From: baechler@lia.di.epfl.ch (Emmanuel Baechler)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Blessed Sig 210???????
Date: 16 Apr 92 13:12:21 GMT


# I am new to rec.guns and whatever relevant information I could get on
# Sig seems to suggest that it is a precision piece of hardware. Of interest
# to me is the 9mm para model. Why is ONE Sig 210 equivalent to THREE P226
# in terms of price? Aren't the basic internal mechanism the same? Is
# comparing a similar capacity Honda and a BMW a good analogy? Or same model
# BMW except one with more "extras" and "turbocharged"?

I dont know what are the prices in New Zealand, but here the rate is rather
two: a P-226 is around 1200 sfr. and a P-210 with micrometric sights
is around 2400 sfr (1 US $ is around 1.5 sfr.).

There are two main differences between the P-210 and the P-226: cost 
considerations and their main purpose. Their designs is also separated
by fourty years.

First of all, the P-210 has been designed during WWII and adopted in 1949.
At that time the manufacturing techniques were not at all what they are
currently. They implied a lot of handwork and non-automatic tooling. The 
rencent P-210 are still produced this way. 

The P-220/225/226/228, has been desinged at the beginning of the seventies.
In addition, ease of mass production of low cost was part of the design,
this is why they used stamped sheets of steel, light alliages and so on.

Second, the P-210 had to a sucessor to our ordnance parabellums. It had
to use the 9mm Para instead of the 7.65 while being at least as good as
the parabellums, and this wasn't an easy task. Ordnance pistols here are
spead across the whole population and are used for official target 
competitions. In addition, the Parabellum was really well made. Doing
as well implied the use of steels of very high quality, and a manufacturing
with very tight tolerances (and a lot of handwork to achieve this). The
result is an extremely accurate pistol. In addition, all the pieces are
completely interchangable, due to the tight tolerances (which contributes
a lot to accuracy). The quality of the steels and its manufacturing
warrants it a very long life estimated to 120000 shots, although people
who really "finished" their P210 are really rare. Finally, the finshing
of this gun is wonderful. Fierarms of that quality are rare and as much
as expensive. The Manurhin MR-73 cost the same price, the Korth are
much more expensive (and not as accurate).

In this process, the puropose was: "we want the absolute best ordnance 
pistol for our officers", cost had never been taken into accout. The
only purpose was to produce a pistol even better than the Parabellums.
It was at least as much a sign of prestige and power than an ordnance
weapon. Note also that target shooting had been privilleged over real
combat shooting. This explains the really tight tolerances.

On the other hand, the P220 was produced as a combat weapon, and cost
considerations were very important. The mechanism has been changed to
make it more realiable under extreme conditions and to make it less
expensive. Cost explain the use of the chamber to lock the barrel on
the slide instead of the traditional method. Costs also explains the
use of stamped steel, light alliages and that the Petter license has
not been used. The rails have been place on the outside of the frame
to make it more reliable under extreme cold conditions. A part of its
life duration has also been sacrified to cost, this is why they used
stamped steel and ligh alloys. One can however expect a duration of
at least 50000 shots if it is well maintained. Finally, note that
although they are very well made, aesthetics and finish was not a
major care of SIG.

Comparing a P-210 and a P-226 is like comparing a Rolls Royce with
a Jeep. Neither the prices nor the purposes are similar. If you 
want an UIT target pistol which is also a very beautiful object,
spare enoguh money for a P-210. If you want an IPSC or a self
defense pistol, buy a P-226.


Emmanuel Baechler.
Laboratoire d'Intelligence Artificielle
Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
MA-Ecublens
CH-1015 Lausanne	Switzerland
Tel.: ++41-21-693-2732
e-mail: baechler@liasun6.epfl.ch
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