“Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant obtained a copy of an emergency order by Morrow’s (Alabama) Chief of Police pulling his department’s new Sig Sauer pistols off the streets immediately,” wsbtv.com reports.

While the gun maker plans to roll out a fix, the chief told Diamant between the safety of his officers and the public and the potential liability, he had no choice but to act now.

Especially that liability part. If a member of the public was injured by a cop’s dropped “pre-enhancement” SIG SAUER P320 it could cost the government involved millions of dollars.

The Dallas PD started the trend — igniting the drop-safe story in the first place — by pulling two officers’ P320’s from service. As this continues to play out, it looks like SIG’s loss could well be GLOCK’s gain.

Callaway bought 30 P320’s for the department just a few months ago, but now he feels he can’t trust them. He said it’s too risky for his officers and the public.

“I couldn’t bear to hear that the weapon went off and hit an innocent person, or hit an officer,” said Callaway.

Callaway pulled the Sigs out of service Thursday night and spent $15,000 on 30 new Glock pistols. Callaway told Diamant he used drug forfeiture funds to give taxpayers a break.

This is the first report we’ve read of a police department sidelining their SIGs, but no doubt it isn’t the last. SIG has been pushing the P320 into the law enforcement market hard.

As tampabay.com reported back in May of last year, the New Hampshire gunmaker gave the Pasco Sheriff’s Department 770 P320’s to replace their GLOCK .40’s.

Sheriff’s officials said that on top of being free, the SIG Sauer pistols are safer. SIG Sauer gave the agency about 770 new handguns, which have a retail price of about $600 apiece . . .

The SIG Sauer pistols offer a safety feature that the Glocks don’t, but sheriff’s officials said it played no role in their decision. They don’t require pulling the trigger to disassemble for cleaning.

I doubt Pasco can ditch all 770 SIGs just like that. But I also bet the Sheriff’s Department — and dozens of other police departments — have received a call from their local GLOCK or Smith LEO distributor.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

63 COMMENTS

  2. I wouldn’t go that far myself, but then again I’m not paid by tax payer dollars. I wonder how much of their projected MHS revenue this will eat up just on its own.

    Hopefully we’ll see some management changes. Sig needs it.

    • But would you be willing to carry and handle (in public) the gun right now? In a situation where it’s always possible that you could end up hitting and rolling around the ground with someone?

      I wouldn’t.

      • I’m not carrying mine until it’s fixed. I meant I wouldn’t abandon it altogether. I still like it and because of the MHS win it’ll still have a strong aftermarket in the future.

        • Like Josh said. A regular gun owner might have a couple of handguns or, if necessary, can just go to the store and buy another one that works. A police department can’t just do that- the expenditure for the guns is large and then you have to factor in the training, maintenance, spare parts, retention holsters, etc.

          You can bet if they go through all that they’re not going back to the old gun and have probably sold everything associated with them to try and make back some of the loss.

  3. Oh, I’d LOVE to be a competing rep right now. “Hi. Yeah, I apologize for even calling. I know, I look like a ghoul. I’m sorry. What? You need 175 units in 9MM? I can do that. Monday OK, or do you need ’em Saturday delivery?”

  4. Imaging the other costs: holsters, mag carriers, retraining, etc. . . Probably upwards of $1500 or $2000 per gun.

    All of a sudden the whole pull-the-trigger-to-disassemble doesn’t sound like such a deal killer any more.

    • 15 grand for 30 Glocks is a ripoff as far as mass department sales go. I don’t know if it’s because the department is so small but my dept pays like 250 per glock…

  5. So, the question I’m asking is will CDNN or JT Distributing (or others in that market) be having some great deals on barely-used police returned P320s now? Count me in!

    • I can see the advertisement right now:
      — Barely used police trade-in Sig P320 … only dropped once.

      (Now that phrase doesn’t just apply to the French military!)

