Sig Sauer P230 Sl Serial Numbers

If you’ve heard someone mention proof marks or date codes when discussing a SIG Sauer pistol, but weren’t quite sure what those were, then the goal of this article is to bring you up to speed. And even if you’re already familiar with proof marks, maybe this article can broaden your knowledge and teach you something new.

Sig Sauer P230 Sl Magazine
Sig Sauer P230 Sl Serial Numbers List

This video details my recent restoration project. I am restoring a lightly worn SIG P232 back to new condition. Sauer & Son The guidance provided focuses on individual skills of emplacing and removing mines, team and squad tasks, platoon and company organization and panning, and battalion/task force organization and coordination for successful obstacle reduction and breaching operations. A Gallery of Military Headdress. The SIG SAUER®P232 Semiautomatic Pistol has been designed specifically to meet the stringent requirements of law enforcement agencies and personal pro-tection. Manufactured by advanced state-of-the-art production processes, the SIG SAUER P232 is a non-locking, blowback operated pistol with double. 9mm Luger Sig Sauer P228 3 Serial Number Made 1991 with Original Box 4 inch ' barrel.380 ACP Sig Sauer P230SL in 380 STAINLESS Born 1996 Germany P230 SL. SIG/Sauer P230 SL.380 Auto GI#: 101609924 This lovely Sig Sauer pistol in.380 auto is done in a beautiful bright stainless, looks to be in 95% condition with some light holster wear on the slide. Bright bore, and very well taken care of.Click for more info.

What are Proof Marks?

Proof marks are stamps embedded in certain parts of a firearm following (and sometimes during, depending on the firearm type) its manufacturing to indicate that the firearm has been “proven” to be able to handle the specific type of ammunition for which it was designed. In modern years, they truly do serve that purpose. But like many government regulations, their origins have more to do with self-interest than safety.

The first proof marks started appearing in 15th century France, and by the 17th century, European firearms guildsmen were heavily promoting their use — and lobbying their governments for laws requiring them — primarily to dissuade competition from non-guildsmen and scare potential purchasers away from un-proofed guns.

In 1637, after heavy lobbying from the London Gunmakers Company, a London-area firearms guild, King Charles I issued a Royal Charter setting firearms safety standards. The London Gunmakers Company set up a “proof house” in London, and not surprisingly… firearms makers who were not part of a guild tended to fail testing more often than the guild members. Guns that passed testing were stamped with a mark representing the proof house. Over the next few decades, other countries established their own safety standards and proof houses, along with their own unique marks. Much like reciprocity of modern concealed carry permits between states, some European countries began to recognize each others’ proof marks as a high enough testing standard for foreign countries’ firearms to be legally imported.

Fast forward to 1914, when a number of European countries formed the CIP (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l’Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) as a formal standards group to ensure consistent testing among member countries. As of 2015, the CIP includes 14 member states. In order for a civilian firearm produced in a CIP member state to be legally imported to another CIP country, it must bear the proof mark of a CIP member state (military testing standards are, predictably, different than civilian ones). The United States does not participate in CIP, but instead formed its own standards group named SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute). While the CIP and SAAMI do share information and cooperate, neither has a requirement regarding selling in each other’s countries. Because the US is not a CIP member state, foreign guns do not need a CIP proof mark to be sold in the US, nor do US guns need a US proof mark to be sold in CIP member countries. This is an important fact that will become relevant again later in this article.

Examples of German Proof Marks

Here’s an assortment of mid 20th century proof marks used through Germany’s (and West Germany’s) history:

The top row (a) indicates the German (or East/West German, depending on the year) city in which the proof house is located. The column marked (b) shows varios German/West German proof marks after 1945, while the column marked (c) shows German proof marks used from 1939-1945.

Here’s another image showing the marks of German/West German proof houses, along with the approximate year they were first in use:

Proof Marks on SIG Sauer Pistols

Depending on it’s vintage and model, you might see proof marks on a German / West German SIG’s frame:

Proof mark on a West German P220 frame

Or on its barrel:On the slide chin (the underside of the slide near the muzzle end), which is the most common location for West German and German SIG Sauers:

Proof marks on the slide chin of a West German SIG Sauer pistol

To make sense of these proof marks, let’s look at those on the above slide chin.

Kiel Proof House Mark

The top proof mark indicates the Kiel Proof House. Since Kiel is only 17 miles from SIG Sauer’s manufacturing facility in Eckernförde, that’s the proof mark you should expect to see on a proofed SIG Sauer. Many refer to the Kiel mark as a “squashed bug,” while others have claimed it’s an oak leaf. Actually, the proof mark is based on the city of Kiel’s coat of arms:

…which in turn is based on the district of Schaumburg’s coat of arms:

Coat of arms of Schaumburg

The shape represents a Nesselblatt, or nettle leaf. Tradition held that the leaves of the nettle were symbolic of the nails used to crucify Christ, so the three larger leaves represent the nails of the crucifixion.

