DC National Guard members actively training to carry pistols in capitol mission

[douglas9]

The DC National Guard is making sure all members have the requisite training to use a specific type of pistol should the official order to be armed come down from Trump or his Department of Defense, The Handbasket is the first to report. The fact that members may soon be armed was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal and NPR, but this new information sheds light on the fact that members are actively preparing to be armed.

As recently as Thursday, the US Army wrote in a press release: “Weapons are available if needed but will remain in the armory.” Yet by Friday, according to the WSJ, some members “were told to expect an order to carry weapons.” The Army did not respond to the paper’s request for comment. However, according to documents and messages reviewed by The Handbasket, the wheels are already in motion.

According to two people familiar with the situation and whose identities are being kept anonymous for their safety, members of the DC National Guard task force assigned to patrol the streets of the nation’s capitol are qualifying—military speak for meeting training requirements—to carry and operate M-17 pistols. The M-17 is the military variant of the Sig Sauer P320 semi-automatic pistol, a controversial firearm that has been banned by multiple law enforcement agencies (including ICE) for reportedly firing without a trigger pull.

In the past 24 hours or so, DC Guard members have begun to be pulled off mission duty in order to go to the shooting range and practice with the M-17 pistols, messages from leadership show. It is unclear why the M-17 is the DC Guard’s weapon of choice. A message The Handbasket sent to the guard’s Public Affairs Office Monday evening asking for more context around the decision has not received a response.

https://www.thehandbasket.co/p/dc-national-guard-armed-m17-sig-sauer

[bluedigger]

1. Somewhat misleading article.

The M17/18 pistols are the standard side arm of the army, however side arms are not normally issued to rank and file troops, but more often issued to senior nco's and officers, as well as special assignments. I think they want them armed, but not patrolling the streets with assault rifles for the optics. Not that that's any better, just trying to provide some clarification.

[TommyT139]

6. I would rather an assault rifle deemed safe

...rather than a pistol so prone to fire without trigger pull that the Air Force, many police depts., training facilities (including Gunsite)...and even ICE(!) prohibit its use.
(Links in comment 5.)

Of course, the NG shouldn't be on American streets at all, but geez.

[bluedigger]

8. That's somewhat my problem with the article.

Bringing up arguments against a pistol that was adopted by the military in 2017 seems like a diversion from the main point of armed guardsmen in the streets. The pistol argument was fought and lost a decade ago.

[Lovie777]

2. shithole is destroying the economy of D.C..........................

everything he touches dies.

[Norrrm]

3. Trump's military and his secret police 'patrol' in squads, instead of pairs.

The goal is intimidation, not policing.

The Guardsmen are being thrown into a snake pit they are not trained for.

[dlilafae]

4. Sure. Let's train to mow down our

fellow Americans. 😢

[TommyT139]

5. A pistol with no safety, known to fire without trigger being pulled.

It might be a standard military sidearm, but known issues provide plausible deniability for when a civilian is killed.

https://smokinggun.org/court-records-reveal-sig-sauer-knew-of-pistol-risks-for-years/
(August 14, 2025)


The CEO's a winner, too -- arrested in Germany for illegal arms trafficking (to Columbia), he took a plea deal and got a $1m fine and suspended sentence.

https://smokinggun.org/manufacturer/sig-sauer/


Edited to add: But wait, there's more.

ICE stopped using these pistols due to safety concerns.

On July 9, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Madison Sheahan issued a letter stating that agency personnel could no longer carry P320 pistols.

Source: https://smokinggun.org/air-force-command-pulls-sig-sauer-m18-after-deadly-shooting/

[MrWowWow]

7. tr💩mp is just setting the table for

Kent State 2.0

[orangecrush]

9. Dry run

For having red states National Guards occupy Blue cities in the mid terms.