THE GUNNERY NETWORK
A Stenhammar Viking Web Production
THE GUNNERY NETWORK
A Stenhammar Viking Web Production
The History of J.P. Sauer & Sohn
| The name J.P. Sauer & Sohn (German for Son) has
been associated with firearms manufacturing since the 18th Century. Until its demise
at the end of the Second World War, Sauer was the oldest of the factories that populated
the Suhl region of Germany, an area well known for its concentration of firearms
manufacturers. Most notable for crafting fine shotguns, rifles and drillings, Sauer began manufacturing military weapons as subcontractor for Mauser in the late 19th Century, providing parts for the famous line of Mauser rifles. Later, Sauer produced a line of semi-automatic pistols which included the models 1913, 1926, Model 30 and Model 38 (better known as the 38 H). While other manufacturers had employed decocking mechanisms on earlier pistols, the the 38 H was first to do so on a large scale. The 38 H exerted an obvious design influence on the modern SIG-Sauer line. During World War II, Sauer continued to provide weapons (mainly the 38 H) and parts (for the MP 44 assault rifle) to the German military. American troops eventually captured the Sauer facility in 1944. Because Suhl lay in the Russian zone of control, Sauer found itself in East German territory and was nationalized by the communists in 1947. Operations resumed under the Sauer name in the city of Eckernf�rde in 1951 after the family heirs sold the rights. The new J.P. Sauer & Sohn resumed production of the sporting arms for which they were best known. Later, Sauer created a series of cowboy-style revolvers for the American market, distributed by Hawes, also an early importer of SIG-Sauer pistols. SIG purchased J.P. Sauer & Sohn in 1975, providing additional manufacturing capacity for the new SIG-Sauer P 220, and a way to avoid Swiss neutrality laws that made selling weapons abroad difficult. J.P. Sauer & Sohn continues to provide sporting arms under its own name, as well as products marketed under the U.S. SIG Arms name. Information Courtesy of Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) and SIGArms. |
