SIG Sauer 205

Last updated
SIG Sauer 205
Type Bolt-action repeating rifle
Place of originFlag of Germany.svg  Germany
Service history
Used byPrimarily Swiss sport shooters [1]
Production history
Designer SIG Sauer
Manufacturer J. P. Sauer & Sohn GmbH
ProducedAround 1994 [2] to 2007
VariantsMoose biathlon, Sport/Target, Supersport/Phantom, Police
Specifications
Mass5,400 g (11.9 lb) [3]
Length1,150 mm (45 in) (with a 660 mm barrel) [3]
Barrel  length660 mm (26.0 in) [3]

Cartridge 5.56×45mm NATO,
6mm BR, [4]
6.5×55mm,
7.5×55mm Swiss,
.308 Winchester,
7.62×51mm NATO,
.22 LR
Action Bolt-action
Muzzle velocity 7.5×55mm Swiss: 11.3 gram bullet at 750 m/s [3]
Effective firing rangeUsed in Swiss competitions from 100 to 600 meters [3]
Feed system10-round double stack box magazine
SightsBarrel mounted globe sight (optional), 11 mm dovetail rail on receiver for mounting diopter rear sight, or a scope sight, either directly or via a picatinny rail adapter

SIG Sauer 205 is a bolt-action rifle formerly produced by SIG Sauer. The rifle was produced in several variants for competition shooting and law enforcement.

Contents

History

The 205 mechanism was designed in the late 1980s as a bid for an open competition where the Scandinavian rifle associations had come together looking to replace their aging competition rifles. Until then, the Frivilliga Skytterörelsen in Sweden had used different rifles based on the Swedish Mauser, such as the Carl Gustaf CG 63, 73, 74 and 80 target rifles. Det frivillige Skyttervesen in Norway had used Krag–Jørgensen and various rebuilt Mauser K98k actions, such as the KV59 and M67. De Danske Skytteforeninger in Denmark had used Krag–Jørgensen and various rebuilt Mauser K98k actions, such as the S&L M52. The three organisations had agreed on electing a common rifle, and amongst others Heckler & Koch, Mauser, Steyr, Winchester and SIG Sauer made bids with different types of rifles. The design which later was later to become the SIG Sauer 200 STR was favoured by the Scandinavian associations over what was later to become the SIG Sauer 205. The SIG Sauer 200 STR was launched in 1989, and became approved for Scandinavian rifle competitions from 1 January 1990 in the calibers .22 LR, 6.5×55mm and 7.62×51mm NATO. [5] [6] The 205 design was however not put aside, since it was deemed more suitable for the competition rules within the CISM and ISSF 300 meter disciplines. [2] In 1994, the 205 design was approved for competition within the Swiss Shooting Sport Federation in caliber 7.5×55mm Swiss. [2] The rifle was available for Swiss sport shooters in 1995, and shooters could compete with the rifle in the Swiss category A competitions from 1995. [2] The rifle enjoyed some popularity in Switzerland, but were noted as being quite more expensive than the competitions rifles used previously in the Swiss shooting association. [7] Competition rifles in the 7.5mm caliber intended for the Swiss market has rarely been seen outside Switzerland due to the uncommon 12.72 mm (0.501 in) diameter bolt face of the 7.5×55mm Swiss cartridge.

Technical

Receiver

The receiver was machined out of a massive block of steel, and was then blued. The action was delivered in either a right or left hand version. The mechanical safety is placed on the tang of the stock (similar to the 202) so that the safety can be disengaged without putting the finger inside the trigger guard. The magazine is a proprietary staggered feed double stack type. [8] The action uses the so called "fat bolt" principle, enabling smooth operation of the bolt. The bolt lugs engage directly into the barrel with a 60 degree rotation. The firing pin is relatively lightweight, giving a lock time of 2.4 milliseconds.

Stock

The wood stock has a two piece design with a separate forend and buttstock, eliminating the need for bedding the action. The two piece design resembles that of the SIG Sauer 202 stock, but the two designs are not compatible. Different models of the 205 were available with wooden stocks of walnut, beechwood or laminated beechwood. An aluminium chassis stock was also available on some models.

Moose Biathlon

The 205 MBR (Moose Biathlon Rifle) was made for the Finnish market and their fullbore moose biathlon competitions called hirvenhiihto. The stock was made out of dark walnut, had an adjustable cheek rest and length of pull, and an integrated UIT rail on the underside of the forend. The rifle came in the .308 Winchester caliber, which is an approved cartridge for moose hunting in Sweden and Finland. It was common to mount a scope sight for moose biathlon competitions.

