Sig Sauer P320 controversy: Separating fact from fiction in safety claims

On July 20, 2025, Airman Brayden Lovan, 21, of the 90th Security Forces Squadron, was fatally shot during duty hours at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. Initial claims suggested his issued Sig Sauer M18 pistol, the military version of the P320, discharged unintentionally, prompting Air Force Global Strike Command to pause use of the sidearm across its units. That incident reignited ongoing concerns about the M18/P320’s drop safety and potential for unintentional discharge.

However, investigators later arrested another airman on charges including false official statement, obstruction of justice and involuntary manslaughter. This shifted scrutiny away from the firearm and suggested the M18/P320 may not have malfunctioned as originally alleged.

Which raises the question: Are the continuing allegations about the P320’s safety valid?

SIG Sauer pistols have long been regarded as reliable and battle-tested sidearms. From the Navy SEALs’ trusted P226 to the U.S. Secret Service’s .357 SIG P229, these platforms have earned their reputations through decades of dependable service. Now, SIG’s striker-fired, modular P320 platform — chosen by the U.S. military and many law enforcement agencies as their official sidearm — remains under scrutiny. Despite rigorous testing and widespread use, allegations continue to circulate online and in courtrooms claiming the P320 is prone to unintended discharges.

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Designed and tested to the highest standards

The P320 was engineered and tested to meet or exceed the most stringent industry safety standards, including NIJ, SAAMI and MIL-STD-810G protocols. It also underwent exhaustive in-house and end-user agency testing by organizations such as the FBI and the U.S. military.

Testing involved trigger performance, accuracy, metallurgical inspections, malfunction assessments and comprehensive drop testing. These protocols require any serious malfunction to trigger re-engineering and resubmission. According to SIG Sauer, no evidence has ever emerged to indicate the P320 can fire without a trigger pull.

Viral videos and clickbait narratives about the Sig Sauer P320

Despite this record, social media platforms and clickbait videos continue to stir skepticism. Some claim to show P320s firing without trigger activation. Videos, however, are not scientific tests. In the era of video editing and out-of-context clips, officers and agencies should view these with a critical eye.

As many officers know, there are always three sides to every story: one version, another and the truth — often somewhere in the middle. Video clips rarely tell the whole story, and claims should always be weighed against empirical data.

Lawsuits and legal findings

Several lawsuits have alleged the P320 discharged without a trigger pull, but outcomes show nuance:

• In Puerto Rico, a case was dismissed after the plaintiff admitted to pulling the trigger.
• In Massachusetts, a jury found the P320 defectively designed but awarded no damages, noting the plaintiff “voluntarily and unreasonably used the P320 pistol knowing that it was defective and dangerous.”
• In other cases, plaintiffs admitted the possibility of external forces or objects engaging the trigger.

Agency investigations and continued use

Agencies that conducted their own tests — including the FBI — have been unable to reproduce unintentional discharges. After an alleged accidental discharge involving the Michigan State Police, the FBI and SIG engineers conducted joint testing and concluded the P320 did not fail. Michigan State Police continues to issue the pistol.

Similarly, despite internal DHS memos suggesting ICE might suspend P320 use, ICE extended its P320 contract for another two years. DHS has never raised formal safety concerns.

Learning from history: Glock faced similar claims

SIG Sauer is not the first firearms manufacturer to face scrutiny. Glock faced similar allegations in the past. Investigations revealed many incidents occurred during disassembly when users failed to properly clear the chamber before pulling the trigger.

These examples underscore a consistent truth: the majority of accidental discharges stem from human error, not mechanical failure. Negligence, improper training or unintentional trigger activation are often at the root.

Training and handling are paramount

The P320 is designed for professionals who require rapid, reliable firing and quick target reacquisition. That design also demands proper training and discipline.

Among the millions of P320s in circulation, there have likely been countless unreported drops in training and operations. Yet there has not been a single verified case of discharge under those conditions. Most complaints appear to occur in off-duty or personal use scenarios, raising questions about context and handling.

