Air Force Bomber Command Says it Has Paused Use of Sig M18 After Fatal Incident

A significant division of the Air Power is now not utilizing the Sig Sauer M18 pistol after a deadly incident on a base in Wyoming on Sunday.

The Air Power World Strike Command (AFGSC), which oversees America’s bomber and nuclear weapons operations, has barred its airmen from utilizing the M18 pistol for the foreseeable future. A command spokesperson confirmed the pause was in response to the latest demise of a member of the Warren Air Power Base safety crew.

“Air Power World Strike Command has paused use of the M18 Modular Handgun System, efficient July 21, 2025, till additional discover,” an Air Power World Strike spokesperson instructed The Reload. “This choice was made following a tragic incident at F.E. Warren AFB, WY, on July 20, 2025, which resulted within the demise of a Safety Forces Airman.”

The event is the newest in a protracted line of unfavourable tales for the Sig Sauer M18 and its civilian counterpart, the P320. The gun, which has bought tens of millions of models in and out of doors navy service, has been the topic of dozens of lawsuits claiming it could possibly fireplace with out the set off being pulled. Sig has aggressively defended its design’s security, however skepticism amongst civilian gun homeowners and authorities businesses alike over incidents of uncommanded discharges has more and more tarnished the favored gun’s popularity.

This pause follows the Air Power’s buy of 125,000 M18 pistols from Sig Sauer for $22.1 million in 2020. The firearm has additionally been adopted by the Military and Marine Corps, making it the go-to handgun for the American navy.

The AFGSC spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of a July twenty first memo from Air Power Normal Thom Bussiere, obtained by The Reload, ordering AFGSC personnel to cease utilizing the M18 and swap to make use of of the M4 rifle as an alternative over the deadly incident. Nevertheless, the spokesperson mentioned the incident at Warren Air Power Base continues to be beneath investigation, and so they haven’t but decided the precise reason behind the airmen’s demise.

“Out of an abundance of warning and to make sure the protection and safety of our personnel, the pause will stay in place pending the completion of complete investigations by the Air Power Workplace of Particular Investigations and the AFGSC Security workplace,” the spokesperson instructed The Reload. “Throughout this era, Safety Forces Airmen will likely be outfitted with the M4 rifle, making certain no lapse in AFGSC’s safety posture.”

They mentioned AFGSC is working with the Air Power Safety Forces Heart and Headquarters Air Power Safety Forces to evaluation the M18 and “develop acceptable corrective measures.”

Sig Sauer didn’t reply to a request for touch upon the AFGSC’s choice to take away the M18 from service. Nevertheless, it did launch an announcement extending condolences to these impacted by the Warren incident and expressed confidence that the navy would be capable of decide its trigger.

“We proactively provided help to the U.S. Navy as they examine the incident and stay keen to assist in furtherance of their ongoing inquiry,” the corporate mentioned in a social media submit. “We’ve got absolute confidence within the Navy’s potential to conduct an intensive investigation and are working with the Air Power and Military to reply any of their questions.”

The Air Power is just not the primary federal company to analyze the M18 or P320 over issues concerning the weapons firing on their very own, neither is it the primary to cease its members from utilizing them. In August 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Ballistic Analysis Facility authored a report, first printed by YouTuber Protraband earlier this month, on an M18 {that a} Michigan State Police Officer claimed had fired by itself whereas holstered. That report didn’t conclude come what may whether or not the particular M18 in query had fired with out the set off being pulled, nevertheless it did discover that it was attainable to disable a key security mechanism with out pulling the set off first.

“[T]esting did point out with actions representing these frequent to a regulation enforcement officer it’s attainable to render the Striker Security Lock inoperable and ineffective at stopping the striker from impacting a chambered spherical if full sear engagement is misplaced,” the report mentioned. “It is very important be aware that the Striker Security Lock, by design, is the final security in line to forestall an unintended discharge as it’s in place to guard towards a secondary sear notch override.”

The report advisable additional investigation into the potential flaw.

“Whereas examination of the topic weapon didn’t independently present proof of an uncommanded discharge it does point out that it might be attainable if sear engagement is misplaced,” the report mentioned. “The disabling of the striker security lock via motion and friction creates a situation which deserves additional exploration to completely assess potential danger.”

Two weeks in the past, We Are The Mighty printed a memo from Division of Homeland Safety Deputy Director Madison D. Sheahan directing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to right away cease carrying “all fashions of the P320” and as a substitute swap to the Glock 19 pistol. Breitbart Information mentioned it had additionally corroborated the authenticity of the memo and claimed a federal regulation enforcement supply instructed them the swap over will occur by October. ICE didn’t reply to a request for touch upon the memo from The Reload, although.

Sig Sauer has confronted vital scrutiny over the P320 within the civilian sector as nicely. In August 2017, the corporate confronted backlash after a number of YouTubers demonstrated that the P320 might fireplace itself if dropped at a sure angle. The corporate insisted the design was protected but in addition provided a voluntary improve program that made adjustments to the gun’s set off, sear, and striker.

Regardless of the voluntary program, Sig Sauer has confronted a surge of lawsuits claiming that the P320 fired by itself. Whereas claims that firearms went off on their very own and injured the proprietor have been generally leveled at many gun firms over time, the P320 has grow to be an more and more frequent goal of such lawsuits. Sig Sauer has already misplaced a number of of these circumstances.

Final November, a Philadelphia jury awarded $11 million to 1 plaintiff who alleged the P320 unintentionally fired and injured him. That got here shortly after a first-of-its-kind verdict final June that noticed a Georgia jury award one plaintiff $2.3 million after he claimed his P320 went off whereas holstered. Sig Sauer is interesting each choices.

The corporate has persistently defended the general design of the P320 and M18. In March, it launched an announcement declaring “P320 CANNOT, beneath any circumstances, discharge with no set off pull” and insisting allegations on the contrary have been “nothing greater than people searching for to revenue or keep away from private accountability.”

“Just lately, anti-gun teams, members of the mainstream media, trial attorneys, and different uninformed and agenda-driven events have launched assaults on one among SIG SAUER’s most trusted, most examined, and hottest merchandise – the P320 pistol,” the corporate mentioned. “In all circumstances, these people have an ulterior motive behind their baseless allegations that the P320 can fireplace with no set off pull; they haven’t any proof, no knowledge and no empirical testing to assist any of their claims. They as a substitute select to misrepresent clear, negligent discharges as a ‘design downside.’”

Nonetheless, the AFGSC mentioned it ordered “100% inspections of the M18 handguns” in any respect of its bases to “establish any fast security issues” with the M18s it has in inventory.