When ghostguns.com teased us with an announcement of an upcoming 80% frame insert for the SIG P320 we had a few questions. So we reached out to the good people at ghostguns.com and they were kind enough to provide some answers…which led to even more questions.
From ghostguns.com:
We don’t have a release date or price – but I can tell you the following:
1. The manufacturing process is identical to what is used on the compatible P320 from SIG; this involves forming metal into a blank (minus the holes). This process requires a bigger investment than billet but the end result is a product that we can sell at a better price than our billet products.
2. The jig is likely going to be part of the package.
We are working on a “grip module” to be included with our kit.
That’s about all I can share thus far.
Sounds pretty good, but I’m wondering about the âgrip moduleâ and finding the needed parts to complete it. I have a feeling this whole modular handgun movement might spur a whole new industry. With Beretta, FN, and SIG all offering modular handguns we could see more 80% frame inserts and aftermarket grip modules down the road.
If the explosion of aftermarket GLOCK slides and other parts is any indicator, I would bet on some seriously cool innovation in the handgun market headed our way. Stay tuned.
I agree this is shaping up to be some seriously cool stuff. Truly customizable handguns! It might end up more like ARs where you don’t simply say ‘ this is an FNX’ but talk about what upper, barrel, rail system etc you have on your FN base.
I dig it!
I really like the idea of the Beretta APX insert being used for its lower bore axis. Also don’t forget the Honor Defense and those suing SIG Steyr also have modular system. The Honor Defense being the only single stack and a pretty nice gun to boot.
The Honor Guard from Honor Defense is like a Sig P320 and an M&P Shield had a baby.
And the baby grew up to be a better defensive pistol.
That gun has got to be the best designed gun for its purpose that I have ever seen.
Dare I say “Perfection”
To each his own but I fired one and was not impressed with it at all. It was snappy and uncomfortable for me to shoot. That’s just me. YMMV of course.
Snappy comes with the territory. I don’t know of a pistol in this class that doesn’t noticeably nip at you a little. I found that the texture on the frame mitigates that quite a bit.
darn .40 cal. and all it’s snappiness.
Anyone want to guess the release date for this?
I would like to see a totally open but resonably licensed platform. To include fully complete trigger modules to 80% percent trigger modules with trigger parts from everybody and anybody in the industry, as well as any other part we can think of. This is especially attractive to those of us behind enemy lines like Kalifornia.
PS: When do I send my money!!!!!
Doing a 80% handgun in ca legally now is pretty hard, and about to become near impossible when the new serial# requirements kick in.
Sure, getting a prior-authorized serial number defeats one of the main purposes of an 80% receiver, but at least it will get us over the de-facto handgun ban that is the consequence of the “not unsafe” handgun roster.
It is on them to prove that you created the firearm prior to the registration requirement. Pretty hard to prove if they can’t prove when you purchased it, even then is it “beyond reasonable doubt” that you didn’t make it yourself prior?… Would be tough to prove. Deal in cash only and your chances of success seem extremely high to me and even if you didn’t, I think you would be pretty safe.
I don’t know man, now that you bring up the roster (which I hadn’t even been thinking of, I was thinking ssev2) I don’t know if these would be good to go at all here. Even if you went through ssev2 and applied for a serial, which has to be on metal embedded in the polymer frame (that’ll be fun) it still might be in a gray or red area just due to that stupid “safe handgun” roster. I wish whoever ends up being the test case well against CalDOJ. I’ve already moved the wife and daughter out of here, just a few more months for me then I get to lose that wonderfully clever exile machine backfin lol.
It pretty much defeats the ONLY purpose of getting one of these so-called “80%” receivers — for this or any other gun.
The entire basis of the “80%” market is the lure of building an “untraceable” “ghost gun.” Admittedly, there are a handful of people who might actually enjoy doing the extra work – but the number of such people is not nearly enough to support any commercial business making “80%” receivers. Without the tinfoil hat crowd, there wouldn’t be any commercial 80% market.
There is nothing about a gun built for an 80% receiver that is better than the same gun built on a regular receiver. AT BEST, the gun built on an 80% receiver is just-as-good. [I have to wonder what percentage of so-called “80%” receivers actually end up becoming properly functioning firearms.]
Building a gun from an “80%” receiver may or may not be cheaper than buying the same gun outright. If there are a wide selection of parts available from different sources, you MIGHT be able to assemble exactly the options you want for a little less than trying to find a complete gun with all the features you want. But for a basic gun, the bottom line is that buying all the parts costs more than just buying the complete gun, already assembled, fitted, and with the manufacturer’s guarantee behind it.
” I have a feeling this whole modular handgun movement might spur a whole new industry.”
Hell, yeah. And not just pistols.
Imagine someone with an idea like the Kriss Vector being able to bring it to market in short order, thanks to not having to jump through all those FFL hoops.
Well, until the next Democrat administration gains power and outlaws 80 pct. firearms outright, that is…
*mutter*
For some reason this makes me really happy. Pretty sure it’s not the pistol itself, cuz I don’t really want or need one of those in the foreseeable future. Might have something to do with the thought that this makes it a LOT harder for government to use a handful of criminals as an excuse to stomp on the freedom of decent people.
+1 to this whole article. I hate waiting to save up for an entire pistol that costs hundreds of dollars. If I can build it in pieces and easily upgrade overtime, whole different perspective
enjoy it before it goes the way of the solvent trap.
Only way I could see this going south would be if Sig started requiring proof of ownership of a P320 before you could order parts from them. Then again, you can probably get everything you’d need from 3rd parties already anyway.
SIG sells kits, + this part and you have happy people able to decide for themselves the exact manner of product they can buy, the exact features they want, the caliber they choose and not forced to seek a permission slip from the state to simply procure what we want. This is VERY anxiously awaited by many in my neck of the woods. It provides small respite and wiggle room for peeking through the knot holes in the fencing around our supposed rights; giving us a glimpse of freedom. That is highfalutin to be sure, but nonetheless true. Saving up my couch pennies, my pocket change, and my paper route earnings to get one of these.
When you register a gun in Cali, are you supposed to record its caliber?
And is ‘multi’ a choice on that form?
Yes on caliber, and IDK to be honest for pistols; didn’t have the desire to go through the lovely new steps necessary to get one. Alas, with this GG part, I’m going to have to.
Now well see P320 slides, parts, barrels, etc., go on the endangered speicies list for a while when this is released.
Happened with the P80 G17, and even worse for the P80 G19. Slide assemblies you used to be able to get for $320’ish vanished, all the ebay slides scooped up, and those you could find went well over $400.
G17 and G19 frame parts kits selling for $125 (Not! Get a genuine parts kit from Midway for $50).
All that said, I’m in for one if they review well once released. No pre-orders without good reviews first đ
This will only matter if the trigger is good.
The SIG 320, for all it’s modularity, has an incredible out of the box trigger. If you end up overpaying for some gritty-half assed gun with a garbage trigger…I’d rather pay the extra few bucks and get the lifetime warrantied version that SIG sells.
It’s not like it’s going to be cheaper – The Polymer 80 Glocks actually cost more than an actual Glock.
Perhaps slightly more expensive depending on the parts you use. However, I found the ergonomics to be far superior to a Glock 19, and I still get the dependability of the parts from the manufacturer. My 17 model was much less expensive simply because it was on sale for a great price.
The Holy Grail of this will be adapting the stamped blank to pocket guns.