This post will continue to be edited with updates based on verified information. We have numerous reports that cannot be verified and we will not be part of the hearsay by publishing them.
UPDATED 8/08/17: Sig Sauer Issues Voluntary Upgrade of P320 Pistol
The P320 meets U.S. standards for safety, including the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) / Sporting Arms Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, Inc. (SAAMI®), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), as well as rigorous testing protocols for global military and law enforcement agencies.
The design of the SIG SAUER P320 overcomes the most significant safety concern in striker-fired pistols today: the practice of pressing the trigger for disassembly. This can be performed with a round in the chamber which has resulted in numerous incidents of property damage, physical injury, and death. The disassembly process of the P320, however, uses a take-down lever rather than pressing the trigger, eliminating the possibility of discharge during the disassembly process.
Recent events indicate that dropping the P320 beyond U.S. standards for safety may cause an unintentional discharge.
As a result of input from law enforcement, government and military customers, SIG has developed a number of enhancements in function, reliability, and overall safety including drop performance. SIG SAUER is offering these enhancements to its customers. Details of this program will be available at sigsauer.com on Monday, August 14, 2017.
The M17 variant of the P320, selected by the U.S. government as the U.S. Army’s Modular Handgun System (MHS), is not affected by the Voluntary Upgrade.
“SIG SAUER is committed to our approach on innovation, optimization, and performance, ensuring we produce the finest possible products,” said Ron Cohen, President and CEO of SIG SAUER. “Durability, reliability and safety, as well as end-user confidence in the SIG SAUER brand are the priorities for our team.”
For more information on SIG SAUER, please visit us at sigsauer.com
PR Contact:
Jordan Hunter
SIG SAUER, Inc.
603-610-3293
[email protected]
UPDATED 8/05/17: Sig Sauer has released the following statement.
“In response to social media rumors questioning the safety of the P320 pistol, a variant of which was selected by the U.S. government as the U.S. Army’s Modular Handgun System (MHS), Sig Sauer, Inc. has full confidence in the reliability, durability and safety of its striker-fired handgun platform. There have been zero (0) reported drop-related P320 incidents in the U.S. commercial market, with hundreds of thousands of guns delivered to date.
The P320 meets and exceeds all U.S. standards for safety, including the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, Inc. (SAAMI), as well as rigorous testing protocols for global military and law enforcement agencies.
All Sig Sauer pistols incorporate effective mechanical safeties to ensure they only fire when the trigger is pressed. However, like any mechanical device, exposure to acute conditions (e.g. shock, vibration, heavy or repeated drops) may have a negative effect on these safety mechanisms and cause them to not work as designed. This language is common to owner’s manuals of major handgun manufacturers.
As a result, individual attempts to perform drop tests outside of professionally controlled environments should not be attempted.
“Sig Sauer is committed to producing only the finest products,” said Ron Cohen, President and CEO of Sig Sauer. “Safety and reliability have been and always will be paramount to the Sig Sauer brand.”
UPDATED 8/03/17: Dallas Police Department released the following statement to The firearm Blog.
“The Dallas Police Department still issues the Sig Sauer P226 handgun, but did authorize officers to purchase the Sig Sauer P320 handgun for duty use. We have not currently had any issues with the Sig Sauer P320 handgun. The use of the Sig Sauer P320 handgun has been temporarily suspended due to safety precautions. The departmental Firearms Training Center staff is currently working with Sig Sauer to ensure the safety precautions are addressed.” Public Information Officer Melinda Gutierrez
“The department was notified that Sig Sauer identified a defect in the P320 handgun that could cause the weapon system to go off when dropped. Please check with Sig Sauer for more information about the defect.” Sr. Cpl. Debra Webb
UPDATED 8/02/17: Dallas PD Public Information Officer stated “there hasn’t been a report of an accidental discharge as a result of the defect.”
We asked if there was an accidental discharge that resulted in the discovery of the defect, but wasn’t caused by the defect.
The reply to this question by the DPD Public Information Officer was “We have no additional information other than what we have previously provided.”
Other blogs are reporting that Sig will likely make a statement on the situation soon. While the evidence we have points to a drop safety issue, we are anxiously waiting for the details to be presented from Sig and DPD to help us understand what this “defect” is.
8/01/17: Modern firearms are not supposed to fire when dropped. However according to a reliable source within The Dallas PD a Sig Sauer P320 had discharged after being dropped. This lead to a temporary removal from the approved carry list. Below is the statement from the Dallas PD.
“Sig Sauer has identified that there is a defect in the P320 handgun that could cause the weapon system to go off when dropped. The Sig Sauer P320 was approved for primary duty, secondary primary duty, and back-up use. The Firearms Training Center is currently working with Sig Sauer to obtain a solution for the safety issue. Until Sig Sauer is able to find a solution to the safety issue, the Sig Sauer P320 is no longer approved by the Dallas Police Department for any use. Those officers that currently have a Sig Sauer P320 as a primary duty weapon will have the following two options:
Option 1 – Go to the Firearms Training Center on Monday, July 31st , during business hours, to be issued a city Sig Sauer P226 and qualify with that weapon.
Option 2 – Purchase another city approved weapon and respond to the Range on Monday, July 31st , during business hours, to qualify with that weapon.
Until getting another weapon and qualifying, officers need to practice increased safety with these weapon systems. The Firearms Training Center staff is working diligently with Sig Sauer to obtain a solution and will keep officers informed of the status.”
While many manuals read similerly, the Sig P320 manual warns of this defect. You can see it in the digital copy here.
We are not speculating that the manual is the reason DPD has removed the firearm from service.
Earlier this year Sig Sauer was awarded with the Army’s MHS contract. The Modular Handgun System program was looking for a new service weapon to replace the existing Beretta M9 service weapon.
SIG SAUER, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Army has selected the SIG SAUER Model P320 to replace the M9 service pistol currently in use since the mid-1980’s. Released in 2014, the P320 is a polymer striker-fired pistol that has proven itself in both the United States and worldwide markets. The P320 is the first modular pistol with interchangeable grip modules that can also be adjusted in frame size and caliber by the operator. All pistols will be produced at the SIG SAUER facilities in New Hampshire.
The MHS Program provides for the delivery of both full size and compact P320’s, over a period of ten (10) years. All pistols will be configurable to receive suppressors and will also include both standard and extended capacity magazines.
“I am tremendously proud of the Modular Handgun System Team,” said Army Acquisition Executive, Steffanie Easter in the release. “By maximizing full and open competition across our industry partners, we truly have optimized the private sector advancements in handguns, ammunition and magazines and the end result will ensure a decidedly superior weapon system for our warfighters.”
Ron Cohen, President and CEO of SIG SAUER, said “We are both humbled and proud that the P320 was selected by the U.S. Army as its weapon of choice. Securing this contract is a testimony to SIG SAUER employees and their commitment to innovation, quality and manufacturing the most reliable firearms in the world.”
A large LE agency such as DP removing a handgun from service is not a small matter that should be ignored. A large amount of people carry the P320 and need to be aware if there is an issue with the firearm discharging when droped.
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