Pentagon declares M18/M17 handguns safe and reliable after review

Published Aug 19, 12:34 PM UTC

Editorial responsibility

Prepared by: WorldAttention Editorial Systems
Human review: No named human review is recorded for this page.
Automated steps: Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
Page status: Automatically published source-backed update

How automation and AI are used · Report a correction or rights issue

The Pentagon has officially declared the M18 and M17 handguns, military versions of the SIG Sauer P320, as 'safe and reliable' following a review prompted by the death of an airman in 2025 due to an alleged 'uncommanded discharge.' The Army's review concluded that all investigated incidents of accidental discharge were caused by the trigger being pulled, not mechanical failure. Officials blamed 'public speculation and online misinformation' for safety concerns. Three airmen involved in the fatal shooting were charged with lying to investigators, claiming the gun fired accidentally when in fact the shooter had pointed it at the victim as a joke. The civilian P320 has been linked to dozens of injuries and deaths, with over 100 lawsuits filed, though the military versions include a manual safety absent from the civilian model. Over 400,000 M17/M18 pistols are currently in service across all U.S. military branches.

Source

Military TimesWestern

Original headline: Pentagon dubs M18 handgun ‘safe and reliable’ after review

Original language: EN

People and interests

Pentagon U.S. Army