Houston’s decision to pull the Sig Sauer P320 from daily duty is more than a routine equipment swap. The department publicly acknowledged that the sidearm, once trusted to protect officers and residents, is now considered a potential hazard when carried on duty. The move places the city at the center of a national debate over whether the P320’s design is fundamentally sound or unacceptably prone to firing when no one touches the trigger.
For the Houston Police Department, the shift follows a series of alleged unintentional discharges, a high profile lawsuit, and growing scrutiny from other law enforcement and federal agencies. The decision to retire the pistol reflects concerns for officer safety as well as legal and political pressure from reported accidental discharges.
From flagship sidearm to sidelined weapon
When the Sig Sauer P320 arrived on the market, it was pitched as a modern, modular handgun that could be tailored to different missions and users. The striker fired pistol, chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum, entered the North American market as part of a new generation of sidearms that promised reliability without the need for an external safety lever. That combination helped the P320 win contracts with police departments and military units, including selection as a replacement duty handgun for major U.S. forces.
Houston integrated the P320 into standard issue as officers transitioned from older M1911 pistols in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. The P320’s modular chassis and ease of maintenance fit a broader trend in law enforcement toward striker fired pistols that could be configured for different hand sizes and roles without changing the core firing mechanism.
Unintentional discharges and a $10 million warning shot
The promise of a modern sidearm began to unravel for Houston after officers reported incidents in which their P320s allegedly fired without a trigger pull. HPD internal testing in 2017 found the pistol could accidentally discharge nearly 10 times during drop tests, raising concerns about its performance under stress and impact. Those technical doubts turned into a policy crisis after an officer was reportedly injured when his holstered P320 discharged, prompting a departmental pause on the weapon’s use…