Is the P320 FCU/Striker System the Root of All Evil?
Not that I can see proven… Now for some subjective opinions… (Apology up front)
After watching this P320 debacle for the past 2 years, I’ve decided to point out several observations… This list comes from 46 years of working with firearms on the Job (Armed Sec, LEO (Uniform and PC), Competitive shooter since 1980 (Bullseye, PPC, B-Cup, NRA Action, USPSA, SCSA, etc.) Licensed Gunsmith NYS (80s). Training Counselor . LE Instructor , Certified Coach, CRSO, NROI, blah, blah, blah.
Point One…
Condolences to the survivors of those that died. Second, sympathy to those that have been injured.
Point Two…
Crap Kydex holsters with too much pinch in the trigger guards are a piece of this… and 90% of makers are selling crap. Proper molds should have 100% filled trigger guards. Same thinking goes for trigger locks that put metal rods or bolts through the trigger guard. Wow…
Point Three…
Anyone that carries a P320 in their appendix is exposing themselves to risk. That’s DA/SA, SA Auto, or DA Revolver country. We knew that in the 80s and not much has changed. Add to that, trigger guard and a string type devices. Sorry, not for me. Get real, legitimate holster training from a CERTIFIED CCW or Personal Protection Instructor. That means only one brand of class. 3-Hour State Permit classes don’t even come close, no matter who the instructor is.
Point Four…
Trigger “blade” safety is not infallible due to environmental things (threads, fabrics, straps, poor retention mechanisms, errant Digitus Secundus). Fully charged strikers have been around for years, Gun design is like car design. Every year some product designer is hellbent to create the newest, fanciest, fastest, sexiest car. Now look at the last 5 years of firearm ads on line or in print. Same with Golf Clubs.
Point Five…
Then there are the other human condition gems…
NEVER take a holster or belt off with a loaded firearm in it. (USPSA, SCSA, NRRA, State LE Regs. Standard NYS Academy training in the 80s. Most department policies. Many other states too. The latest Air Force UD issue was avoidable through training. Now it looks fabricated, aka somebody got locked up. ” Make It Safe” is simple. Safe Direction (or Armory Chute), Watch fingers, Mag out, Lock open, round falls to ground, no childish flip it in the air immaturity nonsense. Eyeball the chamber. Transfer it properly, NOT loaded, chambered, in holster. THEN pick up the round on the floor.
Point Six…
Now let’s discuss the FBI Report…. Poor Methodology, No control sample. Some of the social media folks stick things in the trigger guard/ assembly which in essence is simulating a partial trigger pull. I don’t buy them as proof of other than levering the trigger rearward. I watched the ENTIRE Sig Guy Breakdown, 3D printed FCU/Striker Safety interface viewer, mechanics, watch the striker release activation from the frame. Then check your 320 using his frame/ trigger criteria. For me, I watched Bruce Gray’s Videos. Then I got out my depth micrometer, calipers, magic markers, and ran it myself. Answered my questions. If in doubt call SIG for a Repair Call Tag. Let them check/fix it. If you are not an experienced TRAINED armorer or gunsmith, well you know where this goes….
Triggers NEVER get changed/ modified in defensive guns. There is a significant number of “experienced” (yeah right) gun owners that want a “trigger job” in a self-defense/ carry/ duty gun. Don’t trust ’em. When I hear the expression, “This is my EDC gun, and it has a ____ (nonOEM) trigger”, I cringe. Unfortunately, I have direct knowledge of people with 1911, Glock, Beretta, Walther, and other brands having UDs, Full-Auto, or malfunctioning guns after self-induced or custom mods, some with serious injuries. Just learn to shoot, practice safely and enjoy the range, often. Range and competition guns are where mods should be/ stay, if the shooter is expert enough to gain real benefits. Like golfers, shooters want to mess with their clubs too much. The fewer changes and variables, the more consistent the results. Coaching 101…
As an aside, in our training equipment we have 3 P320s (M18, X Compact, X5 Legion 5″), 3 p365s (2 XL and a Fuse), Glocks, Walthers (Q5, Xesse), Tanfos (LF SA), Berettas, Steyrs, S&W M&P, S&W 5906, 6906, 3913, 639, P220SM, p226, P210a (Target and Carry) and on and on. The p320X5 (a competition gun, flat trigger, swapped FCU for rear safety) has 15000+ rounds through it, never an MF. The M18 is 2k. Range gun. No MFs ever. P365s 15+ rounds through the 3, no MFs. All the other brands have similar numbers.
All of our P320 FCUs are post upgrade born. Action work is FACTORY only. Guns are cleaned and not overlubricated.
Point Seven…
Proper gun handling is how you don’t get injured. Proper carry mode (including garments) is another accident reduction method. This is the number one area of safety in Holsterland. Fingers, fabrics in holsters where firearms should be alone. 90% of folks that put a shirt or t-shirt over a carry gun are unsafe on the range. We see it and correct it every day. Properly made and tested holsters reduce accidents. Nothing in the holster (including retention mechanisms) should go inside the outer plane of a trigger guard. There are plenty of other types of retention available. Training and safety discipline could have eliminated a number of the UDs floating out there.
Now for the painful part…
SIG (my first one was p225 in 1893) makes good products. P320 mess is partially self-induced, by not communicating enough, providing public videos, info, and detailed analysis to the public. There are a lot of reasons to keep things tight (lawyers, juries, press, etc.), but there are other considerations as well. Finally, Wk. 3 August 2025, the right engineering came out. Each of us will have our own opinion.
SIG needs to do more research, research causative elements (including suspected and external ones) and put out videos, drawings, 3D models, etc., and possibly peer reviewed research showing what happened, likely causes, and fixes, LE agency equipment choices training and policies, customer processes, holster specs, internal upgrades or solutions (why or why not) this is SIGs responsibility). Do whatever is needed to close this loop. It’s just icky, and unnecessary.
Last thought…
And any owner should ask themselves. Am I doing everything in my power to not contribute to a UD? with some firearms, an empty chamber makes sense. Cocked and locked on 1911/2011 type Self-defense carry guns, does not for me either. SERPA holsters either. Striker guns in Appendix Holsters don’t either. With some firearms, empty chambers do make sense to me.
We don’t have all of the answers and have questions like everyone else. Sometimes, the solutions come from last learning, some from the better mousetrap…
At the end, please be safe, help less experienced folks at the range, be courteous, and yes… Have some fun…
Let’s keep Florida safer—together.
