[RBull]

I posted this to SIG Forum and Glocktalk already, but as this is one of those deals which happens once per decades, here it is again.

I find this info originally on website of German magazine Visier :

It is the biggest pistol order in history of post-war Europe, France decided for SIG SAUER Modell 2022 (9mm), which is based on SIG Pro 2009. It is intended to enter service with National Police, Gandermerie and Custom service. The order is for 200 000 pistols. French Gandermerie is currently using Beretta 92G, where the "G" means Gandermerie and is utilising decock/no safety lever on French request.


Visier article (in german) is here:
http://www.visier.de/artikelbeitrag...trag_22946.html

Product sheet for SP2022 (in english)is here:
http://www.visier.de/multimedia/122...022_Details.pdf

excrept from the text - improvements of SP 2022 over SP2009:
* Picantinny rail
* Improved shape of the front of trigger guard
* Bigger disassembly notch
* Loaded chamber indicator
* Bigger notch on the decocking lever
* Grips with integrated lanyard attachment
* Built in transponder for comprehensive information about the pistol (?!)

[larryw]

and let's not forget...

* Polymer frame less prone to damage when gun dropped during surrender.

(sorry, couldn't resist. :D )

[pale horse]

I wonder if it comes with a druable finish....Drop proof. Maybe even a white flag.

[willyjixx]

i heard they all come with an accesory lanyard an have a heavy parkerize on em so when they drop em an run away they wont lose it.

[10-Ring]

I'm fighting the urge for a snide remark! :evil: :banghead: Glad to see I'm not the only one finding the irony about the French buying guns

[El Tejon]

Why would a European have a firearm? They'll just give them up to whoever wants them.:D

[Blueduck]

Germans just sold them the guns because they know they can have them back anytime they want. ;)

[litework]

I agree Blueduck. Selling the pistols to them is a lot better than having to actually transport them.

[Akurat]

I can see the ads in French Newspapers already!

"Like new condition
SIG SP 2022, never
fired - scratch on slide
(dropped) - €650 OBO
Call Jaque @
11-43-33444"

:D

[George Hill]

Perfect choice for a gun that is never to be fired but looks good being carried around. It's nice and light and wont corrode.

[Standing Wolf]

Includes small white flag that may be unfurled and inserted in barrel; large white flag extra.

[capt_happypants]

In other news, the Blue Book of Gun Values just announced that they would revise the values for used Sig P2022 pistols. When asked about the editorial change, a spokesman merely observed that the editors expected to see a glut of used Sigs on the market.

[jeff4570]

For Sale :French pistol ,only dropped twice during surrender practice !

[Pico]

I recently thought about our French "allies" during the anniversary for D-Day. My thought was we should have never gone ashore to save that worthless country and it's cowardly people so their grandchildren could turn their backs on us.

We should have gone straight up through Italy, to free the brave Poles first, cut the occupation of Germany off from the Russians, kick the crap out of the Germans in Germany, and moved west.

Oh yeah, this is a semi-auto forum and I'm off topic... the Sig is a good choice. 200,000 pistols means a lot of beer and sauer kraut for the Germans or Swiss - whoever is making these things. Somebody post a picture if you can find it...

Of course the French will have to design a stylish new uniform and Gucci- Pucci holster for it by "YSL".

Pico:)

[Don Gwinn]

Doesn't anybody else want to know what the transponder transponds?

[Triad]

I was wondering about that myself. What kind of "comprehensive information" can it send? I can see it sending the location, but wouldn't anything else require some pretty sophisticated sensors inside the gun?

[bad_dad_brad]

This was probably an economic thing. The Sig Pro is a good weapon, but they didn't sell to well after being introduced. France probably got a real sweet deal on the price. The Sig Pro will do the job.

Those who trash the French, remember, Napoleon was French (well not quite true - he was Corsican, but his army was French), and also they were no slouches during WWI.

The big sellout, often forgotten, was when the French cut a deal with Hitler, after promising the Brits that they would continue the war as long as they could. It didn't matter in the long run. Their country was completely occupied by the Nazis soon after. Hitler was a supreme liar, get a clue.

Thank goodness for Winston Churchill or we might all be speaking German today.

[dsk]

I wonder why they're replacing their Berettas? Maybe they're having the same problems with durability as the Yanks?

[Pico]

I am not impressed that Napoleon was French / Corsican. His ??? was kicked hard, twice. Nor am I impressed that France fought in the charnel house of World War II. Who didn't fight and have terrible losses? World War I was the perfect example of Euro idiocy. Let's not forget the French's other act of stupidity: The Maginot Line. Maybe the dumbest military concept in history.

Whatever they did in the past, it has all been obliterated by their lack of support for us and general cowardice in selling arms to Iraq. Yeah, I know we supplied Iraq against Iran in the 80's. We also armed the Taliban against the Russians. Then we went in and kicked the crap out of both of them afterwards so they aren't armed anymore.

