Pistols that had been sidelined by the U.S. Air Force after the July 20 shooting death of a U.S. Airman in Wyoming have been returned to service, the Air Force said on Aug. 24.
A Sig Sauer spokesman said the move validates the company’s claims that the weapon is safe.
The Air Force charged one airman with making a false official statement, obstruction of justice, and involuntary manslaughter after Airman Brayden Lovan at F.E. was allegedly shot by a Sig Sauer M18 pistol at Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.
Air Force officials have been tight-lipped about the shooting and the investigation, and did not identify the airman arrested.
“This is an open and ongoing investigation. To protect the integrity of the investigation, we cannot provide additional information at this time,” Trevor Saylor, a spokesman for the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, wrote in an email to The Epoch Times.
According to the statement from the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), officials have completed a comprehensive inspection of its 7,970 M18 Modular Handgun System pistols. The firearms were temporarily taken out of service on July 21, one day after Lovan’s death.
The inspections turned up no evidence that a failure on the part of the pistol was the cause of the shooting.
“It is paramount that our airmen trust their weapon systems,” Gen. Thomas Bussiere, AFGSC commander, said in a statement. “This thorough inspection ensures the M18s in our inventory are in optimal working order, providing our Defenders with safe, reliable, and effective systems to accomplish their mission.”
A Sig Sauer spokesman said the Air Force inspection vindicates the pistol and the company’s assertion that the M18 is a safe and reliable weapon.
“We applaud the USAF and the Global Strike Command ... in their investigation of this tragic incident, and we greatly value this further confirmation of the safety, reliability, and durability of the P320-based M18 pistol,” Phil Strader, Sig Sauer’s vice president of consumer affairs, wrote in an email to The Epoch Times.
The M18 is the military variant of the Sig Sauer P320 pistol. The P320 has faced numerous lawsuits and investigations over accusations that it would fire on its own, sometimes while holstered.
The inspection process by AFGSC identified discrepancies with 191 of the 7,970 weapons in its M18 inventory.
The most common issue found was wear of the safety lever, striker assembly, and sear, which are critical components of the trigger mechanism. These weapons were tagged and are being repaired, according to the AFSGC statement.
A review of weapon discharges in AFGSC showed that none were attributed to weapon malfunctions, the statement reads.
AFGSC leadership is implementing new inspection procedures for the M18 based on these findings, including additional inspection criteria for the areas where potential issues were found.
Lovan’s death stirred the ongoing debate over alleged safety issues with the P320.
P320 Scrutinized Before
In August 2024, the FBI studied the gun for the Michigan State Police after an officer reported he was shot by his holstered P320 at the shooting range.The FBI report offered no definitive answers.
“While examination of the subject weapon did not independently provide evidence of an uncommanded discharge, it does indicate that it may be possible,” the report from the FBI’s Ballistic Research Facility said.
The report recommended that Michigan State Police include its findings in their decision-making process on whether to return the pistol to service.
At that time, Sig Sauer responded by meeting with the FBI and Michigan State Police to review the report and develop testing protocols, Strader said. He said FBI testers were unable to replicate the uncommanded discharges under the new protocols.
“[The] Michigan State Police adopted a different light/holster combination and has completely fielded the SIG SAUER pistol,” Strader said.
Strader hopes the Air Force’s inspection results will set other P320 customers’ minds at ease.
“We are hopeful that this thorough inspection and confirmation by the USAF will satisfy the concerns of the ranges, training facilities, and organizations who have temporarily suspended the use of the P320 and its variants,” Strader wrote.
