NEWINGTON, NH – Firearms manufacturer SIG Sauer is firing back at New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin following a new state complaint alleging safety issues with the company’s P320 handgun.
In a statement released Friday, SIG Sauer called the Attorney General’s claims “false and unsubstantiated,” saying the lawsuit misrepresents the weapon’s performance and history.
The company maintains that its P320 model remains one of the most tested and reliable handguns in the world, used widely by military and law enforcement agencies.
“These flaws did not go unnoticed. The U.S. Army conducted a procurement evaluation of the P320 in 2016 and 2017 and concluded that without an external safety, the gun posed an unacceptable danger of unintended firing. The Army refused to procure the P320 until Sig Sauer added a manual thumb safety feature for the U.S. military variants, known as the M17 and M18,” Platkin said. “For non-military customers, however, Sig Sauer has continued to sell the P320 without the external safety the Army insisted upon. All the while, the company has touted that the P320 is “Chosen by the U.S. Military” and is the “Official Sidearm of the U.S. Military,” without disclosing that the U.S. Military demanded an external safety not found on the typical civilian or law enforcement P320.”
The company said the AG’s basis for the lawsuit is not only flawed, but intentionally misleading, based on false facts.
Key Points
- SIG Sauer disputes New Jersey Attorney General Platkin’s allegations regarding P320 safety
- Company cites extensive military and law enforcement testing validating weapon performance
- Nearly 20 lawsuits over the P320 have been dismissed nationwide, according to SIG Sauer
Manufacturer calls allegations “outright false”
The Attorney General’s complaint reportedly claimed that the U.S. Army rejected SIG Sauer’s Modular Handgun System (MHS) submission over safety issues tied to the pistol’s manual safety feature. In response, the company said the assertion is “outright false,” explaining that the Army required all submissions to include manual safeties and would have disqualified any firearm found unsafe during testing.
SIG Sauer emphasized that it was not eliminated from the MHS competition but instead was awarded the contract for the U.S. military’s official sidearm — a contract still active today.
Disputed testing claims
The company also rejected references to a Federal Bureau of Investigation Ballistics Research Facility report suggesting that a safety mechanism could be disabled without pulling the trigger. SIG Sauer stated that its engineers worked directly with both the FBI and the Michigan State Police, who commissioned the report, to conduct additional tests that “resulted in zero failures.” The Michigan State Police, according to the company, continue to issue P320 pistols to officers.
Litigation and safety record
SIG Sauer pointed out that nearly 20 lawsuits regarding the P320 have been dismissed, and multiple courts have excluded plaintiffs’ expert witnesses after they were unable to replicate an unintended discharge. “The P320 cannot fire uncommanded,” the statement said, adding that the company plans to seek dismissal of the New Jersey complaint.
P320 continues to serve globally
Since its introduction in 2014, the P320 has been used by U.S. and international military and law enforcement agencies. SIG Sauer says the pistol meets or exceeds all industry safety standards and remains one of the most tested firearm designs ever developed.
The company directed the public to visit www.P320Truth.com, a website created to share technical data and clarify what it calls misinformation surrounding the weapon.