I want to start this article with being upfront about the goals of this piece. Before anything is taken into consideration here, it is important to understand that much of what is discussed has not been proven (with absolute conviction) in court or via official statements from Sig Sauer. Additionally I think the discussed problem has largely been solved in newer models, in my opinion. Albeit, I found issue with the overall design. In short, we are trying to do the following:
To help you better navigate, click any of the following categories to jump ahead!
Editor’s note: To comprehensively cover the history of SIG P320 would require a much, much longer article. With the topic being the Uncommanded Discharge and the P320, this is like the Sparknotes of the P320’s history, as it is not the main topic here. We encourage you to read up on the P250 and the P320, as they are two of the biggest parts of SIG’s presence in the 21st century.
To talk about the P320, we first need to cover the SIG P250. The P250 was SIG’s new pistol of the late 2000’s. It had a modular polymer frame, and used an FCU chassis system. Rather than the frame being a serialized part (and the transferable firearm), this chassis was that. SIG touted the ability to change the size of the grip, the slide, and the caliber via the FCU system. However, it was a double action only hammer fired pistol. The P250 was designed for the civilian market, and for law enforce & military sales. If you wanted to think about it in simple terms, the P250 is the proto-P320. The guns use the same frame modules, same magazines, a very similar FCU, and look very similar. The P250 hit the market in 2007, and was produced until 2017, being phased out by the new P320.
The SIG P320 hit the consumer shelves in 2014, and there was a fair bit of media buzz. It struck immediate interest, as this was Sig’s first striker fired pistol. SIG was late to the party for making a striker pistol, as Glock, S&W, and FN had guns out for a long time prior to 2014. Much like the P250, the modular FCU was a big selling point in the early days of the P320. Users could swap the frames, slides, and the caliber very easily. While there was this media buzz, early sales were slow. The P320 sold reasonably well in the civilian and law enforcement markets, but it wasn’t until the US Army adoption that it gained widespread popularity.
In 2015, the US Army started soliciting for their upcoming XM17 Modular Handgun System (MHS) competition. The Army wanted to replace the aging Beretta M9 handguns with something newer, with a modern set of features. The Army had a variety of submissions from Sig Sauer, Glock, Beretta, FN, S&W, and more. However it ultimately came down to the Sig Sauer P320 MHS Vs the Glock 17 MHS & 19 MHS.
Sig ended up winning the contract after aggressively underbidding all of its competitors. The SIG contract was worth approximately $580 Million for 500,000 handguns (roughly $200-250 per pistol). It’s speculated Glock’s bid came to approximately $320 a gun, but their other barring factor was the lack of modularity with the FCU that the P320 came with. With winning the contract, the SIG M17 (full size) and M18 (full frame and medium slide) would start to be delivered to the US Army.
There are a few things about the military models submitted for this trial people seem to miss or don’t understand:
Glock 17 MHS/19 MHS: Many say the Glock wasn’t considered due to the lack of a manual safety. This is just wrong, as the military contract submissions included a manual safety.
Sig P320 MHS: Throughout the trials the 320 variants came with a safety dingus on the trigger, similar to Glock’s standard trigger. Last second (without nearly as much testing), they decided to remove it because soldiers preferred the curved smooth trigger. The trigger dingus safety was deemed unnecessary, due to it being drop safe with the striker block & striker disconnect. (My Reaction Reading This).
The MHS trials caused the P320 to become a hot seller for law enforcement agencies almost overnight. Some of the largest departments in the US (such as the Texas Department of Public Safety) adopted it shortly after the MHS trials. This was largely due for the same reasons as the military. It was cost effective, modular, ambidextrous, and was fairly easy to shoot. I think it is due to this wide-spread popularity that we began seeing (what we now call) “uncommanded discharge” videos popping up. Initially, it was written off as either operator error or gear malfunctions that caused these one-off events. However, after continued claims about the safety issues, many departments have decided to shelve the P320 purely out of precaution. As the years pass, more and more departments are ditching the P320.
Investigations have revealed that over 100 individuals have reported unintentional discharges of the P320, with at least 80 injuries documented. In the same time period, Glock has had 2 notable incidents. One being in West Carlton, Ohio where an officer’s safety pin became dislodged and caused the gun to fire upon being holstered. The other being due to the officer’s use of a minimalist clip in Pickens County, Georgia. Why are the same officers struggling with the P320 where they weren’t before?
