How it started
1853–1863
The origins of the SIG Sauer company lie in the company named Schweizerische Waggonfabrik ("Swiss Wagon Factory"), which was founded in 1853 by Friedrich Peyer im Hof (1817–1900), Heinrich Moser (1805–1874) and Johann Conrad Neher (1818–1877).
The group pooled their engineering talents and created the Prelaz-Burnand rifle, known as the "Prélaz-Burnand 1859" or "Prelaz-Burnand 1860" rifle. The invention of this rifle is credited to gunsmith Jean-Louis Joseph Prélaz and army officer Edouard Burnand. The rifle was submitted to an 1860 competition by Switzerland's Federal Ministry of Defence. It won and in 1864 the company was awarded a contract to produce 30,000 Prelaz-Burnand rifles, adopted as the M1863.
1864–1975
Upon receiving the 1864 government contract to produce rifles, the company name was changed to Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG, German for "Swiss Industrial Company"), known as Société Industrielle Suisse in French-speaking regions of Switzerland, reflecting the new emphasis on their production.
J. P. Sauer & Sohn formed part of the German armaments industry under Nazi rule, producing firearms for the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, and Waffen-SS during World War II. Like other private manufacturers in Nazi Germany, the company operated within a centrally directed war economy in which industrial output was subordinated to the regime’s military objectives. The Sauer 38H pistol produced by the firm was issued to German military and security forces, including units of the Waffen-SS.
From Wikipedia’s article on SIG Sauer, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2