As you may be aware, more questions surrounding the safety of SIG SAUER’s P320 pistol — and their military versions, the M17 and M18 — have been raised in recent days following the death of an Air Force airman. While a smattering of shooting and training facilities around the country had banned use of P320 platform pistols in the past, the exclusions accelerated following the death of the airman, with bans by groups like A Girl & a Gun and Gunsite prominent among them.
With the flood of bad press building, SIG has issued the following statement . . .
P320 Information
P320 Safety Information
Recently, there have been a number of reports and claims regarding the safety of the P320 pistol and its use by the U.S. Military and law enforcement agencies. We understand you may have questions. We want to address your concerns and provide you with full, complete, and accurate information.
SIG SAUER has ALWAYS and will continue to put the safety and security of the U.S. Military, the law enforcement community, our consumers, and the public first. To this end, we want to be sure concerned citizens have access to complete facts.
The P320 pistol is one of the safest, most advanced pistols in the world -meeting and exceeding all industry safety standards. Its design has been thoroughly tested and validated by the U.S. Military and law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels. In addition, the P320 has been rigorously tested, and is currently in use by militaries and law enforcement agencies around the world.
FBI Testing and Report
A recently publicized internal report from the FBI’s Ballistic Research Facility (BRF) created some confusion and raised questions about the safety of the P320. The FBI prepared this report for the Michigan State Police after an officer was involved in an accidental discharge. SIG SAUER engineers met with the FBI and Michigan State Police on several occasions to review the report and the incident. Ultimately, the FBI conducted a more detailed, repeatable, and comprehensive battery of testing using compatible equipment. The subsequent testing resulted in zero instances of failures and the Michigan State Police are now confidently issuing officers P320 based pistols. The FBI BRF have yet to make any official claims or statements regarding the safety of the P320 pistol or any of its variants. However, we are urging the FBI BRF and FBI Director Kash Patel to release a full and complete testing and evaluation report on their updated P320 safety testing.
Department of Homeland Security
An internal memo from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was recently posted online stating the agency was halting its use of the P320. Many online media outlets immediately sought to attribute this to the above referenced FBI BRF report, which is incorrect. DHS has never raised any safety concerns about the P320 and ICE has since extended their existing contract with SIG SAUER another two years. Since DHS has yet to comment publicly correcting their improperly leaked memo, or any statements questioning the safety of the P320, we are now urging ICE to release all information on P320 testing. SIG SAUER is honored to continue aiding ICE in their mission to protect America.
U.S. Air Force M18
There was a recent tragic incident at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming which resulted in the death of an Airman. Because the incident involved the discharge of a (P320 based) M18 pistol, the Air Force is actively conducting an evaluation of M18 pistols within the specific Command where the incident happened. This cautionary step is standard procedure. We proactively offered assistance to the U.S. military as they investigate the incident. Contrary to several online reports, (P320 based) M17 and M18 pistols remain on active duty with all branches of the U.S. Military, including the U.S. Air Force, defending freedom around the world. We have absolute confidence in the U.S. Military’s ability to conduct a thorough investigation and report their findings. As we learn more information about the investigation, we will continue to provide updated information.
P320 Range and Training Bans
Following several of these inaccurate reports, a number of ranges, training providers, and training facilities made the reactionary decision to ban the P320 and its use in their facilities. We are actively working to provide these individuals with accurate information along with a detailed understanding of the P320 and its safety features. If you are impacted by a P320 range or a training provider ban, we urge you to reach out to SIG CUSTOMER SERVICE: 603-610-3000 Option 1 or send a message here so we can clarify any misinformation and provide the truth.
The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without the trigger first being moved to the rear. This has been verified through exhaustive testing by SIG SAUER engineers, the U.S. Military, several major federal and state law enforcement agencies, and independent laboratories. This video provides a detailed view into all of the various safety features of the P320 and provides a detailed explanation of how the safety system works; for further information on the P320 please visit here.