It has nearly become inarguable that there might be an issue with the P320. Specifically, an issue that isn’t operator or gear related. After the first few videos, I felt it was easy to write off each incident as user or gear issue, combined with the light trigger pull of the gun. However, I am now beginning to feel there is more to this problem. I’ve put together a comprehensive archive of what I feel are the most notable incidents.
I’ve lumped military and law enforcement incidents into a singular tab. In some cases, while the incident was better and more frequently documented, they did not always provide supporting video to the public.
While I think video evidence is important in corroborating reports, its important to remember that it’s not the only evidence. You have a countless number of incident witnesses, with no influence to say one way or the other. The important thing here is risk mitigation. With the large number of valid reported incidents, we need to take them into account when making our own decisions. There is plenty of video I did not include here. One recent incident involving a military exercise with a serpa holster. I didn’t feel the need to include things without detailed accounts or entities to hold accountable for their report.
Fort Eustis, Virginia (February 8, 2023): A military police sergeant was injured when his holstered P320 discharged after making contact with another soldier’s holster. The incident resulted in a gunshot wound to the sergeant’s ankle.
Concord Monitor
Amman, Jordan (June 17, 2023): An Army soldier was wounded inside a guard shack when his holstered P320 discharged without any apparent trigger engagement.
NPR
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri: An incident occurred where a soldier’s P320 discharged during routine handling, leading to injury. Specific details about the circumstances are limited due to redacted military documents.
Fort Polk, Louisiana: A soldier experienced an unintentional discharge of his P320 during a training exercise, resulting in injury. Further details are not publicly available.
Okinawa, Japan: A Marine Corps security guard’s P320 discharged inside a guard booth. Surveillance footage confirmed that the weapon fired despite the safety being engaged and without any mishandling.
US Air Force: While specific incidents involving the U.S. Air Force have been mentioned in reports, detailed information is limited due to redacted military documents. However, it’s noted that between September 2020 and June 2023, at least nine unintentional discharge incidents involving the P320 were documented across various military bases, including those operated by the Air Force.
Canadian Special Forces: During a training exercise, a JTF-2 member sustained a minor leg injury when his holstered Sig Sauer P320 discharged unexpectedly. The soldier was treated and returned to duty the same day. It is important to note in this incident specifically, the investigation found the operator to be using an issue P226 holster not designed for the firearm and that it possibly allowed a foreign object to depress the trigger. Even though they temporarily withdrew the P320s from service, in 2022 they awarded a contract for the C22 full-frame modular pistol, a variant of the P320.
Militaries Using the P320 With 0 Publicly Reported Incidents: Germany (Bundeswehr- Citizens Defense Force), France, Australia, Norway, Israel, India, Switzerland, UK Armed Forces (not officially adopted by the UK military)
A reputable competitive shooter, Gunghis released a two part video series on his X5 P320 experience. With having a solid background in the firearm world and good reputation as a content creator, it would be very hard to imagine this is any sort of “cash grab” or “ploy for attention”. Some naysayers claim that it is, but I do think that it is honest, earnest reporting on a safety issue. Most others see this as confirmation bias for an already known issue.
Achilles Heel Tactical (AHT) has had one of the most recent incident videos semi-caught on camera. This is one of those its important to take the eye witness accounts and not JUST what we can see. This video shows a few important things, even if we do not directly see the P320 going off.
First off, many got upset with the Rick (the AHT instructor in the video) for his reaction. I think he handled himself and the range exactly as he should have. After the P320 went off, Rick approached the student, and was able to see that the student was uninjured. Rick had the other nearby students give him a little space, and had the P320 student remove the gun from the holster. The student unloaded it, and Rick removed the gun from the range. The class then went in to safety assessment and after action report mode with the RSOs, to discuss what happened. It’s fortunate that no one was injured, but the chances of injury were certainly present.
The “uncommanded discharge” issue has presented itself so many times the instructor was able to call out the gun immediately with several people blocking view. I don’t blame him one bit for banning the gun from his range as it only takes ONE life changing mistake to ruin someone’s life, and not just their day. The risk of a P320 is also not just on the user of it. Everyone at the class was at-risk with a P320 on the line, even when safely holstered.
While descending stairs at his home, Abrahams’ holstered P320, which was zipped inside his pants pocket, discharged without his hand touching it. The bullet struck his right thigh, causing severe injuries. In November 2024, a Philadelphia jury awarded $11 million in damages to Abrahams. The jury found that Sig Sauer’s design of the P320 was defective. They also found SIG to be negligent in selling the firearm, and that it showed reckless indifference to safety.
