SIG Sauer is facing another lawsuit over allegations its popular P320 pistol fired without a trigger pull, causing serious injuries to a New Hampshire man.
The suit, filed in federal court, alleges that Kyle Guay, a resident of Hillsborough, was struck in the thigh by a bullet in January as he removed his holstered P320 after returning from walking his dog. Guay is seeking damages for the injury.
The Newington-based gun maker is facing numerous lawsuits, including a potential class action case, over allegations the P320 has a design flaw that can result in the weapon firing without a trigger pull or when dropped.
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The company didn’t respond to a request for comment, however, the firm’s websitecontinues to market the weapon as safe. In 2017, SIG Sauer announced it would offer what it describes as a voluntary upgrade for P320s that involves a mechanical fix. Under federal law, firearms cannot be the subject of a mandatory recall.
[You can read NHPR's earlier coverage of SIG Sauer here.]
The company has already settled lawsuits following serious injuries sustained by law enforcement officers. Some departments have scrapped the P320 as their department-issued weapon following claims the gun discharged without a trigger pull.
A version of the P320 remains the standard issue sidearm for members of the United States Army.
According to the lawsuit filed by Guay, the Army first discovered the risk of potential discharge of the weapon in April 2016. The suit alleges that Sig Sauer made necessary modifications to the military version of the P320, but continued to sell a potentially unsafe civilian version of the P320 for 16 months.
In August 2017, online gun seller Omaha Outdoors published a video detailing its concerns about the P320’s “extremely rare but still possible” potential for discharging when dropped.
The next day, SIG Sauer launched its voluntary upgrade, which retrofits the guns with a different trigger, as well as other components.
In May 2018, SIG Sauer’s response to the drop issue was the subject of a CNN investigation. The company’s website continues to state that the P320 “meets and exceeds all U.S. safety standards.”
