SIG began to develop its first striker-fired pistol in 2011. The development culminated with the P320 three years later, in 2014, when it was first revealed at SHOT SHOW. SIG engineered it to be the best-performing striker-fired pistol on the planet.

The P320 was a remarkable engineering feat by any standard and the culmination of:

• A team of seven engineers developing the state-of-the-art pistol.
• Tens of thousands of hours of innovation and design, leveraging the latest techniques and technology.
• Thousands of hours of testing, including the most advanced abusive handling tests of any firearms manufacturer including:
  
  • Ammo Compatibility and Endurance function testing
  • Environmental testing to TOP and NATO standards including:
    
    • Humidity
    • Rain
    • Over the beach
    • Hot & cold
    • Mud, sand, and dust
    • Chemical compatibility
    • Abusive testing – Drop (including above and beyond industry standards), stuck bullet (including tougher SIG standard), and vibration
• 5 patents covering the P320 (3 of which are design patents) and 3 additional patents covering P320 variants.

Our team, consisting of more than 400 engineers, has put the P320 through the most advanced and intensive testing and evaluation process, well beyond what most firearms are put through in industry and independent third-party testing.

More specifically, our current abusive handling tests include, among other trials, administering more than 130 drops (at 26 varying orientations) from six (6) feet in the air onto concrete. This testing incorporates an average of over 20 times more drops (at 20% greater height) than ANSI/SAAMI, NIJ, FBI/DOJ, U.S. Army TOP, and state-specific (CA/MA) requirements.

The P320 represents the pinnacle of firearms engineering, combining innovative design with precision manufacturing. It was developed with input from military and law enforcement professionals and specifically designed for user customization. Among other elite features, the P320 includes:

• Striker-fired mechanism for a consistent trigger pull
• Modular chassis system allowing for multiple configurations with the same Fire Control Unit
• Advanced materials for durability and weight reduction
• Ergonomic design for improved handling and accuracy

The SIG SAUER P320, M17, and M18 are the pistols of choice for the U.S. armed forces, elite military units around the world, and countless law enforcement agencies. The P320 is currently relied upon by hundreds of combined military agencies and law enforcement agencies around the world.

No. The design and engineering of the P320 makes it impossible to fire without a trigger-pull.

The P320 meets and exceeds all applicable U.S. safety standards as well as many global military and law enforcement protocols, including ANSI/SAAMI, NIJ, FBI/DOJ, U.S. Army TOP, and state-specific (CA/MA) requirements.

Allegations that the P320 can fire without a trigger pull are baseless and without merit.

No one, including multiple plaintiffs’ “experts,” has ever been able to show how a P320 could discharge without a trigger pull without intentionally disabling the internal safeties in the pistol to simulate a trigger pull. In fact, multiple plaintiffs’ experts have now conceded under oath it is not possible for the P320 to discharge unless the trigger is fully actuated.

Further, nearly twenty (20) P320 cases have been dismissed to date, including fourteen (14) cases with theories that the gun discharged without the trigger being pulled.

To be clear: as designed, the P320 cannot, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull.

Look online and you’ll find no shortage of individuals experiencing unintended discharges with many different firearms. In the videos depicting a P320, it’s important to identify the holster configuration, positioning of the pistol within the holster (ie. is it correctly seated), and seeing if any third-party material entered the trigger guard. This is difficult to accomplish without going frame-by-frame (even slow-motion may not give a clear picture of these likely discharge factors).

This said, it is important to understand that no one, including plaintiff “experts”, have been able to replicate a P320 discharging without a trigger pull. This lack of success is directly a result of the design of the P320 and its multiple safety redundancies.

There have been four cases that resulted in jury verdicts to date (Guay, Lang, Abrahams, and Desrosiers). The Guay and Desrosiers cases resulted in a verdict in favor of SIG:

Guay v. Sig Sauer Inc.
In this case, the plaintiff argued the P320 is defective because it does not have a manual safety or tabbed trigger. The subject pistol was issued to him by his police department. The department specifically selected the pistol without a manual safety. An officer from his department testified at the trial that the department would not have selected a pistol with a manual safety and that they did not want a pistol with a tabbed trigger.

The Lang and Abrahams cases, both decided by jury pools from extremely plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions, resulted in plaintiffs’ verdicts. We are currently challenging these verdicts. Here are the facts:

Lang v. Sig Sauer Inc.
In this case, the plaintiff argued that the P320 is defective because it does not have a tabbed trigger and that a tabbed trigger would have prevented the discharge. However, both he and his experts admitted that the trigger was pulled but did not know what pulled the trigger or how the trigger was pulled.

