The U.S. Army, ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement), and several local law enforcement agencies may like the Sig Sauer P320, but it seems the Dallas PD isn’t quite sold, as the department has temporarily barred its officers from using the pistol while on duty over safety concerns.
According to The Firearm Blog, it all began last week when a user on a gun message board called Pistol Forum posted what appeared to be an interdepartmental memo issued by an unnamed police department saying that the Sig Sauer P320 had been removed from a list of pistols approved for duty use. The reason? It allegedly isn’t drop safe. See that memo below.
Sig Sauer has identified that there is a defect in the P320 handgun that could cause the weapon system to go off when dropped. The Sig Sauer P320 was approved for primary duty, secondary primary duty, and back-up use. The Firearms Training Center is currently working with Sig Sauer to obtain a solution for the safety issue. Until Sig Sauer is able to find a solution to the safety issue, the Sig Sauer P320 is no longer approved by the ****** Police Department for any use.
Those officers that currently have a Sig Sauer P320 as a primary duty weapon will have the following two options:
Option 1 – Go to the Firearms Training Center on Monday, July 31st , during business hours, to be issued a city Sig Sauer P226 and qualify with that weapon.
Option 2 – Purchase another city approved weapon and respond to the Range on Monday, July 31st , during business hours, to qualify with that weapon.
Until getting another weapon and qualifying, officers need to practice increased safety with these weapon systems.
The Firearms Training Center staff is working diligently with Sig Sauer to obtain a solution and will keep officers informed of the status.
The rumor mill naturally went into overdrive, with users on multiple forums speculating that it was the Dallas Police Department. Seeking to put an end to the speculation, The Firearm Blog reached out to Sig Sauer. Sig said it didn’t have a statement and was “working on gathering all the needed information” to make one.
Tactical-Life reached out to the Dallas Police Department, which issued the following statement via public information officer Debra Webb:
The Dallas Police Department still issues the Sig Sauer P226 handgun, but did authorize officers to purchase the Sig Sauer P320 handgun for duty use. We have not currently had any issues with the Sig Sauer P320 handgun. The use of the Sig Sauer P320 handgun has been temporarily suspended due to safety precautions. The departmental Firearms Training Center staff is currently working with Sig Sauer to ensure the safety precautions are addressed.
When pressed for details by The Firearm Blog regarding the issue with the P320, Debra Webb, a public information officer with the Dallas PD, said the following: “The department was notified that Sig Sauer identified a defect in the P320 handgun that could cause the weapon system to go off when dropped. Please check with Sig Sauer for more information about the defect.”
The department also stressed that there haven’t been any reported incidents of an accidental discharge of the Sig Sauer P320 due to the defect.
More on this story as it becomes available.
