Why The US Air Force Has Halted The Use Of Sig Sauer's M18 Pistol

The United States military began using the Beretta M9 as its standard sidearm in 1985, having replaced the long-used Colt M1911 .45 caliber pistol used in World War II. In 2017, Sig Sauer won a $580 million contract to produce the next generation of sidearms. The company adapted its Sig Sauer P320 into the M17 and M18 pistols. The M17 is the full-size pistol, while the M18 is the smaller carry model, which has seen widespread use since its adoption. Despite protests from Glock, the U.S. Armed Forces began outfitting its Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps units with the new firearms.

But the rollout hasn't exactly been smooth for Sig Sauer. In July 2025, an unintentional discharge of an M18 resulted in the death of a Security Forces Airman. The tragic accident at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming came two weeks after the FBI released a report that found the M18 and other pistols in the Sig Sauer P320 series could fire without a trigger pull. The report resulted in many police departments across the country, as well as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, permanently banning the P320 and its family of pistols. Now that an airman has died as a result of one, the service also took action.

The Air Force Global Strike Command ordered a pause on using the weapon until the investigation was complete and a determination about its fate could be made. Subsequently, the Air Force's Air Combat Command restricted use of the M18, making the fate of the new service sidearm unclear. As of August 2025, the ban remains in effect, though the investigation into the deadly incident resulted in an arrest, suggesting the fatal accident wasn't necessarily the fault of the handgun.

The FBI launched its investigation following a request from the Michigan State Police in August 2024. The request came following an "uncommanded discharge" in July 2024. According to the FBI, the firearm is capable of discharging without a trigger pull, despite Sig Sauer's statements to the contrary. Unfortunately, the FBI's findings weren't made public until a public records request brought it to the nation's attention in July 2025. This controversy came years after the U.S. Air Force and other branches had already put the M17 and M18 into widespread use.

The accident that took the life of Airman Brayden Lovan occurred in the morning of July 20, 2025. After the accident, CNN reported, the Air Force began "100% inspections of the M18 handguns to identify immediate safety concerns." Sig Sauer offered its assistance with the Air Force's investigation following the death of Airman Lovan. While the details remain unclear to the public, the Air Force announced in early August that an individual was arrested in connection with the death. The unidentified individual was "arrested on suspicion of making a false official statement, obstruction of justice, and involuntary manslaughter."

This suggests that the problem may not have been the fault of the pistol, but rather, was due to an individual mishandling their firearm. That said, because of the FBI's findings, it's also possible that an unintentional discharge occurred — possibly while the handgun was being mishandled. The details of the investigation will reveal the truth in time, but until then, the Air Force has continued to halt the use of Sig Sauer's M18 pistol for the foreseeable future.