Further, the plaintiff initially admitted to the police that he accidentally discharged his gun while pulling it out of the holster then later changed his story stating that the firearm discharged without a trigger pull. However, the Plaintiff’s story notably changed again, after hiring trial experts who agreed that the SIG SAUER P320 could not discharge without the trigger being pulled.

The physical evidence in this case showed that the pistol was partially removed from the holster at the time of discharge. Tabbed triggers are designed in some striker-fired models to reduce the likelihood of firing from rough handling or drops. However, they will not prevent negligent discharges from unintentional trigger pulls. The gun operated as intended – it fired when the trigger was pulled.

Abrahams v. Sig Sauer Inc.
In this case, the plaintiff argued that the P320 is defective because it does not have a manual safety or tabbed trigger and that the holster was defective allowing access to the trigger. However, the plaintiff agreed the trigger on his P320 pistol was pulled fully rearward with at least 7 pounds of force. The P320 pistol is designed to discharge when the trigger is pulled – exactly what happened in this case.

Further, the plaintiff ignored numerous safety rules and warnings in handling his gun and had never trained with or fired his gun before the discharge occurred despite having purchased it more than a year and a half before his accident.

The jury agreed that the plaintiff’s own negligence contributed to his accident in finding the plaintiff 35% contributorily negligent.

Desrosiers v. Sig Sauer Inc.
In this case, the plaintiff argued that the P320 is defective because it does not have a manual safety or tabbed trigger and that the holster was defective allowing access to the trigger. However, the plaintiff agreed the trigger on his P320 pistol was pulled fully rearward with at least 7 pounds of force. The P320 pistol is designed to discharge when the trigger is pulled – exactly what happened in this case.

The plaintiff's discharge occurred when he unintentionally pulled the trigger of his unholstered pistol while "pushing, pulling, and twisting" the pistol to try to shove it into the waistband of his pants while walking and carrying numerous items in his other hand. The incident was captured on video. Evidence showed the plaintiff violated dozens of safe firearm handling principles, his own department's handbook, and basic tenets of firearm safety. Plaintiff's firearms expert agreed the P320 could not fire unless the trigger was pulled. He confirmed the plaintiff's trigger was pulled with at least 6.5 pounds of force.

The jury ruled in favor of SIG SAUER, finding that the plaintiff was the cause of his injuries.

Yes. SIG and others appealed the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission’s (“WSCJTC”) firearms ban. SIG also appealed the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training's ban. In doing so, it demonstrates its continued respect for and partnership with Washington and Oregon law enforcement who carry these pistols.

Both bans appear to be based solely upon inaccurate and incomplete information, which is underscored by the entities' failures to provide any reliable evidence or supportable conclusions in their own materials. Further, the bans deprived students and law enforcement agencies of the ability to train with widely respected, tested, and preferred service sidearms.

There is also a growing list of police agencies, shooting ranges, and state-wide training organizations that have lifted their P320 bans after further review of objective factual information.

As one example of many, the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) lifted a temporary restriction following an extensive review of the P320, M17, and M18. TTPOA’s extensive review included comprehensive and independent analysis and testing, including with the Texas Department of Public Safety Firearms Unit, as well as discussions with SIG SAUER product experts.

SIG looks forward to its continued partnership with various law enforcement agencies nationwide and defending its pistols in furtherance of overturning unnecessary and unprecedented prohibitions.

Yes. Accidental discharges happen with all gun manufacturers and other non-P320 pistols. P320 discharges are currently front and center in the media due to SIG’s prominent contracts with the US government and various law enforcement agencies. This is further bolstered by the litigation surrounding the P320. Further, nearly twenty (20) P320 cases have been dismissed to date including fourteen (14) cases with theories that the gun discharged without the trigger being pulled

The SIG SAUER P320 is the most tested, durable, and reliable striker-fired pistol on the market. It is trusted by the U.S. Military, special operators, and elite military units around the world, law enforcement, and the finest shooters on the planet. Many end users have seen improvement in shooting scores and marksmanship because of the benefits provided by the P320.

SIG has a strong and unquestionable history of issuing recalls or updates whenever there is any doubt about the safety or functionality of a product. Every test that we and other “experts” on behalf of the plaintiffs have conducted has revealed the same result: The P320 will only fire when the trigger is pulled. Sig Sauer will not issue a recall based on claims that cannot be reproduced or reconstructed.