As with any gun, the P320 will discharge if the trigger is pulled to the rear. Accordingly, SIG SAUER continues to remind its customers, employees, and the public to employ all safe gun-handling practices as spelled out in detail in our product manuals. The SIG SAUER Academy remains a resource to customers, employees, and the public in offering various firearms safety courses.
We respect the public’s concern and are actively working to provide as much information as possible. We sincerely thank you for your continued support of SIG SAUER and urge anyone with additional questions or concerns regarding the P320 and/or safe firearms handling to reach out to our customer service team.
It’s sad that Sig Sauer USA has chosen this hill to die on.
I don’t think that’s the case – that Sig has chosen a hill to die on.
They are being pretty straight forward and wanting to be forthcoming and trying to get information out there and its responsible and truthful. If it was a hill they wanted to die on, they would not be doing or asking for or prompting these disclosures and would try to hide it.
Is there a problem with the P320 platform overall? Maybe, maybe not – maybe it is some finger-trigger interaction, maybe it was worn parts, maybe its something else – nothing definite yet and the only thing that’s come out (a video I posted yesterday) that points to a possible issue involved ‘trigger interaction’ (the guy had to insert an object, he used a screw, at the trigger areas to get it to fire uncommanded) but it didn’t go far enough beyond conjecture for anything definite because he was manipulating the trigger function interaction by doing that. Maybe it is light trigger problem, maybe its a worn part, maybe even a defective part, maybe its just that some of them are defective. I’ve never been able to get my own P320’s to fire uncommanded despite numerous attempts and using the very same things others have claimed made it happen and even the FBI testing procedures.
I’m not defending Sig, just saying we don’t really know yet and Sig is putting out information. So a hill to die on? I don’t see Sig doing that here.
Without identifying a clear mechanical issue there is nothing for Sig to fix.
What is it people expect them to do, cave to internet influencers over stories and video clips and pull the product without any real proof or cause of failure?
Tolerance stacking is a VERY serious issue. A gun should not fire when only the trigger ‘slop’ is taken up.
Gun Jesus had a video the other day, and he had it right. This is a public relations problem now. There is nothing Sig can do to revive the P320’s public image. Who in their right mind is going to risk buying pistols just begging for a lawsuit for the slightest excuse? That’s why police departments and other mass purchasers are avoiding them. Imagine shooting a home invader who lives and the prosecutor claims it was your P320’s defects which caused the gun to fire? That jury won’t hear anything after the prosecutor’s claims that you knowingly used a pistol known to be defective.
Glock has been fielding lawsuits like that since the 80’s. They still are only they don’t get the press they used to.
-too easy to fire
-no external safety
-dangerously sensitive
-it just went off!
Police departments derided it as dangerous. Dropped it shortly after adopting it. Officers were shot. Suspects were shot. Children blew their heads off.
Maybe you are too young to remember but we’ve been here before. The only difference now is internet personalities farming for clicks.
Until a defect is identified it’s all just noise.
The SIG P365 and SIG P320 were the #1 and #2 most popular pistols in the U.S, and as of April 2024 there were 2.4 million P320’s out there in use in the U.S..
So in the overall, relative comparatively, only a few have had this uncommanded discharge thing and most of them have been linked to trigger manipulation in some manner, and even in a law suit it was shown the guy did pull the trigger but the jury still went with a ‘defect product’ verdict. You would think that if there was a problem with the platform its self that with 2.4 million (but even if less, say 1 million) out there that there would be a majority of them experiencing ‘uncommanded discharges’.
Even the Air Force Incident: That same action of removing the holster with gun in it from the gun belt was probably/maybe pretty common. The military selected that holster arrangement for that reason, so it was probably/maybe thousands of times this had been done across the Air Force on basically a daily basis as Air Force Security Forces personnel ‘disarmed’ at the end of their duty shift or for some other reason. I spoke to a guy who is Air Force Security Forces, he and everyone on his duty shift did that all the time, never had a problem. Then the routine handling of them by others not Security Forces going on thousands of times in a year. Yet only one Sig does it?
Anonymous, Gun-Themed Website Targeting Rep. Hageman Referred To The FEC.