Following the November 2024 jury award of $11 million in damages (comprising $1 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages), Sig Sauer filed a motion for a mistrial. The company argued that the jury’s decision was “unsupported by and contrary to the evidence presented” during the trial. Sig Sauer contends that the P320 is a safe and reliable firearm. SIG cites its widespread adoption by military and law enforcement agencies worldwide as evidence of a safe pistol. The company has also indicated its intention to appeal the verdict on multiple grounds.
Roman Neshin, October 2024: While at home, Neshin’s holstered Sig Sauer P320 discharged unexpectedly, firing a bullet into his right groin. The bullet severed his femoral artery, causing massive bleeding. Despite attempts to apply a tourniquet, he succumbed to his injuries. In December 2024, Neshin’s widow filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Sig Sauer, alleging that the P320’s design defect made it unreasonably susceptible to unintentional discharge. The lawsuit claims that Sig Sauer was aware of the defect, but continued to sell the firearm without adequate safety measures.
Bevacqua et al, March 2023: A group of 20 individuals (including federal agents, police officers, and civilians), filed a lawsuit against Sig Sauer for injuries they sustained due to unintentional firings of their P320 pistols. These included incidents where the firearms discharged without the trigger being pulled, often in holstered positions.
David Cole, July 2023: David Cole, a Maine Deputy, was injured when his Sig Sauer P320 discharged unintentionally while he was walking through a building. The gun was holstered and the trigger was not pulled, leading to a gunshot wound that resulted in injury.
Howard Northrop, July 2021: Howard Robert Northrop, a Tampa Police Officer, was injured when his holstered Sig Sauer P320 discharged unexpectedly. The discharge occurred while he was inside a building and resulted in significant injury.
Ortiz, September 2019: an Arizona law enforcement officer, filed a class action lawsuit claiming that the Sig Sauer P320 was defectively designed, particularly with regard to its drop safety. Ortiz alleged that the pistol was prone to firing if dropped, even without the trigger being pulled.
Hartley et al, April 2018: A class action lawsuit was filed against Sig Sauer, claiming that the P320 was defectively designed. The lawsuit claimed that the company’s advertisements did not properly disclose risks associated with the firearm’s potential for unintentional discharge, especially when dropped. The case was settled in February 2020, with Sig Sauer agreeing to a voluntary upgrade program for affected P320 owners. Sig Sauer reportedly offered to replace or upgrade the safety mechanisms of the guns involved
Founder and President of Grayguns, (manufacturer of aftermarket parts for the P320), Bruce has been quite outspoken since the initial rumors. Gray and company believe the P320 to be a safe platform, which requires the trigger to be pulled for the gun to fire. However, they are doing a more “exhaustive mechanical inspection” before a P320 from Grayguns enters the hands of the customer.
Sig Sauer has remained consistent on their stance that the P320 can not be fired without pulling the trigger. Additionally, they have highlighted the number of dismissed cases & incidents where claims were made, but found to be false or improvable.
Anyone continuing to carry the P320 should at least take the time to perform a few function checks for safety. The last thing you want is a handgun with a mind of its own, especially when it’s pointed at you. I’ll reiterate that I think it is difficult to make any absolute claims that there is an inherent issue with all P320s. However, YOURS should still pass the bare minimum safety requirements to not fire unintended. Check out the videos provided by other creators in the community attempting to diagnose and comment on this issue.
Main things we are looking for:
Many pointed out in my original video linked here, that you can perform the Two P320s In A Trench Coat function check with the barrel assembled and an empty primed casing inside.Some recommend putting a pencil down your barrel, and if it shoots out or moves, the striker hit it. However, I think this is a poor thing to do, and recommend using a primed case. We are measuring any overtravel of the striker, not just a complete slippage. Even a light primer strike would be considered unacceptable without trigger engagement. With a primed case, we’d absolutely know if we had any amount of striker movement.
Two P320s In a Trench Coat brought his recent function test to my attention. This spurred me to check not only my X5 P320, but every P320 I could get my hands on. I am keenly interested in anyone else who manages to get their P320 striker to slip the block. We would love for anyone with a video to submit it to us for review! Keep in mind that the point of this function test is not to see if we can discharge the striker with a certain amount of force, but to intentionally release it without a trigger pull to see if the striker block catches it properly.
Again, these problems are speculated based on the reported incidents and demonstrations above combined with additional expert research. I believe there is a main reason each of these incidents are difficult to corroborate with each other. I think that there are many potential problems going on, and each could lead to an inconsistent engagement of the safety mechanisms.
