Sig Sauer P320s displayed at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in 2016.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/BloombergEven a Decade of Accidental Shootings Hasn’t Slowed America’s Top Pistol Maker
For years, gun owners have been suing Sig Sauer for alleged design defects in its flagship handgun, the P320. The company’s solution is to ban the lawsuits.
In 2010 a group of weapons technicians gathered at the training academy of Sig Sauer Inc. for a routine test referred to as the “shake and bake.” The technicians, a mix of military and law enforcement professionals, had reached the final round of a course certifying them to repair Sig firearms. To graduate they needed to strip a couple dozen pistols, all from the gunmaker’s P226 DAK line, down to their screws and springs. They would scramble the parts in a bin, then set about reassembling each gun from scratch.
The test began as usual; the technicians rebuilt the guns without issue. But when they pulled the triggers, the weapons, which had functioned properly beforehand, no longer worked. Two former instructors who were present told me the technicians had reassembled their guns correctly. (These instructors asked to remain anonymous for fear of professional retribution.) That suggested the problem lay with the weapons. Identical guns should have interchangeable parts. When they don’t, it can indicate poor manufacturing.