Air Force unit suspends use of Sig Sauer pistol after shooting death of airman

Debate: Carrying with a Round Chambered

• Many commenters argue that if you’re going to carry at all (civilian or military), the firearm should be ready to fire, i.e. chambered. Racking the slide under attack adds ~0.5–2 seconds plus extra complexity, which can be decisive in close, fast encounters.
• Others prefer an empty chamber for perceived safety, or won’t carry at all if chambered—especially with appendix carry or around family—accepting reduced responsiveness.
• Several note that in ambiguous “sketchy” situations you can’t legally rack or draw without risking a brandishing/menacing charge; the gun is meant for the rare, clearly lethal scenario, not general intimidation.

Legal and Tactical Context

• Brandishing and self‑defense law is described as complex, varying by state (duty to retreat vs stand‑your‑ground, differing treatment of “threat of force” vs firing).
• Some see “only draw if you’re ready to shoot” as standard doctrine; others point out real cases where drawing alone ended the threat and they’d accept a brandishing charge over killing someone.

P320 Design Concerns and Evidence

• Thread distinguishes two issues: early drop‑fire defect (partially addressed via voluntary “upgrade” to the fire control unit) and newer claims of “uncommanded discharge” from holster, without trigger contact.
• A recently FOIA’d FBI report on an M18 incident, plus multiple videos, are cited as strong evidence that safeties can fail and the gun can fire in a proper holster, even post‑upgrade.
• A minority argue many incidents can still be explained by something snagging the trigger and that this may be social amplification; others counter that documented forensic cases and tolerance‑stacking analyses make a genuine design/manufacturing defect highly likely.

Sig’s Response and Reputation

• Sig is widely criticized for denial, framing critics as irresponsible or politically motivated, and offering a “voluntary upgrade” instead of a recall.
• Some say they will no longer buy Sigs (or only older models); others continue to trust models like the P365 while treating the P320 as unsafe or a “paperweight.”

Safeties, Holsters, and Modern Handgun Design

• Modern defensive doctrine often treats a rigid holster that fully covers the trigger as “the real safety,” with multiple internal drop/striker safeties expected to prevent any discharge without a trigger pull.
• Manual thumb safeties are controversial: they can block inadvertent trigger pulls but also fail under stress or when not in muscle memory. The P320’s military safety is criticized as merely a trigger block, not a redundant striker block.

Military/LE and Nuclear Context

• Commenters note these guns are used by USAF Security Forces guarding nuclear assets and by school resource officers; carrying a mechanically suspect pistol in such roles is viewed as unacceptable.
• Some highlight that even on secure bases, the military itself sharply limits personal carry, which they see as an implicit critique of the net‑safety value of widespread armed carry.

Training, Stress, and Realistic Use

• Multiple firsthand accounts from live‑fire classes and simulators emphasize how fast real violence unfolds, how badly fine motor skills degrade, and how unrealistic many “I’ll just rack then shoot” or “I’ll out‑draw him” fantasies are.
• Others stress that accidents, negligent discharges, and mis‑ID of threats are also real risks, especially for poorly trained carriers; some conclude “don’t carry” is safer for most people.

Meta: Corporate Liability and HN Culture

• Some frame this as a textbook case of corporate incentives to deny defects (parallels drawn to other industries) and to lobby for legal shields (e.g., New Hampshire law limiting suits over missing safeties).
• The thread notes, with some surprise, how many technically minded HN readers are deep into firearms, both as engineering objects and as tools embedded in legal and societal trade‑offs.