Sauer & Sohn
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Firearms |
| Founded | Suhl, Thuringia, 1751 |
| Headquarters | Isny im Allgäu, Germany |
| Products | Handguns, rifles |
| Services | Gunsmithing, training |
| Owner | Lüke & Ortmeier Gruppe |
| Website | Sauer & Sohn |
J. P. Sauer und Sohn GmbH (Sauer & Sohn) is a manufacturer of firearms and machinery and is the oldest firearms manufacturer still active in Germany. The products of this company are frequently referred to as Sauer.
J. P. Sauer und Sohn
Founding in Suhl, Germany
The first Sauer company was founded in 1751 by Lorenz Sauer in Suhl, Thuringia, Germany, this region being known as Waffenstadt Suhl. In 1815 Johann-Gottlob Sauer started managing the firm, and in 1835 Johann Paul Sauer became the manager. In 1840 that Johann Paul Sauer and his son, Lorenz created the new name and trademark of J.P. Sauer & Sohn.[1]
First supplier of firearms to the Germany Army
In 1811 Sauer and Sohn became the first company to provide firearms to the German government.
After World War II
At the end of World War II the Sauer company was located in East Germany. The company assets were seized without compensation. Hans Sauer was deported by the Soviet government and never heard from again. The machinery, as happened with most of the industrial companies that had been located in East Germany, was dismantled and moved East.
The J. P. Sauer und Sohn company, along with Merkel,[2] Greifelt & Company, Ernst Thalmann Werk, and Fortuna Werk (formerly C. C. Haenel) were merged into a group called Mewa-Suhl, located in Suhl, East Germany.
Two J. P. Sauer companies
in 1950 Rolf Sauer sold the rights of the J. P. Sauer und Sohn name and trademark to an industrial group in West Germany, where in 1951 J. P. Sauer & Sohn was reestablished in Eckernförde, Schleswig-Holstein.
The J. P. Sauer and Sohn trademark was still being used in East Germany until 1970 when J. P. Sauer and Sohn (Suhl), Simson (Suhl), Haenel (Suhl), and Gebruder Merkel (Suhl) were united under the name of 'VEB Fahrzeug- und Jagdwaffenwerk "Ernst Thälmann"' dropped the use of the J. P. Sauer name.[3]
J. P. Sauer firearms
Sauer & Sohn manufactured both handguns and long arms, including pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Of particular note is the company's Sauer 38H, the first mass-produced semiautomatic pistol to feature a cocking/decocking lever.
Partnership with SIG
J. P. Sauer & Sohn partnered with Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) in 1976 to the design and manufacture a new line of semi-automatic pistols branded as "SIG Sauer". The partnership was the result of Swiss restrictions on the export of firearms which prevented that company from exporting this new design concept. The design resulted from the creation at that time of a new form of industrial production equipment known as the "Automatic Screw Machine" which was introduced by SIG. While SIG had produced a very high quality handgun in their P210 model, it was a very expensive handgun to produce which required many machining operations at high levels of precision. This produced a firearm that was known for its accuracy, but was too expensive to be sold to a wide market.
Spurred by the necessity to partner with a foreign company in order to profit from their production machinery and the items it could produce SIG chose J. P. Sauer to be their partner. Together they incorporated elements on the Sauer 38H which was an advanced handgun design of the 1938 era when they had to compete with the Walther PP and Walther series of pocket pistols. The model 38H had the new feature of that time in a double/single action trigger mechanism combined with the ability to safely drop the pistol with the first decocking lever found on a handgun.[4] On firearms without a decocking lever instances of accidental discharge, often with personal injury, do occur even with the most experienced shooters.[5]
The first SIG Sauer handgun
To satisfy the needs of the Swiss police a new model was created by the SIG Sauer company which incorporated some features from the Sig P210 and the Sauer model 38H simplified for a more efficient (cheaper) cost of construction on the new SIG developed machinery. The result was a new type of action for a locked breech semi-automatic pistol with a new high quality smooth operating double/single action trigger, a safe hammer lowering device, automatic firing pin block, and easy disassembly for cleaning. This new concept handgun was named the SIG Sauer P220.
The SIG Sauer model P226 was created for the USA XM9 handgun procurement program but lost due to being underbid by Beretta by $6.00.
Other products
Manufactured the Weatherby Mark V series of rifles from (1958 – early 1970s). J. P. Sauer & Sohn Gmbh is also a manufacturer of high-pressure air and gas compressors.
Notable models
Some of the pistols designed and manufactured in collaboration with Swiss Arms AG:
- SIG P220 The first of a new series of handguns which has spawned a huge line of models.
- SIG Pro series of pistol (recently adopted by French police)
See also
References
- ↑ http://germanhuntingguns.com/Sections/Page.asp?SID=436&MID=5
- ↑ Merkel
- ↑ Kallmyers, Arfamann (2006). J. P. Sauer & Son: The story of the oldest weapons factory in Germany, established 1751. Peter-Arfmann-Verlag. ISBN 3980776034.
- ↑ Smith, W.H.B. (1968). Book of Pistols and Revolvers (7th ed.). Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole. pp. 283–288.
- ↑ http://www.policemag.com/channel/weapons/news/2012/09/11/dallas-cop-kills-self-while-cleaning-weapon.aspx
External links
- Official site of J.P. Sauer and Sohn
- Sauer 98K production
- Sauer History Timeline, a complete timeline of J. P. Sauer history