  6. Would this issue have been discovered earlier if they tried to get the P320 on the MA or CA approved handgun rosters?

    • The P320 IS on the roster, and IS available for sale here in MA, only ours get the external thumb safety as well. The difference is, the tested height requirement is only one meter, significantly less than JWT’s drops the other day.

    • No. The Sig passed all of the various drop safety tests. None of the industry standard tests (or different state tests) require the firearm to be dropped at a -30 degree angle.

      Standard drop tests are muzzle down and on each side.

    • It usually starts with the leader or CEO setting a high bar for performance, not a low one. If the CEO, for example, pushes the company to make something insanely great, then there is a chance. If he says things like no pistol is drop safe or the idea of drop safety only encourages bad handling, then low expectations are built into the project from the beginning.

      The fish rots from the head.

  7. Aaron Diamant works for WSB TV Atlanta,GA. Morrow GA is the subject of the story. The only thing Alabama is good for is to keep Mississippi out of Georgia.

  8. US Army should cancel the contract, pay a termination fee if any, then just go with the M9A3 that Beretta proposed. All the while saving tax payers millions.

    • There is no need to buy a new handgun. Most pistols in armories only get used only for a few qualifications per year (each qualify is 40 rounds) so most M9s are in functional shape and will be for many years.
      Those that shoot a lot of handguns are the SOC / Ranger types and they generally buy Glocks out of their budgets. Special types will not get the M17/18 MHS and regular types don’t need it. Don’t be surprised if the military says nothing but just does not buy any pistols for a while.

      • I don’t know who you are, but you don’t know what your saying, I’m out of Ft Campbell, and we were the first to receive the new pistols, and that includes Special Forces here, any one assigned a pistol in a combat MOS must qualify and maintain qualifications which means several hundred rounds prequalified and a few hundred throughout the year, and the new Sigs keep replacing the older beat up pistols, on a side note SOCOM use any side arm they choose I’ve known them to mostly use HK, Sig and a few 1911’s with extended 10 round mags

    • I’m sure due to your opinion they’ll stop in their tracks and follow your “expert” advice.

      Sorry but all indicators are the Aberdeen testing went very well, the troops love the new gun and Sig is far from done improving it. Moan, groan, and cry all you want but the Sig XM-17/18 is the Army’s new handgun unless the 101st finds something that is a total showstopper Sig can’t fix quickly.

      Civilian/LE market P320s? Every major brand has had issues including safety issues. Hell Glock’s 17M fell apart in IPD’s hands….should the FBI call up Sig for guns that don’t fall apart? LOL Sig fixes this problem child, rotates in good inventory, and generally keeps its customers happy this could easily turn from a black eye to a gold star for them.

      PD’s pulling P320’s off the streets? Would seem wise from an abundance of caution standpoint. Much better for Sig to have this early on in adoption than years in when a lot more agencies are there to be annoyed.

      Time will tell, Sig the ball is in your court.

      • Sig does nothing except release poorly designed crap for the past 15 years and then slowly discontinues it in favor of some newer poorly designed crap (p250 to p320 transition)

  9. I’m not surprised the 320 was a flop. They attempted to infiltrate the striker fire market before without much success.

    Just because they Army went with the lowest bid, it doesn’t mean they got the best. They got the cheapest gun they could buy by procurement laws and regulations.

    Modularity? If you have served in the armed forces, you know modularity is not a realistic option. They will never use the “modularity” of it.

    • I’m unconvinced that Sig’s approach is the best solution to the problem it was supposed to solve, namely that everyone has different sized hands that don’t necessarily fit the same pistol grip.

  10. ….and to think, Sig KNEW this was a problem and addressed it on the military version, yet released the pistol in that condition anyway…….

  11. (you may) fall at the perfect angle from one step up and break your neck end up a living head or dead.
    So i’ll purchase your (Dangerous) P320’s , fity cent a gun, 25 cent a mag.
    Good to see the “Patriots” slurping up the Kool-Aid, perhaps you should getnrid of all your guns and ammo, they may go off if dropped.
    FAKE NEWS from A Fake Report being lapped up by the Sheeple.

