The SIG P210-3: History And Specifications
A Testament to Swiss Craftsmanship
The SIG P210-3 represents the third production series of this iconic pistol, merging precision engineering with practical enhancements for police use and private ownership. Crafted between the 1950s and 1980s, this model exemplifies the meticulous attention to detail that defines Swiss firearm design.
Key Specifications of the SIG P210-3
- Designation: P 210-3
- Serial Number Range: 8001–8900
- Front Sight: Ordinance front sight, height 5.1–5.9 mm.
- Safety Features:
- Firing pin secured with a cover plate, disassemblable without tools.
- Safety notch on the hammer introduced from serial number 8151.
- Enhanced safety lever with grooves starting from serial number 8701 (28.07.1958).
- Slide Stop: Updated design with grooves and a rounded underside from serial number 8726 (28.07.1958).
- Grips and Markings:
- Plastic grip panels.
- Swiss cross engraved on the slide.
- Other Features:
- Lanyard loop on the left side of the frame.
- No loading indicator for earlier models, aligning with the minimalist ethos of the design.
Key Specifications of the SIG P210-3
The SIG P210-3 was a preferred choice for police forces in Basel, Lausanne, and Glarus, and was also sold privately. Deliveries to Basel-Stadt Police Command spanned decades, with exact quantities and serial numbers meticulously recorded. For instance:
- February 1951: 100 units (Serial Nos. 8001–8100).
- September 1951: 40 units (Serial Nos. 8111–8150).
- November 1960: 32 units (Serial Nos. 8784–8823).
Notable Variants
Throughout its production run, the P210-3 underwent continuous refinement and customization:
- 1950 “S-Model”: Serial No. P 50897.
- 1977 Export Model: Serial No. P 81053, engraved “Swiss Made.”
- 1980-1983 Double-Numbered Model: Serial No. P 96651 (paired with P210-6).
Notable Variants
The SIG P210-3 remains a collector’s treasure, embodying Swiss precision and reliability. Its service history, combined with the subtle evolution of features, tells the story of a firearm that truly stands the test of time.
The Specs and information on the different gun models listed below are based on Das Grosse Buch der SIG-Pistolen, “The Big Book of SIG Pistols,” by Lorenz Vetter.
SIG P 210-3
1951, Basel Police
- Weapon Number: P 8003
- Designer: SIG
- Manufacturer: SIG
- Caliber: 9 mm Para
- Slide: 1st version, with loading indicator, polished, blued, Swiss crest
- Frame: 2nd version, P 210, reddish blued, “P” stamped
- Barrel Length and Type: 120 mm, tipping barrel
- Number of Grooves: Six
- Twist Rate: Right, 250 mm
- Magazine: 2nd version, polished, blued
- Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
- Lock: 1st version, Serial No. 8003 engraved
- Front Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Rear Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Grip Panels: Walnut wood grip panels with grooves and lanyard loop
SIG P 210-3
1951, Basel Police
- Weapon Number: 8139
- Designer: SIG
- Manufacturer: SIG
- Caliber: 9 mm Para
- Slide: 1st version, with loading indicator, polished, blued, Swiss crest
- Frame: 2nd version, P 210, reddish blued, “P” stamped
- Barrel Length and Type: 120 mm, tipping barrel
- Number of Grooves: Six
- Twist Rate: Right, 250 mm
- Magazine: 2nd version, polished, blued
- Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
- Lock: 1st version, Serial No. 8139 engraved
- Front Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Rear Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Grip Panels: Wooden grip panels with grooves and lanyard loop
Special Features:
- Loading indicator
- Swiss crest on the slide
- Hammer without safety notch
SIG P 210-3
1951, Lausanne Police
- Weapon Number: 8262
- Designer: SIG
- Manufacturer: SIG
- Caliber: 9 mm Para
- Slide: 1st version, with loading indicator, polished, blued, Swiss crest
- Frame: 2nd version, reddish blued, “P” stamped
- Barrel Length and Type: 120 mm, tipping barrel
- Number of Grooves: Six
- Twist Rate: Right
- Magazine: 2nd version, polished, blued
- Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
- Lock: 1st version, full serial number engraved at the back
- Front Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Rear Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Grip Panels: Wooden grip panels with grooves and lanyard loop
Special Features:
- Lanyard loop with leather securing strap
- Slide with Swiss crest, blued
- Frame reddish blued
- Hammer without safety notch
SIG P 210-3, 1969/70
Small Series with Loading Indicator
- Weapon Number: P 76267
- Designer: SIG
- Manufacturer: SIG
- Caliber: 9 mm Para
- Slide: 1st version, sandblasted, blued, with Swiss crest, loading indicator
- Frame: 2nd version, polished
- Barrel Length and Type: 120 mm, tipping barrel
- Number of Grooves: Six
- Twist Rate: Right, 250 mm
- Magazine: Blued
- Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
- Lock: 2nd version, without number
- Front Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Rear Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Grip Panels: Wooden grip panels with fine checkering and lanyard loop
Special Features:
- With loading indicator
- Slide sandblasted
- Frame polished
- “SWISS MADE” engraved on the rear right side
- “P” stamped on the frame
- Pistol assembled from SIG inventory stock
- Normally, no loading indicator is found in this serial number range
SIG P 210-3, 1976
Small Series with Loading Indicator
- Weapon Number: P 79937
- Designer: SIG
- Manufacturer: SIG
- Caliber: 9 mm Para
- Slide: 1st version, sandblasted, blued, with loading indicator, Swiss crest
- Frame: 2nd version, sandblasted, blued, “P” stamped, no additional proof marks
- Barrel Length and Type: 120 mm, tipping barrel
- Number of Grooves: Six
- Twist Rate: Right, 250 mm
- Magazine: 2nd version, sandblasted
- Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
- Lock: 2nd version, without number
- Front Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Rear Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Grip Panels: Plastic, with lanyard loop
Special Features:
- This pistol was assembled from surplus stock from the series intended for the German Federal Border Guard.
