By: Greg Chabot

Photos Sasha Steadman

Since its introduction, the SIG P320 family has taken the market by storm.

With its adaption by the Department of Defense, the ongoing theft of our Republic, and continuing China virus crisis, demand for the P320 has increased steadily.

As we all know, it has become increasingly difficult to purchase both firearms and ammunition. SIG Sauer has stepped up for those who already own a P320 by offering caliber exchange kits.

I have been trying for the past 18 months to obtain either the M17 or 18 to T&E (test and evaluate), without luck. And I refuse to be gouged by unscrupulous shop, I made the decision to purchase the M17 kit that was in stock directly from SIG. Shipping was quick, and it arrived at my door in two days. The kit comes with a complete slide and medium grip module. One 17 and two 21-round magazines come with the kit in free states. As of this writing SIG only offers the version without the safety. I did not see any kits offered with the safety option, which could be subject to change.

The nice thing about these kits is end users do not have to worry about the trigger on their fire control unit. If you have already broken in or added an aftermarket trigger, you just drop in your FCU (fire control unit) and head to the range. Overall quality of the fit and finish was excellent with no defects detected. The M17 comes with a loaded chamber indicator resembling those on the Springfield XD series. Night sights come standard with the option to install optics if end users choose to.

Range Report

Due to the current ammo shortage, I was not able to put the round count of mixed ammo that I prefer to do. I apologize to my readers for that. A total of 400 rounds were fired for this T&E. I was able to acquire boxes of 115-147 grain including +P, Ball and JHP. I used the Wilson combat grip module, as it is my preference over the offerings from SIG.

I liked the sight radius on the M17, along with the extra weight up front. Sights are standard night sights offered on the military issued guns. My eyes had no difficulty picking them up. The front heaviness made follow up shots easy to do. I felt like I was cheating while doing Mozambique drills due to minimal muzzle rise.

Recoil was very mild even with +P loadings, making this weapon easy to control during rapid fire. No complaints in the accuracy department. If you do your part, the weapon will hit the target. Reliability was 100%. I treated the weapon like an Army private would and the M17 kept right on going. Though slightly front heavy, the M17 balanced well in hand. I did not notice any balance shift as rounds were fired from the 17 or 21 round magazines. Overall, the M17 was a pleasure to shoot.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

1) No 4473 to fill out — it is delivered to your door.

2) Simple to switch out FCU at the range. Took me under two minutes to switch out from my carry 320 to M17.

3) If you live in a communist state, no worries of registration of an additional weapon.

4) Kit comes with three magazines!

5) No worries about having a bad trigger.

Cons:

1) Cost: Some might not like the MSRP of the kits. In a world where people will pay similar money for a stripped slide, this is a moot point in my opinion.

2) Only comes with a medium grip module with no option for choosing a different size.

3) No option for end users who prefer a safety. This could change in the future.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was happy with my purchase. The kit performed to my standards and was 100% reliable. I would have liked to run more rounds through it for a more thorough test. The caliber exchange kits offered by SIG take full advantage of the P320’s modularity, which gives it an advantage over its competitors, with a factory warranty and support if needed.

I would have no issue recommending one to my readers. And yes, I would trust my life to my M17 kit. If you are looking for an M17 or 18, check out the caliber exchange kits from SIG Sauer.

Big thanks to Norarm Tactical!

Greg Chabot is an Iraq Combat Veteran freelancer, writing from New Hampshire.