In firearms, as in all law enforcement tools, safety is a shared responsibility between manufacturer and user. With consistent training, adherence to protocols and situational awareness, modern service pistols — including the P320 — remain among the safest and most reliable tools available to officers today.

Officer takeaway

For officers, the P320’s track record highlights the importance of training and discipline. Proper handling practices remain the most effective safeguard against unintentional discharge.

Has your agency addressed Sig Sauer P320 safety concerns through training, policy updates or independent testing? Share your comments below.

Police1 readers respond

• I am a retired LEO range/armorer with over 30 years of service, plus 5 years in the military. You are pretty much right on. During my time, we transitioned from revolvers, DA/SA, striker-fired (SF) and double action (DA). All have advantages and disadvantages:
  
  • Revolver: Safe but low capacity and slow to reload.
  • DA/SA: Good capacity and safe, but decocking and hammer manipulation required training and concentration.
  • Striker-fired (ours were Glocks): Simple, inexpensive and easy to train with. But safety can be compromised, leading to accidental discharges. Cleaning on range day was risky — you had to pull the trigger to remove the slide. Holstering issues were common too; I even saw people stuffing a loose Glock into the waistband, which is dangerous.
  • DA (Sig P226 DAK): The safest and easy to use. Disadvantages were slightly slower shooting and requiring more concentration on trigger pull and sights. Training was essential. This was my personal choice.

  All striker-fired pistols are basically cocked, unlocked single-actions regardless of the manufacturer. My question is: Why did law enforcement and the military transition to striker-fired? Cheaper, simpler to use, lighter — but at the expense of safety?
  

