... take heed of this development in Washington state.
The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission has prohibited recruits from training with a popular semiautomatic handgun and has banned the pistol from the commission’s campuses after reports the gun could fire without someone pulling the trigger.
In an order issued Feb. 24, commission Executive Director Monica Alexander made a permanent prohibition of the Sig Sauer P320, one of the most popular handguns on the market, a version of which is used by the U.S. military.
Alexander had temporarily banned anyone from carrying and training with the firearm after an Oct. 9 incident, in which a recruit in a Basic Law Enforcement Academy class in Spokane reported his Sig Sauer “self-discharged” as he drew it to fire on targets at the police range. The round struck the ground behind the recruit and fragmented, striking and injuring an instructor and another recruit.
The recruit insisted his trigger finger was “indexed” — pointed alongside the frame of the handgun, outside of the trigger guard — when he drew the weapon. A firearms instructor confirmed the incident, stating he was watching the recruit’s hand and that the “weapon immediately fired while he was drawing the weapon” while his finger was not on the trigger.
. . .
The work group uncovered a number of lawsuits and video of incidents involving the Sig Sauer P320 firing while in a holster, including 2022 body-camera video of an officer in Milwaukee who was wounded when his partner’s firearm discharged in its holster.
Another body-camera video shows a 2023 incident in Montville, N.J., where an officer’s holstered sidearm goes off in the lobby of the police station.
There also have been a number of lawsuits filed against Sig Sauer over unintended discharges of the P320, including one settled in Tacoma in 2023 after a man suffered a serious leg wound when his gun discharged while he was holstering it. The details of the settlement were not immediately available.
There's more at the link.
There's no word on whether the prohibition also applies to the Sig-Sauer M17 and M18, military versions of the SiG P320. However, I'd assume the risk is the same - they're mechanically identical internally, as far as I know - so I'd be careful with the military pistols too.
I've never fired a Sig P320, so I can't comment from personal experience. I know it's become very popular in certain circles, with a number of top competition shooters using it. This troubling development in Washington state may change that.
Peter
10 comments:
I have one but never really liked it so I haven't shot it vary often. Never had any issues with it, but I really should either sell it or trade it for something I like better.
Why are people still carrying them? 80 confirmed instances... sigh
There was a modification to the firearm a few years back. This mod addressed this problem. The military version had a safety switch added to it as well.
As anonymous said, Sig has had a voluntary recall in place for a long time to address this "issue"...which they've actually never been able to reproduce. More recently purchased guns should already have the improvement. They basically lightened some of the trigger components to give them less mass; they also added a disconnector but I honestly don't see how that could possibly have anything to do with it...but I'm not an engineer. The military model (as well as some variants of the civilian model) has an external safety so they shouldn't be affected either way unless you keep one in the pipe with the safety off.
From what I've seen, the issue stems from using holsters that don't fit properly, put pressure on the sides of the trigger, and as the gun is jiggled around, the trigger is basically pulled by the holster.
Sig has never been able to make the gun go bang without pulling the trigger. In fact the design should make that impossible (I say "should" because nothing's guaranteed and mechanical failures do happen).
I own one and I like it, and from what I can see, if you use a holster that fits properly and doesn't "pinch" inside the trigger guard area, you won't have a problem...but I can understand people not wanting to take a chance.
BTW: I suspect that at least some of the reported incidents are people who just pulled a stupid and don't want to admit it. There have also been instances of Glocks reportedly going off without the trigger being pulled. Some of them, I'm sure, are also attributed to "DinDuNuttin Syndrome" ("I swear, I didn't do a thing, the gun just went off!!!"). Of the legitimate ones, most of those seem to be due to an obstruction being in the trigger guard while the gun is holstered. Windbreaker drawstrings seem to be popular for that particular one.
BTW: I have a Glock 19 too. I like the P320 better. Ruger and Magpul have recently come out with a "best of both worlds" kind of thing. Magpul Frame with a G19 compatible slide and barrel, but a "modular" trigger group like the P320. That may be my BAG day gun for next year.
Confirming what Anonymous posted. Sig addressed this issue years ago. I sent my P320 in, returned promptly. My primary carry. Never a problem.
My 34 year old EDC, Glock 19 has been amazingly well behaved, especially considering how many "superior" handguns have have been chasing the dragon all these years. snarc...actually, there are better hand guns out these days, but their "betterness" is marginal. The Sig p320 isn't the only handgun to have "issues", they always get ironed out. What could improve my G19? A 1911 style thumb safety.
If I were going to carry a "new" gun, it would be a Browning Hi Power or quality clone, sans the mag safety and some mild tuning. I love my 1911, but it doesn't hold enough ammo and recoil recovery is never as quick as a 9mm.
Oh yeah! If I were going to carry a Sig, I would stick with the combat proven, match grade, Sig 226. That is a bet-yer-life on it, handgun.
I purchased a new one several years back and have carried (and used it) quite a bit during this time. I don't whore for SigSauer and I've never had any problem with it mis-firing (or as we say in the trade: "premature ejaculation").
Article says modded guns still have issue. Carry mine with empty chamber to be sure.
Have one and it shoots well. Did a mag dump the other day and the slide seemed to hang going back into battery. Less than a box of ammo so far. Have to try it again one of these days. Have one of the new Ruger clones. Like it better than a Glock. Seems to shoot well although thirty round so far. Weather gets better will shoot both and see what happens.
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