Sig Sauer Elite Performance ammo comes in twelve handgun calibers: .380 ACP, 38 Special, 38 Super, 9mm, .40 S&W, .357 Sig, .357 Magnum, 44S&W SPL, 44REM MAG, 10mm, 45 Colt and .45ACP. These self-defense rounds use SIG’s proprietary “V-Crown” bullet, and are available as FMJ rounds tailored for training and competitions. Like everything else SIG does, this ammo is first class.
Once famous for making wagons, Sig Sauer has become one of the most widely known firearms manufacturers. Now, they’ve entered the ammunition business. This is not some Chinese operation with a designer label; Sig Sauer is making their own ammo at the company’s plant in Eubank, Kentucky.
Like a Swiss watch
In 1853, Friedrich Peyer im Hof, Heinrich Moser, and Conrad Neher started a company to build wagons and railway cars. When the Swiss Federal Ministry of Defense conducted a competition to develop a modern rifle, the Swiss Wagon Factory, as it was then called, designed and built the Prelaz-Burnand rifle and won an order for 30,000 of them.
Because Swiss Wagon Factory looked funny engraved on the side of a rifle, they changed their name to Swiss Industrial Company—Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft, later known to the world as SIG. From there, they changed the history of firearms.
SIGARMS, Inc.
In 2001, the company became SIGARMS, Inc. and expanded into the firearms training market for law enforcement and civilians with the SIGARMS Training Academy in Epping, New Hampshire.
In 2007, SIGARMS changed its name to SIG SAUER and expanded its firearms offerings. Today, SIG SAUER is an ISO 9001-certified company, with over 800 employees making rifles and handguns for civilians, police, and the military. In response to changing market conditions, they have discontinued their popular line of military wagons, but now, they make ammunition. Bad news for horses, good news for shooters.
I got to shoot 200 rounds of 200 grain V-Crown JHP .45 ACP and 200 rounds of 230 grain Elite Performance FMJ .45 ACP. I fired this ammo through several full-size 1911s: a NightHawk GRP, a Kimber Custom TLE/RL II, a WW2-era Remington Rand, and a Charles Daly. Both offerings fed and fired with no issues in any of my guns.
The V-Crown JHP has silver DUCTA-BRIGHT 7A™-coated brass cases, which are beautiful and slick. The brass was shiny, with a crisp “SIG” headstamp. They feed smoothly, and I am sure they will be a joy to reload.
The JHP rounds functioned well and produced consistent 2.5-inch groups from 15 yards, firing with two hands while standing. I am sure a lot of the space between the holes was caused by me, but I am not a bench-rest shooter, and this shows the practical accuracy of the ammo better than shooting from a rest. Your results may vary.
The recoil of the 200-grain bullet was a little less than other high-performance rounds, but the velocity is right up there with the big guys. The SIG website lists a velocity 918 feet per second. The performance is comparable to heavier competitors.
What makes the V Crown special is the stacked hollow-point bullet design. The main hollow-point is deceptively shallow; there is a small second cavity behind the first. These hollows work together with the V-shaped jacket to provide consistent expansion.
The V-Crown bullet is not bonded, but has a unique toothed cannelure to lock the lead core to the jacket, retaining mass throughout the expansion process.
If you have ever shot at night, you have noticed that some brands of ammunition produce magnificent fireballs. SIG ammo uses low-flash propellant, adding a little nocturnal subtlety to their high performance.
The Elite Performance FMJ was just as accurate and reliable as its JHP cousin. The ballistics were similar, making it ideal for training and competition.
The V-Crown Jacketed Hollow Point cartridges are innovative defense rounds that precisely deliver maximum energy transfer and optimal expansion when you need it most.
Get your Sig Sauer Elite Ammunition ammunition here.
Want to know more? go to the Sig website.
(Featured image courtesy of huntinglife.com)
