The SIG Sauer P320 is one of the most popular handguns out there, with over 2.5 million sold since it hit the market in 2014. It’s a favorite among civilians, police forces, and militaries worldwide. Notably, a version of the P320 was adopted by the U.S. Army in 2017 as the Modular Handgun System, designated as the M17 and M18. Loved for its reliability and performance, the P320 has built quite a reputation over the years.
But it’s not all smooth sailing. Despite its popularity, allegations of P320 “unintended discharges” have plagued the pistol’s reputation. Recently, the drama around these allegations has made SIG make a statement.
SIG’s Statement 2025: The P320 Allegations are Baseless
On March 7, 2025, SIG Sauer released an intensely worded statement titled “The Truth About the P320”, pushing back against accusations that their pistol is prone to unintentional discharges. The statement was uncompromising in its stance, saying flat-out, “The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull – that is a fact.”
According to SIG, these claims are baseless and come from what they call an “anti-gun mob” made up of trial attorneys, media members, and certain advocacy groups. They argue there’s no solid evidence, real data, or credible testing to back up these accusations. Instead, SIG accuses these groups of twisting cases of poor firearm handling into claims of a design flaw, all for personal or ideological reasons.
The company also highlighted that no court has ruled the P320 to be inherently unsafe, and several P320 lawsuits have been dismissed. SIG stressed that the P320 has undergone rigorous testing and is backed by a decade-long record of performance and reliability, both in the civilian market and within law enforcement and military agencies worldwide.
Origins of the Controversy: The SIG P320 Drop Issue, Solved
Concerns about the safety of the P320 first arose publicly in 2016 when a Michigan officer claimed his holstered P320 fired on its own. Things escalated in 2017 when reports started coming out about the P320 firing if it was dropped at a certain angle.
To address these concerns, SIG Sauer launched a Voluntary Upgrade Program, offering free modifications. The upgrades included making the trigger and slide physically lighter, which fixed the drop-fire problem.
Allegations and Recent P320 Lawsuits: SIG P320 Problems Persist?
Concerns about the SIG P320 haven’t gone away since the initial reports in 2017. Around 100 lawsuits have been filed against SIG Sauer, with claims about the P320 accidental discharges. Some of these cases have led to big payouts.
One notable case involved a gun owner from Georgia awarded $2.35 million after claiming his holstered P320 went off by itself. SIG Sauer planned to appeal, arguing the plaintiff, Mr. Lang, failed to prove the gun was defectively or negligently designed. The company stated Lang initially admitted to accidentally discharging the firearm while drawing it but later claimed it fired without a trigger pull. SIG also noted that the plaintiff’s own expert couldn’t prove the trigger was pulled without action or identify what caused it to fire. Despite SIG’s efforts, a federal judge in Atlanta recently upheld the jury’s verdict and denied SIG Sauer’s request for a new trial.
Another case against SIG recently ended with an $11 million judgment in favor of a U.S. Army veteran who claimed his P320 went off on its own. SIG Sauer has disputed this verdict as well, filing for a mistrial and preparing an appeal. According to SIG, the jury acknowledged the plaintiff’s negligence contributed to the accident, as the plaintiff admitted the trigger of his P320 was fully pulled with at least 7 pounds of force, so the gun performed as designed. The company also noted the plaintiff hadn’t trained with or fired the weapon in over a year since purchasing it.
This ongoing legal drama has spilled over into law enforcement. Some agencies are now restricting or outright banning the P320. For example, Washington State’s Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) permanently banned the P320 from its facilities. This decision followed an incident where a recruit’s P320 discharged without input at a firing range. No injuries were reported.
SIG Sauer’s Defense
Throughout the controversy, SIG Sauer has consistently maintained that the allegations against the P320 are unfounded. The company argues that the reports of P320 unintended discharges are due to improper handling or negligence, not the P320 design problem.
SIG underscores the extensive safety mechanisms built into the P320. These include:
- Safety Lock Lever that prevents the striker from moving forward without a trigger pull,
- Disconnector that ensures the firearm will not fire unless the slide is fully closed, and
- Secondary Sear Notch that acts as a failsafe to catch the striker if it slips off the primary sear.
If you want to learn more about how the P320 safeties work, read our post The SIG Sauer P320 Safety Concerns
SIG also highlights that the P320 has been adopted by military and law enforcement agencies around the world, including the U.S., Canadian, and Australian militaries, as evidence of its safety and reliability. They argue that extensive testing confirms the P320 cannot fire unless the trigger is intentionally pulled.
SIG’s March 2025 statement also mentioned plaintiffs’ attorneys, accusing them of spreading false narratives for financial gain. In this regard, we would like to remind you of a lawsuit SIG Sauer filed against attorney Jeffrey Bagnell (a participant of many SIG P320 lawsuits). The company claims that animations shared by Bagnell misrepresent the P320 safety mechanisms by showing loose fit parts, uneven surfaces, and incorrect designs that don’t match the actual gun. SIG also alleges that his law firm manipulates public perception, including moderating YouTube comments to remove negative feedback, to harm the company’s reputation. The SIG’s case against Bagnell is ongoing since 2022.
Final Thoughts
SIG’s bold defense of the P320 could mark a shift in SIG’s strategy, as the company adopts a more aggressive stance in court and public relations to protect its products and the wider firearms community.
The P320 remains a popular choice, known for its innovative modular design, exceptional performance, and dependability. If there’s one takeaway from this situation, it’s the importance of proper gun safety practices. Regularly inspect and clean your firearm, pick a high-quality holster, check it for wear, and always practice good trigger discipline. If you own a pre-2017 P320, take advantage of SIG’s free trigger upgrade program.
Also, owners of pre-2017 P320 models are encouraged to take advantage of SIG’s free voluntary trigger upgrade program.
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