It has long been understood that a weapon should never put the user in danger. Yet, throughout history, there have been some very bad firearms designs. In the 21st century, this is considered unacceptable. For these reasons, this week, the United States Air Force Global Strike Command ordered all units under its purview to immediately cease using the M18 Modular Handgun System, the standard sidearm for the U.S. military.
It follows the tragic death of an active-duty airman on Sunday morning at F.E. Warren Air Force Base (AFB), WY. The service member, assigned to the 90th Security Forces Squadron, 90th Missile Wing, was shot by his sidearm and died on base.
“Effective immediately, all personnel in AFGSC will pause use of the M18 MHS for all operational and training activities until further notice. This pause will remain in place until completion of ongoing AFOSI and Safety investigations into a recent incident at F.E. Warren AFB. Wing Commanders and DFCs will arm personnel with the M4 rifle in place of the M18.”
Serious Mishap
Reports suggest that the security forces’ airmen had removed the military-issued Safariland holster from his leg mount with the M18 semi-automatic pistol still inside, and it was then placed on a table. The handgun then fired while holstered, striking the airmen in the chest.
According to We Are Mighty, the incident took place in a secure nuclear weapons facility at Warren AFB.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of a valued member of our Mighty Ninety team,” said Col. Terry Holmes, 90th Missile Wing commander, in the release. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the Airman’s family, friends, and his fellow Defenders during this incredibly difficult time.”
Sig Sauer has offered its assistance to the U.S. military and U.S. Air Force to aid in the investigation.
One Too Many
Although this would be the first reported death of a military service member involving the M18, which is the military version of the Sig Sauer P320-series pistol, it is still one too many. The situation is further exacerbated by past reports of the sidearm firing without the trigger being pulled.
In 2023, a Marine Corps-issued M18 allegedly fired while it was holstered at Camp Foster, Japan. An investigation determined that the M18 was not mishandled. It was not an isolated incident.
The New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer, an off-shoot of the German Sig Sauer GmbH & Co. KG, faced a lawsuit from Detective Brittney Hilton, a Texas law enforcement officer, who alleged that her P320 fired when she grabbed her purse at the police station.
There have been at least 120 reported accidental discharges involving the P320, but Sig Sauer has maintained that the polymer-framed pistol cannot fire without a trigger pull. It has attributed past incidents to either user error or foreign objects interfering with the trigger.
According to The War Zone on Wednesday, the FBI’s Ballistic Research Facility (BRF) issued a report earlier this month due to concerns about accidental misfiring, which resulted in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issuing a permanent ban on the use of the P320 and its variants.
Sig Sauer has since disputed the FBI’s findings and criticized the testing methods involving the P320.
The Modular Handgun System
The M18 is part of the U.S. Army-managed Modular Handgun System (MHS), which includes a “full-size” version, the M17, and the compact M18. Both are based on the Sig Sauer P320, which was selected as the winner of the MHS competition in 2017.
The handgun was subsequently selected by all the branches of the U.S. military within the Department of Defense (DoD). However, the United States Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), adopted the Glock 19 Gen5 MOS, replacing the Sig Sauer P229.
The P320 can be chambered in several calibers, including 9mm, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, .45 ACP, and 10mm Auto. It is available with caliber exchange kits. The U.S. military primarily employs M17/M18 pistols chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum (9mm Luger).
