‘Not a cheap piece of crap’: Gun reportedly carried by Alex Pretti is widely popular among enthusiasts

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, the 37-year-old fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent on Jan. 24, was allegedly carrying a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol that is widely popular and frequently carried by U.S. military and law enforcement.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared photographs of the gun with its slide retracted and sitting on the seat of a vehicle. Beside it is an ejectable magazine loaded with bullets.

Authorities said the gun and ammo was on Pretti’s person during a fatal confrontation with agents.

The shooting is the third involving federal agents since the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota expanded earlier this month.

Trump administration officials cast Pretti’s possession of the firearm as evidence that he had violent intentions. State and local officials quickly condemned the shooting, including some gun-rights supporters.

People with knowledge of firearms said the model is a Sig Sauer P320 with several customized features, indicative of an enthusiast. Mounted on the handgun is a detachable sight. It has a custom flat trigger and grip. Printed on the gun is “Sig Custom Works,” the insignia of the New Hampshire-based gun manufacturer’s bespoke line.

Pistols with such custom modifications are widely available to the general public. In Minnesota, handgun owners are required to obtain a permit for concealed carry. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Pretti was legally permitted to carry a weapon.

Harrison noted the threaded barrel of the gun. He said this design allows for attachments such as a suppressor or a compensator, used to dampen sound or help with accuracy, respectively. Harrison said the pistol is the type one might find on the gun range.

“This is not a cheap piece of crap,” Harrison said.

Rob Doar, president of Minnesota’s Gun Owners Law Center, said the P320 is well-liked in the state and typically runs about $1,300. Upgrades like the optic are less common, he said.

In 2023, GunBroker.com ranked the P320 model as the second-bestselling handgun in the U.S., after Sig Sauer’s P365. That is the same year Sig Sauer, the top pistol maker since 2018, produced more than 944,562 pistols, accounting for 94% of its total production, according to the trade publication.

Sig Sauer’s ascent tracked with the adoption by the U.S. military. Since 2018 the P320 has been the standard issue sidearm under a contract with the gunmaker to replace the M9/11 Beretta.