  13. I’ll continue to carry mine.
    Since this is all based on a eroneous LE Report.
    http://www.tactical-life.com/news/sig-sauer-p320-dallas-pd/#sig-p320-2
    Just as Today’s Ruger Precision Recall is a Lawyer Story.
    PT Barnum..There’s a sucker born every minute.
    As for Sig’s (Enhancement) …
    Next we will here how the trigger on gotten worse and no matter what, the Sig Hater’s got to Hate, so there worth zero anyhow.
    Standby for my upcoming video…
    As i drop a glock 17 1911 from a 30 story building and it Discharges.

  14. This 320 BS reminds me of the same tactics being used on Trump.
    FOLLOW THE MONEY.
    As far as the Youtube (Armorers) and there (Tests)..
    They mean Less than Zero and this board is evidence that (The Patriot/Gun) people are feeding LIBERALLY on the Farmers packaged hay.

    • SIG did the drop test themselves and duplicated the results other testers had gotten with discharges. They have admitted there is a problem. This whole debacle will cost SIG a lot of money. Are you suggesting they are trying to sabotage their own company by inventing a fake problem with one of their own products?

      I don’t think you have thought this through.

  15. I honestly think it’s still hypocritical (if not downright suspicious) of TTAG, and every other gun rag involved, that absolutely no one is doing this particular type of drop test on other striker fired hand guns. Don’t bother calling me a fanboy, I don’t even own a sig. Is this some Hillary level ploy by the competition to re do the army contract? I’m starting to think it is. This test aught to be re done with XD, Glock, s&w… hell why all other types of handguns. If you think I’m just a dipshit then prove me wrong. Do the tests. Until then I’m officially calling shenanigans!!!

    • M&Ps have a two piece trigger that prevents this type of discharge. FNs are similar. Glocks have the flange that won’t allow the trigger to move rearward in a drop.
      Sig’s trigger is a one piece metal part that has enough mass to be sent rearward in a drop.
      Everybody that loves striker guns love the Sig p320. James Yeager carried one for a while. Nobody is out to get Sig. In this day of hand guns, drop safety is something that should be a given. If not, we have a problem.

      • I’m not saying you’re wrong. But when this rumor first started nearly everyone called bullshit, but it was true, when put to the test. I just want to see the other strikerfireds bashed like hell. (Literally bashed). Take a hammer to the back of all of them. If none of them discharge then Sig gets to wear this mess full fledged. If one fires, then TTAG gets more breaking news. I’d do it personally, but I don’t have that kind of cash.

        • You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a Glock hater. Don’t you think if Glock’s drop safety could be compromised, there would be 435 YouTube videos demonstrating this?
          It doesn’t take a lot of money to do this test. Use your striker gun and load an empty shell with an unfired primer. Drop it on a hard rubber mat.

      • James Yeager is the same tool who got his carry permit pulled for quite some time for stupid talk. I wouldn’t use him as the standard bearer.

        • If you know anything about James Yeager beside what Internet hater trolls say, you should know about the infamous “All Handguns Should Be Glocks” video.
          That makes my reference out to be perfect in this context.

    • Its been done. The pistols you mentioned all have saftey tabs or split triggers of one form or another…..something sig and their wonderous engineers somehow forgot to design into the guns they sell the public.

    • I agree with you. Extremely suspicious.

      You will get a pocket-full of excuses like “we don’t know the proper angle to drop any other guns”, “they are all safe now”, “it’s too expensive and time consuming to test them”.

      Then they will blame Sig on their awful luck.

      I expected more from TTAG. Lots more.

  16. Houston PD has about 1000 of them in use and will be getting them upgraded by Sig within a month. Until then, they are allowing them to stay in service. Shouldn’t be dropping them anyway.

  17. Carrying with an empty chamber might be a sensible precaution to prevent it going off when falling. Another alternative is to buy a Sig that has an external hammer since as far as I know the ones with an external hammer does not suffer from this defect.

    • The ones with external hammers probably have a much heavier trigger pull due to double-to-single action, so I’m guessing that’s right. I would have preferred a P226 over a P320 before this either way.

