(NewsNation) — Federal lawsuits have been filed in at least seven states across the country after dozens of people claim the Sig Sauer P320 pistol left them with injuries after they say the gun fired or discharged on its own while holstered.
NewsNation obtained video allegedly showing instances of the Sig Sauer P320 pistol firing spontaneously and injuring numerous law enforcement officers who say they were left with bloody leg wounds after their service weapons fired on their own.
The semi-automatic handgun is used by more than a thousand law enforcement agencies across the country, ranging from local to federal law enforcement.
In 2017, the U.S. Army announced the Sig Sauer P320 would be replacing the Beretta M9 service weapon, which had been in use since the 1980s. The Army awarded Sig Sauer a $580 million contract to make it happen.
Also in 2017, the Department of Homeland Security announced all Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents would be issued the gun as their new service weapon. At least 10 ICE agents are now also suing Sig Sauer.
The weapon is also popular with private gun owners.
George Abraham said in 2020, he was moving a car when his gun fired prematurely while holstered.
NewsNation obtained a copy of the federal lawsuit filed in New Hampshire, where the gun manufacturer Sig Sauer Incorporated is based.
Attorneys for those claiming injuries say “the Sig Sauer P320 is the most dangerous pistol sold in the United States market.”
The lawsuit also says plaintiffs trusted Sig Sauer to live up to its reputation as a designer and manufacturer of safe and reliable handguns.
Attorney Robert Zimmerman represents more than 80 people from around the country who all claim they were injured by the P320.
“We filed cases in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Kentucky,” he said.
Zimmerman said they’ve been in litigation with Sig Sauer for the last two years.
“Sig Sauer has denied that there’s anything wrong with the gun and they have refused our request thus far to recall the weapon and redesign it to make it safe,” Zimmerman said.
He said the weapon lacks industry-standard safety features like a tab trigger. Users would have to press the tab trigger to make the gun fire. Without it, Zimmerman said the gun is prone to misfire.
He also said the gun has a very short trigger pull, and those two manufacturing flaws, he said, has led to more than 150 instances of the P320 misfiring.
“And Sig is the only company who manufactures a gun of this kind without any external manual safeties,” Zimmerman said.
NewsNation reached out to Sig Sauer for comment, but has not received a response.
Zimmerman said all of his clients not only want to be compensated for their injuries and lost wages, but also they want Sig Sauer to issue a recall and redesign the gun to make it safe.
NewsNation also reached out to the Army and the Department of Homeland Security for comment but has not heard back from either of them.