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A Missouri man is suing gun manufacturer SIG Sauer, claiming one of its handguns has a potentially lethal flaw.
A lawsuit filed in April says despite safety improvements, P320 pistols are discharging "out-of-battery."
"Out-of-battery" generally refers to a gun firing even when its slide is not fully forward or the round is not fully inserted into the chamber.
In simpler terms, the gun is reportedly firing when it's not supposed to.
SIG Sauer requested and was granted an extension of time to file a response to the lawsuit, saying the company "needs additional time to analyze Plaintiffs’ claims and prepare its response due to the complexity of the issues involved."
The suit says SIG Sauer made a design improvement in August after recognizing that the pistols could discharge when dropped.
SIG Sauer told consumers the improvements made the pistols safe, the lawsuit said, but the guns still have a potentially fatal flaw — they don't have a "disconnector safety."
The suit claims the disconnector safety is a mechanism that would prevent an out-of-battery discharge.
Currently, two men have filed suit against SIG Sauer — one is a Missouri firefighter and the other is an Illinois resident.
According to the suit, the Missouri firefighter, David Hartley, would not have bought a $450 P320 from a Jackson County gun shop if he knew about the pistol's deficiency.
The Illinois resident, Tim DeLisle, claims in the suit that his $649.99 P320 has fired out-of-battery twice, causing significant damage to the pistol.
The lawsuit — which contains a photograph of the damaged gun — claims it could have been much worse for DeLisle.
"This is essentially the best case scenario of what can happen when a pistol fires out-of-battery, and is a warning of potentially worse failures to come," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit is seeking class-action status, claiming that there are more than 100 people who have been affected by purchasing defective guns.
According to the lawsuit, SIG Sauer claims that about a third of all police forces in the U.S. use its firearms.
A Missouri man is suing gun manufacturer SIG Sauer, claiming one of its handguns has a potentially lethal flaw.
A lawsuit filed in April says despite safety improvements, P320 pistols are discharging "out-of-battery."
"Out-of-battery" generally refers to a gun firing even when its slide is not fully forward or the round is not fully inserted into the chamber.
In simpler terms, the gun is reportedly firing when it's not supposed to.
SIG Sauer requested and was granted an extension of time to file a response to the lawsuit, saying the company "needs additional time to analyze Plaintiffs’ claims and prepare its response due to the complexity of the issues involved."
The suit says SIG Sauer made a design improvement in August after recognizing that the pistols could discharge when dropped.
SIG Sauer told consumers the improvements made the pistols safe, the lawsuit said, but the guns still have a potentially fatal flaw — they don't have a "disconnector safety."
The suit claims the disconnector safety is a mechanism that would prevent an out-of-battery discharge.
Currently, two men have filed suit against SIG Sauer — one is a Missouri firefighter and the other is an Illinois resident.
According to the suit, the Missouri firefighter, David Hartley, would not have bought a $450 P320 from a Jackson County gun shop if he knew about the pistol's deficiency.
The Illinois resident, Tim DeLisle, claims in the suit that his $649.99 P320 has fired out-of-battery twice, causing significant damage to the pistol.
The lawsuit — which contains a photograph of the damaged gun — claims it could have been much worse for DeLisle.
"This is essentially the best case scenario of what can happen when a pistol fires out-of-battery, and is a warning of potentially worse failures to come," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit is seeking class-action status, claiming that there are more than 100 people who have been affected by purchasing defective guns.
According to the lawsuit, SIG Sauer claims that about a third of all police forces in the U.S. use its firearms.