Sport/ [9] Target/Standard rifle (Standardgewehr)

The Sport came with a 670 mm match barrel in the 7.5×55mm Swiss caliber. It had a two part laminated beechwood stock with an adjustable cheek rest and length of pull, as well as an integrated UIT rail on the underside of the forend. Included was a rail mounted hand stop, a mirage band, and a precision iron sight setup consisting of a diopter rear and a globe front sight. [10] [11] The diopter rear sight came with an adjustable iris opening between 0.8 to 2.2 millimeters. [2]

Supertarget [9] /Phantom [12] [9]

The Supertarget and Phantom differed by having a skeletonized chassis stock in anodized aluminium with an adjustable pistol grip made by Hämmerli. The Supertarget was intended for ISSF competitions. The Phantom was a sniper model introduced at the 2005 IWA-show, [13] and was also marketed in the USA as the Sauer ATLR - Advanced Tactical Long Range. [14]

Police

The Police version came in a black laminated wood stock, and was also marketed under the name Sauer S 205 SSG. [15]

Barrel

The SIG Sauer 205 uses the same bolt and quick-change barrel system as the SIG Sauer 200 STR and SSG3000, meaning that the barrel can be easily changed by using a 5 mm hex key. Original barrels in .22 LR, 6.5×55mm and .308 Winchester/7.62×51mm NATO are still produced by SIG Sauer, while aftermarket barrels in these calibers are available from manufacturers such as Blaser, Heym, Lothar Walther, Schultz & Larsen and Våpensmia.

Formerly, barrels were also available in the calibers 5.56×45mm NATO, 6mm BR [4] and 7.5×55mm Swiss. A .22 LR conversion kit for the 205 was also available, consisting of a separate bolt, barrel and magazine, but is no longer produced. Different types of bolts were used with the different caliber groups, for example the 5.56 bolt had three locking lugs, while the larger calibers (like the 7.62 bolt) had six locking lugs.

Trigger

The 205 has a two stage trigger with a pull weight of 1500 grams. [2] The 205 trigger have many similarities and share much of the same internal design with the 200 STR, but there are also some significant differences, for example in the design of the shape of the housing and placement of the safety.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krag–Jørgensen</span> Norwegian bolt-action rifle

The Krag–Jørgensen is a repeating bolt-action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. It was adopted as a standard arm by Norway, Denmark, and the United States. About 300 were delivered to Boer forces of the South African Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolt action</span> Type of firearm mechanism

Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by directly manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the firearm. The majority of bolt-action firearms are rifles, but there are also some variants of shotguns and handguns that are bolt-action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6.5×55mm Swedish</span> Nordic 6mm centerfire cartridge

6.5×55mm Swedish, also known simply as 6.5×55mm, 6.5x55 SE, 6.5x55 Swede, or in its native military as 6.5 mm patron m/94, meaning "6.5 mm cartridge model 94", referring to 1894, is a first-generation smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. The cartridge has most users in the Scandinavian countries, where it is known as the 6,5×55 or just "the 6,5".

The Kongsberg M59 is a sniper rifle produced by Kongsberg Arms of Norway based on left-behind K98k actions from the German World War 2 occupation, in a similar fashion to the later Kongsberg M67. Even though these rifles are sometimes called Mauser M59 and Mauser M67, they were not licensed products of Mauser, but were produced by Kongsberg and marketed as such.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIG Sauer SSG 3000</span> Sniper rifle

The SIG Sauer SSG 3000 is a bolt-action, magazine fed rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO. It was developed in Germany. It is a common law enforcement sniper rifle in both Europe and the United States. The SSG 3000 was developed by SIG Sauer GmbH and is well renowned for its high quality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sauer & Sohn</span> German firearms manufacturer

J. P. Sauer und Sohn GmbH is a manufacturer of firearms and machinery and is the oldest firearms manufacturer still active in Germany. The products of this company are frequently referred to as Sauer.

The SG 550 is an assault rifle manufactured by SIG Sauer AG in Switzerland. "SG" is an abbreviation for Sturmgewehr. The rifle is based on the earlier 5.56×45mm NATO SIG SG 540.

The .260 Remington cartridge was introduced by Remington in 1997. Many wildcat cartridges based on the .308 Winchester case had existed for years before Remington standardized this round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swedish Mauser</span> Bolt-action rifle

"Swedish Mausers" are a family of bolt-action rifles based on an improved variant of Mauser's earlier Model 1893, but using the 6.5×55mm Swedish cartridge, and incorporating unique design elements as requested by Sweden. These are the m/94 carbine, m/96 long rifle, m/38 short rifle and m/41 sniper rifle. Production began in 1898 at Carl Gustafs stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna, Sweden.

The Kongsberg M67 is a bolt-action sharpshooter rifle made by Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk of Norway, based on actions from Mauser M98k left by German armed forces in 1945. The M67 replaced the M59 in 1967 and was produced until the 1990s. The rifle is sometimes unofficially referred to as Mauser M67. However, both M59 and M67 were not licensed products of Mauser, but were produced by Kongsberg and marketed as such.

The CZ-550 is a bolt-action hunting rifle series manufactured by Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod. The CZ 550 series is available with a medium or magnum sized action. The CZ 550 rifle is based on the Mauser 98 rifle.

