Frame is marked Made in Germany, Slide is Exeter; barrel, slide, and frame with matching serial numbers.

Seems I've heard of this before. Something about why the gun, though made in Germany, did not need to be proofed.

Comes in a box I have normally associated with German made firearms from SIG. Everything is original.

Any one have any history or information?

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If the pistol was assembled in Exeter, either with German slides (Ilaflon) and frames or even a mix- mash of Exeter/German parts, it did not require a proof mark. Even if the slide says Exeter, if it's Ilaflon, it was made in Germany if my Gemini responses are correct. Cool pistol. The best versions imo.

^^^I think that’s a pretty good answer. All three SNs, Ilaflon slide finish, but no proofs, means made in Germany, but assembled here. In that case, the slide saying “Exeter” will be the import mark. However, A US-assembled SP2022 that just has a German frame, but still has three SNs is a bit of an oddity, I would think.

Same thing with the early P229s. From 1992 to 1994, they were triple serialed. German made frame, assembled in Exeter, so no proof marks. But you will, once in a blue moon, on this side of the pond, run into a KC('92) or KD('93) proofed, AA-prefixed P229 that was made and assembled in Germany. Member Blue Dog owns the KD one. It sits atop of the P229 section in the Serial Number thread.

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^^^Exactly, but I thought SIG USA discontinued that practice entirely at that time, well before the SIG Pro ever appeared.

^^^^ Yeah, two totally different scenarios that explain why triple numbers with no proof marks.

In the P229 case, you can safely assume the serial numbers on the slide and barrel were marked in Exeter, because their fonts are clearly different from the one on the frame. Plus, the slides were all US made in those days anyway. Then, as SIG US realized there was no need for triple numbers, it eventually whittled down to just single number on the frame, a practice that remains to this day.

In the SP2022 case, everything was made in Germany with the three numbers on frame, slide and barrel. Normally, they get proofed if they were to be sold there, as required by law. But, when they decided to send some to the US, which requires no proofing, they ended up here with three numbers and no proof marks. And then, there are SP2022s that were made and already proofed in Germany that ended up here, they just happened to be imported by PW Arms after the fact.

^^^100% on point, and that second part of your post is exactly what I was addressing with the first part of my own post (i.e. OP's statement that the "Slide is Exeter" most likely just refers to the required import mark);

The second part of my own post was addressing the other, less likely possibility (i.e. OP's statement that the "Slide is Exeter" is actually referring to location of manufacture) - A German-frame SP2022 (with the slide, and possibly other parts, being US-made) with three SNs would be an oddity.

Or more simply put, an SP2022 with the "early P229 scenario" would be an oddity (even an SP2009/SP2340 with the "early P229 scenario" would be an oddity). I don't think any exist.

Interestingly, I found two YouTube videos relating to the history or evolution of the SigPro, and both commenters had an example of the same situation. That is, they owned and showed a gun that, in their description, sounded the same as the one I just purchased.

Both videos are old: one 15 years ago, the other three years ago. Neither commenter has posted since.

I have pictures from the site from which I purchased it and will take pics when I have the gun in hand.

quote:

Or more simply put, an SP2022 with the "early P229 scenario" would be an oddity (even an SP2009/SP2340 with the "early P229 scenario" would be an oddity). I don't think any exist.

If I were a betting man, I would go all in on that. Meaning, I agree, not challenging you. Why? The SIG PRO line started production in 1999, long after SIG NH has begun the single serial number practice.

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