SIG Sauer P210: The Long-Lived Swiss Service Pistol

Classics never go out of style, and SIG Sauer acknowledges that fact by still offering the time-proven P210 semi-automatic handgun with a host of subtle and modern upgrades. The design dates back to 1947 and the pistol was officially adopted by the Swiss Army in 1949.

The semi-auto operates from a locked breech with a 5" barrel and is chambered in 9 mm. The all-steel construction that made the original so rugged and reliable is maintained on the modern version—called the P210 Standard—but grips are a sleek and striking custom walnut.

Magazine capacity is eight cartridges and overall length of the handgun comes in at 8.4". Width is 1.6" and height measures 5.3". The gun tips the scales at 36.9 ozs. It’s a full-size pistol ready for duty or home defense.
Sights are fixed three-dot and the trigger is SIG Sauer’s target-grade version. The barrel is carbon steel, the slide wears a Nitron finish and the gun is single action only.

The SIG Sauer P210 Target, unlike the Standard model, comes with adjustable sights. A target style walnut grip gives it a distinctive look and it also ships with a pair of eight-round steel magazines.

A carry version of the single-stack was introduced at the 2020 SHOT Show, although it’s no longer listed as being offered on the SIG Sauer website. An aluminum frame was used to reduce weight and the barrel shortened, key improvements for all-day wear. It retained the hammer-fired system of operation and identical magazine size.

If you’re interested in picking up a Standard version of the classic—albeit, vastly improved by modern metallurgy and CNC machining—you’d better hurry, though. The SIG Sauer website warns that it’s a “Discontinued Product, Limited Quantities Available.” You can expect to pay somewhere around $1,300, depending on retailer. P210 Targets, however, are still being produced. MSRPs are not available from the company, but an on-line search turned up a few for roughly $1,500. Enthusiasts looking for a Carry model will be limited to used specimens unless they luck into an FFL that somehow didn’t run out of inventory last year.