SIG Sauer P230
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The SIG Sauer P230 is a small, semi-automatic handgun chambered in
.32 ACP .32 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol, also known as .32 Automatic) is a centerfire pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pi ...
or
.380 Auto The .380 ACP (9×17mm) ( Automatic Colt Pistol) is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Moses Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case.Wilson, R. K. ''Textbook of Automatic Pisto ...
. It was designed by SIG Sauer of
Eckernförde Eckernförde ( da, Egernførde, sometimes also , nds, Eckernför, sometimes also ) () is a German town in Schleswig-Holstein, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, on the coast of the Baltic Sea approximately 30 km north-west of Kiel. The population is ...
, Germany. It was imported into the United States by SIGARMS in 1985. In 1996 it was replaced by the model P232.


History

SIG P230 was designed in 1977 as a concealable law enforcement sidearm. After World War II, the
West German West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
state police State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...
mainly carried Walther PP and Walther PPK models chambered in
.32 ACP .32 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol, also known as .32 Automatic) is a centerfire pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pi ...
, as at the time, no 9×19mm pistol was compact nor portable enough for concealed carry. However, various terrorist incidents in West Germany circa early 1970s, such as
1972 Munich Massacre The Munich massacre was a terrorist attack carried out during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, by eight members of the Palestinian people, Palestinian militant organization Black September Organization, Black September, who i ...
and Red Army Faction's activities, pushed the West German law enforcement outfits to seek new, more powerful handguns to counter to these new threats. P230 was submitted for the search, but was not selected. The West German police decided to use 9mm Parabellum ammunition, with
SIG Sauer P225 The SIG Sauer P220 is a semi-automatic pistol. Designed in 1975 by the SIG Arms AG division of Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (now SIG Holding AG), and produced by J. P. Sauer & Sohn, in Eckernförde; it is currently manufactured by both ...
(P6), Walther P5, and H&K P7 being selected, and would be issued at the discretion of each state.


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 Walther PPK. With its relatively narrow slide and frame it can be carried in an ankle holster or beneath
body armor Body armor, also known as body armour, personal armor or armour, or a suit or coat of armor, is protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by variou ...
. 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 single-action pull, and is capable of both
single-action A trigger is a mechanism that actuates the function of a ranged weapon such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow, or speargun. The word may also be used to describe a switch that initiates the operation of other non-shooting devices such as a trap, a ...
and double-action. Pulling back the
slide Slide or Slides may refer to: Places * Slide, California, former name of Fortuna, California Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Slide'' (Lisa Germano album), 1998 * ''Slide'' (George Clanton album), 2018 *''Slide'', by Patrick Glees ...
sets the hammer backwards and downwards to its single-action position, making for a very short
trigger pull A trigger is a mechanism that actuates the function of a ranged weapon such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow, or speargun. The word may also be used to describe a switch that initiates the operation of other non-shooting devices such as a trap, ...
, with minimal take-up. The double-action pull is longer and more stiff. It has no external safeties, though it does have a de-cocking lever positioned just above the right-handed shooter's thumb, on the left side of the grip. The lever provides for a safe method of lowering the
hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...
from its full-cocked, single-action position, to a "half-cock", double-action safe position where the hammer itself falls forward to a locking point about an eighth of an inch from the rear of the firing pin. Once de-cocked, it is physically impossible for the hammer to drop completely and contact the firing pin, which would otherwise greatly increase the risk of the unintentional discharge of a chambered round. In order for the round to discharge, the full double-action pull would have to be completed, which allows for the pistol to be carried reasonably safely with a round chambered. In addition, the SIG P232 has an automatic firing pin safety. 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: * 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, market competition had increased with the proliferation of smaller, lighter and less expensive pistols chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge. 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.


Users

* : Some of the Prefectural police departments. Most produced under license by Minebea, but it was never carried out. * * : Various police forces.Marchington, James (2004). ''The Encyclopedia of Handheld Weapons''. Lewis International, Inc. . * : Special Air Services (SAS). * : Various police forces.


References


External resources


SIGARMS.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sig Sauer P230 Police weapons .32 ACP semi-automatic pistols .380 ACP semi-automatic pistols 9×18mm Ultra firearms Semi-automatic pistols of Switzerland SIG Sauer semi-automatic pistols Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1977