We are going to separate these issues into two main categories: Pre-Upgrade Problems and Long Term Design Concerns. For transparency purposes, (because some of these concerns feel less proven than the others), I want to leave a counter argument spot open for each bullet point. I will accumulate the responses from our server & public posts that are plausible counter-claims. Within 7-14 days of the release of this article, we’ll have them shared here.
Drop Safety Concerns: The original model could fire when dropped at specific angles. SIG somewhat acknowledged this with its 2017 Voluntary Upgrade Program, which replaced the trigger, sear, and striker components. Even after the upgrade, some claim the striker design remains prone to failure under specific mechanical shock conditions.
Heavy Trigger Shoe: The P320 originally had a relatively heavy and rigid trigger with no built-in safety tab. This could lead to increased risk of discharge under stress, gear contact, or deformation.
Striker Block Design: Pre-upgrade P320 models used a non-articulating striker safety that relied on spring pressure and internal geometry, rather than a strong mechanical block. The striker block, trigger bar, and sear must all be perfectly timed to ensure the block lifts only when the trigger is pulled. If there’s any flex in the FCU or frame, that geometry might shift slightly, allowing the striker block to move unintentionally.
Counter Arguments: Bruce Gray, President and Founder of Gray Manufacturing, made a statement pre-upgrade program and public video that all P320s were drop safe.
UPDATE COMING 9 MAY 2025
Holster Interaction: Some lawsuits and independent testers have suggested the P320 can discharge while being holstered or unholstered—without anything pressing the trigger. Certain rigid duty holsters (e.g., Safariland with retention tabs) may create pressure against the slide or FCU. This could potentially interact with the internals in unpredictable ways. I think this is important to note as while there are certainly incidents that include trash holsters such as the Blackhawk Serpa, there are reputable holsters exhibiting the same issue.
Lack of Trigger Safety: The P320 does not feature a trigger-mounted safety blade, like those found on Glocks. Critics argue this made the pistol more vulnerable to discharges from jostling or internal sear bounce, especially when dropped or bumped. Agency Arms sells a P320 trigger with a Glock-style safety on it, which is an aftermarket solution.
Internal Striker Vulnerability: The P320 uses a striker-fired mechanism with a partially-cocked striker. Some experts suggest the striker & sear interface may not have sufficient engagement to guarantee sear retention in all conditions. There are allegations that inertial forces can cause the striker to move forward and strike the primer, particularly when the firearm is jarred or dropped.
Tolerance Stacking & Manufacturing Variance: Reports suggest some components (like the striker foot or sear housing) may be machined at looser tolerances, allowing movement under pressure or flex. This could result in striker-to-sear disengagement without actual trigger movement.
FCU Flex: The P320’s modular FCU is housed in a stainless steel chassis that can flex slightly under stress. Some theorize that torque, pressure, or even holster tension could cause slight deformation. This possibly could be enough to trip the striker under very rare conditions.
Hesitation Reset Theory: Some users and armorers have reported a strange condition where the P320’s trigger appears to “hang” or momentarily reset mid-cycle. This could lead to an unexpected discharge if the trigger bar returns too suddenly. This theory is not widely confirmed but has been included in some expert analyses.
This last one hits especially home for me. The ONE malfunction I have had with my X5 P320 got diagnosed immediately as a hangfire round. I was not aware other users had experienced a similar tactile experience with their trigger as when my “hangfire” occurred. I did feel the trigger click and reset in an odd manner, but I had no relevant information to connect that experience to. The malfunction occurred while shooting 124GR Federal 9mm. This malfunction was the ONLY malfunction out of 1000 rounds shipped in the same batch.
A big issue I still have is the mishmash of OEM parts on the P320. There are some pistols in circulation that were either not upgraded via the 2017 Voluntary Program, or have mixed parts from before and after the design change. This makes diagnosis and consistency harder, especially for law enforcement and civilian carriers.
Counter Arguments: UPDATE COMING 9 MAY 2025
“This will include an alternate design that reduces the physical weight of the trigger, sear, and striker while additionally adding a mechanical disconnector.”
– Sig Sauer
This to me sounds like a mandatory recall issue rather than an upgrade, but none the less, check your P320. Having this upgrade done will not guarantee you a safe P320. However, the weight reduction of the trigger will undoubtedly make it more drop safe. The lighter triggers have less inertia when dropped, which was one of the major issues of the pre-upgrade heavy triggers.
