Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) has returned the M18 Modular Handgun System pistols back into service. The command paused use of the sidearm to inspect them starting on July 21, following the death of an airman at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, which TWZ was first to report. A week later, some units in Air Combat Command (ACC) instituted a similar pause, though the status of that is unclear. We’ve reached out to ACC for comment.

The M18 and the larger M17 are used by all the U.S. military services, widely replacing the Beretta M9. The weapons, as well as their civilian P320 counterparts, have been fraught with controversy, with a drop-safe issue early on in its adoption, which is now fixed, and allegations and lawsuits over the guns going off without the user pulling the trigger with their finger.

AFGSC “has completed a comprehensive inspection of its 7,970 M18 Modular Handgun Systems, following a directed pause on July 21, 2025,” AFGSC said in a release. “Air Force Global Strike Command Security Forces Defenders are resuming arming with M18s that have successfully passed inspection – deeming them safe and reliable for use – on Aug. 25, 2025.”

The M18 “is specifically designed and rigorously tested to meet stringent environmental, endurance, and drop tests unique to the military,” AFGSC stated. A “review of weapon discharges in AFGSC showed that none were attributed to weapons malfunction.”

“No discharges we are aware of occurred without a trigger being pulled,” an AFGSC spokesperson told us, adding that the inspection did not look into whether any were accidental discharges. Separate investigations are launched for those instances.

Still, though the gun has been returned to service, the command did find some problems related to wear and tear in a small percentage of the pistols inspected.

“The inspection process identified discrepancies with 191 weapons across the command’s M18 inventory,” the command explained. “The primary discrepancy was related to component wear. The most frequent issues centered on problems with the safety lever, striker assembly and sear. Weapons exhibiting these discrepancies were immediately tagged and are undergoing necessary repairs.”

As a result of the death at F.E. Warren and resulting inspections of the M18s, AFGSC is “implementing enhanced inspection procedures for the M18 pistol,” the statement continued. “The command’s bases will include additional inspection criteria for the areas where potential issues were found during the M18 pause.”

“By incorporating these added measures, we assess that any issues found with the safety lever, striker assembly and sear will be identified during semi-annual and annual inspections,” said Lt. Col. George Hern, AFGSC chief of security forces. “As we execute M18 inspections in the future, we will be taking a particular interest in these components to ensure these methods address the issues we found and make adjustments as needed.”

In addition, “Security Forces squadron commanders, senior enlisted leaders and combat arms training and maintenance personnel are taking the time to meet with Airmen following this inspection,” AFGSC noted. “These leaders are discussing inspection findings, explaining the enhanced inspection procedures, reinforcing muzzle discipline, reviewing reporting procedures for weapons of concern, and providing Airmen the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns.”

“It is paramount that our Airmen trust their weapon systems,” Gen. Thomas Bussiere, AFGSC commander, said in a release. “This thorough inspection ensures the M18s in our inventory are in optimal working order, providing our Defenders with safe, reliable, and effective systems to accomplish their mission.”

AFGSC implemented its “pause” on the use of M18s the day after the death of Airman Brayden Lovan, a member of the 90th Security Forces Squadron at F.E. Warren, on July 20. The Air Force has, so far, only confirmed that the incident, which remains under investigation, involved the “discharge” of an M18 for still unclear reasons. There were original unconfirmed reports that Lovan had removed the M18, still in its holster, from his person and placed it on a table before it went off. After the fatal discharge, “the investigation has progressed and an individual has now been arrested on suspicion of making a false official statement, obstruction of justice, and involuntary manslaughter,” the Air Force said in a statement on Aug. 8. The details of that arrest remain unclear and the Air Force investigation is ongoing.

Lovan’s death came roughly two weeks after the public disclosure of an FBI report that raised new safety concerns about the P320 series based on the examination of a police variant of the M18 belonging to the Michigan State Police (MSP), which had experienced what was described as an “uncommanded discharge” in an incident last year, as you can read about in detail here. Sig has unequivocally refuted the conclusions of that report, which had identified multiple potential faults and called for further investigation of the pistol’s core design. The company says the FBI was unable to reproduce its initial findings using a mutually agreed-upon testing protocol that was subsequently developed.

USAF Global Strike Command getting the M18 back into service is clearly very good news for Sig Sauer. In a statement to The War Zone, the company lauded the AFGSC decision.

“We applaud the USAF and the Global Strike Command in both their diligence and expediency in their investigation of this tragic incident, and we greatly value this further confirmation of the safety, reliability, and durability of the P320-based M18 pistol. SIG SAUER remains a committed partner to the USAF and are extremely proud to continue to support their mission,” Phil Strader, the company’s vice president of consumer affairs, told us. “We are hopeful that this thorough inspection and confirmation by the USAF will satisfy the concerns of the ranges, training facilities and organizations who have temporarily suspended the use of the P320 and its variants.”

We will continue to keep you up to date regarding the M18/M17’s status as it develops.

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