All true German and West German SIGs were test fired at the Kiel proof house, so the Nesselblatt proof mark is an indicator of a true German or West German SIG. I’ve also heard one report of the Ulm proof house’s stag antler mark appearing on a the frame and slide of a 1993 SIG P226 (in addition to the Kiel mark on the slide), which would imply that the firearm required repair and re-proofing… and presumably the repair took place at a location that was closer to Ulm than Kiel. Normally, you’d expect to see the Ulm proof mark on a Walther or H&K firearm.

The German Definitive Mark and Nitro Testing

Underneath the Kiel Nesselblatt (though the order of the marks is not important), we find the image of an eagle with the letter “N” underneath. Some incorrectly believe that the eagle mark is a remnant of Nazi-era Germany, particularly since Germany’s firearms proof mark was a previously crown, and was changed to an eagle in 1939.

In actuality, the German Reichsadler (literally “Eagle of the Realm”) dates back to the eagle on the standard of the Roman Empire, and was used as a symbol of the Second German Empire as early as 1871… long before the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. The same eagle design has continued its use in West Germany since 1945, but under a new name of Bundesadler, or “Union Eagle.”

The Eagle-N mark signifies that the firearm was proofed in Germany (or West Germany, depending on when the firearm was proofed), while the “N” indicates that the firearm was proofed using a Nitro Beschuss load. “Beschuss” translates as “bombardment,” “shelling,” or “firing” depending on context, and “nitro” is short for “nitrocellulose,” a highly flammable compound used to creates pressures inside the firearm higher than standard gun powder.

Pistols are delivered to the proof houses in their fully assembled form for proofing. For pistols, CIP standards require cartridges that generate pressure 30% higher than the standard ammunition for which the pistol is designed, so the two high pressure nitro rounds are fired through the pistol. Technicians then disassemble the pistol and examine it in a dark room using a fluoroscopic lamp, looking for magnetic flux leakage. Provided everything looks good, the pistol is re-assembled and receives the country’s CIP proof mark indicating what type of test it passed (the Eagle-N or “definitive” mark in the case of a German gun), the mark of the proof house, and marks indicating the date of the tests. The firearms is then returned to the manufacturer who can legally sell the firearm domestically or export it to another CIP country.

The “nitro” proof mark is also referred to as the “definitive” (or final) mark of the proof house, as opposed to a “provisional” mark which would generally only apply to shotgun barrels in an early stage of manufacture, which are tested at proof houses to prevent the manufacturer from continuing work on defective tubes.

Date Codes

Looking back at our photo, the “JK” under the definitive proof mark is the date code. Date codes are two-letter indicators of the year that a firearm was proofed. Major German firearms companies such as Heckler and Koch, Walther, and SIG Sauer all used a similar date code format:

German gun manufacturers used these letters in place of numbers for date codes

Just to keep things interesting, SIG Sauer chose not to use the letter “I” because it looked too much like the numeral “1,” so J = 8 in SIG speak. The proof house in Koln (Cologne), Germany also follows this format. Walther and Heckler & Koch chose to use “I” for 8 but skip “J,” except that you will see a “J” on an H&K magazine’s date code. Gotta love German logic. 🙂

Using the above table, we can determine that the “JK” date code in the photo stands for “89” — meaning this firearm was proofed in 1989… which coincidentally happened to be the year the Berlin Wall came down. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the pistol was manufactured in 1989. It’s quite possible the barrel was made in 1986, the frame in 1987, and the slide in 1988… but that all the parts weren’t assembled together into a firearm and delivered to a proof house until 1989. Or it’s possible that all the parts were actually made in 1989, and then assembled and proofed that same year. There’s no way to know. A true German / West German firearm isn’t technically “born” until it’s been proofed.

Note that a gun’s date code is different than its serial number. It’s impossible to decode a SIG serial number to determine when it was proofed, although you can try to locate the range of your SIG’s serial number in this list to approximate when it was made, or call SIG Sauer with the serial number and see if they have any info in their system. Serial numbers aren’t always truly representative of the chronological order of a firearm, but they can sometimes get you close. Only a date code can tell you the year of proofing.

