Sig Sauer

The death of an airman on a base in Wyoming prompted a unit-wide review of the safety of the M18 pistol, a gun that has faced allegations it can fire unexpectedly. Sig Sauer maintains the weapon is safe, and the Air Force is returning it to service.

NH-based Sig Sauer has faced numerous lawsuits over the years filed by police, federal law enforcement officers, and gun users who allege they were wounded by the P320 after it accidentally discharged.

Authorities declined to release the identity of the person taken into custody following the death of Airman Brayden Lovan on July 20.

Documents show that an M18 pistol — the same model recently pulled out of service following an airman’s death in Wyoming — fired without an apparent trigger pull on a base in Italy in 2022.

The New Hampshire-based gun manufacturer issued a lengthy statement late Tuesday defending the design and construction of its marquee pistol. The recent death of an airman on a base in Wyoming led the U.S. Air Force to suspend its use for some personnel.

While the incident on a base in Wyoming remains under investigation, all service members in the Air Force’s Global Strike Command unit will pause use of the New Hampshire-made M18 pistol.

The new law has drawn pushback from people who've been injured from unintentional firings of their Sig Sauer pistols.

The latest round of lawsuits were filed in federal court in New Hampshire. The gunmaker says such filings are baseless and that the popular pistol is safe.

The payout marked the first time the New Hampshire firearms manufacturer had been found negligent by a jury for a P320 pistol unintentionally discharging.

This is the second time a jury found the New Hampshire gunmaker was negligent after its popular pistol fired without an intentional trigger pull, causing a serious leg injury.