• Unless you keep a round always chambered, there is no way the pistol could ever “misfire.” Not even an accidental trigger pull or a dropped gun will chamber a round without pulling back on the slide.
• Houston PD has removed the P320 from firearms allowed to carry as a duty weapon.
• Excellent article. I have a P320 M18. I have had zero negative experiences with the pistol. As the author points out, proper training and safe handling of any weapon is paramount.
• I have carried the P320 throughout my law enforcement training, including my CLEET training. I really like the way the firearm handles and shoots. It is concerning when a firearm gets so much attention on social media. I have inspected the firearm numerous times and cannot find an issue. The only thing I can think of is the relatively smooth and light trigger pull for a striker-fired weapon. The trigger pull is a feature I like about the firearm. I know social media never gets it right, but it has made me very aware of the potential danger.
• Unfortunately, my department has fallen for the click bait “news” articles claiming the P320 is prone to uncommanded discharges, and has banned its use for pain clothes and secondary use. I love the P320 and personally own two. I hope this all gets sorted out soon.
• Were there firearms that discharged in the holster or not? I would think that that would be easy to verify. If the gun discharges inside a holster, there is a problem.
• Many officers have displayed their concerns regarding the issuance of the firearm prior to being issued, our agency has not issued them as of yet. Our agencies start issuance in October the beginning of the new fiscal year 2025, but right now officers do not feel comfortable being issued the new duty weapon P320 X-carry. With all the chatter of the unsafe and discharge without manipulation has become a major concern with officers. As of right now, we do not see a issuance of the new duty weapon anytime in the near future, unless they have been proven to be safe.
• As a P320 owner, I have naturally been concerned and therefore pulled my 320 from carry and started carrying my Glock 19 until sufficient examination and testing could be done to prove it to be safe. I hope that it will pass the tests and that I can resume carrying it soon.
• My agency issues Sig P320 to all sworn staff. My awareness of the concerns come primarily from various online sources such as this one. The various news articles have me concerned. Now, with that being said, I typically practice around 350 rounds per month; my current weapon has around 8,000 rounds through the weapon. All of my practice involves presentation from the holster, and then return to the holster. I haven’t experienced any problems with the firearm. Also, in my total of 40 years of service with different handguns I’ve never experienced an unintentional discharge. I’m not sure this article makes me any less anxious with my Sig P320, but I hope to gain the confidence with it that I’ve had with my past duty weapons.
• As an ole Army SF operator and agent for DHS, I find the P320 as an outstanding weapon. I love the German engineering in the trigger mechanism. Very smooth. I had no issues what so ever. That and the HK have been superior pistols in my opinion.
• I purchased a P320 M18 9mm in late April this year. I train with it frequently and was carrying it concealed often until the shooting range where I train banned it. Needless to say, I was very upset. I had done several upgrades and modifications to the weapon and had invested a significant amount of money into it. Once the tragic death of the airman occurred and my range banned it, I began to question my weapon’s safety and reliability, which had not been in question previously. I had fired several thousand rounds through this weapon in training without any issues, except for some ammunition-related ones, such as one round failing to eject after discharge. The casing had ruptured and overly expanded, lodging it in the breech. I locked up my cleared weapon and put it away in my safe until these claims were cleared up. I have read two articles stating this weapon remains safe and reliable, most recently today, 8/30/25, but as far as I know my range has still not repealed the ban on the P320. I hope they do soon.
• Utilizing the Safariland QLS system on my holster, I detached the holder with my P320 and intended to place the weapon in the jail gun boxes before entering the jail one day. Well I wasn’t looking at welfare I was placing the holster and it struck the wall below the open box. It fell approximately 4 feet and nothing happened. After 6 years of carrying that weapon, absolutely nothing has happened. Even after the voluntary upgrade, nothing happened. It works perfectly every time.
• It failed the drop test, and the military knew it failed the trials against the Glock 19X. But they still went with the contract because it was cheaper.
• Brushing off the P320’s problems as “anecdotal” is just denial. We’re not talking about a couple of sloppy cops — over 100 uncommanded discharges have been documented, with dozens of officers injured. Agencies like ICE, Houston PD and even the Air Force have banned or paused the gun. A Philly jury hit SIG with an $11M verdict for a holstered discharge, and an appeals court reinstated an ICE officer’s lawsuit specifically to examine design flaws. That’s hard evidence, not campfire stories. If this were only “training issues,” entire departments wouldn’t be dumping the pistol, and SIG Sauer wouldn’t be lobbying for liability shields. The pattern is crystal clear: the P320 has a design problem, and pretending otherwise is just spin.
• There are hundreds of thousands of auto accidents each year, many involving multiple vehicles. Yet, are there at least the same number of drivers who admit to being at fault? Do these drivers say, “Yeah, sorry about that, I wasn’t paying attention,” or, “I decided that traffic laws are for everyone but me. Sorry, but the accident is my fault”? Not that I’ve heard. Most of the time, even when a story cannot be true by the laws of physics and logic, people will blame anyone or anything but themselves. The more important or life-changing the incident, the more likely they are to lie.
• Irresponsible gun ownership is the problem. If you stay sober and train properly, you’re less likely to have a mishap. Get your used, shot-out firearms disposed of or rehabilitated.
