Air Force stops use of common pistol after reports of accidental discharges and an airman’s death

The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command has put a halt to the use of Sig Sauer M18 pistol by airmen after a service member died in an accidental shooting over the weekend.

The fatal accident occurred at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.

The M18 pistols will be banned from use until the investigation concludes. In what effectively serves as an Air Force recall, Command wants all of the M18 pistols handed over to specialist airmen who can inspect the weapons.

“Air Force Global Strike Command has paused use of the M18 Modular Handgun System, effective July 21, 2025, until further notice,” AFGSC spokesperson Charles Hoffman told The War Zone. “This decision was made following a tragic incident at F.E. Warren AFB, WY, on July 20, 2025, which resulted in the death of a Security Forces Airman.”

The Air Force has not released further information about the airman's death. The Independent has requested comment.

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Hoffman said that “out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety and security of our personnel, the pause will remain in place pending the completion of comprehensive investigations by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the AFGSC Safety office."

Sig Sauer's website says that the M18 — which is a U.S. military standard issue pistol that is also available for civilian purchase —was built on the same platform a its P320 pistol.

The company is currently facing multiple lawsuits from people claiming that they were hurt by the P320 when the gun discharged without a trigger pull. Sig Sauer has maintained that its weapon is safe and that any injuries were the result of user error.

The Independent has requested comment from Sig Sauer.

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Sig Sauer has moved to dismiss the most recent lawsuit, but a judge has not ruled on the motion.

Just two weeks before the airman was killed, the FBI issued a report also noting safety concerns about the P320. Sig Sauer similarly pushed back on the FBI's findings, according to The War Zone.

Days after the FBI report came out, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a permanent ban on the use of the pistols.

The U.S. military and U.S. federal agencies have been using Sig Sauer's M18 pistols — based on the P320 – since 2017.