- Two pistols of this version are marked with “Hämmerli Tiengen”: Serial Nos. P 79931 and P 79938.
SIG P 210-3, 1976
Small Series with Loading Indicator
- Weapon Number: P 79938
- Designer: SIG
- Manufacturer: SIG
- Caliber: 9 mm Para
- Slide: 1st version, sandblasted, blued, with loading indicator, Swiss crest, “P” stamped
- Frame: 2nd version, sandblasted, blued
- Barrel Length and Type: 120 mm, tipping barrel
- Number of Grooves: Six
- Twist Rate: Right, 250 mm
- Magazine: Sandblasted, blued
- Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
- Lock: 2nd version, without number
- Front Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Rear Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Grip Panels: Plastic, with lanyard loop
Special Features:
- The slide originates from surplus stock of the P 210-4 (intended for the German Federal Border Guard) and is engraved on the right side with “Hämmerli Tiengen.”
- On the left side: Serial No. P 79938 and SIG insignia.
- Above: Loading indicator and Swiss crest.
- The frame’s left side is marked with Serial No. P 79938 and “P” stamped.
- This pistol was part of a small series (Serial Nos. P 79931 to P 79940) delivered to the company Schneebeli, though not all 10 pistols were marked with “Hämmerli Tiengen.”
- An additional 10 pistols of the same series were also delivered to Schneebeli without the “Hämmerli Tiengen” inscription (Serial Nos. P 79941 to P 79950).
P 210-3, 1976
Small Series
- Weapon Number: P 79946
- Designer: SIG
- Manufacturer: SIG
- Caliber: 9 mm Para
- Slide: 1st version, sandblasted, blued, with loading indicator, Swiss crest
- Frame: 2nd version, sandblasted, blued
- Barrel Length and Type: 120 mm, tipping barrel
- Number of Grooves: Six
- Twist Rate: Right, 250 mm
- Magazine: Steel, sandblasted, blued
- Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
- Lock: 2nd version, without number
- Front Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Rear Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Grip Panels: Retrofitted wooden grips (originally plastic grip panels), with lanyard loop
Special Features:
A small series of pistols, approximately 20 units within the serial number range P 79931 to P 79950, were delivered by SIG in 1976 to the Schneebeli company in Winterthur and St. Gallen. The Schneebeli company had ordered P 210-2 pistols, but since slides from current production were unavailable at the time, surplus slides (from the German Federal Border Guard inventory) were mounted on P 210-2 frames.
P 210-3, 1977
Small Series
- Weapon Number: P 81053
- Designer: SIG
- Manufacturer: SIG
- Caliber: 9 mm Para
- Slide: 1st version, sandblasted, with loading indicator, Swiss crest
- Frame: 2nd version, sandblasted, “P” stamped, engraved with “SWISS MADE”
- Barrel Length and Type: 120 mm, tipping barrel
- Number of Grooves: Six
- Twist Rate: Right, 250 mm
- Magazine: Blued
- Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
- Lock: 2nd version, without number
- Front Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Rear Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Grip Panels: Plastic, with lanyard loop
Special Features:
- Engraved “SWISS MADE” on the left side of the frame, above the grip panels.
- Slide with a loading indicator.
SIG P 210-3
Double Number
- Weapon Number: P 96651
- Designer: SIG
- Manufacturer: SIG
- Caliber: 9 mm Para
- Slide: 1st version, “P” stamped behind the number, polished, reddish blued, with Swiss crest, loading indicator
- Frame: 2nd version, sandblasted, “P” stamped
- Barrel Length and Type: 120 mm, tipping barrel
- Number of Grooves: Six
- Twist Rate: Right, 250 mm
- Magazine: Sandblasted, blued
- Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
- Lock: 2nd version, without number
- Front Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Rear Sight: Inserted, ordinance
- Grip Panels: Wooden grip panels with fine checkering, oiled
Special Features:
- Both the slide and frame are “P” stamped (unique).
- Slide and loading indicator are from the old SP 47/8 version but feature the Swiss crest.
- Double numbering with P 210-6 Serial No. P 96651.