  18. gun companies are like care companies, every so often something gets by. colt, s&w, beretta (the slides came off during firing with military loads), they all have had some sort of recall. the M9 got fixed, it serves well,( and I see no reason why it should not continue,) and the sig will get fixed and go on to do a good job. the military has some p226 and p228s in their inventory that do well, and mine never gave me a problem. although I do wonder why nothing was done when the problem first surfaced. why they never investigated to see if there was any faults in the design . you would think that when this first happened they would have done all kinds of test to see what the problem was so they could get on top of it so they don’t ever get SUED by anyone. but well, they didn’t. and now they have a lawsuit pending.

  19. A modular trigger kit with a glock style trigger safety might make this safer since the safety would likely prevent the trigger from discharging when dropped

    • A blade inset is apparently available for those who want one. The main selling point of the Sig is that is doesn’t have a “trigger safety” however.

      The Omaha Outdoor video shows that just swapping in the competition, flat face, trigger from the P320 X5 eliminates the issue as well. (it’s lighter)

      It’s not like trigger shoe weight is a new issue. There is a reason smiths used to drill holes in Steel 1911 triggers to lighten them.

  20. I’ve dropped my Glocks several times over the years during everyday carry, usually onto concrete. It was nice that the guns didn’t go off. Sig Sauer will fix this and move on, so if I owned one I’d just let them fix it and not lose any sleep over it.

  22. All this is because Sig was too stuborn to use a tabbed trigger on the gun as part of the base design. (It offers a tabbed trigger as an option but only for law enforcement purchases.)

  23. Let’s compare.

    Glock Pistol Upgrades

    1990 Upgrade

    Glock Model 19, 9mm Luger caliber, requires an upgrade for the following serial numbers:

    AN, BP, BR, BV, BW, BX, DL, DM, DN, DP, DR, DS, DT, DV, DW, DX, DY, DZ
    These pistols may have the potential of the action to malfunction as follows:
    1. The slide locking back on a full magazine.
    2. Failure to lock into battery because the barrel lug drags on the slide lock.
    3. The magazine follower tips or sticks in the magazine tube.

    1992, 6 part Upgrade

    GLOCK, INC. Technical Bulletin #920403

    April 1, 1992

    Glock, Inc. announces a production change of the firing pin safety system. This new firing pin safety system has been installed in all production Glock pistols since November, 1991. A voluntary upgrade is being offered to maintain the Glock tradition of ensuring that all of our pistoils are up to the latest standards in 21st century Glock technology.

    Most importantly, the components of the new firing pin safety system are not interchangable with the components of the old systam and Glock will always strive towards maintaining this feature of interchangability while working to ensure future interchangability.

    The upgraded firing pin safety system consists of: the firing pin, firing pin safety, the extractor, the spring loaded bearing and the trigger bar. The upgraded system is applicable only to Glock pistols with the following serial number ranges :

    Glock 17 – alpha prefix AA – WF
    Glock 21 – alpha prefixes through XL
    Glock 19 – alpha prefixes through WJ Glock 22 – alpha prefixes through YA
    Glock 20 – alpha prefixes thorugh WW Glock 23 – alpha prefixes through SK

    The upgraded firing pin safety has a new surface finish making it nearly 100% saltwater corrosion resistant. Also, after rigorous and extensive testing, the new system proves to be more durable and has a longer useful life. Here, as alwyas, Glock is working toward maintianing its standard of perfection.

    1993, G19 Upgrade

    Glock Model 19, 9mm Luger caliber, requires an upgrade for all pistols.

    These pistols have the potential for an UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGE of a cartridge with the action open.

    The Glock model 19 pistol slide has a bottom protrusion, whose function is to push cartridges from the top of the magazine into the chamber. When the pistol is jammed in a double feed situation, the slide protrusion can come in contact with the primer of the jammed cartridge and cause UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGE while the action is open.