”
…
Rule of thumb: If you secretly start a website with the sole mission of removing a politician from office, don’t name it after a gun. That is what’s happening on the new website for ‘Project Winchester,’ a group, or possibly an individual, that aims to defeat U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo.
…”
https://thefederalist.com/2025/07/30/anonymous-gun-themed-website-targeting-rep-hageman-referred-to-the-fec/
I would be fine with owning and using a P320 based pistol, but I wouldn’t want one without a manual safety. I don’t have manual safeties on my M&Ps, but only because I hate their manual safeties. They engage too easily.
Even P320s with manual safeties like the M17 aren’t safe. The P320’s safety is just a trigger block. The problem is the striker slipping off the sear.
I own a M 18 and I can say with full confidence that’s it’s impossible for my striker to just slip past the sear ! Unless the parts in question are so badly damaged from wear ant tear that they should have been replaced anyway. I mean come on man.Who in their right mind is going to dive a car with no brakes!!!
Sig still gaslighting.
Sig is intentionally ignoring the tolerance stacking that allows the gun to fire with just approximately 1mm of trigger pull occurring. This won’t end well after more reports of discharges occur.
Go ahead and appendix carry.
https://youtube.com/shorts/gYJs9fscE3I?si=eXyaoYZoJnmXZt6d
“The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without the trigger first being moved to the rear.”
Except they did. We did the tests ourselves, we have it on video. That video is very public.
Sig said they fixed the problem, and I was NOT able to get a “voluntarily upgraded” P320 or an M18 (with the safety off) to go off no matter how I dropped it or I smacked it with a mallet.
I like the P320 a lot. I carried one every day for several years. I stopped carrying it only because I wanted to focus on revolvers for a while, and also because I never really shot it well, at least compared to 92s, High Powers, and 1911s. I’d have zero issues carrying it again. Over the course of 4 years I’ve had 3 of them and put tens of thousands of rounds through each. None of them ever went off except for when I wanted them to.
But I also never dropped them and I did not trust them to be drop safe, because I personally witnessed (and filmed) them going off when dropped.
I remember the video you did. Thank you for doing it. I know it’s not all sig p320s.
It’s only 1% of one million Sig P320s in the entire world.
So who wants to take that chance ???
I’m not in the “club”. I’ve never talked, shot with, or had dinner with The Sig Saur representatives. But many gun writers have.
Have these writers called Sig Saur?? And are your calls returned?
This is an example of the “Military Industrial Complex.”
And gun makers have always been part of it.
This is not just a Sig Sauer P320 problem. Smith and Wesson???
The P365???
The striker fired design might not be all its cracked up to be. I have always been suspicious of the design. I carry a DASA gun.
The P320 is a dead gun. Only Sig Saur doesn’t know it yet.
https://youtu.be/JQTh1CIFm0s?si=nwkYaHBEkKg-8yTl
Kris,
You are definitely entitled to your opinion especially as an American. Your opinion is yours but it proves critical thinking is a rarity, as you lack it as well.
Really? Are so many people really that Idiotic? The trigger take up on virtually all striker fired pistols is when the designed trigger safety is disconnected so the rest of the trigger pull releases the charged pin. If you or anybody elses pistols trigger can be easily manipulated without a freaking screw (manipulated? Why?), and the trigger sticks, clean and oil your freaking gun! Its called regular cleaning and maintenance and its in every gun manual and apparently uncommon sense. If your trigger gets stuck with any amount of take up, get it fixed! If you have to manipulate the slide in any way while you are pulling on the trigger to keep it back, while doing this to make it fire, who in their right mind would do that with normal use of their firearm? Certainly not a critical thinker. How about sticking in a freaking screw to simulate the take up, and then sticking a small allen wrench through the rear of the slide to push the lever that the trigger would actuate. Are you and all the other non-critical thinkers serious? I tested both my Sig P320 awesome pistol, and my P365, awesome pistol, and with properly cleaned, oiled and proper working condition, without pulling the trigger to the rear in any amount, they will not fire, period. If you have to bend, wiggle, the slide with force (why or who would freaking do that?) to try and make the gun fire, don’t do that! If your slide has that much side to side or up and down movement with the slide 100% forward, fix your gun! You guys cant be serious to think these videos reveal some hidden engineering problem, or any other problem with any pistol, are you really serious? Think about it, having to manipulate something to prove a point only proves your a manipulator and not a serious investigator. And if you say this happens in your holster, get a freaking new holster, and specifically for your gun. You and others on this thread cant possibly be real people with a brain, but must be AI ComiBots. Darn ComiBots, they are everywhere!
