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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• I have owned a P320 for several years and never had a problem with it.

Comments disclaimer: The views expressed in the comments are those of individual readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Police1. We review comments for civility but do not independently verify every claim. Readers should evaluate statements critically and consult trusted sources when accuracy is important.