The SIG Sauer 200 STR, also known as the SIG Sauer 200 STR Match, is a bolt-action rifle mostly used as a target/competition rifle for national competitions by Norwegian, Swedish and Danish sport shooters. It is a variant of the Sauer 200 TR or SIG Sauer 200 TR Match rifle that features thicker 19 mm (0.75 in) diameter barrels. The 200 STR is produced by J. P. Sauer & Sohn GmbH in Germany.

The M52 was the first in a family of target rifles based on refurbished Mauser M 98 military actions by the Danish company Schultz & Larsen in the years following World War II. They were produced to fill a need for target rifles by the Danish shooting association - De Danske Skytteforeninger. The M52 was superseded by later variants the last of which remained in production until the 1970s. It had a similar development path to other Scandinavian target rifles derived from German M98 and other Mauser actions, such as the Kongsberg M59 and Carl Gustaf M63.

The Howa 1500 or Howa M1500 is a bolt-action rifle produced in Japan by Howa Machinery. Introduced in 1979, it has been used by hunters as a hunting rifle with various cartridge offerings. It is also utilized by military and law enforcement elements as a sniper rifle. It is sold under the name of Howa Model 1500 Rifle for overseas markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaser R8</span> Straight-pull rifle

The Blaser R8 is a German straight-pull rifle known for its radially locking bolt system, modularity and its barrel mounted scope mount manufactured by Blaser. The rifle also features a manual cocking system and a direct trigger. In 2015 there had been more than 100,000 complete Blaser R8 rifles produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biathlon rifle</span> Rifle used within the sport of biathlon

A biathlon rifle is a specialized rifle designed for use in a biathlon event. Specialist biathlon rifles are ultra lightweight, and usually equipped with straight-pull actions, integrated magazine carriers, and ergonomic stock designs suitable for both prone and standing positions.

Sauer 80, 90 and 92 are bolt-action rifles using a non-rotating bolt with rear-locking lugs expanded against matching lugs inside the rear of the action by rotating the bolt handle down. The rifle is known for having a relatively short-for-the-calibre and very smooth bolt travel and has been described as “The most accurate rifle ever made,” and “These are the smoothest actions you will ever cycle. They are remarkably accurate.” but also for being technically more complicated than the “Gold Standard” Mauser 98 bolt action. The early European and Colt models had a very complicated trigger mechanism and this was later changed in production to a standard shotgun single-set trigger to give adequate safety with simplicity and familiarity of use.

The Sauer 404 is a lightweight bolt-action rifle manufactured by Sauer & Sohn. The rifle was launched in 2015, and is a direct successor of the Sauer 202. It has a modular construction allowing for easy replacement of components and changing between barrels with different chamberings. This 404 is currently made in a large selection of chamberings and a modular barrel-change system allows changing between chamberings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIG Sauer CROSS</span> Hunting rifle

The SIG Sauer CROSS is a light-weight bolt-action rifle manufactured by SIG Sauer's North American branch headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire in the United States, as a "precision hunting rifle" designed to "meet the demands of both precision long-range shooting and extreme back country hunting", available in three different calibers. Announced in December 2019, it is the company's first bolt-action offering since the SSG 3000 was introduced in 1992.

References

  1. SmallArmsReview - The SIG-Sauer SSG 3000 Sniper Rifle. Original article in Small Arms Review V6N10 (July 2003), posted online on November 1, 2013 "First and foremost, the Sauer 200/202 is a hunting rifle, but its action is used with certain precision rifles including the 200 STR, 205 and SSG 3000. The 6.5x55mm caliber Sauer 200 STR (Scandinavian Target Rifle) was developed upon request of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish military reservist organizations for field rifle competitions, and the model 205 is an orthodox target arm primarily aimed at Swiss civilian markets. Unlike the 200 STR or 205, the SSG 3000 is not a target rifle, but a pure sniping arm"
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vom Sturmgewehr 90 zum neuen 300-MeterStandardgewehr SIG SAUER 205
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Standardgewehr - Technische Daten des Gewehrs Modell SIG Sauer 205
  4. 1 2 weaponland.ru - Sauer S 205 SSG / S 205 Phantom / ATLR sniper rifle
  5. Sig Sauer 200 STR – Store norske leksikon (Great Norwegian Encyclopedia)
  6. Rifleskyting – Akademisk Skytterlag
  7. Standardgewehre für den Nachwuchs
  8. Sauer 205 rifle magazine in 308 Winchester
  9. 1 2 3 Special GunShop - Sig S 205 Phantom
  10. Swiss Arms catalogue 2009, page 35 to 37
  11. Swiss Arms catalogue 2011, booklet page 37
  12. Sauer website
  13. Sauer rifle C 205 Phantom (Sauer S 205 Phantom, Sauer ATLR)
  14. Sauer.net.ru - Rifle Sauer S 205 Phantom
  15. Sniper Rifle Sauer S 205 SSG / S 205 Phantom / ATLR