Unintended or negligent discharges can occur with any firearm. SIG SAUER has tested the P320 more than any firearm in the company’s history. Much of this testing has been to attempt to recreate some of the claims against the pistol. Through exhaustive research, testing, and review of factual evidence, unintentional pistol discharges (for all major manufacturers) can be attributed to:

• Negligent handling of the firearm.
• Negligent storage of the firearm (e.g., unsecured in a gym bag).
• Foreign objects getting into holstered firearms during holstering, re-holstering, or small objects getting between holster and trigger guard which act as a lever to pull the trigger.
• Light-bearing holsters with large gaps between the sides of the holster body and trigger guard that would allow foreign objects (keys, seatbelts, handcuff legs, etc.) into the side of the holster and into the trigger guard (to potentially pull the trigger while holstered)

No. P320 work orders are identified by serial number and caliber to ensure only correct parts for that model are pulled for assembly. Additionally, a final assembly function check is performed on every P320 to ensure the takedown lever cannot be rotated with a magazine inserted prior to range function fire. After live-fire testing, each P320 is disassembled for post range inspection to ensure all parts (including the striker safety lever) are intact and undamaged. Prior to post range disassembly, a magazine is inserted, the slide is pulled to the rear to retest lock back, and a second attempt is made to rotate the take down lever with a magazine inserted. This pre and post range verification process ensures that every P320 is shipped with the correct parts, including the takedown and striker safety levers.

*If any firearm is dropped, it is strongly recommended that you immediately return it to the manufacturer for testing and evaluation.

When the P320 was developed, it was tested to numerous rough handling industry standards, including ANSI/SAAMI, NIJ, FBI/DOJ, U.S. Army TOP, and state-specific (CA/MA) requirements, much like most firearm companies. No failures or discharges were ever recorded using these standards.

Additional testing was performed with the development of the voluntary upgrade program. Since 2017, we have subjected the P320 to the most robust rough handling tests, dropping the P320 over 120 additional times, at 19 or more orientations, 20% higher than our competitors, and on a concrete block instead of a standard rubber durometer mat). As designed, the pistol passed all additional testing.

In 2017, SIG SAUER was alerted to a specific incident whereby a P320 (that had already passed all rough handling testing) discharged following an impact from an elevated height above industry-standard specifications at an angle not included in industry drop-testing standards. We conducted rigorous testing of our own and expanded our rough handling standards FAR beyond all commercial and defense industry specifications. The P320’s upgraded Fire Control Unit includes a reduced mass trigger, striker, sear with a secondary safety notch, and a mechanical disconnector. This upgrade was offered to every P320 owner and agency in the world without cost. Although not required to do so, this upgrade was offered.

Since the upgrade, the P320 has endured and passed rough handling standards that far exceed all U.S. safety standards, as well as military and law enforcement mandates around the world. This includes the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Sporting Arms & Ammunition Institute (SAAMI), NATO, National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and Department of Justice (DOJ).

SIG is constantly looking at ways to educate customers about safe-handling firearms practices. SIG has updated its manuals to provide information to its customers about the availability of optional safeties for consideration depending on their philosophy of use and experience level. These additional warnings apply to all firearms regardless of make, model, and manufacturer. Accordingly, similar warnings appear in other manufacturers’ manuals.

When any firearm is carried with a round in the chamber and no manual safety engaged, it will fire when the trigger is pulled regardless of user intent. SIG’s manuals remind customers of the need to consider their use of the firearm and their level of training in making the decisions to carry a firearm with a round in the chamber. Additionally, SIG SAUER recommends law enforcement officers, active military, and professional users carry their P320 according to their respective weapons policy.

No. The USAF Global Strike Command (AFGSC) senior leadership assured SIG SAUER that the identified discrepancies did not affect the function or safety of the 191 individual M18s.

The statement provided does not explain or speculate on the causation of the wear noted. It is possible that the 191EA M18s mentioned could have been exposed to higher round counts or dry-fire repetitions than the other 7,779 pistols. Additionally, it is unknown if these pistols were maintained according to the parts replacement schedule. This information has not been shared with SIG SAUER, but we are happy to assist the AFGSC in any way possible to help determine outlying factors that could have contributed to any additional wear. As with all products, wear and tear from normal use is to be expected. SIG SAUER reminds all its customers to review the recommended maintenance schedule in their respective product manuals.

SIG SAUER is currently under contract with the US Military to provide M17/M18 pistols and support for the system. We will continue to work closely with the USAF Global Strike Command to ensure that all M18 pistols are properly maintained according to the contract’s parts replacement schedule.

The P320, M17, and M18 are the most proven pistols in history and have never experienced any wear that would affect function or safety throughout our rigorous durability testing. The USAF confirmed that “a review of weapon discharges in AFGSC showed that none were attributed to weapons malfunction.”