Proofed vs. Non-Proofed “Made in Germany” Guns

If you’ve read my article on West German vs. German vs. Other SIGs, you’ll know that proof marks are one of the primary indicators or whether a SIG Sauer (or any other firearm) is truly “made” in Germany (or West Germany) as opposed to assembled in the US using German-made parts… even though the parts might be stamped “Made in Germany.” Because the US is not a CIP country, guns marked “Made in Germany” do not need to be proofed in order to be sold here, as long as they are assembled in the US.

In my opinion, a gun without German proof marks (with very few exceptions) is not truly a German gun. Whether that actually affects the desirability or quality of the gun is for you to decide. But you should at least be aware that for most SIG purists, the existence of proof marks is what determines whether a gun is correctly referred to as “Made in Germany.”

Putting it All Together

Now that you know how to decode proof marks and date codes, see if you can figure out where and when the following firearms were proofed. Most are SIGs, but I threw some other German guns in there just for fun. 🙂

Normally, the proof house mark is above the definitive mark on a SIG, but this is a very early SIG P220

Walther P99

I welcome your corrections, questions, comments, & feedback below.

SIG P230 / P232^[1]
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Germany, Switzerland
Service history
Used by	See Users
Production history
Designer	Walter Ludwig, Hanspeter Sigg , Peter Blickensdorfer
Designed	1977
Manufacturer	SIG Sauer, SIGARMS
Produced	P230 1977–1996 P232 1996–2015
Specifications
Mass	520 g (18.5 oz) ^[1]
Length	17 cm (6.6 in) ^[1]
Barrel length	9.1 cm (3.6 in) ^[1]
Width	3.0 cm (1.2 in) ^[1]
Height	12 cm (4.7 in) ^[1]
Cartridge	.32 ACP, .380 ACP and 9×18mm Ultra
Action	Double Action/Single Action (DA/SA) With decocking lever
Feed system	8-round magazine (.32 ACP) 7-round magazine (.380 ACP & 9mm Ultra)^[2]
Sights	Fixed front and rear

History[edit]

SIG P230 was designed in 1977 as a concealable law enforcement sidearm. After World War II, the West Germanstate police mainly carried Walther PP and Walther PPK models chambered in .32 ACP, as at the time, no 9x19mm pistol was compact nor portable enough for concealed carry. However, various terrorist incidents in West Germany circa early 1970s, such as 1972 Munich Massacre 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 (P6), Walther P5, and H&K P7 being selected, and would be issued at the discretion of each state.

Design[edit]

SIG P230 in hands of a member of Nara Prefectural Police

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.

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 24 newtons (5.5 lbf) single-action pull, and is capable of both single-action and double-action. Pulling back the slide sets the hammer backwards and downwards to its single-action position, making for a very short trigger pull, 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 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.^[3]

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[edit]

The P232 incorporates more than 60 changes to the design of the P230. Most of the changes are internal. Some of the changes are:^[5]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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,^[6] market competition had increased with the proliferation of smaller, lighter and less expensive pistols chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge.^[7] 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.^[8]

Users[edit]

Japan: Some of the Prefectural police departments.^[9]^[10] Most produced under license by Minebea, but it was never carried out.^[11]
Libya^[12]
Switzerland: Various police forces.^[13]
United Kingdom: Special Air Services (SAS).^[14]
United States: Various police forces.^[13]

References[edit]

Sig Sauer P230 Sl Magazine

^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f'P232'. SIG Sauer. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
^Peterson, Philip. Gun Digest Book of Modern Gun Values: The Shooter's Guide to Guns 1900 to Present (16th ed.). p. 208.
^ ^a^b'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 15 March 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 21 July 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^'Dope Bag'(PDF). American Rifleman (November/December 1998): 48–49. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^http://www.chuckhawks.com/compared_380_pistols.htm
^http://www.rogueeliteinfo.com/tag/sig-p232-discontinued/
^https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28291070
^Ayoob, Massad (9 July 2004). The Gun Digest Book of Sig-Sauer: A Complete Look At Sig-Sauer Pistols. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 58. ISBN1-4402-2713-6.
^Otsuka, Masatsugu (January 2009). 日本警察の拳銃 [Guns of the Japanese police]. Strike and Tactical Magazine (in Japanese). KAMADO. 6 (1): 50–57.
^https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gun-review-smith-wesson-360j-japanese-service-revolver/
^Jenzen-Jones, N.R.; McCollum, Ian (April 2017). Small Arms Survey (ed.). Web Trafficking: Analysing the Online Trade of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Libya(PDF). Working Paper No. 26. p. 87.
^ ^a^bMarchington, James (2004). The Encyclopedia of Handheld Weapons. Lewis International, Inc. ISBN1-930983-14-X.
^'SAS Weapons - Handguns'. Elite UK Forces. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

External resources[edit]