210-3 Police Lousanne
210-3 Police Basel

These took a while to find. Both 1950s.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BullBarrel,

Nice

Purdy, those are georgous

Congrats. Very nice. Do these P210s also have the canton coat of arms like the SIG Sauer Swiss police guns do? Could you post pics of them if they do?

These are beautiful!!

As someone who has not done any collecting yet, how do you rack down pieces like this?

Gun shows are illegal in my state as far as I can tell...

quote:

Originally posted by timrh23:
As someone who has not done any collecting yet, how do you rack down pieces like this?

You have to know all the right people, take all the right pills. Throw outrageous parties, pay heavenly bills.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by timrh23:
As someone who has not done any collecting yet, how do you rack down pieces like this?

You have to know all the right people, take all the right pills. Throw outrageous parties, pay heavenly bills.

Damn

quote:

Originally posted by timrh23:
These are beautiful!!

As someone who has not done any collecting yet, how do you rack down pieces like this?

Gun shows are illegal in my state as far as I can tell...

- you have to study the small details between models and sub-models, and study their market values.
- prices swing WILDLY between them and usually are tied to the rarity of the sub-model
(210-2, 6 are relatively easy to find, -1 a bit harder, Heavy frames such such as -6, -5 harder, then -6S, -5LS, -8 harder yet.
While -8 and 5-LS, SP 47/8 seem to command the highest prices, my -7 (22LR) or these -3 were actually a bit trickier for me to find than -5LS or -8.

- ultimately, searching outside of the USA helps. Prices are higher here as there is less guns offered for sale. The rare ones REALLY jump in price here. (i.e I saw only one of these -3s being offered here in the USA in a quite a while and the asking price was close to 7 big ones)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BullBarrel,

quote:

Originally posted by wgsigs:
Congrats. Very nice. Do these P210s also have the canton coat of arms like the SIG Sauer Swiss police guns do? Could you post pics of them if they do?

Both of these -3s just arrived yesterday from Europe. Did not get a chance to take decent pictures yet. I have never seen P210-3 with any cantonal coat of arms.

However, I do have -1 and -6 that were used by Canton Police Thurgau and they have such marking. However these two are newer guns vs. the older 210-3s from 1950s.

P210-3s are technically polished blue 210-1s with a loaded chamber indicator). However, what makes them special is their rarity. Only around 900 of them exist.
That is a very small number (roughly 0.3 %) vs. about quarter million of Swiss P210 produced from 1947 until 2005.

Only a handful were sold commercially to private users and the vast majority was issued to 3 police departments in 3 cities (Basel, Lausanne, Glarus).

Not only few of them ever pop up for sale, but since they are over 60 years old, it is not easy to find one in this nice condition.

These 2 are from Basel and Lausanne. I have not decided yet if I will pursue one also from Glarus or if I will keep only one of these -3s, sell the other one and move on after another P210 model.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BullBarrel,

The P210-3 was issued to communal police forces of Basel Stadt or Lausanne, not to the cantonal police. P210-3 pistols dont have cantonal ownership markings for that reason. Regular P210 pistols might have coat of arms depending on canton.

Nice -3. Mine is from Lausanne. Congratulations. Did they took care with the impprt markings?

quote:

Originally posted by OTD:
Did they took care with the impprt markings?

OP is the importer himself. Pretty sure he took great care of the marking job.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by OTD:
Did they took care with the impprt markings?

OP is the importer himself. Pretty sure he took great care of the marking job.

quote:

Originally posted by BullBarrel:

quote:

Originally posted by timrh23:
These are beautiful!!
As someone who has not done any collecting yet, how do you rack down pieces like this?
Gun shows are illegal in my state as far as I can tell...

- you have to study the small details between models and sub-models, and study their market values.
- prices swing WILDLY between them and usually are tied to the rarity of the sub-model
(210-2, 6 are relatively easy to find, -1 a bit harder, Heavy frames such as -6, -5 harder, -6S, -5LS, -8 harder yet. While -8 and 5-LS, SP 47/8 seem to command the highest prices, my -7 (22LR) or these -3 were actually a bit trickier for me to find than -5LS or -8, or -7
- ultimately, searching outside of the USA helps. Prices are higher here as there is less guns offered for sale. The rare ones REALLY jump in price here. (i.e. I saw only one of these -3s being offered here in the USA in a quite a while and the asking price was close to 7 big ones)

Have you ever encountered a non-BGS P210-4?











As referenced in Vetter:

quote:

Originally posted by MG34_Dan:

Have you ever encountered a non-BGS P210-4?

Yes, I have encountered a few, also kind of rare P210s.
Similar to the original SP47/8 and 210-3 because 210-4s also have the same 'loaded chamber indicator' on top of the slide.
One notable difference is that the 210-4 does not have the lanyard loop (same as late 1940s SP 47/8 pictured above)

There are around 5000+ 210-4 (Bundesgrenzschutz or German Border patrol) pistols in existence (contract fulfilled from early to mid 1950s).
There are only 896 of the original SP 47/8
Around 900 of 210-3
Less than 400 of 210-7
....and allegedly (while these numbers are just a speculation) under 300 of 210-6S, 210-5LS and 210-8 pistols.

Pictured above:
- 1947 SP 47/8
- early 1950s P210-4
- Late 60s / early 1970 P210-7 in 22LR
- 2004 P210-6S Heavy Frame

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BullBarrel,

Thanks for the photos. If the P210-3s do not have cantonal markings, then what are the shield marks to the left of the "POLIZEI"? They appear to be the same on both guns and look like the coat of arms for Thurgau to my old eyes.

EDIT: Never mind. I actually read your post a second time instead of skimming and see that the photos are not of your new guns.

Yet another early SP 47/8. From the Swedish Sports Shooters contract. This one has both the 7.65 and 9mm barrels:





Early and late BGS P210-4s:

Congrats on SP 47/8 s/n 6073 - VERY early one.
Last prototype was #6028, so only 45th P210 ever made, how cool is that ?
(mine is 6188, 160th 210 ever made)
My 2 BGS models are D1790 and D4980

quote:

Originally posted by BullBarrel:
Congrats on SP 47/8 s/n 6073 - VERY early one.
Last prototype was #6028, so only 45th P210 ever made, how cool is that ?
(mine is 6188, 160th 210 ever made)
My 2 BGS models are D1790 and D4980

Does anyone know who remarked the later s/n BGS P210-4s when they were sold to the civilian market?

Just WOW you guys! Unwashed, and relatively ignorant, non-collector here. I bought my first 210s,-2s and -6s, back in the '80s. I was amazed that such precisely fitted pistols, with such fine triggers, had been selected as military and police pistols back in the postwar era. Aren't pistols supposed to be loosely fitted,ie, exhibit a "battle rattle", to be reliable enough to be worthy of military or police use I continue to enjoy the information and photos you more knowledgeable collectors post, and look forward to more in future.

quote:

Originally posted by MG34_Dan:

quote:

Originally posted by BullBarrel:
Congrats on SP 47/8 s/n 6073 - VERY early one.
Last prototype was #6028, so only 45th P210 ever made, how cool is that ?
(mine is 6188, 160th 210 ever made)
My 2 BGS models are D1790 and D4980

Does anyone know who remarked the later s/n BGS P210-4s when they were sold to the civilian market?

I dont understand the question. One part was sold to Denmark and numbered accordingly, some got commercial serial numbers and the latst batch went to Frankonia. Is it that what you mean? Closer informations can be found in Vetter Die Kuba Legende.