Sig Sauer is a storied company that has deep rooted ties to both Switzerland and Germany for many generations. SIG itself which stands for Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (English: Swiss Industrial Company) was originally a railroad wagon manufacturing and industrial concern who won contracts from the Swiss government to produce firearms in Switzerland as far back as 1859. It was this Swiss company that was responsible for manufacturing many of the most famous Swiss small arms of the 20th century including original handgun designs such as SIG P210, P220 and P226. It built other military small arms like the Famous SIG 510 rifle and even the straight-pull K31 among many others. SIG in Switzerland kept manufacturing firearms until the year 2000. German gunmaker Sauer similarly has an old history dating back to the 1700s and also made all manner of rifles, shotguns and pistols. The original German company made the World War Two famous Mauser K98, for example. During the 1970s, SIG and Sauer got together to better sell their firearms as the Swiss neutrality laws forbade the Swiss company from directly selling and exporting its own guns around the world. By the mid 1980s, the old SIGARMS was formed in Tyson’s Corner, VA. Even back then in those days, the need for an in house shooting school and academy was a topic amongst the SIGARMs staff.
Fast Forward To Today
SIG ACADEMY
“Really in the 1980s, the talk of a SIG ACADEMY within SIG Sauer began. It wasn’t until 1990, though where the discussion really began and an academy was formed,” said Steve Gilcreast, director SIG Academy. “We needed to have outdoor ranges, indoor ranges, and the ability to train law enforcement and military personal that were using SIG Sauer products.”
Now, the academy trains law enforcement and military personal, and has opened its doors to responsible citizens – anyone that can legally own and carry a firearm. Take a dive with us into the SIG Academy, from its roots and development to current date.
