FN 9mm purchase
- Thread starter Ibmikey
- Start date
DubC-Hicks
New member
The biggest con of anything FN is aftermarket. It's nearly non-existent for the FNS after years, so I'm not sure if it'll happen for the 509 either. Also, price of mags. Pretty ridiculous at $40 a pop. Good thing they come with 3 I guess?
I really do like the gun though. It feels great in the hand, and the trigger pull is great, albeit the reset is VERY weak. Definitely doesn't push back on your finger.
If I were to buy an FN 9mm right now, I think it'd still be the FNS. Weak aftermarket, but still more than the 509. Also has a better trigger IMO. Can get it in a 5" barrel as well. And prices on the 4" are quite low these days. Sub $400 is common for brand new ones on Gunbroker.
I really do like the gun though. It feels great in the hand, and the trigger pull is great, albeit the reset is VERY weak. Definitely doesn't push back on your finger.
If I were to buy an FN 9mm right now, I think it'd still be the FNS. Weak aftermarket, but still more than the 509. Also has a better trigger IMO. Can get it in a 5" barrel as well. And prices on the 4" are quite low these days. Sub $400 is common for brand new ones on Gunbroker.
MandolinMan
New member
Walt Sherrill
New member
I didn't watch the MAC video again, but I think that's the one where, when the gun didn't fire, he pushes the trigger forward to try to make it fire again.
You can't do that with nearly all striker-fired guns -- as the slide must be moved at least a small distance to reset the striker. Actually, he should have racked the slide and got a fresh round! He did all of this after dipping the gun in mud, and then rinsing it off in muddy water. Rinsing it off didn't reset the striker! He never did that...
It just shows that the guy doing the test doesn't know much about the gun he's testing, or what is an appropriate response for a failure-to-fire in a striker-fired gun. (He has done the same thing with other striker-fired guns, too.) I'd look at other tests and reviews before being too concerned about the MAC test. The folks on the FN Forum who have purchased the guns like them.
FNH, recognizing the lack of after-market parts, is working with a number of after-market vendors to support the FN-509 and FNS line, and Apex is working on a trigger upgrade kits for both, too. (I've got one of their kits for a Glock. It was expensive but very nice!) I have two FNS-40s (one a 40L, and my only complaints -- which isn't a big one -- is the trigger). The FN-509 is arguably a better weapon than the FNS guns.
The FN-509 and FNS share many design features, and the upgrade parts for one may work for the other. Unless you can find an FNS at a greatly discounted price, I'd go for the FN-509. (There have been some discounts on the FNS guns, however.)
.
You can't do that with nearly all striker-fired guns -- as the slide must be moved at least a small distance to reset the striker. Actually, he should have racked the slide and got a fresh round! He did all of this after dipping the gun in mud, and then rinsing it off in muddy water. Rinsing it off didn't reset the striker! He never did that...
It just shows that the guy doing the test doesn't know much about the gun he's testing, or what is an appropriate response for a failure-to-fire in a striker-fired gun. (He has done the same thing with other striker-fired guns, too.) I'd look at other tests and reviews before being too concerned about the MAC test. The folks on the FN Forum who have purchased the guns like them.
FNH, recognizing the lack of after-market parts, is working with a number of after-market vendors to support the FN-509 and FNS line, and Apex is working on a trigger upgrade kits for both, too. (I've got one of their kits for a Glock. It was expensive but very nice!) I have two FNS-40s (one a 40L, and my only complaints -- which isn't a big one -- is the trigger). The FN-509 is arguably a better weapon than the FNS guns.
The FN-509 and FNS share many design features, and the upgrade parts for one may work for the other. Unless you can find an FNS at a greatly discounted price, I'd go for the FN-509. (There have been some discounts on the FNS guns, however.)
.
I think MAC knows what a tap, rack, bang is (he does it in that video too). Sometimes he makes mistakes.
Edit: Watching the video again now. What's funny is in that video pushing the trigger forward did work multiple times. Seems it just got stuck from the mud (the slide had cycled and the casing was ejected). MAC's hypothesis was a weak trigger return spring. I added the time tag to the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkaYMhSUIeo&t=5m46s
Last edited:
Walt Sherrill
New member
I didn't watch the video, thinking I had already seen it. I had NOT. I flipped through it again, and didn't see the tests with mud, etc. That's available on the FN Forum.
I like the FNS and the FN-509, but I'm really more interested in the CZ P10c.
I like the FNS and the FN-509, but I'm really more interested in the CZ P10c.
I've made mistakes as well and it's a good reminder that before we make comments about a reviewer not knowing what he's doing it's good to make sure we have actually seen the review in question.
