The Canadian Armed Forces announced they will not restrict the use of a handgun model first acquired in 2022, despite the same model being under investigation in the U.S. following a fatal incident involving a military serviceman.
The U.S. Air Force’s Global Strike Command paused its use of the Sig Sauer M18 handgun after it led to the death of one its members earlier this month as authorities continue to investigate the incident.
The Canadian Forces procured the Sig Sauer P320, a similar handgun, in 2022.
The pistol’s manufacturer, Sig Sauer, has been sued numerous times by U.S. civilians who have alleged the gun can fire without the trigger being pulled.
However, the company has attributed such incidents to user error and denies any claims the P320 is unsafe.
Sig Sauer said its P320 pistol is one of the safest pistols in the world in a statement on Tuesday.
“Its design has been thoroughly tested and validated by the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels. In addition, the P320 has been rigorously tested, and is currently in use by militaries and law enforcement agencies around the world,” it said.
Additionally, the company said it offered assistance in the ongoing investigation of the U.S. Air Force incident.
“The CAF have not put any restrictions on the use of the C22 or C24 pistols at this time,” Department of National Defence spokesperson Kened Sadiku told the Ottawa Citizen on Thursday.
“It would be premature to react to the known functioning of the weapon based on an uninvestigated and unsubstantiated incident. Investigations generally confirm if a weapon performed in accordance with its design parameters, whether it was used as intended, and whether there was human error and/ or a deficiency in the training and handling.”
The Canadian military purchased more than 16,000 of the U.S. model, with the batch delivered to the CAF last year.
“Pending an outcome on the investigation of this incident and the publication of details, the equipment management team will add any relevant information to the formal assessment of risk documentation and react as necessary at that time,” Sadiku said.
Canada’s special forces were the first to receive the P320 in 2020, but further introduction of the model was temporarily delayed after a member of Joint Task Force 2 accidentally shot himself during training in Ottawa.
The contract was eventually picked up again in 2022, with the CAF procuring the P320 for its army, navy, air force and military police.