Bismarck, ND, police officers will soon be carrying the SIG Sauer P320 striker-fired pistol as their duty sidearm, thanks to the city commission’s purchase approval for 140 of the handguns. The budget authorized for the buy is nearly $30,000—$479 per gun, with $250 trade-in allowance for the soon-to-be retired firearms.
The department’s cadre of certified instructors conducted extensive testing of models from three major manufacturers during the search for a replacement, but it was the performance and reliability of the P320 that provided the contract-winning edge.
“The SIG Sauer, in the majority of opinions, outperformed the Glock,” Bismarck Police Chief Dan Donlin said. “It provided a lot more overall comfort and handling in the varying hand sizes of our officers.”
The chief also noted the modularity of the P320, having three sizes of grip module from which to choose, as well as the gun's inherent accuracy.
“The SIG, out of the box, was very accurate," Donlin said. "Even our best shooters couldn’t believe how much better they shot with the SIG versus the Glock.”
When asked why officers’ current firearms needed retirement, Donlin said, “The department needs to replace our handguns due to some documented malfunctions and reliability concerns over the last couple of years.”
The P320 is chambered in 9 mm, has a 3.9-inch barrel and employs a 17-round magazine. Enhanced slide serrations ensure positive manipulation in North Dakota’s often inclement weather, and the pistol is equipped with SIG Sauer’s X-RAY3 Day/Night sights, a 3-dot tritium system to provide fast sight acquisition under all lighting conditions.
