Air Force base security personnel holding rifles; M18 pistol under review after fatal incident.
The U.S. Air Force has suspended the use of Sig Sauer M18 pistols after an active-duty airman died in a tragic incident at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming on July 20, 2025. The airman was a member of the 90th Security Forces Squadron and died in circumstances that are under investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). Neither the airman's name nor the reason for death have been made public, Task & Purpose reports.
Only one day after the incident, on July 21, a memo, authenticated by Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) public affairs officer Charles Hoffman ordered all M18 sidearms taken out of commission and replaced with M4 rifles for training and operational purposes.
"This shall remain in effect pending the investigations out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety and security of our personnel," Hoffman said in a report released by Task & Purpose.
The move follows ongoing controversy about the M18 pistol, a more compact variant of the P320, which has been the standard-issue firearm for the U.S. military since 2017. The firearm has been repeatedly blamed for accidental discharge, prompting lawsuits and bans from law enforcement units like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Dallas Police Department, The Firearm Blog reports.
Sig Sauer has resisted these allegations, however. In a March 7 statement, the firm declared, "The P320 CANNOT fire without trigger pull, that is a fact," blaming criticism of the firearm on financially motivated disinformation.
At F.E. Warren Air Force Base, a facility charged with safeguarding Minuteman III nuclear missiles, the Air Force is not leaving any stone unturned. The very same July 21 memorandum that removed the M18 from operation also mandated "100% inspections of all Wing-assigned M18 weapons systems" by Combat Arms staff, underscoring the gravity of the issues at hand. The Air Force has yet to establish whether the M18 was the direct cause of the airman's death, according to Military.com.
In the meantime, worries regarding the safety of the M18 only continue to mount. On July 9, ICE released a memo prohibiting the use of all P320 models in favor of Glock 19 MOS pistols.
Other law enforcement agencies like the Milwaukee Police Department and numerous training centers throughout Washington State have followed suit, evidencing further erosion of confidence in the weapon's credibility.
As the probe goes on, the Air Force's quick reaction reflects increased prudence with the use of the M18, particularly at a base that is integral to the country's nuclear defense system.