These accidents, irresponsible gun handling, and plain negligent discharges are users cowering to the “blame the gun” scapegoat excuse. These people need to get their sh!t together and stop blaming it on a gun that’s been overly, exhaustively tested by numerous entities and never found to fail.
I am truly sorry to hear of the death of the airman, may he rest in peace, but blaming the gun for it sounds awful stupid and a way to ensure nothing is done to prevent it from happening again.
May God bless Sig Saur and its great firearms. Other manufactures as well to not be biased as they are next with the BS! My awesome P320 X5 Legion has never fired without me or others pulling the trigger. The P320 is a dream to shoot as everyone who has shot mine has been very, very impressed. The haters hate because they cant afford one, but they really want a P320. Thank you Sig Saur
Heads up people if you own any version of a 320 please check your striker safety system regularly. I just bought a brand new new M18 and I’m having a issue to where by simply field stripping the weapon the sear failed to NOT fully disengage causing the striker claw to engage with the sear , charge the striker back, jumping the sear and Impacting the safety lever at full force causing damage to the system and possible future failure of the safety system. So with that in mind double check and replace any damaged parts IMMEDIATELY!!!!Also use extra care when removing the slide to help prevent damage to your safety system. Because that’s what I have to do .also if you don’t have this problem and parts are in spec and undamaged the then don’t worry about it.You should be fine, and the weapon is considered safe by the manufacturer.
The pistols that accidentally discharged, did they did they not have an external safety?
The P320 trigger cannot be pulled back with the manual safety engaged, period. The P320 will not fire unless the trigger is pulled to the rear of the trigger well per its great design. How much pull for different variants? I have not shot all P320 variants, only P320 full and X5 Legion, but I have handled them all in the gun stores and they are superb pistols. First the manual safety, if installed on the gun, has to be disengaged, then the trigger has to be fully pulled to the rear of the trigger travel, for the gun to fire. There is no proof that a P320 has fired on its own, without pulling the trigger to the rear. I might be wrong according to smart people on you tube or reddit? You could do something stupid like pull the trigger back enough to disengage the seer safety and freaking torque on it or have a loose slide and pinch it or a myriad of asinine things to make the firing pin spring release, but if the trigger is not far enough back to disengage the seer safety, the firing pin will not protrude to pierce a primer either. This was proven by the haters holy grail video, by the guy first using a screw to hold the pulled trigger in place. For really, really stupid people, just pull the trigger to the brink of firing and put a freaking screw to capture the trigger and do the above stupid stuff to prove, no point, except that your freaking stupid. All of the idiots have to pull the trigger or make a trigger be stuck back to try to prove, what freaking point? That the gun will fire, even doing stupid stuff any smart person or real shooter would never do, when they pull the trigger to shoot the gun or handle their guns properly? Do the Cooper Rules still exist? If you don’t know what the Cooper Rules are please don’t touch any freaking guns until you know and apply them. If you follow the rules and your gun fires when not planned, nobody will be hurt, except your pride, if you have any.
So, the question is why has the ATF or FBI investigated the firearm and clear the Airman or Sig. I do not like to make assumptions on people’s opinions. If this was my company, I would have an outside source professional evaluate the weapon/weapons to clear up any accusations.
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2025/08/08/air-force-makes-arrest-in-airmans-shooting-death-involving-m18-pistol/
I have a question for Sig. The statement is it cannot fire without the trigger being moved to the rear. Is there a way that could happen without a person pulling the trigger or a physical object moving the trigger to the rear?