SIG P210 9mm Barrel/spring needed

[Michael Zeleny]

Originally Posted by PhilOhio

Fellow Luger collectors, I need some help, probably possible only from outside the U.S.

In this country, there is virtually no parts or service support for the wonderful SIG P210 pistols. I have recently acquired one, in .30 Luger caliber (aka 7.65 mm Parabellum).

I would like to acquire the 9 mm Parabellum barrel and captive recoil spring assemblies. One party in the U.S. has been trying to sell one for about 1/3 the cost of my entire pistol, purchased in mint condition. He has had no luck finding a buyer so foolish or wealthy, nor am I.

Please refer your seller to me. I am foolish enough to pay the market rate for SIG P210 parts.

Since the P210 is still widely owned and used in Europe and the Scandinavian countries, it seems to me that parts must be available over there. And I believe it is still a standard service arm in either Sweden or Denmark. Is this correct?

Can anybody help me acquire a 9 mm SIG P210 barrel and recoil spring assembly? ...and possibly an adjustable rear sight?

I believe Vlim said he had heard that new barrels may be available soon in Europe.

The key words are "may be".

SIG-Sauer, in the U.S., told me they offer no parts help at all and only possibly some service help, if you ask them nicely. The manufacturer, different from SIG-Sauer, seems to have no interest in supporting its product in the U.S., which seems strange to me, since the pistol is a virtual icon of quality.

This unavailability of parts appears not to be accidental, but largely "rigged" intentionally by...well...you can guess. Just this week, I learned that the European manufacturer has a formal non-competition contract with LPA of Italy, which makes a wide range of top quality, low cost adjustable sights for popular handguns. So the sight can only be purchased through SIG parts channels. A virtually identical LPA rear sight, for most other pistols, costs just over US$40 here, and I have bought several. But for the SIG P210, the LPA sight can only be purchased outside the U.S., through SIG distribution channels, and it costs over $400, or about ten times the average U.S. retail price for virtually the same thing, with a slightly different male dovetail.

Anyway, I would appreciate any member's thoughts or suggestions on this...including the sight. I would hate to modify my SIG rear sight dovetail for other fine and inexpensive rear sights readily available for a reasonable price. SIG quality is wonderful, but my opinion is that fair business practices should also enter into marketing plans.

Any help would be appreciated.

Avoid LPA sights for the SIG P210. The factory parts are correctly priced in line with their quality. Please refer to my account of the available sighting options.

[PhilOhio]

Michael,

You say: "Avoid LPA sights for the SIG P210. The factory parts are correctly priced in line with their quality. Please refer to my account of the available sighting options."

FYI, I am reliably informed that the LPA sights are sold as SIG sights, so I agree with you on their quality. I am quite familiar with LPA sights, and own some. LPA has a non-competition contract with SIG, which resells the LPA sight for approximately 800% of what the normal retail U.S. price would be, for a similar pistol. I assume that the LPA variant has a male dovetail to fit the female cut on a P210 slide. Or perhaps the slide cut is widened. And I am not aware of whether a new front sight must be installed to match.

So LPA has the correct sight, but is not contractually permitted to market it in the U.S....or anyplace else, I imagine.

General P210 parts (un)availability also appears to be fiddled in the U.S. The gun is still widely used competitively in Europe, where prices for pistols and parts are reliably reported to be much lower than here. American owners have known this for some time. Manipulation is evident. Granted, SIG quality is outstanding, but U.S. prices are absurd. We need a one-man importer to cater to our small owner market. Might be fun.

It appears that the European SIG company owners prefer that this situation does not change, and that European parts distribution is tightly controlled to exclude resale on the U.S. market; or else they would change it. It is difficult to understand the motivation, but product liability insurance costs might be a factor, given such a small market.

The P210 is a wonderful pistol, but not quite as wonderful as U.S. prices.

[Michael Zeleny]

Originally Posted by PhilOhio

FYI, I am reliably informed that the LPA sights are sold as SIG sights, so I agree with you on their quality.

You are misinformed. While LPA sights meant for the SIG P210 are sold in Europe, they were never installed by the factory.

General P210 parts (un)availability also appears to be fiddled in the U.S. The gun is still widely used competitively in Europe, where prices for pistols and parts are reliably reported to be much lower than here. American owners have known this for some time. Manipulation is evident. Granted, SIG quality is outstanding, but U.S. prices are absurd. We need a one-man importer to cater to our small owner market. Might be fun.

More misinformation. Most of the parts for the SIG P210 are no longer in production. Select European dealers are offering limited new old stock.