Most specifically the FNX series. FN is obviously capable of designing and producing excellent pistols. On paper, the FNX series seems like a winner. Yet, it seems they have never gotten real traction with people or orgs. Never heard anything overtly negative about them. My experience with an FNX .45 left me with a positive impression, but nothing about it had me wanting to replace the M&P or VP9 I went to. It did everything well, bit didn’t seem to do any great from my few days with one and approx 1k rnds.
Have the FNX pistols been adopted by any major gov agency or PD? What stops then from getting the traction and put in the same category as M&P, HK, or Glock? Has there been any reliability issues? Simply not been around long enough for large rnd counts and hard use to make the small group of GTG pistols? Simply have not done anything to really differentiate them from other choices to fall through the cracks?
It just seems this FN series has never gotten the traction it (appears) to deserve, yet most single users tend to say positive things about them.
I think it’s the simply not having done anything to differentiate them from the competition. There’s lots of good competitively priced options to choose from right now. I don’t have the luxury of being able to but one now, but I remember during the last few months of SSE I got to see an FNX 9. Before I go further, this moment of handling the FN was the only experience I had with it, but it was definitely a quality piece from the feel. I wasn’t particularly looking for a full metal 9, and when I had to choose between the FN or VP9, PPQ, Gen 4 19, M&P. It just did not have anything about it that set it apart.
VP9 shared mags with other current handguns I owned
PPQ had a great trigger
G19 had parts that were easy to come by and just ease of modifying
I didn’t see anything that jumped out about the FN. I was also in a sort of SHTF situation in regards to buying handguns. I literally had to decide what 4 or 5 I wanted and that was it.
Another thing might be a lack of “pushing” the pistols by marketing. Kind of like Walther and the PPQ, aside from their statements about discontinuing popular models, they just never seemed to push them like other brands.
If they want to make sales/contracts they’re going to have to show they want it.
Will - this is a good question. My quick answer would be the blocky grip, then after thinking for a minute, I shoot a Glock which has a grip that’s not much better, if any. The question stands…
I have tried to adopt the FN pistols. The LE prices are right there with Glock and S&W. I first had a FNP USG model that was FDE. The odd shape of the safety/decocker caused me to decock the weapon while firing occasionally so I got rid of it. The FNX came out and I was ready to try the FN again. I traded for a 40 first and did not care for it so I eventually ended up with a 9mm FNX. The safety lever again for me was an issue as it is not in the same spot as the HK so the thumbs forward grip that I shoot didn’t work well for me. I traded the FNX 9 for a FNS 9 and tried to love it. The FNS shoots like a Glock to me with a better grip angle. The only reason I got rid of it was the 8 pound trigger pull went down to 7.5 pounds after quickly putting 2000 rounds through it. I have shot a FNS long slide and the trigger was a bit nicer but nothing to praise.
I think FN’s main problem is there lack of support out there. The individual FN weapons don’t offer anything more or better than any other company out there (except the 3 mags). FN has never been a big advertiser. I would guess not many know the Hi Power is the FN made Hi Power that has been round for years. Pick up any gun mag and you see Springfield and Kimber all over it. Maybe once and a while they will have a FNS LE advertisement. Are Springfields better than FN, who knows but your average Joe sees the XD/XDS on the back cover of their favorite gun mag every month.
As for LE, until they start offering their guns for dirt cheap prices to departments like Glock they don’t have a chance. Glock’s LE trade in program is a hard deal to beat. They could have a great product but if it doesn’t offer anything more that the competition and it cost more, its all about the money in the end. David
“On paper” it should be a GTG pistol that’s in the small group of accepted Duty/combat/SD pistols, but does not seem to be mentioned in that group. Unless there’s been some issues with it (major design flaw, reliability issues etc) I just not aware of. The XD probably outsells the FN by miles, and it’s not considered a legit contender to the others for reasons we all know. I guess per usual, marketing wins the day.
It would seem with just a few small design changes and a bit more marketing, it could be a contender in the circle of choice pistols for legit hard use/duty/SD pistol.
They were ahead of their time with the removable plate for the RDS I recall. No one seems have copied that on a large scale. I thought it was a pretty nifty aspect of the pistol.
Would seem primary issues are:
• Didn’t differentiate the pistol enough to make most want to change
• Lack o marketing
I’m a Glock guy, but I just picked up my second FNS-9.
In my opinion, it is the only true runner up to Glock. All other contenders have some issue or another.
This is (sadly) true.
If they made it into Dynamic Handgun, nobody would own an M&P.
What kind of “support” are you looking for, exactly?
When I buy a gun, I want to run it. I list it as a minus for Glock that every standard unit sold needs to have the plastic sights replaced at a minimum and possibly an ever-so-slightly longer mag release installed.
FNS is duty ready out of the box.