The litmus paper of the Iraq campaign has revealed much about who our real international friends are, the general uselessness of the UN, and the unmistakable fact that the US is the only true super power worthy of the name. Forgive me for being a patriot, maybe it's the closeness to July 4th.

--------------
Oh yeah, to keep the topic open: will this contract cause the Sig Pro to have a better rep? This pistol has not quite been as successful as it's all metallic older brothers it seems...

Pico

[Tecolote]

I'm sure SIG made a good bid or else they wouldn't have won the contract. If you haven't had a chance try out a recent manufacture sig pro. SIG worked out the kinks from the early models. The DA/SA are very smooth and accuracy and reliability are tops.

[Tamara]

France goes with SIG Pro!

Now there's damning by faint praise. ;)

[toby]

Still, the revisions made to the P2022 pistol itself look very nice!

Would love to it imported as the 2009 replacement. P2009 Tactical, maybe?

T

[Pico]

Haven't the latest Sig Pro series handguns shown a significant price increase? I recall when they were introduced, they were right around Glock's price and now they seem to be $100 higher.

Is this to comp for the improvements to the design? Sig by any name is still a great gun. I recall in Mas Ayoob's 10 best buy guns article, the Pro in 40 cal was more accurate than it's more expensive brothers. Ayoob is the only one I trust as a gun writer:

-----------------------

Best Buy Handguns.
Author/s: Massad Ayoob
Issue: Annual, 2001

Here are the top ten handguns that provide maximum quality and function for the dollar.

So, you're in the market for a top-notch handgun and now you're suffering from sticker shock. Good handguns rarely come cheap. Most shooters like old-world craftsmanship, but such labor-intensive manufacturing is expensive.

New techniques have helped. Ruger pioneered investment casting in quality handguns. HK pioneered the use of polymer in pistols and Glock advanced the concept to the vanguard of popularity. In all cases, fine guns became available for less money.

Another concept that goes back to the 1950s is the "plain Jane" version of conventionally manufactured handguns. It was during the '50s that Smith & Wesson introduced the Model 28 Highway Patrolman .357 revolver and the Model 46 .22 target pistol. Each was basically the same gun as the expensive version -- the Model 27 revolver and the Model 41 pistol, respectively -- with corners cut in production. Their finishes were a sandblasted-gray to save labor-intensive polishing. Fancy touches, like checkered topstraps, were left off. Actions were not so finely honed, but the accuracy and the basic functions were the same, for much less money. While the Model 28 and Model 46 are long gone from the S&W catalog, the concept remains in S&W's Value Series.

Here are the 10 best-value handguns currently produced. "Value" is defined for our purposes as "high quality and function at a low price." Don't look for "fancy," look for "function."

Big-Bore Handguns

In full-power fighting handguns, there are a handful of real best buys available. Each uses a different approach to manufacturing to cut costs while maintaining quality.

SIG sig pro

SIGArms went to a polymer-frame pistol in 1998 to reduce cost, essentially creating a Cadillac for the Pontiac price range. They more than succeeded. At 27 ozs., the sig pro is over 3 oz. lighter than the allsteel P-229 in the respective calibers, .357 SIG and .40 S&W. At $596 suggested retail, it's $199 cheaper. It carries the same number of rounds and each pistol is caliber interchangeable between .357 and .40 -- simply by changing barrels.

The sig pro has other advantages. It comes with different-sized grip inserts that allow you to better fit the pistol to your hand. Most importantly, for me at least, the sig pro in .357 SIG has the same fine accuracy as the P229 in that caliber. Even better, the sig pro SP2340 in .40 caliber is more accurate than any P-229 in that caliber that I've ever tested or seen shot.

The sig pro has the same round count, it's lighter, better adapted to your hand and produces good or better accuracy. Plus, it's 25 percent less expensive. That spells V-A-L-U-E.

--------------------------

No frog bashing, I went to church today and am still "in the spirit".


Pico;)

[Dr.Rob]

I never saw a Gendarme with a Beretta, saw a lot of MAB pistols, maybe it was just a Paris thing. I takethat back, I did see a Beretta SMG in the hands of a Lady Gendarme outside a Police station, she was on guard duty.

The French pride themselves in malking arms noone else in the world uses, wonder why they didn't pick a French pistol?

[PrudentGT]

You know, oddly enough I didn't see *any* police, other than the busybody meter-maids, when I was in Paris a couple years ago, and the hotel we stayed at was a block from a police station...

[arinvolvo]

ya, that is a shame that all of those nice guns will never be shot.

I think I am going to plan a trip to france....maybe disarm some of these guys with a finger in my jacket pocket, and bring those SIGs back to the states, where they will be properly used.:D :evil:

dr. Rob...you are right that if funny that they didnt pick a french designed/made pistol...but then again, our military carries berettas.

[Mal H]

Well this thread doesn't look like it's going to go anywhere other than further downhill. After RBull's first report, it slipped off the high road and, with very few exceptions, it never looked back.

Closed.