M18 restored to service in Air Force

I’m sure y’all recall the M18 service pistol debacle – an airman in Global Strike Command was killed by a pistol which allegedly fired on its own.

The Sig Sauer-made handgun had been suspended from service across the command on July 21 after Airman Brayden Lovan, 21, a security forces airman, died from an M18 gunshot at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.

The command required that all 7,970 of the Sig-Sauer pistols it uses undergo mandatory inspection.

Out of close to 8,000 pistols inspected by the command, just under 200 were found to have some amount of wear on key firing mechanisms, though none were found to be responsible for any misfires. The M18 and a slightly larger variant known as the M17 are the standard handguns issued across the Department of Defense.

Lovan’s death was originally reported as a mishap in which the M18 may have fired on its own. Air Force Global Strike Command pulled the pistols from service soon after, with other Air Force commands following suit, though the Air Force did not pull the weapon service-wide, nor did the Army, Navy or Marine Corps.

It was reported a couple of weeks ago that another airman had been charged with making a false statement and involuntary manslaughter.

A review of weapon discharges in [Air Force Global Strike Command] showed that none were attributed to weapons malfunction,” the command said in the statement announcing the return of the pistols to service.  Task and Purpose

Seemingly this lets Sig-Sauer off the hook, at least with the military. It should be noted, however, that many police departments have banned the civilian equivalent for police use and even the head of Gunsite, probably one of the most prestigious training schools in the country, banned it when a personal acquaintance who was a Master Sig Armorer was able to force an accidental discharge by wiggling the gun in a holster. YouTube    Me, I stick to Brownings and wheelguns (or did, before that tragic boating accident.)

Category: Air Force, Guns