SigArms on them which to my understanding is the name of the US importer for Sigs, since they are an importer would that mean any gun labeled as SigArms was made in Germany & then Imported by SigArms?
I'm not exactly sure about the aspect of the naming, but I believe that SigArms is a Sig Sauer subsidiary located in the US, meaning it is an American made Sig. The frames are still made in Germany though. Honestly the easiest way to tell the country of manufacture is to look on the slide of the gun. If it was manufactured in Germany (or West Germany), it will say so.
Another thing to look for is proof marks on the underside of the slide. Basically take the gun in your hand, flip it over like you're looking into the mag well, and then look at the muzzle end. A German gun will have 3 proof marks arranged vertically. An American gun will not.
And yet another good measure is price. It is not always accurate, but it has been quite a while since Sigs were completely manufactured in Germany. The ones that were are usually used and are between $500-700 depending on condition. A good bit less than the typical $1200 for a brand new gun!
Buy new. Some here may argue, but if you are just getting started, get that warranty backing you up.
I see what you're saying, but I don't completely agree. If you just want a new gun, that's fine. But if you're buying new just because of the warranty, make sure that the company is actually easy to deal with (remember, "HK, because you suck and we hate you"
). And also realize how much you're spending for that peace of mind. You can find older but still NIB sigs for around $700, that means that on a $1200 gun (new) you're putting about $500 towards that warranty...
Other then that I have 0% interest in SMGS, assault rifles, or shotguns *unless I'm mistaken in thinking sawed off shotguns are illegal, because It seems like a nice easy home protector for the misses*
Not to pull us too far off topic, but short barreled shotguns are actually legal, you just have to register them with the Fed Gov and pay a $200 tax and wait for them to approve it. Its really not that difficult if you want to get into NFA weapons, if you can pass a background check for a pistol, you can own anything. They're actually regulated the same as machine guns (almost) and suppressors/silencers (gunshots indoors are LOUD!).
Also, if you're looking at a strictly home defense weapon, you might want to rethink the "assault rifles". Long guns are MUCH easier to aim and fire (especially at speed) and a .223 from an AR 15 will actually penetrate less dry wall than a 9mm, .45 ACP, or buck shot. The high velocity of the round causes it to break apart faster than other rounds. And if you're willing to get into the NFA world with it, putting a short barrel on it and a suppressor would make quite the home defense weapon
you also have the added benefits of a much more lethal round with roughly double the capacity of a standard service sized pistol.
Last but not least, on the topic of concealed carry... I don't just carry my pistol when I think something bad will happen, or if I'm going somewhere dangerous. If you're looking for terminal ballistics, pistols absolutely suck when compared to rifles. If I'm going somewhere where I think I'm going to have to shoot someone, I'm either going to leave, or I'm going to bring a rifle, armor, and ammo, and a lot of friends with rifles, armor, and ammo. I carry a pistol when I think nothing will happen, but I still want to be prepared for that one random, chance encounter when someone may think that my wallet is worth more than my life.