[Jas0n]

I joined this forum just because of this thread. I've been trying to research the FNP and so have been looking for testimonials and torture tests online... without much luck. Saw this thread, and was amazed by some of the non sequiturs drawn by the thread starter.

1. Despite having put thousands upon thousands of rounds through various G22s, I was able to shoot more accurately with the FNP 40. At 25 yards I almost consistently shot 1 inch smaller groups with the FNP. I am not sure if this is due to the different barrel rifling or the browning action or what. I just know that I consistently, on every shot, hit closer to my mark with the FNP. Maybe it's the different grip angle, although the Glock angle is more than comfortable to me.

Chalk this up to user headspace and timing, unless your groups at twenty-five yards were the size of a fist. Maybe you're an extremely talented marksman and I'm wrong here, but the vast majority of shooters will never shoot to the potential (for accuracy) of their weapon.

2. The FNP was just as reliable as any Glock I have fired. In my range trip, I put between 1300 and 1500 rounds through the FNP with absolutely no hiccups. The ammo fired was a variety of horrible quality range reloads, WWB, and a few boxes of Federal Hydrashock. So, I am convinced that the reliability is on par with Glock.

1500 rounds on the range =! Glock reliability. Drag your FNP behind your truck down a gravel road for a few miles and toss it out of an airplane. If it still functions without protest, you're getting close.

3. The FNP feels lighter to me. This could be because it holds one less round than the Glock. I'm not sure. I did not go look up the unloaded weights of the pistols before writing this. It could be that the pistol actually weighs more than the Glock and just feels lighter because of the way the weight is dispersed. But, regardless, it feels lighter and would more likely get more carry time with me.

The FNP weighs a quarter-pound more than the Glock.

4. The FNP was easier to disassemble. It took down like a SIG. Just unload, rack, flip the lever, and rack forward. Voila. The Glock take down is just as simple in theory, but the little take down notches are sometimes hard for me to pull down after shooting a while. I have carpal tunnel. Cleaning is just as easy as the Glock.

What you described is a field strip. Have you taken both weapons apart completely? Disassembled the slide? You can turn a Glock into a pile of parts basically with just a 9/32 punch as far as I know. What's required to do the same to the FNP?

1. If the pistol is just as reliable as Glock and just as if not more accurate, then why are pistol accessory manufacturers not coming out with more accessories for it?

(The condition here is not in evidence as having been met.)

2. Why has this pistol not gained more popularity? They are giving away free holsters with each purchase! Each one comes with THREE mags and a mag carrier, and they are on par with and cheaper sometimes than Glocks. These pistols strike me as being a poor man's SIG (somewhat).

I doubt the FNP will ever find itself on par with Glock in terms of popularity with law enforcement. Your whopping 1500 fair-weather rounds on the range notwithstanding, the FNP is likely nowhere near as rugged and durable as the Glock. For range day, and for most competition shooting, and probably for short-sighted CCWers, that isn't important. For guys who go to work every day knowing they may be rolling around in the mud and have to count on that pistol to go BANG when they pull the trigger, it is. Glocks are proven in this area. The FNP is not, and by design, I suspect it will not be. It isn't a bad design per se, it's simply one that isn't optimized for resistance to harsh conditions. Now, since law enforcement applications vary so widely, and since Glocks have such a strong presence in the law enforcement community, it follows that Glock has built-in aftermarket support. That's just one reason.

Sales (to non-cops) are another. I read somewhere that the G19 is something like the most popular single manufacturer/model of pistol ever based on sales. (Consider how many manufacturers make 1911s and it makes sense that the G19 would trump it, despite 1911 popularity.) Aftermarket support tends to follow product popularity, which is why you can buy any modification or accessory you could dream up for a Honda Civic. Modularity helps, too. Glock makes something like two dozen different models, not counting compensated counterparts. Things like holsters and sights and to some extent magazines are largely (though not universally, of course) interchangeable.

To end on an uncontestable note, the Glock has been selling for twenty-odd years. The FNP is all of three years old. Maybe after decades of hard work and solid performance, the comparison won't be so one-sided.


Incidentally, I am a Glock guy for a variety of reasons, but I really want to like the FNP. A good friend of mine decided to entrust his life to one. He's like family, so my research on the FNP line is intended to convince me that he's going to be just fine. I had hoped to find solid, credible, thorough, well-executed torture tests, and I'm kinda coming up empty-handed. I am glad that your pistol made it through 1500 range rounds though.