Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Aug. 25 at 4:23 p.m.
U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command announced it’s lifting a pause on the use of M18 handguns by its airmen starting Aug. 25. In a press release announcing the lift, the Air Force unit said an inspection into possible defects led to the conclusion that the gun was “safe and reliable for use.” Global Strike Command is a division of the Air Force that oversees three intercontinental ballistic missile wings in the U.S., including F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne.
That’s after Airman Brayden Lovan of the 90th Security Forces Squadron died on July 20 while on duty at the base. The incident involved an M18 pistol and kicked off the pause.
“ Whenever we have a question of whether or not a weapon system is safe to use, we owe it to the airmen to make sure that that weapon system is safe to use,” unit spokesperson Maj. Lauren Linscott said in a phone interview. “That was why we held the stand down with the weapon, conducted the inspection, just to make sure that we are putting trustworthy, reliable weapons back in the hands of the people that are responsible for the safety of our bases.”
“We take that responsibility very seriously, and so we are proud to have been able to complete it, and glad to be back to normal operations,” she continued.
Shortly after he died, Lovan’s family issued a statement urging military and police departments across the country to discontinue carrying the pistol.
The Air Force unit and combat arms subject matter experts conducted a national inspection into 7,970 M18 Modular Handgun Systems at bases in states like Wyoming, Texas, Louisiana and North Dakota, according to Linscott. They found discrepancies with 191 weapons in their inventory. The most frequent issue was related to component wear. All of the guns have been sent to get the necessary repairs.
The Sig Sauer M18 is the military’s version of the P320 handgun, another Sig Sauer product.
New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer has faced dozens of lawsuits in recent years claiming the P320 and its variants can fire without the trigger being pulled. In some cases, law enforcement officers were shot by their own guns.
A 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.
Linscott said the unit reviewed all past M18 discharges by their airmen and concluded none were due to malfunctions, including the one involved in Lovan’s death.
“If we had any concern about that not being the case, then we would not have resumed use with these,” she said. “The inspection was comprehensive. More than anything, we want to make sure that our defenders at our global strike bases have confidence in their weapon system.”
The announcement from Air Force Global Strike Command follows the news that an airman had been arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, obstructing justice and making a false statement in connection with the death of Lovan.
In a follow up email, spokesperson Charles Hoffman said the broader U.S. Air Force, which makes decisions about what weapons the unit must use, did not pressure the unit to reinstate the use of the M18.
“The inspection of nearly 8,000 weapons was completed, and a data driven decision was made,” he wrote.
He added, “[No Global Strike Command personnel] have been wounded from an un-commanded (no trigger pull) discharge.”
Linscott said the investigation into Lovan’s death is still ongoing.
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.
