Gunmaker sues Washington’s police academy over P320 pistol ban
Jul 25, 2025, 5:15 PM
Gunmaker Sig Sauer is taking Washington’s police academy to court after officials banned its SIG P320 pistol over safety concerns.
Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) banned the pistol after investigating growing claims that the firearm has a troubling history of firing without a trigger pull.
Houston officers suing Sig Sauer after P320 fires in holster
In one case, Houston police officer Rick Fernandez, who is now suing Sig Sauer for $10 million, said he was shot in the leg by his holstered gun, a P320 handgun.
“The bullet from the subject handgun shot through Officer Fernandez’s right calf and lodged into his ankle,” the lawsuit stated. “But the subject handgun, at all times, remained holstered. He never pulled the trigger or otherwise handled the gun.”
Sig Sauer sues to stop WSCJTC ban of P320
Sig Sauer, an American company headquartered in New Hampshire, according to the lawsuit, is suing Washington’s academy to reverse its ban, claiming it’s unnecessary and not well grounded in fact or law. It also wants to block the executive director of the training commission from making public statements about the pistol outside the scope of her duties.
“Law enforcement departments throughout Washington State trust, rely on, and prefer the P320 as their service pistol of choice,” the lawsuit stated. “By banning the P320 for new law enforcement recruits, the WSCJTC is putting these men and women at a disadvantage when they enter the field and will be assigned the P320. The action also imposes negative financial impacts on all those law enforcement agencies that utilize the P320 and Sig Sauer. It further inappropriately and unjustifiably inflicts reputational and economic harms on Sig Sauer.”
Air Force airman killed after incident with military pistol version
On Sunday, an Air Force airman in Wyoming was killed after an incident with the military version of the pistol, M18. The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command has halted use of that gun for now, according to The Associated Press.
Contributing: Luke Duecy, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest
