Safety concerns surrounding RCMP’s potential purchase of Sig P320 pistol

The possible acquisition of the Sig P320 pistol for RCMP use is raising concerns for one gun expert, who says the pistol is unsafe.

Dave Brown, a professional firearms instructor, says the Sig has a dismal safety record in the United States.

“I think there is a problem with that Sig,” said Brown.

In October, the Canadian government announced a $3.2 million contract to provide the Canadian Army with new pistols and holsters to replace its World War II-era handguns. The pistol chosen was the Sig Sauer P320.

But Brown explains the model used by the army has a trigger safety, whereas the one intended for law enforcement does not.

“The U.S. military uses a manual safety, as well as the internal safety, so there is a little safety lever at the back,” he said. “The civilian and the law enforcement versions do not use that manual safety.”

RCMP due for an upgrade

Brown says the RCMP is due for an upgrade. The force’s current firearm model has been out of production for around 25 years, making it hard to find spare parts.

The RCMP sent out a letter of interest in December that specifically would not allow the acquisition of any pistol without a trigger safety. But Brown says a revised LOI was sent out shortly thereafter, dropping that requirement, making the P320 eligible.

Brown says the new contract is expected to go to the lowest bidder.

“The other makes and models are not significantly more expensive, so we’re not talking about double or triple the cost, we’re talking about $100-$200 extra per pistol,” he said. “They deserve the best one that you could possibly find, not the cheapest one you could find.”

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According to Brown, there are now up to 20 lawsuits filed by U.S. police agencies and law enforcement officers against Sig. They cite more than 100 incidents where the P320 pistol fired without the user pulling the trigger, causing serious injuries.

Some police agencies have stopped using the pistol altogether.

“There’s actually video of an officer with it in the holster, not even touching it, his hand isn’t even close to is, and it went off,” said Brown. “To me, there is a problem with the Sig P320 and especially the non-U.S. military version.”

The RCMP have not announced a decision on which pistols they will acquire. CityNews reached out to RCMP for comment regarding the safety concerns but did not immediately hear back.

Brown says it’s infuriating that Canada’s police force is even thinking about using these guns that have a record of safety issues.

“I don’t think any major agency should be acquiring this pistol, until those problems are solved, until the lawsuits are settled, and until they figure out exactly what has gone wrong with this pistol,” he said.