SIG P320: The most dangerous handgun

[russ60477]

I had one go off in my holster in a drawer in my desk . I opened the drawer pretty quick it moved back but never hit and popped off a round.  I traded it in the next day.

My gut feeling is it was too light of a trigger in it. I did enjoy the gun and was soft shooting. But after that incident I could not trust it

[Euler]

On June 20, a federal jury in Georgia found SIG liable. (Lang v SIG Sauer) The case had been on-going since October 2021.

After the verdict, the defense asked the judge to determine the award (i.e., rather than allow the jury to decide). The judge awarded $2.3M to Lang.

[ealcala31]

I heard a rumor the judge was bought & paid-for by Glock. JK JK JK 😜 🤣 😆

[SiliconSorcerer]

I did every drop, spin, toss, etc on carpet and then concrete even threw it accross the street multiple times on side end over end basically beat the c..p out of it  I could not get it to drop on a round with just a primer.   Its a bit beat up but still works flawlessly, its a good firearm if it matches what you like but I gave it away to my son in law.   That boy will have to take some of my safes when I die and get a bigger house.  

I love sigs I just don't buy this c... that's why it was worth the money to test it myself. 

 

 

[davel501]

On 4/13/2023 at 5:43 PM, davel501 said:

The sig 320 was actually dangerous. I thought they fixed them all with the "voluntary recall" though so this seems like old news. The fact that they handled this so poorly is why I will probably never own a sig product.

 

This video was hilarious and eye opening, considering I have a Staccatto XC. I knew this was a thing but thought it would be harder to get it to go off.

 

 

[solareclipse2]

On 8/28/2024 at 10:11 AM, davel501 said:

I have a Staccatto XC. I knew this was a thing but thought it would be harder to get it to go off.

 

The 1911 and 2011 style pistols, even with a grip safety, I would never have assumed were drop safe for whatever reason. I do think it's interesting that having the safety lever on when they were dropped prevented it from firing. 

[Euler]

1911 (traditional design, pre-series 80) and 2011 (at least the ones that copy pre-series 80 designs) do not have firing pin safeties. The manual safety is a trigger safety only. Remember that the 1911 was adopted as a sidearm for officers in the cavalry ... in 1911 ... when cavalry officers rode horses.

That's why he Army adopted the standard practice of only carrying with an empty chamber, otherwise the firing pin would be bouncing up and down, striking a live round every gallop. ... And, of course, some people don't want those pesky, series 80 extras, like firing pin safeties, on God's (i.e., John Moses Browning's) sidearm.

I've taken my P320 apart many times. If anything, it has ridiculously redundant safeties. The striker design on the P320 should be considered revolutionary, except people who have never looked at it don't trust it because of the unjustified bad press.

[SiliconSorcerer]

On 8/28/2024 at 10:11 AM, davel501 said:

 

This video was hilarious and eye opening, considering I have a Staccatto XC. I knew this was a thing but thought it would be harder to get it to go off.

 

I'm glad you posted this I hadn't searched, I bought 3 365's but I really didn't want to test them because I actually wanted to keep them all for carry. 

I wish they didn't make the rose a "fruit" (don't want to be banned here) gun or I would have bought one of those as well, like the feature/looks but it's the girly version now. 

[davel501]

On 8/28/2024 at 4:26 PM, Euler said:

1911 (traditional design, pre-series 80) and 2011 (at least the ones that copy pre-series 80 designs) do not have firing pin safeties. The manual safety is a trigger safety only. Remember that the 1911 was adopted as a sidearm for officers in the cavalry ... in 1911 ... when cavalry officers rode horses.

That's why he Army adopted the standard practice of only carrying with an empty chamber, otherwise the firing pin would be bouncing up and down, striking a live round every gallop. ... And, of course, some people don't want those pesky, series 80 extras, like firing pin safeties, on God's (i.e., John Moses Browning's) sidearm.

I've taken my P320 apart many times. If anything, it has ridiculously redundant safeties. The striker design on the P320 should be considered revolutionary, except people who have never looked at it don't trust it because of the unjustified bad press.

 

It was justified. They had a recall. 

[Euler]

On August 28, 2024 at 05:41 PM CDT, davel501 said:→

It was justified. They had a recall.

The recall was for the trigger, not the striker. SIG also upgraded the trigger reset at the same time. Newer manufacture had those upgrades from the factory. None of the civil suits (and the press around them) involve the recalled components.

[Yeti]

On 8/28/2024 at 4:26 PM, Euler said:

Remember that the 1911 was adopted as a sidearm for officers in the cavalry ... in 1911 ... when cavalry officers rode horses.

I believe those originals had lanyard holes to try to keep them from hitting the ground.  A “practical” drop safety if on horseback!

[Euler]

Crime File News said:→

In a move that’s rocking the rank and file, the Chicago Police Department has abruptly banned the use of the once-trusted Sig/Sauer P320 pistol as an authorized duty weapon. The order came down swiftly, leaving thousands of officers scrambling. The official reason? Alarming reports that the weapon can fire without the trigger being pulled.
...

I haven't seen any confirmation of the report. In his comment section, the blogger just claims that he's the first to report it, before even any official announcement.

[Euler]

In other news:

On June 22, 2024 at 08:18 PM CDT, Euler said:→

On June 20, a federal jury in Georgia found SIG liable. (Lang v SIG Sauer) The case had been on-going since October 2021.

After the verdict, the defense asked the judge to determine the award (i.e., rather than allow the jury to decide). The judge awarded $2.3M to Lang.

On March 7, SIG and Lang cross-appealed to the 11th Circuit.

