46") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 340 m/s (1115 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 430 J (317 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm, 9mm Para
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Half Cock Notch
- Features: All Steel Construction, Slide Rides Inside Frame Rails, Fixed Barrel, Exceptional Accuracy, Removable Grip Frame Assembly
Service history
Operators
- Swiss Armed Forces · adopted 1949 · as Pistole 49
- Royal Danish Army · adopted 1949 · as M/49 Neuhausen
- German Federal Police · adopted 1951
Production
Estimated total produced: 113,110 · Production years: 1949-1975
Approximately 113,110 P49 units produced for the Swiss Army; overall P210 production at SIG ran from 1948 to 2006.
Origin
Country of origin: Switzerland
Designer: Charles Petter
Discontinued: 1975
Notes
The civilian version was marketed as the SP47/8 before the P210 name was standardized in 1957. Approximately 113,110 examples were produced for the Swiss military between 1949 and 1975, when it was replaced by the Pistole 75 (SIG P220). Also chambered in 7.65x21mm Parabellum in some variants.
Background
Swiss designer Charles Petter, a former captain in the French Foreign Legion, developed the locked-breech action first used in the French Modele 1935A pistol; SIG licensed the Petter-Browning system from SACM in 1937 to build a modern Swiss service pistol, resulting in the exceptionally accurate P210.