SIG Sauer P230
SIG P230 / P232 Users | |
---|---|
Production history | |
Designer | Walter Ludwig, Hanspeter Sigg, Peter Blickensdorfer |
Designed | 1977 |
Manufacturer | SIG Sauer, SIGARMS |
Produced | P230 1977–1996 P232 1996–2015 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 520 g (18.5 oz)[1] |
Length | 17 cm (6.6 in)[1] |
Barrel length | 9.1 cm (3.6 in)[1] |
Width | 3.0 cm (1.2 in)[1] |
Height | 12 cm (4.7 in)[1] |
Cartridge | .32 ACP, .380 ACP and 9×18mm Ultra |
Action | Double Action/Single Action (DA/SA) With decocking lever |
Feed system | 8-round magazine (.32 ACP) 7-round magazine (.380 ACP & 9mm Ultra)[2] |
Sights | Fixed front and rear |
The SIG Sauer P230 is a small, semi-automatic handgun chambered in .32 ACP or .380 Auto. It was designed by SIG Sauer of Eckernförde, Germany. It was imported into the United States by SIGARMS in 1985. In 1996[3] it was replaced by the model P232.[4]
History
SIG P230 was designed in 1977 as a concealable law enforcement sidearm. After World War II, the
Design
The design and function of the P230 is of the simple fixed barrel, straight blow-back configuration. It has a reputation as a well-built firearm, and competes with the smaller
The P230 was available in both blued and all-stainless finishes. The blued version features a blued steel slide and a matching, anodized aluminum frame, whereas the stainless version was completely made from stainless steel. Both versions came with a molded polymer, wrap-around grip that is contoured to give the shooter a comfortable and secure hold on the pistol.
The trigger comes from the factory with a 24 newtons (5.5 lbf) single-action pull, and is capable of both
The sights are of the traditional SIG design and configuration, with a dot on the front sight and a rectangle on the rear sight. To aim using the sights, the shooter simply aligns the dot over the rectangle. The magazine release is located behind and below the magazine floor plate. The magazine is released by pushing the lever towards the rear of the grip, at which point the magazine can be removed from the pistol.
The earlier models of SIG P230 can be identified with "Made in W.Germany" imprint on the slide.
SIG Sauer P232
The P232 incorporates more than 60 changes to the design of the P230. Most of the changes are internal. Some of the changes are:[5]
- The P232 has a drop safety to block the firing pin.
- The P230 front sight is machined into the slide. The P232 slide is cut for a dovetailed front sight.
- The P230 slide has 12 narrow, shallow serrations. The P232 slide has 7 wide, deeper serrations.
- The P230 factory grip panels are flat and smooth plastic with some checkering. The P232 factory grip panels are thicker plastic and 100% stippled. (The grip panels are not interchangeable between the two models.)
- The P230 factory magazine floor plates are aluminum. The P232 factory magazine floor plates are plastic.
Overview
Due to its small dimensions, it is easily carried as a backup weapon or as a concealed carry handgun, holding 8 + 1 rounds of .32 ACP or 7 + 1 rounds of .380 ACP (9mm "Kurz" or Short), respectively.
Discontinuation
Imports of the SIG Sauer P232 to the United States, and of spare parts and magazines, were discontinued in July 2014. Although the P230 and P232 are known for reliability and accuracy,[6] market competition had increased with the proliferation of smaller, lighter and less expensive pistols chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge.[7] The P232 and other SIG Sauer products manufactured in Germany were banned for export by the German Government, due to unlawful foreign arms sales by the U.S. State Department to the Colombian Defense Ministry.[8]
Users
- Japan: Some of the
- Libya[12]
- Switzerland: Various police forces.[13]
- United Kingdom: Special Air Services (SAS).[14]
- United States: Various police forces.[13]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "P232". SIG Sauer. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
- ^ Peterson, Philip. Gun Digest Book of Modern Gun Values: The Shooter's Guide to Guns 1900 to Present (16th ed.). p. 208.
- ^ a b "SIG-Sauer P-230 P-232". Modern Firearms. Archived from the original on 15 March 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
- ^ "Products & Services". Archived from the original on 21 July 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
- ^ "Dope Bag" (PDF). American Rifleman (November/December 1998): 48–49. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
- ^ ".380 ACP Pistols Compared (Includes the SIG SAUER P232, SIG SAUER P238 and Walther PPK)".
- ^ "Sig P232 Discontinued | Rogue Elite".
- ^ "'Export ban' for arms maker SIG Sauer over Colombia guns". BBC News. 14 July 2014.
- ISBN 1-4402-2713-6.
- ^ Otsuka, Masatsugu (January 2009). 日本警察の拳銃 [Guns of the Japanese police]. Strike and Tactical Magazine (in Japanese). 6 (1). KAMADO: 50–57.
- ^ "Gun Review: Smith & Wesson 360J Japanese Service Revolver". August 2018.
- ^ Jenzen-Jones, N.R.; McCollum, Ian (April 2017). Small Arms Survey (ed.). Web Trafficking: Analysing the Online Trade of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Libya (PDF). Working Paper No. 26. p. 87. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2017.
- ^ ISBN 1-930983-14-X.
- ^ "SAS Weapons – Handguns". Elite UK Forces. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
External resources