Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Sig Experts, Please Help...

    OK, so I've been doing some reading, and I have seen that the last of the "all-German" (German made components AND assembled in Germany) P220's were imported back in like the late 90's or so... And I've also read that you can tell if your Sig is "all-German" by presence of 2-letter date code and German proof marks under the chin of the slide (mine looks like a little creepy-crawler w/ pincers)... Of course, there's also the 'N' mark on slide and frame, indicating having been proofed for smokeless powder...

    Well, I recently bought a Euro P220 in 9mm, with German proof marks on the chin (the "creepy-crawler"...lol), as well as a date code of "AB." The problem is, AB = 2001... And this gun is stamped Exeter, NH... So... Was this gun made AND assembled in Germany (maybe for some European gov't contract), and then re-routed to NH, or what? I am confused...

    It is the older, folded-slide variant, w/ pinned-in breech insert... Heel mag release... Marked "Made in Germany" (NOT W. Germany)... I will check the inside of the grip panels to see what date they have, but that is only accurate info for the grips themselves (which might have been replaced at some point)...

    If what I have seen and read is correct, this gun was made and assembled completely in Germany (in 2001), and then for some reason imported to the U.S., through Sig's Exeter, NH facility...

    But then there's the issue of the finish being completely intact over the entire slide, including the "Exeter NH" stamping - Wouldn't that stamping have been an afterthought if it was an all German gun intended for the European market?

    Ughh.... My head hurts!

    Anyhow, any well-versed Sig-ologists, please do chime in ...

    Thanks in advance...

    Regards,

    Bones

    PS - Pics of this pistol can be found in the Photos Section, but I will post pics up of the chin markings in just a moment anyhow...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Dar al-Harb, Pennsylvania
    (Montgomery County)
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    Default Re: Sig Experts, Please Help...

    Here is a high-res pic of the proof marks.... You should be able to zoom in w/ a mouse-click or two...




    Thanks again...

    Regards,

    Bones

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Flyers Country, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Sig Experts, Please Help...

    No worries Bones.
    Here is what you've got. Your P220 was made and assembled in Germany in 2001 (AB date code). It then was imported to Sig Arms (now Sig Sauer again) which is now located in Exeter, New Hampshire. That's why your P220 has the "Exeter" import stamp on the slide.

    History of Sig imports stamps is roughly as follows:

    1977 - 1979 Browning BDA's through Morgan Utah
    1980 - 1982 Interarms
    1983 - 1985 Tysons Corner, Va
    1986 - 1989 Herndon, Va
    1990 - today Exeter, NH


    Bye for a while, guard the fort. - My Dad

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Dar al-Harb, Pennsylvania
    (Montgomery County)
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    Default Re: Sig Experts, Please Help...

    Well hot-damn, that was quick! Thanks a million for the info, Ref!

    I guess the German pistol "enthusiast" within me just needed to hear some reassurance that this is in fact one of the "all-German" P220's...

    Rep inbound (again) for the Sig info!

    Regards,

    Bones

    ETA - Can't rep you again (yet) - Gotta spread it around first.... I will when I'm able, though... Thanks again!
    Last edited by JoeyBones; June 1st, 2009 at 06:00 PM. Reason: Can't rep you yet...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Flyers Country, Pennsylvania
    (Montgomery County)
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    Default Re: Sig Experts, Please Help...

    No problem Bones

    The last Sig that I got is an interesting one. It's the same set up as yours, P220 9mm Euro, only the year code is "JD" which makes it a 1983 production.
    The slide is stamped "Exeter". I posted this on the Sig Forum and there was another member that had one made in 1982 and also stamped "Exeter"
    What some of the Sig nuts surmised was that the guns were made in 1983 and sat on a shelf for at least 7 or 8 years before they made the trip over to the USA. They were probably contract over-run guns that kind of got lost at the Sig Sauer factory.


    Bye for a while, guard the fort. - My Dad

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