The SIG Sauer P320 Controversy
Uncommanded Discharges, Lawsuits, and Bans
Background: A Pistol Under Fire
The SIG Sauer P320 was introduced in the mid-2010s as a modular, striker-fired pistol and even won the U.S. Army’s Modular Handgun System contract in 2017 (designated as the M17/M18 for military use). Yet despite this early success, the P320 soon became caught up in controversy over its safety.
Users, including law enforcement officers, civilians, and service members, began reporting that the pistol could fire without a trigger pull, also called “uncommanded discharges.”
These allegations triggered a wave of concern, prompting internal investigations, product modifications, and ultimately a cascade of lawsuits and bans. The controversy has only intensified in recent years, with multiple jury verdicts against SIG Sauer and several organizations barring the P320 from use.
But what followed was even more alarming, including a federal agency memo, shocking courtroom admissions, and a police academy ban that prompted SIG to do something almost no gunmaker has ever done.
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