Sig Sauer seeks FBI, Homeland Security support

Sig Sauer is looking to the FBI and Homeland Security to affirm the safety of its embattled P320 pistol, the subject of lawsuits alleging flaws that contribute to unintentional firings.

New Hampshire gun-maker Sig Sauer is asking two federal agencies — the FBI and Department of Homeland Security — to vouch for its embattled P320 pistol.

The entreaty comes as part of a lengthy statement Sig Sauer released July 29 as it continues to push back against allegations — some in the form of lawsuits — that the P320 is unsafe.

In its statement, the company cited analysis of the FBI’s Ballistic Research Facility (BRF) into allegations that the P320 can fire without the trigger being pulled. The company said the testing “resulted in zero instances of failures.”

Sig Sauer acknowledged that the FBI and BRF “have yet to make any official claims or statements regarding the safety of the P320 pistol or any of its variants. However, we are urging the FBI BRF and FBI Director Kash Patel to release a full and complete testing and evaluation report on their updated P320 safety testing.”

Likewise, the Department of Homeland Security, a user of the pistol by its ICE agents, is being asked to vouch for the P320.

“DHS has never raised any safety concerns about the P320 and ICE has since extended their existing contract with Sig Sauer another two years,” said Sig Sauer, citing a leaked memo that ICE was discontinuing use of the P320.

“Since DHS has yet to comment publicly correcting their improperly leaked memo, or any statements questioning the safety of the P320, we are now urging ICE to release all information on P320 testing,” it added. “Sig Sauer is honored to continue aiding ICE in their mission to protect America.”

The Sig Sauer statement comes on the heels of the latest incident involving its gun — the death in Wyoming of Airman Brayden Lovan, 21, who was attached to the 90th Security Forces Group (SFG) at Warren Air Force Base. The weapon involved was the M18, the military’s version of the P320.

The 90th SFG provides security not only for Warren Air Force Base but also 15 missile alert facilities and 50 Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) launch sites “throughout a 9,600 square-mile area spanning three states,” according to its online description.

No details were offered on how the weapon was involved in the airman’s death July 20. The Air Force’s Global Strike Command, which is responsible for keeping intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), long-range bombers, and nuclear command and control systems secure, has suspended use of the Sig Sauer gun by its 33,000-member force while its safety is being determined.

Sig Sauer, in a statement, said, “We have offered assistance to the U.S. military as they investigate the incident and remain willing to help in furtherance of their ongoing investigation.”

Sig Sauer is based in Newington at the Pease Tradeport as a tenant of the Pease Development Authority.

Its P320 has been a top-selling handgun in the civilian market since its release in 2014. Its military/law enforcement versions are known as the M17 and M18.

Sig Sauer and its P320 are the subject of several lawsuits in recent years over allegations that the pistol has a design flaw that leaves it susceptible to unintentional firings while holstered. Sig Sauer has vigorously denied the claims, saying any misfirings were due to negligence or carelessness on the user’s part or that it was put in an ill-suited holster.

“The P320 cannot, under any circumstances, discharge without the trigger first being moved to the rear. This has been verified through exhaustive testing by Sig Sauer engineers, the U.S. military, several major federal and state law enforcement agencies, and independent laboratories,” the company said in its statement.

In a recent case, a Massachusetts jury decided that the P320 was defectively designed, resulting in an injury to an on-duty Cambridge police officer. The officer alleged in his lawsuit that his department-issued P320 was secured to his belt when it unintentionally discharged while walking toward the police station in October 2019.

The Cambridge Police Department has since abandoned the use of the P320.

In one instance, Sig Sauer filed a lawsuit of its own — against the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC), which banned use of the P320 by recruits at its police academy because of the misfiring claims.

Sig Sauer’s suit says recruits will be unprepared for the field because they aren’t getting the training they need on the weapon used in the field, and the company further says the commission’s decision “inappropriately and unjustifiably inflicts reputational and economic harms on SIG Sauer.”

The entreaty to the FBI and Homeland Security is an effort to address what the company describes as “inaccurate reports” about whether the weapon was still being used in the field by law enforcement agencies and the military.

“The P320 pistol is one of the safest, most advanced pistols in the world — meeting and exceeding all industry safety standards,” it said. “Its design has been thoroughly tested and validated by the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels. In addition, the P320 has been rigorously tested, and is currently in use by militaries and law enforcement agencies around the world.”

The FBI’s Ballistics Research Facility conducted its tests on the handgun after a Michigan State Police officer “was standing in a squad area with other members when his department-issued Sig Sauer M182 fired un-commanded.”

“According to the MSP motor officer’s statement and the statements of others present, at no time was the trigger pressed intentionally or inadvertently,” states the BRF report, which can be viewed here.

Its ultimate findings, however, were inconclusive. “While examination of the subject weapon did not independently provide evidence of an un-commanded discharge it does indicate that it may be possible if sear engagement is lost,” the report said. “The disabling of the striker safety lock through movement and friction creates a condition which merits further exploration to fully assess potential risk.”

In firearm terms, sear engagement influences the pull of a trigger — too little can lead to accidental discharge, too much can make the trigger difficult to pull.

Sig Sauer said in its statement that the Aug. 30, 2024 report by the FBI “created some confusion and raised questions about the safety of the P320.”

It said its engineers met with the FBI and Michigan State Police on several occasions to review the report and the incident.

“Ultimately, the FBI conducted a more detailed, repeatable, and comprehensive battery of testing using compatible equipment. The subsequent testing resulted in zero instances of failures and the Michigan State Police are now confidently issuing officers P320-based pistols,” said Sig Sauer.

Sig Sauer, as a gun manufacturer in the Granite State, is the beneficiary of a new law passed by the 2025 Legislature and signed by Gov. Kelly Ayotte that says gunmakers cannot be held responsible in product liability lawsuits for the absence of certain gun-safety mechanisms, such as a gun safety lock. Claims can still be filed over manufacturing defects.

Sig Sauer sought the help of the Republican-controlled House and Senate. “They want to stay in New Hampshire, and they’re asking us to help fight against false defective claims,” said state Sen. Bill Gannon, R-Sandown, in support of HB 381.

Headquartered in Newington, Sig Sauer is a privately held company that employs 3,200 people across 12 locations in three states.