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- The P320 is turning out to be one of the biggest successes for SIG in every conceivable market. It may yet benefit from an upgrade.
(Photo: GunsAmerica)
SIG Sauer is issuing a voluntary upgrade package for their popular line of P320 striker-fired service pistols to improve their reliability and safety. The P320 is one of the most prominent next-generation polymer pistols. The U.S. military just selected the P320 to replace the bulk of Beretta M9 pistols in service today.
Recent testing shows that unfortunately, “dropping the P320 beyond U.S. standards for safety may cause an unintentional discharge.” This particular issue does not affect the M17, the P320 going into service with the Army and Air Force as a part of the Modular Handgun System (MHS) program.
The SIG P320 is one of the pistols most tested to see service today. “The P320 meets U.S. standards for safety, including the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Sporting Arms Ammunition Manufacturing Institute (SAAMI), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) as well as rigorous testing protocols for global military and law enforcement agencies,” said SIG in a release.
The P320 has been in use publicly and privately for years. It’s only been in recent tests where people have been able to produce conditions where the pistols may discharge when dropped.
“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,” highlights the release. “SIG Sauer is offering these enhancements to its customers.”
SIG will update their website on August 14 for P320 owners with all the details about the upgrade.
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“SIG Sauer is committed to our approach on innovation, optimization and performance, ensuring we produce the finest possible products,” said SIG CEO and president Ron Cohen. “Durability, reliability and safety, as well as end-user confidence in the SIG Sauer brand are the priorities of our team.”
SIG maintains that even with this issue the P320 is the safest striker-fired pistol on the market. Of all of the accidental and negligent discharges, by far the most common is during disassembly. Most striker-fired pistols require the user to pull the trigger for cleaning and maintenance.
The P320 employs a different kind of take-down system that disengages the trigger from the striker without pulling the trigger. That alone makes the gun safer to use, especially for military and departmental use.
Still, the current problem with the P320 is clear. When dropped at just the right angle — or wrong, in this case — the trigger may have enough inertia to trip the striker without a human pulling it.
Like many upgrades or recalls, the nature of this problem is not insignificant. If you are a P320 owner you should absolutely get in touch with SIG about their fix next Monday.
SIG has not released details of their upgrade options. It could be as simple as a lightweight polymer trigger that doesn’t have the mass to fire when dropped.
In any case it’s clear that SIG is getting behind this issue as quickly as possible.