Air Force Global Strike Command, which has purview over nuclear missiles and bombers that can carry nuclear weapons, has suspended using the M18 pistol until further notice following the death of an airman earlier this month when such a pistol discharged, said Charles Hoffman, a command spokesperson.
“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 [Air Force Global Strike Command] Safety office,” Hoffman told Task & Purpose. “During this period, Security Forces Airmen will be equipped with the M4 rifle, ensuring no lapse in AFGSC’s security posture.”
Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, who leads the Global Strike Command, announced in a July 21 memo that has been shared on social media that the command would temporarily stop using the M18 for both training and operations. Hoffman confirmed that the memo is authentic.
The move was prompted by the July 20 death of a Security Forces airman at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Hoffman said.
Air Force officials announced the fatal incident in a July 21 news release, which did not include any specific information about how the airman was killed.
The command is currently working with the Air Force Security Forces Center and Headquarters Air Force Security Forces to conduct a thorough review of the M18 pistol and “develop appropriate corrective measures,” Hoffman said. Security Forces Combat Arms airmen, who are tasked with teaching airmen and Space Force Guardians how to properly operate and maintain firearms, will also conduct inspections of the M18 pistols at all the command’s bases to identify any immediate safety concerns, service officials said.
Sig Sauer makes the P-320 series pistols that include the M18. The company issued a statement on Wednesday saying it is working with the Army and Air Force to answer any questions they might have.
“Our hearts are with the service members and families affected by the recent reported event at the F.E. Warren Air Force base,” the statement says. “We proactively offered assistance to the U.S. Military as they investigate the incident and remain willing to help in furtherance of their ongoing inquiry.”
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The War Zone first reported on Tuesday that Global Strike Command had issued the pause using the M18 pistol.
The M18 pistol is a compact variant of the Army’s Modular Handgun System, which all the military branches have adopted as their standard sidearms since 2017. The pistols replaced the M9, which first entered service in 1985.
But the pistols had several problems during testing, according to a 2018 Defense Department report, which found that the handguns could accidentally fire when dropped. An Army spokesperson told Task & Purpose at the time that the discharge issue had been corrected.
More recently, an FBI report into a July 31, 2024 incident in which a Michigan state trooper’s M18 went off while the weapon was holstered found that it may be possible for the handgun to discharge without its trigger being pulled under a specific set of circumstances.
Jason St. John, senior director of strategic products for Sig Sauer’s Defense Strategies Group, recently told The War Zone that the FBI’s tests were flawed, and that its own testing contradicts the FBI’s findings.
“Sig Sauer continues to have full faith in the P320,” St. John said. “Due to the FBI manually manipulating the P320 sear improperly, Sig Sauer refutes the initial results.”
CORRECTION: 08/05/2025; an earlier version of this story misstated the year when a Defense Department report that found problems with the M17 and M18 during testing was released It was published in 2018, not 2020.
