If you’ve been anywhere in the gun space over the past few weeks then you’re probably aware of the SIG Sauer P320. Unfortunately, the reason for your awareness is less than stellar. If details are a little hazy, check out THIS article I wrote last week to get yourself up to speed on the latest news. As a result of the negativity, a lot of people are starting to dump their 320’s in favor of other pistols. This is such a phenomenon that several friends who own shops have relayed that they are no longer accepting the Sigs on trade or purchase at their stores.
So what is there to do? You find yourself with a SIG Sauer P320 and a full compliment of accessories that you no longer wish to own. There polymer pistol market is bigger than ever, with choices as far as the eye can see. Luckily we’re here to help you narrow things down. Here are my top Sig Sauer P320 alternatives!
This may grind the gears of some, but Glock has been King of the Hill for a long time for a reason. Several times over the years I have considered straying away from the Austrian wonder-nine, but always make my way back in short order. Glocks are accurate, reliable, safe, and plain easy to own. Despite the popularity of the P320, Glock continues to have the best aftermarket support of any handgun today. If you don’t like the grip frame, you can have it modified by people like Great Lakes Custom Works, Boresight Solutions, and plenty of others.
For added safety, shooters can add a Striker Control Device, which is a great addition. While Glock may not be the most exciting option, it truly is the “easy button” of the list.
The Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 is a seriously underrated pistol in today’s world. Smith has been gobbling up law enforcement contracts, making it seem like the former runner-up to Glock is on a comeback tour. Much like our top choice here, the M&P 2.0 is safe, reliable, accurate, and a fairly easy gun to live with. The Smith also provides shooters with the option of a manual safety lever, similar to a 1911, for an added layer of risk mitigation.
While support isn’t quite as good as Glock, you should still be well covered here. If I was going to use anything other than a full size Glock, my top choice is the M&P 2.0. It’s a temptation that stays with me fairly regularly, especially with my love of the Shiel Plus.
I really like the CZ P10 series of pistols. At one time I considered it my favorite striker-fired pistol on the market. The grip shape and texture is excellent, controls are solid, and the trigger is great. Several years ago the P10 series was the most popular gun at my USPSA club aside from the CZ Shadow 2. The guns have proven themselves to work very well, while also being very affordable.
The downside here, as will be a trend for the rest of the entries on the list, is the aftermarket. We’re starting to see reduced support and increased prices at this point, though the P10 is still somewhat popular.
Primer Peak veteran Paul used to be known as our resident HK shill, being a P30 and VP9 enthusiast. The VP9 offers significant ergonomic customization with swappable backstraps and side panels on the frame. Like everything else on the list, the gun is extremely reliable and accurate, and just well made. I’m not the VP9 expert on the team, so if you’re curious I suggest reading Paul’s latest deep-dive on the pistol.
I was an early adopter of the FN 509 Tactical back in 2019 after seeing positive results from Primer Peak Editor in Chief Patrick Roberts, and Steve Fisher of Sentinel Concepts. Without a doubt, the 509 offers the best optic mounting solution on the market outside of custom milling. I wrote a review of my personal FN 509 Tactical a few years ago.
The big downside here is the aftermarket. This is going to be one of the worst guns on the list to get parts and accessories for, which makes things a bit of a challenge. Of course you can make it work, but it’ll be more difficult than a Smith & Wesson or Glock.
There are a few other guns that I think are decent choices, but don’t make the Top 5 for one reason or another. Here are the details on those.
The Springfield Armory Echelon is the newest offering on this list. As such, it hasn’t done much to establish a steady track record. From my understanding, a few LE agencies in Nevada and Missouri have adopted them, but no real data on their use has come to light.
Erick Gelhaus over at American Cop did a review on his last year, which is my main source of information on the Echelon. Initial impressions seem positive, but time will tell how the gun pans out in the real world.
If you haven’t noticed, every other option on this list is a striker fired pistol, just like the SIG P320 they’re replacing. This doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a hammer fired pistol in your holster. There aren’t many modern hammer fired guns on the market, and while the PX4 isn’t the most modern handgun, it’s one of the better options for the type today.
I just spent a few months with one and wrote my thoughts HERE.
It’s unfortunate that the SIG Sauer P320 is turning out to be less than stellar. (Good) Guns aren’t cheap, and it takes a lot to transition to a new handgun. You want to make sure that your next choice is one that you won’t regret. Luckily the options here are generally proven, especially the first two choices on our list.
Author’s Note: The Walther PDP is conspicuously missing from this list as noted by some readers. The PDP is fine, but I do not care for it for a variety of subjective reasons. That said, it’s a reasonable selection.
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