• The above comment admits there are uncut, full context, video proof of the firearm failing the drop test as well as firing without a trigger pull. Then simultaneously goes on the blame all situations on user error. Those two situations are mutually exclusive. A drop is not a user error, it is a common occurrence and can happen with zero user interaction. Firing without a trigger pull is not a user error. Leaving a round chambered is how you keep it as an LEO or a soldier. The firearm is dangerous, period. It should not be used. Sig themselves even offered a voluntary free trigger “upgrade.” Why would they offer it if something wasn’t wrong with it?
• The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission has suspended use of the P320 due to an uncommanded discharge on its firing range. Various police departments have surveillance video showing uncommanded discharges. There is even a video showing a P320 being dropped from an elevated position directly onto the hammer and discharging without edits. In your article, you noted that a jury found the P320 was defectively designed. Telling your audience that there are no faults whatsoever, despite the evidence, does a disservice to your fellow officers.
• I work for a large arm of the DoD, and we have used the M18 for several years now. My department puts about 400 active military and federal police through firearms testing and qualifications annually. Many of the shooters have little to no pistol training before handling the M18. We still carry the M18, even with the rumors surrounding the arbitrary firing of the weapon.
• The Sig P320 my wife and I share has fired thousands of handloads and factory rounds without an issue. Proper training, attention to detail, and discipline are key to safe operation of any firearm.
• I strongly believe it was user error every time there was an issue, and any firearm is subject to failure. I have carried the P320 on and off duty since it was first released and have never had an accident with this firearm.
• Prior to having the 320 I carry through the Sig Sauer shop for recommended work over, I carried my 320 as my service weapon for a year. Out of the box it has a 4.2 pound trigger pull, the best out of my entire class, and shoots like a dream. I stepped down from . 45 in my P220 to 9mm in my P320 to conform to department caliber requirements. A fine weapon for me.
• The 320 is not dummy proof. What I would do if I were Sig is make the trigger more narrow with rounded convex design and add a trigger safety. This would almost dummy proof the pistol. I am a certified 320 armorer. Trigger is too flat and wide for ignorant and careless people.
• I agree but I don’t agree. I’m a Sig fan. The problem is that most holsters hold tension by the trigger guard and the user might be moving the trigger far enough back to engage the firing pin block. Once that’s done, the FCU is not secured tightly in the rear of the frame. All that needs to be done is to move the slide slightly and the firing pin is released.
• I am a retired sergeant of a small PD in Pennsylvania. I was the firearms instructor, armorer on S&W, Glock and the Sig P320. I started off with a revolver and we moved on to two generations of Glock, and due to the experience with Glock, as the lead firearms instructor I was tasked with exploring new sidearms. I was bombarded with feedback from well-intentioned officers to transition to everything from the 1911 to H&K. I sorted through all the noise and settled on testing the P320. During the testing, I used a 40 caliber gun due to unavailability of the 45. We shot thousands of rounds in all conditions through that gun and another in 9mm. When a 45 was finally available we shot another few thousand rounds through that one. When I finished the testing I determined there was no need to test any other make/models. We unanimously came to agree the P320 was the one for us. We ordered it and three of us attended the armorer’s course. Unfortunately there were several delays in delivery due to the Army contract, and I retired before we took delivery of the guns. I owned several P320s before I retired and was able to carry one briefly in my role as detective before my retirement. With experience came wisdom, and I revised our curriculum that already was demanding in the area of trigger discipline to include many repetitions of unloaded manipulation under draw and reholstering. I looked at the engagement of the pistols in our duty holsters and wisely chose off-duty holsters based upon the smooth striker trigger that I knew could be a problem. I was a close witness to our department’s only known negligent discharge with a handgun (it was a Glock 22 in really experienced hands). I have been retired for 9 years, and last week out of the blue a sergeant from my department called me about the P320. His opinion of the gun is high, and two brand new firearms instructors were apparently brainwashed by an instructor who berated the P320 in the class. These two officers ran back to the chief and told him they needed to immediately dump the P320s. They also wanted an optic ready model, but that is a fight for another time. I think that caution is always wise when dealing with firearms. I also do not believe jumping on very bandwagon is good either. When our Glocks started breaking at the second range session and only 5 of 22 units were still in service, we did not run out and trade them in. Only through extended experience and careful documentation did I decide to change sidearms. I do not agree with trainers and organizations throwing out the P320 from classes and issue based upon unsubstantiated allegations and unclear video representations. I thought in some respects Glock did not get a fair shake by NYPD decades ago, and the NY1 and 2 triggers were completely unnecessary if training was tightened up. Time will tell with the P320, but I do believe the drop safety block in the firing pin channel should negate any uncommanded discharges.
• I own an Sig P320 Compact Carry 9mm that I use for my daily carry for personal self defense. I have never had an issue with it. I know to keep my finger and clothing out of the holster, and I also know to keep my finger off the trigger when I’m re-holster the gun. I’m kind of a firm believer that if you drop any gun with a fully loaded magazine, that it has the possibility for an unintentional fire, but I don’t know of a single gun of any kind that can go off with just sitting there.

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