I just bought a new P365 from a Sig Sauer dealer. The new gun does not come with an owners Manual. It does come with a safety manual with a Code stamp on the front of it. You scan the code and it is supposed to take you to the Sig site and a list of manuals. Apparently sig expects the new buyer to have access by phone to their manual. If you want a copy then you are free to download the manual onto your printer. All 135 pages of same.

After owning a pickup truck load of Sigs over the years and have 5 right now, I am very surprised at this move by Sig Sauer. A new shooter who has never owned a Sig may not know how to get the slide off in order to clean all the shipping oil off the gun to go to the range the first time. I don't personally believe this is the best idea that Sig Sauer USA has ever come up with. I'm sure some will disagree.

Beretta does the same, and I think maybe Walther too. They do it to save money. I just download the pdf to my iPad. It’s easier for me than trying to dig out the paper manual.

This paperless thing has been going for a while now. I first found that out, when I bought their X-Five STAS a couple of years ago.

I suppose you could say this comment has a happy ending. At the same time I posted this originally, I also went onto the SIG Sauer site and contacted Customer Service. They made a few comments about how great it is to have the manual downloaded onto an IPAD etc. But they also made arrangements to ship me a new manual by Fedex on their dime. It did arrive today.

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

I don't know if the federal law has changed but it use to be that a firearm manufacturer was required to provide a manual when requested. Didn't matter if it was new or used.
But I learned that back in the pre-internet days.
Who knows now days.

Must be a recent development. The P365 TACPAC I bought 3 weeks ago on clearance has a 98 page (all English) paper manual but pistol is also dated 2/2022.

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

Online manuals are the best. Able to zoom, easy to keyword search, not to mention you always can access the most up-to-date.

Oh let’s be real, I never look at the manual.

quote:

Originally posted by BuddyChryst:
...Oh let’s be real, I never look at the manual.

Ok, let's be real. Tons of folks still like the old fashioned way. And, they do use them.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by BuddyChryst:
...Oh let’s be real, I never look at the manual.

Ok, let's be real. Tons of folks still like the old fashioned way. And, they do use them.

What are you expecting to find in there? I understand the manual being needed, but only for new shooters.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
What are you expecting to find in there? I understand the manual being needed, but only for new shooters.

You just proved my point, now, didn't you? And, there are other reasons which I don't need to explain. If you don't want it, fine, but don't assume that everyone is like you.

I may be the only one, but before I buy a gun (new to me, never had one before) as part of my research I usually go to the manufacturers site and download a manual to review and use, if I purchase it.

For me it's part of the purchase decision process.

I think it's very poor customer service. It makes no sense to omit a manual for a firearm. If I were Sig I'd be worried about the liability. Just like with a motorcycle or car, the manual is a very important part and should accompany it. If you sell your car or firearm the owners manual should go with it to the next owner.

When I called Sig about it they just shrugged it off and said I could order a manual (for a fee plus postage). They had it for the 365 but she said they don't offer one for the P210 I had just purchased and that it's only available to download. Maybe if enough people call and complain they'll start providing them.

Mine (2022) didn't have one. There was a QR code to scan, or Sig has it online. I didn't care much for it either.

I couldn't care less about the owners manual. If not including it allows them to sell the pistol for even $1 or $2 less, and make the box smaller, then I'm all for it. There's not enough info in a typical owners manual to really be useful, and it just takes up space in the box when I'm trying to store spare parts or take-off grips in it. In the highly unlikely event that I will ever want to refer to it, I can download it. The only reason I keep the box or the paperwork is because sometimes it makes it easier to to sell the gun, because some people apparently care about that stuff.

Now, a paper copy of an armorer's manual is worth having around.

quote:

Originally posted by Dwill104:
Beretta does the same, and I think maybe Walther too. They do it to save money. I just download the pdf to my iPad. It’s easier for me than trying to dig out the paper manual.

I just purchased a Walther PDP Professional with an ACRO optic already installed about a week ago. It has the manual for the PDP in the case, as well as the manual for the Aimpoint ACRO.

I have the manual for my Dads Rem 727 bought after WW II, also the receipt from a hardware store, only rifle he owned. Somehow I can't see my kids saying that about one of my guns...I have dads PDF from his XXXX... I'm old and I like paper, and not necessarily something I've printed...
60

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
If I were Sig I'd be worried about the liability.

That was my immediate thought.

Although I never knew the exact details of the case, as I recall Ruger had to start putting “Read the owner’s manual” on all their guns after someone did something unsafe and had an unintentional discharge. Since then many other manufacturers have been doing the same thing so they can say, “Hey, we warned you.”

But what if a manual that would cost a dollar or two was no longer provided? I can easily see someone’s claiming that he didn’t know where to find a manual or perhaps even didn’t have the capability: “I bought the gun and went to the range. How was I supposed to know …?”

Once again I see people looking at a question through the narrow filter of their own capabilities and practices with little or no understanding that not everyone is the same as they. “I can do this, why can’t everyone?”

Bluetooth headphones…..meh, I’ll look it up online.

Firearms, chainsaws, flamethrowers, etc. should all have redundant paper manuals in the box as well as electronic versions/help online.

It’s easy for me, who has shot and been around all types of firearms most of my life, to blow off a manual but for every me there are hundreds of folks completely new to firearms. Those new folks should be given as much info as possible regarding the care, safety, use and feeding of their new potentially DEADLY device.

Something as simple as only use 9x19, 9mm Parabellum etc. in your new SIG P365 as there are eleventy billion “9mm” rounds out there. Seems stupid to you and I but to a brand new shooter 9x18 or 9mm Makarov is probably just the same, it’s all 9mm right? WRONG! That’s just an example.

Point is I think an actual manual should be included with firearms. Optics, ehhh who cares, guns hell yes.