Key Points and Summary on M18 – The Air Force Global Strike Command has ordered an immediate halt to the use of its M18 service pistol following the death of a Security Forces Airman in a “tragic incident.”
-The Airman was killed by an alleged accidental discharge, fueling long-standing complaints and a recent FBI report suggesting the M18 can fire without its trigger being pulled.
-While federal agencies like ICE have also banned the pistol, the U.S. Army is taking no action, creating a significant policy split.
-The Air Force has grounded the M18 fleet “out of an abundance of caution” pending a full investigation.
Air Force Global Strike Command Pauses Use of M18 Pistols After Incident
The commander of the Air Force’s Global Strike Command, General Thomas A. Bussiere, issued a memorandum dated July 21, 2025, that has ordered all units under its command to immediately cease use of the M18 Modular Handgun System, citing an ongoing safety investigation.
The directive follows the death of an Airman. At the same time, on duty Sunday morning, an Air Force official confirmed that an airman was killed by an accidental discharge from a pistol in a Safariland chest holster.
The active duty Airman was assigned to the 90th Security Forces Squadron, 90th Missile Wing, at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, according to Col. Terry Holmes, the Wing commander.
SIG Sauer Refutes FBI Report On Safety Issues
This last incident occurred just two weeks after the release of the FBI report, which added to long-standing complaints about the M18, the military version of the Sig Sauer P320-series pistols, for firing without their triggers being pulled.
Just days after that report became public, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a permanent ban on the use of P320s.
SIG Sauer pushed back hard against the FBI’s report. Back in March, SIG Sauer released a statement affirming that there is no evidence, data, or empirical testing to show that its P320 handgun can discharge without a trigger pull.
When these complaints first surfaced, SIG posted a video showing the five actions that must take place for the pistol to fire.
Those actions are: (1) trigger is pressed to the rear, moving the trigger bar forward, (2) captive safety lever rotates upward, (3) striker safety lock rotates upward, (4) sear rotates downward, and (5) striker pin is released.”
M18 Pistol Blamed For Airman’s Death?
The cessation of use by the possible accidental discharge/uncommanded discharge of the M18 pistol is alleged, but not explicitly stated in the memo. However, the fact that the AFGSC stopped use of the gun shows that the service believes it may have been the case.
The War Zone reported that an Air Force spokesman, Charles “Moose” Hoffman, confirmed the report of the pause in the use of the M18. “Air Force Global Strike Command has paused use of the M18 Modular Handgun System, effective July 21, 2025, until further notice,” he said.
“This decision was made following a tragic incident at F.E. Warren AFB, WY, on July 20, 2025, which resulted in the death of a Security Forces Airman.
Now, “out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety and security of our personnel, the pause will remain in place pending the completion of comprehensive investigations by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the AFGSC Safety office,” Hoffman added.
“During this period, Security Forces Airmen will be equipped with the M4 rifle, ensuring no lapse in AFGSC’s security posture.”
In August 2024, the Michigan State Police (MSP) requested that the FBI’s Ballistic Research Facility (BRF) evaluate an M18 pistol that had been involved in an apparent “uncommanded discharge” in July.
After a considerable amount of technical discussion, the BRF stated that they could not develop a reliable test to assess the effectiveness of the secondary search notch.
However, their testing indicates that movements representing those familiar to law enforcement officers have the potential to render the M18’s striker safety lock inoperable and ineffective in preventing the striker from impacting a chambered round if complete sear engagement is lost.
Since movement and friction (common occurrences in the line of duty) can disable the striker safety lock, BRF believes that the potential risk merits further exploration.
The US Army Standing Pat On The M17/M18 Pistols
A week after the FBI report was released, the US Army stated that it is not taking any actions regarding its Sig Sauer M17 and M18 pistols, that has raised new concerns about the possibility of an “uncommanded discharge” of the M18 pistol.
What does this all mean? No one knows. There have been several incidents that have required more attention and testing. SIG Sauer has stated that those incidents were addressed through internal changes.
This latest incident was reportedly, but not confirmed, having to do with an airman removing the M-18 pistol, still in its holster, from their belt and placing it on a table before it discharged.
All of the incidents and lawsuits have generated significant heat for SIG Sauer and have tarnished its reputation. However, without being able to replicate the same results in tests, it is difficult to place the blame on any component.
Meanwhile, my SIG remains my go-to carry.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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Joseph Miles Behrle
July 24, 2025 at 12:54 pm
There are only a few lawsuits over this going back to when they were first sold. I still would love to know how much someone got to except these crap pistols for the military.