Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) / Neuhausen


Because of the development of railway systems and the expected resulting commercial advantages the politician Friedrich Peyer im Hof, the watch- commercialist Heinrich Moser und der industrial tycoon Oberst Conrad joined in 1853 to raise the "Schweizerische Waggonsfabrik in Neuhausen" with a total found of sFr.150.000. This company with 150 employed people was relative big related to that time an was the base of the company SIG of today.
The factory is placed at the banks od the river Rhein directly at the falls of Neuhausen. Reason for this was not only the beautiful landscape but mainly the possibility to use the never ending energy of the waterfall. Up to now the company gets most of the electrical energy out of the water.
In 1860 a department for production of handguns was added to the existing production of waggons. This was due to an invitation of the national military department to all industrials to make efforts on the development of a new infantry- rifle. First of all smooth muzzle- loader barrels were changed to grooved ones, out of which the development of new barrel- forming machines resulted. After that additional orders from Switzerland and abroad followed for the production or rework of several different types of infantry- rifles, as well as the development of a lot of new own constructions. SIG now was generally known as the "Rifle Factory Neuhausen".
After the foundation of the "Eidgenössische Waffenfabrik zu Bern" in 1875, SIG was the most important supplier for barrels and stocks for this company. Later on they even produced parts for the Parabellum- Pistol, which was made there at this time.
After the end of World War I SIG got the license for the production of the Bergmann machine-gun MP18. for some time they tried to make this gun more handy, but later on they started the construction of own machine-guns.
They also very soon started with the development and construction of automatic rifles. A lot of different types were built since 1923.
Around 1920 SIG produced a vest-pocket pistol patent of Chylewski, but this was a commercial flop.
In 1937 SIG got the production- licence for the French Petter- Pistol M35 and out of that started the development over a lot of different trial-types to the legendary Pistol Model 210.
In 1973 the company got over 700.000 m2 ground where 250.000 are used and got over 3.200 employed people. The total found of the company is 21 millions sFr. and is in posession of around 1.800 mostly swiss shareholders. Besides guns SIG is also producing railroad- and industrial vehicles, tool- rnachines, barrel forming machines, pumps, hydraulics, air- tools and packing machines.
At the moment they have joined with J.P. Sauer & Sohn and Hämmerli to produce their new pistol types.