SIG SAUER AG - Visiting the Swiss weapon manufacturer
History
The Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) was founded in 1853 as Schweizerische Waggon-Fabrik in Neuhausen am Rheinfall in the canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Initially, SIG produced railroad cars. Thanks to the knowledge of metal processing acquired in wagon construction, SIG began manufacturing firearms from 1860 onwards.
Prototype of the PE57 assault rifle.
The legendary P210
The breakthrough in the production of firearms happened in 1868, when SIG received the order to rearm the Swiss army with 140,000 Vetterli repeating rifles as ordnance weapons. The “Vetterli rifle” was developed by Swiss gunsmith and then SIG director Friedrich Vetterli. In contrast to previous firearms, the repeating rifle could be loaded while lying down and thus saved many soldier's lifes. Even during World War I it was still in use by secondary troops. SIG became the main supplier of the Swiss Army with the SIG PE57 assault rifle, that replaced the long-serving wooden “Karabiner 31” with the multifunctional new assault rifle, and later the SG 550 (Assault Rifle 90), which has been part of the standard armament of the Swiss Army since the 1990s. The SG 550 will be used by the Swiss Army until at least 2050. It is manufactured and maintained in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland. SIG pistols gained cult status, such as the SIG P210 (known in the military as the Pistol 49), which is considered the Rolls Royce of handguns.
Pre-produced barrels ready to be assembled into assault rifles
Over time, SIG expanded into other areas, such as the construction of road vehicles, drilling and milling machines as well as hydraulic pumps. At the beginning of the 20th century, SIG began producing packaging systems for the food industry. From the year 2000 onwards, the now highly diversified SIG concentrated on food packaging. The “handguns” division was spun off and taken over by the German L&O Holding, which also includes SIG SAUER INC. (USA), Blaser (hunting weapons) and Mauser (hunting weapons). Until the end of 2019, it was called SAN Swiss Arms (SAN for Small Arms Neuhausen) and was finally renamed SIG SAUER AG at the beginning of 2020.
Today, SIG SAUER has 13 locations worldwide and employs around 5,800 people, around 50 working at the Neuhausen site in Switzerland. Participants of the factory tour, organized by the Swiss Shooting Range as a sales partner and test center of SIG SAUER weapons, learned this and other exciting background information about this traditional Swiss company.
Location
View from the SIG site onto the Rhine Falls, 3rd biggest waterfall in Switzerland.
SIG SAUER Ltd. Switzerland is still located on the historic SIG site in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, where it all began in 1853 with the Swiss Wagon Factory: the founders harnessed the power of the Rhine Falls and obtained the energy for their production from an iron shaft and turbine in the Rhine Falls. On the SIG site everything from railroad wagons to weapons and food packaging was produced. At peak times, more than 5000 people worked at the SIG site. Most of the production facilites were relocated at the beginning of the 21st century and large parts of the historic site were shut down. As part of a revitalization project, the vacant buildings were transformed into offices, hotels, apartments, restaurants, stores and public areas. The historic industrial architecture was preserved, while at the same time the site was modernized and transformed into a living and meeting space.
The factory is located in building 33.
SIG SAUER AG is housed in Building 33 on the SIG site: no 33 because the building was constructed in 1933. On 5000 m2, SIG assembles, develops and tests its own Swiss products, the Stgw90 - one of the world's most accurate assault rifles - and the PE90/SG550 as a civilian version of the Stgw90 and its short versions SG551 and SG553 as well as grenade launchers. 93% of the components for the weapons are manufactured in Switzerland by suppliers in 17 different cantons. Only the barrel blanks are hammered in Germany at a sister company of SIG SAUER AG, on the same machines that were still in service in Neuhausen 20 years ago.
The weapons are put through different tests in the company's own indoor shooting range: The 300m shooting range, where the final test of the rifles takes place, runs underneath the SIG premises. Each rifle is clamped into a specially designed firing stand and fired. The shot is evaluated and archived electronically. The rifles must score 98 points in ten shots, otherwise - if the readjustment does not produce the desired result - they are sorted out and not delivered or sold.
The 300m firing tunnel, where SIG SAUER AG tests their weapons for accuracy runs under this street.
The weapons are tested at extreme temperatures in the climate chamber.
The factory tour not only included a peek into the firing tunnel, but also a visit to the climate chamber, where the weapons are tested from -60° C to 70°C for their functionality at extreme temperatures. In the same room is a station where the weapons are dropped from a height of 2 meters to test their stability. In the basement, visitors can not only see models of historical weapons but may also admire various prototypes that were never and are not commercially available.
The factory tour also provides an insight into the actual production process: because the tour took place on a working day, the visitors were able to watch the SIG engineers and technicians manufacturing the famous assault rifles. The weapons are assembled, serviced, barrels changed, cleaned or coated with CERAKOTE in the factory. Civilian owners of SIG SAUER weapons can bring their firearms in for barrel changes, general maintenance including spare parts assembly or CERAKOTE coating. The employees were happy to answer visitors' questions and generously shared their knowledge with all interested guests. Participants were also able to try their hand at a barrel straightening machine, with which crooked barrels are cylindrically straightened or straightened in the best possible way, to test their manual skills and abilities.
The Showroom
The tour organized by the Swiss Shooting Range ended in the showroom, where various commercially available SIG SAUER products are on display. From the legendary P365 in various versions to long rilfes such as the SG 550 and its derivatives to optics, you can see everything up close and even hold and shoot some of the guns. In the in-house 25 m shooting range, the weapons might be tested on appointment for a small fee.
In SIG SAUERS showroom, all kinds of rifles, pistols and accessories can be admired and even be touched.
The latest SIG SAUER AG invention can be admired in the showroom: the new SG56X series. It combines the best of SG55X and MCX or AR15 systems in one weapon in caliber 5.56x45mm NATO, is compatible with AR15 magazines such as Magpul PMAGs as well as SIG SAUER SG55X magazines (conversion possible without tools, just with an adapter) and has various QD interfaces. Contrary to public opinion, these weapons will be manufactured entirely in Switzerland and were also developed exclusively in Switzerland due to the extensive wealth of experience and knowledge of SIG SAUER AG. The rifle is expected to be commercially available from the beginning of 2025.
Prototyp of the SG563, which will be available for purchase 2025.
The participants on the factory tour were given an exciting and informative insight into the more than 100-year history of Swiss firearms production. They were able to follow the production of the legendary Stgw90 and visit the historic premises of the reliable supplier of assault rifles for the Swiss Armed Forces. Various SIG SAUER weapons, including the P365 XL Rose, the MCX Spear and the Stgw90, are available as rental weapons in the Swiss Shooting Range and can be extensively tested there. SIG SAUER weapons can be purchased from the Swiss Shooting Range as a sales partner of SIG SAUER AG. Stop by, we are looking forward to your visit!
In the SIG SAUER AG’s showroom are numerous innovations and prototypes to marvel at, such as this SG 553-R with special CERAKOTE coating.
Coats with the historic SIG logo.
In-house test firing range, which is used for functional testing of every assembled weapon.
Filled magazines, ready to be used during function check and firing tests.
An old inscription of the SIG - a piece of Swiss industrial history.