On March 13, the 11th Circuit assigned docket 25-10810.

[thepointbeing]

Chicago Police Dept. will very soon ban from official use the P320 as a prescribed and alternate-prescribed weapon. Ouch!

[davel501]

On 4/15/2025 at 1:25 PM, thepointbeing said:

Chicago Police Dept. will very soon ban from official use the P320 as a prescribed and alternate-prescribed weapon. Ouch!

 

Oh man, an extra qual. Cops are going to be p***** they have to make an extra trip to the range and clean their gun another time this year. 

[2A4Cook]

If I understand it correctly, the issue is that the gun is pre-cocked, and the sear can fail if it was molded badly where just a little jostling can release it and let the firing pin move forward.  MIM blows.  That said, I've owned several, swapped the fcu's between different frames, carried them, and never had an issue.  I still have one.

[ScottFM]

Another report from King5 in Seattle

 

 

[Euler]

On April 16, 2025 at 07:09 PM CDT, 2A4Cook said:→

If I understand it correctly, the issue is that the gun is pre-cocked, and the sear can fail if it was molded badly where just a little jostling can release it and let the firing pin move forward. ...

That's not true. There's a safety on the striker, similar to a firing pin safety in a hammer-fired pistol, that doesn't release unless the trigger is pulled. It's the part labeled "6" below.

[davel501]

Gray guns jumping in on the discharge in TN over the weekend. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIjN5p4tLk9/?igsh=dnpkaGoyOHlidXo3

 

[davel501]

 

[ScottFM]

Report from North Carolina. It does reference some of the Washington State actions. 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2025 at 08:49 PM by ScottFM

[Tkman]

On 5/11/2025 at 3:49 PM, ScottFM said:

Report from North Carolina. It does reference some of the Washington State actions. 

 

 

They aren’t doing themselves any favors

[45b]

I have had a lot of experience with the Sig Sauer P320 in the M17 and M18 versions, owning both myself and having used

them in both the military and in civilian competition. I retired at age 60 in 2024 after having been the Platoon Sergeant

and Inspector in the Armament Platoon of Illinois Army National Guard and supervising many weapons inspections and range use

of these and many other firearms both here and overseas for over 20 years. It may be because of the manual external

safeties that I have not witnessed any problems, but that is why I own the firearms with external safeties.

I have had several of the P320 series in my concealed carry classes and civilian competitions as well, and have not 

personally witnessed any problems with them to date. If I do witness a problem, I will investigate it at that time.

Good luck and stay safe.

[SiliconSorcerer]

Il be watching for a "fire" sale on these I don't have one. Several of the cops I know carry these and I highly doubt they will part with them. 

[Dumak_from_arfcom]

Apparently the issue has been discovered.  Gray Guns can replicate the issue. 

 

In an unknown number of 9mm P320s, the takedown lever is the incorrect part.  The 10mm/45ACP takedown lever was used. 

 

This, combined with improperly placing the slide on to the frame can result in minimal sear/striker contact and make the gun prone to an uncommanded discharge. 

 

To properly attach the slide to the frame the slide needs to be pulled all the way back and the slide stop engaged. Then the takedown lever rotated upward and the slide stop disengaged.  If one pulls the slide back, and then rotates the takedown lever without first engaging the slide lock, it causes the sear to not go fully into position.  

 

At least, that is how I understand the issue.   Link to video from Gray Guns:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKP_3hkz9jN/

 

 

 

[ealcala31]

CPD is getting rid of the P320s soon, replacing them with P365XLs. Wondering what the secondary market is going to price these at, and if the consumer market is really as concerned about uncommanded discharges on secondary market pricing.

[Euler]

On May 31, 2025 at 06:07 PM CDT, Dumak_from_arfcom said:→

...
At least, that is how I understand the issue. Link to video from Gray Guns:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKP_3hkz9jN/

The video Gray Guns references is this one on YouTube. (requires login)

I'll summarize/explain the videos. I'm not sure they did a good job themselves.

To have a truly accidental discharge (firearm malfunction), 3 things have to go wrong.

1. The striker safety (part #6 in my previous post) must be defective or the striker safety spring (part #5) must be damaged or missing.
2. A 10mm/45acp FCU (with the associated takedown lever bar) must be installed in a 9mm/40s&w/357sig grip.
3. The firearm must be reassembled from field strip without activating the slide lock.

The P320 has numerous safety features to try to make the firearm idiot-proof.

As I posted previously, the striker safety prevents strikes if the trigger is not pulled, just like a firing pin safety on a hammer-fired pistol. (FWIW my understanding is that the striker safety is stamped, not MIM'ed, and that no striker safety has been found to be defective in any "spontaneous discharge" events.)

The P320 ordinarily prevents magazine insertion if the firearm is not assembled correctly. Part of reassembling the firearm correctly requires locking the slide back, not just holding the slide back, while returning the takedown lever to the assembled position. However, 10mm and 45acp magazines are larger than 9mm, 40 S&W, and 357 SIG magazines, so a takedown lever bar that blocks the larger 10mm/45acp magazine could allow the smaller 9mm/40s&W/357sig magazine to be inserted.

The 320 is also designed to prevent sear engagement if the slide lock is not engaged while returning the takedown lever to the assembled position. However, possibly due to engineering tolerances, sometimes the sear might engage, anyway, but only marginally. Marginal engagement could allow spontaneous release.

IMO: SIG tried to make the P320 idiot-proof, but (if this reason is why firearms are apparently malfunctioning) humanity rose to the challenge.

Edited June 2, 2025 at 05:48 AM by Euler