Sig P320 CompactWhat Happened?
Since winning the US Army’s modular handgun contract the Sig P320 has been a huge seller both with police and retail buyers. Last week, a Connecticut police officer filed a lawsuit against Sig Sauer after he was injured when his dropped, holstered P320 discharged when it hit the ground. Several online sources have demonstrated a P320 discharging when dropped in a particular way.
Sig Sauer states, “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” this week in a press release.
(https://www.sigsauer.com/press-releases/sig-sauer-issues-voluntary-upgrade-p320-pistol/).
They go on: “Recent events indicate that dropping the P320 beyond U.S. standards for safety may cause an unintentional discharge.” The company has issued a voluntary upgrade to the P320 line of pistols which they state corrects any drop-safe failures while holding fast that the pistol still meets all US, SAMMI, and NIJ standards for safety.
What Does This Mean?
Please remember that every major firearm manufacturer has issued a recall at one time or another. What distinguishes a company is how they choose to handle the issue. Sig Sauer has immediately announced a voluntary upgrade even though the current and past pistols still meet the US, SAAMI, and NIJ standards. We expect information from Sig very soon about the upgrade program details and logistics and will relay this information to our customers via our website and Facebook. We believe Sig Sauer makes a fine product and expect they will use this as an opportunity to show their customers that they take these issues seriously and will remedy the situation. In the meantime, we have pulled all P320’s from our shelves in preparation to send them back for the upgrade.
Other firearms subject to recalls and upgrades include the S&W M&P Shield Recall (drop safe issue from 2013), the Springfield XDS recall, the Remington 700 recall, and Glock’s spring voluntary exchange. Also keep in mind that modern shotguns, many AR-15s (or modern sporting rifles) and older revolvers are not completely drop safe. The bottom line is, whichever firearm you choose to purchase, always obey the safety rules, keep it clean and well-maintained, get the proper training and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when it comes to recalls or upgrades.
Update - Sig Announces Program Details
SIG SAUER is offering a voluntary program for P320 pistols. This will include an alternate design that reduces the physical weight of the trigger, sear, and striker while additionally adding a mechanical disconnector.
3 Steps To Upgrading Your SIG SAUER P320 Pistol
- Have your P320 serial number and home address available.
- Fill out the Voluntary Upgrade Sign-Up Form — one serial number per form submission.
- SIG SAUER will contact you regarding the best method for you to get your P320 pistol to them.
Once SIG SAUER receives your P320 pistol, they will apply the upgrades, test it, and then return it to you free of charge.
If you run into any issues, please call Customer Service and they will help you through the process. Customer Service can be reached at (603)610-3000 Option 1, from Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. EST.