The Department of War confirmed the reliability of the firearms following a rigorous testing program that involved firing more than 1.5 million rounds. Investigators concluded that all incidents previously cited as uncommanded discharges were directly linked to manual trigger manipulation rather than mechanical failure. This assessment aligns with findings from the Department of the Air Force, which inspected 113,479 units of the M18 model. Every single weapon examined during the process passed inspection, showing no indicators of latent defects that could lead to unauthorized firing.
U.S. Military Clears SIG SAUER M17 and M18 Pistols After Safety Review
After a comprehensive audit of nearly 114,000 service pistols, the Department of War and the Department of the Air Force have officially declared the SIG SAUER M17 and M18 safe for continued use. The findings effectively close the book on concerns regarding uncommanded discharges within the modular handgun system.
Phil Strader, Vice President of Consumer Affairs at SIG SAUER, described the evaluation as an unprecedented technical audit. Technicians disassembled and inspected individual components across the entire fleet before reassembling them for final functional verification. This scrutiny followed a 2025 directive from the Air Force Global Strike Command, which had temporarily evaluated the P320-derived carry pistol after a reported incident. The military's final determination reinforces the design integrity of the platform, which remains standard issue across multiple branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first!