The family of an airman who died while on duty at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne is calling for the military and police departments across the country to discontinue the use of the M18 handgun involved in his death.
“ [The airman’s family] are absolutely mortified to understand how big of a problem this is, how many people have been injured,” said Robert Zimmerman, an attorney at the Philadelphia law firm Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, which represents more than 100 alleged victims of the P320 and its variants, like the M18. “They want to make sure that this doesn't happen to other families. The funeral was just Monday, so they are still obviously processing all of this, and they are working through their grief.”
They’re also considering a wrongful death lawsuit against the manufacturer.
Airman Brayden Lovan, 21, died on July 20 while on duty for the 90th Security Forces Squadron, his first assignment since entering active duty for the U.S. Air Force in 2023.
According to an article by the Muhlenberg County Leader-News newspaper, Lovan was from Greenville, Kentucky. He was involved in sports like football and track and was a member of the First Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville. “He loved going four wheel riding with his friends, fishing, camping, jet skiing, hunting and playing play station,” reads his obituary.
Air Force Global Strike Command has paused use of the M18 Modular Handgun System until further notice.
“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,” an Air Force Global Strike spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Wyoming Public Radio on July 25 about Lovan’s death.
“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. During this period, Security Forces Airmen will be equipped with the M4 rifle, ensuring no lapse in AFGSC’s security posture.”
Air Force Global Strike Command also announced “Security Forces Combat Arms Airmen at all AFGSC bases will conduct 100% inspections of the M18 handguns to identify any immediate safety concerns. At this time, no determination has been made regarding the nature of the discharge.”
A memo cited in a report by The Trace, an investigative news outlet that’s been covering alleged issues with Sig Sauer firearms, indicates that ICE made a similar move in early July.
The M18 is the military’s version of the P320 handgun, another Sig Sauer product.
The New Hampshire-based company has faced dozens of lawsuits in recent years claiming the P320 and its variants can fire without the trigger being pulled. In some cases, that’s led people, including law enforcement officers, to be shot by their own gun.
The family intends to file a civil lawsuit against the gun manufacturer, Zimmerman said, “for the wrongful death of their son.” He left open the possibility that Wyoming might be the venue for such a suit, although no decision has been made.
Sig Sauer did not respond to a request for comment by WPR on the family’s call for discontinuing the M18 or their prospective civil suit.
However, in a statement issued by the company on July 29, Sig Sauer defended the safety of the firearm and discussed the Air Force unit’s pause.
“This cautionary step is standard procedure,” the unsigned statement reads. “We proactively offered assistance to the U.S. military as they investigate the incident. Contrary to several online reports, (P320 based) M17 and M18 pistols remain on active duty with all branches of the U.S. Military, including the U.S. Air Force, defending freedom around the world. We have absolute confidence in the U.S. Military’s ability to conduct a thorough investigation and report their findings.”
Following Lovan’s death last week, some gun ranges and police departments decided to stop using the M18, Zimmerman said. In its statement, Sig Sauer called those moves a “reactionary decision.”
“The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without the trigger first being moved to the rear,” the company wrote.
It lists a customer hotline for those “impacted by a P320 range or a training provider ban” so that the company “can clarify any misinformation and provide the truth.”
Zimmerman explained his law firm’s P320 clients include police departments that spent big money to purchase the gun and are now having to spend even more to move away from it.
“ Law enforcement departments are in a difficult position to have to assess and reassess this gun when the manufacturer is doing the opposite of what they should, which is to recall or redesign the gun,” he said. “We’re grateful to those law enforcement departments who are placing the safety of their officers and agents as their first priority. We have been contacted by departments who have had significant financial burdens that were unbudgeted, to move away from this gun, to seek compensation for moving away from a product that should have been recalled in the first place.”
A May 19 news report from Mother Jones and The Trace found the Wyoming Highway Patrol traded in their M18s for resale to the public after one unintentionally discharged.
The state agency hasn’t yet reached out to Zimmerman’s firm to explore whether they have a cause of action against Sig Sauer, he said. He also said he “couldn’t comment on” whether Lovan’s Air Force unit or the U.S. military reached out to the firm for similar reasons.
“ I can say that it has been a significant cost to the military and the U.S. taxpayers for this contract. The military, we allege, purchased a gun that is unfit for their service members.”
State government reporter Jordan Uplinger contributed to this report.
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.