I'm on a never ending waiting list for a P10c. Another store has one and despite having credit at the original store I'm tempted to just buy it at this second store. I liked it overall. The trigger is better than I expected and I didn't find the same mag release issues as some people have noticed.
To the OP FWIW I know Brink's adopted the 509. I've held one and I really like the ergos and texture. It sort of has a Glock 19 slide length with a Glock 17 grip height though. That's actually been pretty popular with law enforcement it seems, P320 has a configuration just for that, but it's not my cup of tea.
I'm on a never ending waiting list for a P10c. Another store has one and despite having credit at the original store I'm tempted to just buy it at this second store. I liked it overall. The trigger is better than I expected and I didn't find the same mag release issues as some people have noticed.
To the OP FWIW I know Brink's adopted the 509. I've held one and I really like the ergos and texture. It sort of has a Glock 19 slide length with a Glock 17 grip height though. That's actually been pretty popular with law enforcement it seems, P320 has a configuration just for that, but it's not my cup of tea.
Walt Sherrill
New member
Here's the FN-509 test I mistakenly confused with the review above, and which caused me to be skeptical about what MAC has to offer on the 'net.
The review above is much more positive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkaYMhSUIeo&feature=youtu.be
The review above is much more positive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkaYMhSUIeo&feature=youtu.be
dontcatchmany
New member
I have three FN pistol. FNX 45, FNX 40 and FNS 40.
I do not know anything about the 509.
The FNs I have each have approximately 2000 rounds through them and have been absolutely flawless and very accurate for even my old self.
I owb the two 40s (sometimes with 357 sig barrels) and would trust them to be on the ready at all times. The 45 had been carried owb, but it mostly is my bedside gun. The 40s also reside in my vehicles at times.
Hopefully the 509 is as reliable as the others.....but I do not know! Never saw FN advertise publicly like the radio and TV commercials I see now on the 509.
I do not need after market because I do not plan to sell the one I have.
I do wish they made a sub compact in 40 that was as reliable as the three pistols I have.
Good luck in your search!
I do not know anything about the 509.
The FNs I have each have approximately 2000 rounds through them and have been absolutely flawless and very accurate for even my old self.
I owb the two 40s (sometimes with 357 sig barrels) and would trust them to be on the ready at all times. The 45 had been carried owb, but it mostly is my bedside gun. The 40s also reside in my vehicles at times.
Hopefully the 509 is as reliable as the others.....but I do not know! Never saw FN advertise publicly like the radio and TV commercials I see now on the 509.
I do not need after market because I do not plan to sell the one I have.
I do wish they made a sub compact in 40 that was as reliable as the three pistols I have.
Good luck in your search!
I have an FNX-45 and have been very satisfied with it. I will agree with what has been said and that is the FN line of weapons does suffer from a lack of aftermarket support. Other than that its a solid weapon and am glad I picked it up. Good luck with the 509 if you do get one.
indie_rocker
New member
I've had an FNS-9 for about a year and a half, its been a great pistol. I have maybe 1k rounds through it with zero malfunctions. I will admit to being a little salty upon hearing the 509 was coming out, with durability and accuracy improvements over the FNS line.
But I'm not going to ditch an excellent pistol for the latest and greatest. You'll like the 509, FN makes fantastic weapons.
But I'm not going to ditch an excellent pistol for the latest and greatest. You'll like the 509, FN makes fantastic weapons.
Walt Sherrill
New member
dontcatchmany said:
Check out the FNS-40c. It's called a compact, but its actually closer to sub-compact in most ways. (The FNS-40 has a "compact" length barrel and a full-size length grip. The 40c is smaller on all counts, and the folks who have them seem to love them.)
Walt Sherrill
New member
Re: stippling on the grip:
You can always sand it down with coarse sandpaper if you find it too aggressive (and some do), or put a handall-like segment (bike inner-tube work-alike, etc.) on the grip.
You can always sand it down with coarse sandpaper if you find it too aggressive (and some do), or put a handall-like segment (bike inner-tube work-alike, etc.) on the grip.
Longhorn1986
New member
Here's Hickok45's review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVN4tpnkMa8
I have an FNX-45 that I just bought Friday. Seems to need a little break-in due to FTE, but is improving rapidly after 110 rounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVN4tpnkMa8
I have an FNX-45 that I just bought Friday. Seems to need a little break-in due to FTE, but is improving rapidly after 110 rounds.
Thanks to everyone for their input and especially for not flooding the responses with suggestions that I purchase every other brand encountered by man. I seem to have gone astray however and decided to wait for the 320 flap to be corrected and compare the 509 to 320 at that time.