Switzerland Picks SIG Sauer P320 as New Standard Military Sidearm
Rojoef Manuel December 10, 2025
Switzerland has selected the SIG Sauer P320 as the next standard service pistol for its armed forces.
The new guns will replace the military’s SIG P220, also known as Pistol 75, which has been issued to warfighters since the 1970s.
The adoption of a more advanced weapon was facilitated under the New Generation sidearm program in conjunction with the Swiss Defence Procurement Office.
According to the materiel agency, the P320’s selection meets acquisition goals tied to national defense policy by requiring domestic industrial participation.
In line with this, New Hampshire-based SIG Sauer, which has an office in Schaffhausen, said it “has assured that production will be set up in Switzerland,” bolstering security capabilities and supply chains under Bern’s federal armament strategy.
Over Glock, Heckler & Koch Handguns
A small arms competition to determine the winner of the contract involved technical testing, field evaluations, and assessments of safety and logistics.
The screening culminated in a trial in 2024, which placed the P320, Glock’s G45 Gen 5, and Heckler & Koch’s SFP9 as finalists.
While the G45 met all mandatory technical criteria, the P320 was selected based on an overall arms policy and economic review, which highlighted “substantial advantages” for the SIG model, including the lowest life-cycle cost over its 30-year service life.
Although the P320 needed some changes to improve comfort and durability, these fixes were approved and guaranteed by the manufacturer.
140,000 Guns Expected
The Swiss Defence Procurement Office said that the military plans to procure approximately 140,000 P320 pistols, beginning with an initial lot of 50,000.
The approved budget allocates a mid-range, double-digit million sum, covering associated equipment such as holsters, training materials, and non-firing dummy handguns.