Additionally, Sig has changed their P320 safety manuals to include the verbiage that you should not carry one in the chamber per safety standards.
I think it is important to clarify where I stand with Sig Sauer as a brand given, I am going to be presenting some rather controversial claims. I currently own two Sig Sauer handguns, being the P320 X5 Legion and the P365 (.380). Both of these firearms hold my admiration, and for different reasons.
I’ve exclusively shot the X5 for both USPSA and PCSL competitions for the last 14-16 months. During that time, I’ve easily shot over 10,000 rounds through it, if not significantly more. I had some issues with the holes in the optic cut, as they cut directly into the guts of the slide. A little too much loctite on the screws, and the gun can have some problems (as I found out). It’s not the best design, but using a little less threadlocker solved my issues.
I did initially have an issue with my P365 not returning to battery consistently, until I accidentally squibbed it (whoops). SIG promptly addressed the issue, and replaced the slide and barrel, all on their dime (including shipping). They informed me to stick to my standard ammo, and just shoot 300 rounds to break it. That part felt silly at the time. Give or take 350 rounds later, and it ran like butter. For the last 2 years, the 365 has been my primary carry pistol. I’ve been recovering from an abdominal injury, and the P365 has been a breeze to carry due to its combination of light weight, the slim form, and reliability.
It was only a few years ago when Peter pulled me out of the Range Bay. I was dumping mags, but he wanted to introduce me to the world of competition shooting. I fell in love immediately and with set out to find the right competition pistol. With the help of Lucas Duyck, (of The Firearm Blog), I found my way to the X5. To clarify, he gave me this chart and thought I would choose something other than the one gun he wouldn’t recommend (the P320). Hey, but here we are!
Immediately, I was in love with how the weight balanced in my hand, how crisp the trigger was, and how flat it shot. To be fair, at the time, I had no reference point for competition pistols, but the gun felt good! I continued to shoot it for the majority of 2024, with only a 2-3 month gap.
Yes! It’s safe to say my P320 has passed the proposed safety checks. Mine cannot slip the striker safety block, and I’ve dried to make it do so. I am still concerned with the striker safety design in the P320 as a whole. I’d like to see it addressed in more depth later on. I felt the need to clarify this, as there was confusion on my initial post & video regarding function checking my P320.
That being said, in the process of looking into uncommanded discharges, I found a reasonable suspicion that my hangfire round may have not been an ammunition related issue. Additionally there is possibly a flaw with the design of the X5 barrels. There are several reported incidents of grips exploding in the shooter’s hands, likely due to an out of battery detonation from poor barrel lockup. Ben Stoeger talks a bit about this, and found the KKM barrel replacement to have better lockup, resulting in better reliability and better accuracy. Editor’s note: I’ve used the KKM barrels for a long time, and they’re the real deal. They’ll make nearly any pistol pattern tighter and have a more reliable lockup.
I am looking for older P320s of all models. I want to see if there is a correlation in the original design & older trigger bar parts between the old guns, and the new ones. If you have one, join our Discord Server and contact me directly!
We absolutely want to provide the most helpful and up to date information possible when it this topic. If you have any data points that you’d like to send us, please shoot us an email or directly contact an administrator via our Discord server.
I am super thankful for everyone who helped provide information or resources for this topic! I don’t want there to be any confusion with the purpose of this article. While our brand may benefit from the exposure of this “hot” topic, the only concern is the safety of everyone in the broader firearm community. SIG has produced many great firearm with reputations that have stood for decades, such as the P226. I just think its important we call “balls and strikes” with issues like this. I’d like to see a resolution that ensures all P320s on the market are either safe, or have an active push to recall off the streets.
If you currently own a P320, please use the provided links to check your serial number for the voluntary upgrade. While I don’t believe this addresses everything, it is a great start for not stacking additional potential issues.
The P320 is a beautiful piece, but that doesn’t make it worth risking your life over (this is great relationship advice too).
-Adjacent Ace
One Response
“Militaries Using the P320 With 0 Publicly Reported Incidents: Germany (Bundeswehr- Citizens Defense Force), France, Australia, Norway, Israel, India, Switzerland, UK Armed Forces (not officially adopted by the UK military)”
–>> The Swiss Army does not use the SIG P320. They still have the SIG P220, named the P75, introduced in 1975. Today, some small units use the Glock 17. However, there is an evaluation ongoing, and as far as I know, SIG P320 is an option.