Tragic incident in the U.S. Air Force
The SIG Sauer P320 was once considered the future of military and law enforcement handguns. At least, that is how SIG SAUER continues to promote the P320, a modular handgun in 9 x 19 mm: precise and “absolutely safe.” But that image is now noticeably crumbling - especially since July 20, 2025. According to current findings and insider reports, a member of the US Air Force died after putting down his service weapon, a Sig Sauer P320, while it was still in its holster. According to official statements, the US Air Force has suspended the issuance of the P320, introduced as the M17/M18, until further notice due to this tragic accident. The exact circumstances of the death have not yet been officially confirmed, but the economic damage to SIG SAUER is likely to run into the millions. This is not the first such incident.
Hard days for SIG SAUER
SIG SAUER has been making headlines repeatedly for months. Dozens of cases involving reports of accidental discharges flooded the internet. One of the most prominent cases involved the Michigan State Police. In 2024, an accidental discharge occurred while a police officer's service weapon was in its holster. At the request of the Michigan State Police, this case was investigated by the FBI's Ballistic Research Center, which is the agency's central testing and evaluation center for weapons, ammunition, protective vests, and other law enforcement equipment. The Michigan State Police asked SIG SAUER and ALIEN GEAR, the manufacturer of the holsters procured by the Michigan State Police, to participate in the investigation. While ALIEN GEAR agreed, SIG SAUER declined to participate in the FBI investigation.
The P320 (or M18) involved in the incident was scientifically examined using X-rays, measurements, scans, and isolated tests of the trigger mechanism. Among other things, the technicians found that:
- The firing pin safety was not correctly installed; its spring was only loosely attached to the upper end of the firing pin housing.
- The trigger sear mechanism showed uneven wear.
- The primary and secondary sear pins showed significant damage and wear.
- The hook of the firing pin had an “edge” on the underside where there should have been a flat surface.
Microscopic examinations confirmed that several parts of the firing pin safety and the sear had chipped edges and other manufacturing defects.
Evaluation of the M18 - Review of security mechanisms by the FBI
After the initial X-rays and tests, attempts were made to provoke an unintentional discharge without pulling the trigger. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology and engineering, this phenomenon should actually be a thing of the past. Most modern striker-fired pistols - especially those developed for law enforcement use - now have several internal safety features designed to prevent precisely this. In the case of the military versions M17 and M18 from SIG Sauer, an additional external manual safety was installed to prevent accidental discharges – and thus fates such as that which presumably befell the member of the U.S. Air Force.
However, even in the case of the Michigan State Police, investigators were able to produce accidental discharges.
In order to simulate realistic conditions of use – such as running, jumping, fighting, drawing the weapon, or leaning against vehicles – the M18 was subjected to mechanical stress: The BRF applied pressure and tension to the slide and frame and manually released the primary sear of the internal safety to check whether the secondary safety would reliably prevent the weapon from firing. The tests were carried out with the pistol fully secured in its holster.
Result: In 50 runs, the pistol fired a cartridge with a primer 9 times without the trigger being pulled. The tested pistol had already fired over 1,000 rounds (although the weapon system is designed for a service life of 25,000 rounds). The Michigan police then provided the BRF with a new, unused M18. This also fired in the second test run without the trigger being pulled.
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The reaction from SIG SAUER
To date, SIG SAUER has denied any technical defects in the design of the P320. Only in court have cases been decided in which SIG SAUER had to answer for its actions and, for example, had to pay US$2.3 million. However, there has been no public statement to date that even remotely acknowledges the possibility of an accidental discharge due to a technical defect. On the contrary, SIG SAUER denies all allegations and goes one step further:
In a public post (which has not been deleted to date) on Facebook and Instagram, SIG SAUER comments on the P320 as follows:
The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull – that is a fact.
The allegations against the P320 are nothing more than individuals seeking to profit or avoid personal responsibility.
Recently, anti-gun groups, members of the mainstream media, trial attorneys, and other uninformed and agenda-driven parties have launched attacks on one of SIG SAUER’s most trusted, most tested, and most popular products – the P320 pistol. In all cases, these individuals have an ulterior motive behind their baseless allegations that the P320 can fire without a trigger pull; they have no evidence, no data and no empirical testing to support any of their claims. They instead choose to misrepresent clear, negligent discharges as a “design problem.”
Now it is up to each individual to decide how to interpret such a statement based on the available data. One thing is certain: we will continue to monitor the situation for you.
What do you think about this topic? Feel free to send me an email at [email protected] !
Sources:
https://www.wearethemighty.com/tactical/the-fbi-evaluation-of-the-sig-sauer-p320/
https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/fbi-report-sig-p320-uncommanded-discharge/
https://soldat-und-technik.de/2025/07/bewaffnung/44649/sig-sauer-p320-usaf/
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-m18-pistol/
Mission success requires tactical equipment you can trust in any environment. OPTIX Tactical Equipment ensures reliability and performance in every operation.
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