P320 is the new pistol

The Federal Office of Defense Procurement armasuisse has completed its evaluation of a new service pistol and selected a model. The SIG Sauer P320 was chosen as the new pistol. The manufacturer has given assurances that it will set up production in Switzerland. This is in line with the Federal Council's defense policy strategy of maintaining and developing security-related industrial capabilities in Switzerland.

The procurement of a new service pistol as part of the 9mm Pistol CH A NG (Swiss Army New Generation) project as a successor model to the Pistol 75 aims to equip the Swiss Army with a modern, reliable, and long-term available weapon system.

Based on military requirements, armasuisse invited several suppliers to submit their documentation. A team of specialists from armasuisse and the army then evaluated five potential candidates as part of a preliminary evaluation. For the subsequent in-depth testing in 2024, pistols from three manufacturers were selected: Glock G45 Gen 5, Heckler & Koch SFP9, and SIG Sauer P320.

All three weapons underwent intensive and comprehensive technical testing, troop trials, and examination of logistical aspects. Particular attention was paid to the safe handling of the pistols. The trials showed that only the Glock G45 met all the mandatory criteria and was classified as suitable for use by troops.

However, an overall assessment of armament policy and economic factors revealed substantial advantages for the SIG Sauer P320 model in relevant areas. In addition, the utility analysis showed that although the evaluated weapon systems are almost equivalent in terms of overall utility, they differ significantly in terms of total cost.

SIG Sauer P320 as the best solution

The economic assessment of all weapon systems clearly showed that the SIG Sauer P320 incurs the lowest total costs over its planned service life of 30 years. The life cycle costs reported in the evaluation report demonstrate a clear cost advantage over the two competing systems.

SIG Sauer has pledged to relocate key elements of production to Switzerland, thereby expanding and strengthening Switzerland as a business location.

The SIG Sauer P320 has been introduced in large numbers by domestic and foreign armies, government and police authorities and is a proven weapon system. A standardized and recognized test protocol was used during technical testing, and the SIG Sauer P320 fulfilled all safety-related aspects in the tests.

The areas for improvement identified in the SIG Sauer P320, which led to non-compliance with a technical requirement and the non-granting of military suitability, were subjected to an in-depth analysis.

This showed that these are adjustments that can be retrofitted and are attributable to aspects that can be resolved through design, such as ergonomics and component robustness.

The technical improvements are within realistic parameters and have been bindingly guaranteed by SIG Sauer. As part of the ramp-up of production in Switzerland, the identified areas for improvement will be implemented and retrofitted. With these measures, the P320 is considered ready for procurement in the Material Ordinance.

Compliance with requirements will be verified by means of a retrofit and is a prerequisite for the procurement contract.

The Swiss Armed Forces require 140,000 new service pistols. With Army Message 26, an initial tranche of 50,000 units is to be requested for procurement. According to the current budget, a mid-range double-digit million amount has been allocated for the procurement. In addition to the service pistols, other equipment such as additional magazines or holsters, as well as training materials such as documentation and non-firing “dummy” pistols, are also planned.

The armament policy strategy adopted by the Federal Council on June 25, 2025, attaches great importance to increasing national security of supply, protecting critical supply chains, maintaining and developing security-related industrial capabilities, and ensuring Switzerland's technological autonomy. SIG Sauer meets these objectives to a large extent, as the company plans to manufacture the P320 almost entirely in Switzerland, thus enabling a stable, geopolitically independent production and supply line.

The new SIG Sauer P320 is set to replace the Swiss Army's current standard pistol. The SIG P220 (Pistol 75) was introduced around 50 years ago and has been used in large numbers ever since.