If I was FN’s BD guy, I would package the FNS with their M4-type rifle and sell the idea that every single patrol officer needs to have their long gun zeroed and ready to meet modern threats.
I had an FNP-45 and really tried to like it. It was big but was accurate. The DA/SA trigger I could do without though. It was a “fun gun” and as I don’t prefer the trigger on it, it was not my HD /SHTF/EDC gun. Finding mags for it were an issue but I found them here and there. I held onto it and a bunch of mags thinking when FN introduced there FNS series in 45ACP I’d be on it and ahead of the curve because I had mags, holsters etc. After the debacle of not being able to find mags I thought FN will pump the support up on these new lines , FNX and FNS. Well that was a mistake as when FN-USAy introduced the FNX they changed the design of mags and some FNP mags won’t work in FNXs and those two (FNP & FNX) mags won’t work in FNS series guns. In general, I moved away from DA/SA guns awhile ago. Most DA/SA I have are only “fun guns” and this just pushed me further away from the FNP and the FN pistol line. I sold it at a loss along with the mags. A buddy who had an FNX9 couldn’t find mags for it for 6 months so Im not the only one with the support issue from FN.
I tried an FNX-9 with factory night sights last summer when I was looking to replace my Wilson-barreled Gen3 G17s. I wanted a light, compact, polymer pistol with a barrel greater than four inches long that I could carry cocked and locked. I was encouraged by glowing reports of the FNS so I was willing to overlook relatively thin aftermarket support. While the particular FNX 9 that I owned seemed well made and sound in concept, in practice it disappointed me on pretty much every front.
First the good:
[ul]
[li]It comes with three magazines.
[/li][li]The sights and the grip options are intelligently designed and solidly executed.
[/li][li]It was easy score well with it on most speed drills at close range.
[/li][li]I did not have the inadvertent magazine-dropping problem with it that some people have.
[/li][li]
[/li][/ul]
Now the bad:
[ul]
[li]It’s not possible to disassemble the FNX beyond field stripping. You have to break the safety to get the lockwork out of the frame, like replacing the rear sight blade on a S&W revolver. This simplifies parts availability—there aren’t any. That’s probably good from FN’s standpoint, or for a LE administrator who doesn’t want the troops monkeying with their gear. But it also means users, gunsmiths, and unit/department armorers can’t work on it, even if that just means replacing worn parts. It also means that users can’t properly clean the FNX if it fills up with sand, other grit, blood, etc. You just hose it out and hope for the best. Had I known about this issue, I would not have bought this pistol. I imagine that any serious organization would quietly drop the FNX from consideration for this reason alone, but FN could fix it easily if they chose.
[/li][li]My pistol was not accurate with several loads that shoot very well in other service-grade handguns. The best group that I ever shot with my particular FNX-9 was about seven inches at 25 yards, and many were significantly larger. On the same day with the same ammo, I could (and did) pick up an HK, Glock, or SIG and shoot groups under three inches at 25 yards. I probably could have found a load that shot well, but when so many other pistols shoot well with common ammo, there was no reason to tolerate a pistol that essentially demands custom ammo for routine performance. Add the fact that ammo seems to get scarce with great suddenness these days, and this is another pretty significant mark against the FNX
[/li][li]SA trigger pull on my pistol was no better than a Gen3 Glock with a twenty-five cent trigger job. Weight was acceptable, but there was significant creep. DA pull was unremarkable—similar to a Beretta or SIG in terms of weight. The pull felt like the parts were cheap and flimsy, but that’s true of pretty much all polymer-framed pistols.
[/li][li]
[/li][/ul]
Having experienced these issues, I think it’s possible to do a lot better at the $700 price point.
ONE thing Ive noticed about FN pistols, is that they are far, far less advertised than most other brands. I know SHOOTERS who didn’t even know FN HAD pistols on the market, until I told them. Could this be one reason I wonder?
The FNS/FNX is an excellent series of handguns. They are stone-cold reliable, ergonomic and accurate, and reasonably priced $489-$549 for a pistol from a top-tier manufacturer. FN has spent very little energy promoting these guns, and it is too bad because I think they are best in class handguns for a sane price. They have lots of little but very smart features like shielded slide releases, 17 round steel mags, multiple firing and safety configurations, u-notch rear sights, etc. Lots of thoughtful touches that put it out ahead in my opinion. Most of the complaints are either ill-informed or simple matters of taste (which are important too). Great gun.
^^^ Agreed…isn’t there a thread on here abusing an FN with 8,000 rounds and counting and it just runs. Same goes for my FNX 45T, without a doubt the best DA/SA gun I have ever shot/owned. 15 round capacity, TB, super crisp SA trigger, RMR slide cutout, enough said.
Speaking of the FNP 45T, I understand there was an issue where some of the FN hammer fired pistols would lock up and fail to fire when they be came warm, such as laying out in the sun ?