The Sig Sauer P320 is a semi-automatic, striker-fired handgun that is arguably at the center of one of the most debated firearm safety controversies to date. After adoption by the U.S. military, coupled with several law enforcement agencies, the P320 has been proven defective through many lawsuits alleging injury from unintentional discharges.
It was introduced in 2017 as the. It subsequently won the Army’s XM17 Modular Handgun System competition and was adopted as the M17 and M18, replacing the Beretta M9. Also adopted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and several state and local police departments, it has also been adopted internationally by Canadian Special Operations Forces and the Norwegian Police Service. However, the firearm was reported to be implicated in many more such cases of accidental discharge, which brought its safety under question, not directly through.
Currently, one litigation called Bevacqua et al v. Sig Sauer, Inc., is at the motion to dismiss stage in the U.S. District Court, alleging that the P320 is “the most dangerous pistol sold in the United States market.” The plaintiffs are a group of well-versed users of firearms, inclusive of federal agents, police officers, and civilians, who claim that gunshot wounds and permanent injuries have been caused by the P320 through unintentional firings. They further claim that Sig Sauer has reneged on its promise that the P320 “would not fire unless you want it to.”
Sig Sauer has denied the allegations and said the original solicitation for the MHS program asked for manual safety, which was included in the P320 design. The firm also clarified that although only one safety issue was discovered in the aftermath of Army testing, it was fixed along with all other problems. Despite all this, there have been numerous incidents of full negligent discharge ever since the P320 came into the market in 2014.
In a well-publicized 2017 event, a P320 in a holster is said to have discharged when it fell to the ground from just under three feet, hitting a SWAT team member in his left knee. Sig Sauer says that its testing indicates the gun fell from a substantially greater height. Following this event, Sig Sauer announced a drop-safety-related voluntary upgrade for the pistol. The company insists it hasn’t required any other upgrade program.
In addition to the above, the P320 was put to test by ICE, following reports of unintentional discharges, wherein some of its agents were injured. Despite the reports, ICE renewed the contract for P320 pistols, a clear indication that the agency has not lost faith in the safety and performance of the weapon.
In Canada, a member of the Canadian Army’s Joint Task Force 2 was injured in the leg when a P320 was accidentally fired. The use of the P320 was later approved by an investigation that matched the accident with the use of the incorrect holster. Following this, the Department of National Defense awarded a $3.2 million contract for the P320 to equip regular military members.
The new class action lawsuit against Sig Sauer, filed on March 27, 2023, lists plaintiffs from across the country for the first time and includes civilians, police officers, and even an Army firearms instructor. The plaintiffs are demanding that Sig Sauer recall the P320 and redesign it with the types of safeties worn by its competitors.
As recently as July 24, 2023, a holstered P320 of a Montville Police officer was discharged without the trigger being pulled. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the police department immediately ordered Glock handguns to replace their P320s. Even with over 100 documented cases nationwide of unintended P320 discharges, there has not been a single case of unintended discharge with the military’s M17 or M18 pistols.
As the safety debate surrounding the P320 rages on, the military and the law enforcement fraternity have decisions to make based on the benefits of the weapon vs. the underlying risks. Very possibly, the ongoing lawsuits and investigations will do very much to determine the future of the P320 in both military and civilian applications.