    2000, G26/27 Recoil spring upgrade

    Glock Model 26, 9mm caliber, serial numbers DGU, DHR DKU.

    Glock Model 27, .40S&W caliber, serial numbers DGD, DGV, DHS, DHT, DKV, DKW, DKX.

    Mr. Don Bulver, warranty department of Glock, Inc., indicated the recoil springs produced before September 1999 may shear off on some of these pistols due to over hardness of the support tube.

    Replacement springs will be distinguished by a vertical mark from the center on the front polymer portion of outer ring of the guide rod assembly, which will appear to be a mold line.

    2002 Frame Upgrade – Rear slide rail

    The GLOCK Corporation has identified a problem with a very small percentage of GLOCK pistols produced between September of 2001 and May of 2002. The specific problem that has been identified is the potential of breaking a rear frame rail in pistols manufactured during this time period. Within the specific range the breakage rate has been less than 0.0188%. So, while the actual percentage of rails reported broken is within any accepted manufacturing tolerance, it is not an acceptable situation to the GLOCK Corporation. It is also important to note that under most conditions GLOCK pistols will continue to function with three rails. A routine maintenance check after each time the pistol has been taken out and used would immediately indicate if there is a problem.

    We are, therefore, concerned that a limited number of customers will not get the product we have promised them and what we have always delivered, the very best pistol on the market, in short, a GLOCK.

    For these reasons, we have made the decision that in the interest of customer service, replacement frames will be offered to anyone who has a firearm in this range and decides to take advantage of this offer. The replacement frames will have identical serial numbers to our customer’s original firearm except the numeral 1 will be added as a prefix. If you believe your firearm is within this range, please call 1-866-225-4098 to take advantage of the ultimate in customer service.

    Nothing less than the best for our customers is acceptable to GLOCK and, as always, we will continue to work towards Perfection.

    It appears that only serial numbers starting with “E”, “GSSF”, or “USA” (American Hero’s Commemoratives) are affected. In general, the chronological serial number set that has the prefix letters of “EKA” through “EVR” inclusive appear to be the affected Glocks, regardless of caliber. Three letters precede three numbers on a plate forward of the trigger guard on the underside of the polymer frame. However, some aberrations to this generalization have been reported by GTers. Reports are that the affected Glocks were manufactured from September 2001 to May 2002. So if you bought (or won a GSSF Glock) an “E” or “USA” series Glock in September of 2001 up until the present day, you might have an affected Glock. Unfortunately, Glock has not published a list. Hope this helps, but again, if you are responsible enough to own a gun and can read this, you are smart enough to check for yourself by calling Glock.

    August 8, 2005 – The Glock G36 issue

    Glock prides itself in the quality of its pistol and the quality of its manufacturing process. Despite our high standards, however, it has recently come to our attention through our quality testing efforts that a limited number of Glock Model 36 pistols may have an abnormality that could possibly interfere with the operation of the Glock trigger safety. The affected pistols require a simple but necessary modification to ensure the trigger safety operates as intended. IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF YOUR GLOCK 36 THAT THIS MODIFICATION BE MADE AT GLOCK’S U.S. HEADQUARTERS IN SMYRNA, GA.

    If you possess a Glock Model 36 with a serial number in the ranges below PLEASE IMMEDIATELY UNLOAD THE FIREARM AND CLEAR THE CHAMBER. Deliver the pistol to :
    1. A UPS Hub (not a store)
    2. The place of business where you purchased the firearm of a dealer in your area with a daily UPS pick up.

  24. Nice Jim ! We should all admit that this fancy internet thingy has changed humans perspective on everything. Its the fart heard around the world. and every action is pounded on the second it happens by all us “Experts” who the internet has allowed to be…….credible ? I’m getting my coffee, cigarettes and going to the range, “without wearing my seatbelt” and gonna shoot several firearms that don’t have adjustable little palm back straps so my baby little hands will feel more softy cause well………they are tools and last I heard there’s no need for me to feel warm and fuzzy when I’m saving my life using them. And I will try hard not to drop any of them

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