how about fnh?

Crankgrinder · August 16, 2014, 12:04 PM

I may be in the market again soon. There is always lots of talk and debate over glock vs xd(m), cz and sig (funds permitted) but I notice not a whole lot of talk about fnh. particularly the fnp, fns, fnx series. Would like something glock 19/23ish in size/capacity. Is it that fnh is lacking somewhere or is it just a popularity/market share/accessories type thing? Are there any members here with experience with them? Thanks in advance.

JWT · August 16, 2014, 12:21 PM

I owned a FNP9 and it was a very good gun. It was accurate, reliable and extremely easy to strip and clean. FN's customer service was excellent. Think you'd be satisfied with anything from them.

RX-79G · August 16, 2014, 12:45 PM

Their current striker fired guns have a weird site problem where they shoot really high. Their polymer hammer fired guns are really nice.

g.willikers · August 16, 2014, 12:52 PM

Last fall I rented a FN pistol, the striker fired one in 9mm.
It was fine, no complaint, as good as any of the others of this type.
Although, if I was to actually buy that type of pistol, it would probably be the Ruger SR.

Crankgrinder · August 16, 2014, 03:04 PM

Next gun I go to may very well be da/sa hammer fired. Striker is fine and all but my hammer guns just seem so much sweeter. So I guess all told fnh must be on par with glock/xd as far as build quality?

gyvel · August 16, 2014, 03:18 PM

Has the irony occurred to anyone of FN Herstal being referred to as "fnh," using the same code letters as CZ during the Nazi Occupation of Czechoslovakia?

Crankgrinder · August 16, 2014, 03:41 PM

I know the fn plant in Belgium was overruled by Nazis during the war, but I know nothing of the.letter designations used during the time. A luger p-08 is still a very desirable thing, purely a Nazi pistol itself.

gyvel · August 16, 2014, 07:36 PM

For some reason, the Nazis let FN use its actual name on all the pistols it manufactured during WWII.

However, a letter code on P.38 components made by FN was used for reasons known only to the Germans.

The Czech firm of CZ, however (as I stated), was assigned the code of "fnh." LOL!

Cyanide971 · August 16, 2014, 08:15 PM

Crankgrinder, not trying to be a fly in the ointment, but since you are wanting something around the size of a Glock 19 have you checked out a Steyr M-A1 or C-A1 for a striker-fire platform?

Absolutely love mine, but that's all I'm saying so as not to derail your thread...

Caruser4 · August 16, 2014, 08:26 PM

My first handgun was an FNX-9 and I don't like it very much. Don't get me wrong, it shoots fine and has never jammed with any ammo I've put through it but a year or so ago, the ambi safety broke. It's a terrible design and it's no wonder it failed. However, they did send me a replacement part for free and it hasn't failed since :thumbup:

Also, I don't know if it's suppose to or not but the slide never locks back after the mag runs out and it never has. Tear-down is incredibly easy and the decocker always wows friends.

My $.02

TunnelRat · August 16, 2014, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Don't get me wrong, it shoots fine and has never jammed with any ammo I've put through it but a year or so ago, the ambi safety broke. It's a terrible design and it's no wonder it failed.

What makes it a terrible design? I'm legitimately curious. You'd think a design problem as obvious as you're intimating wouldn't have made it into production.

gyvel · August 16, 2014, 08:46 PM

Quote:

What makes it a terrible design? I'm legitimately curious. You'd think a design problem as obvious as you're intimating wouldn't have made it into production.

If you believe that, then you are underestimating the power of the bean counters.

A little off-topic, but one only has to look at the GM ignition switch debacle.

TunnelRat · August 16, 2014, 08:57 PM

Quote:

If you believe that, then you are underestimating the power of the bean counters.

To my knowledge the FNP in 45, which lead to the changes resulting in the FNX series, didn't have any issues in the albeit short lived pistol replacement program. But to be fair I don't know how far into testing it even went. The FNX in 40 I owned saw some 1000 rds without any issues, but I didn't have it that long.

Quote:

A little off-topic, but one only has to look at the GM ignition switch debacle.

True, but even that presented itself in a limited fashion. Was GM responsible? Absolutely. But if it were really as bad as the media made it out to be then thousands would have died, not a few dozen. That's my question here. The safety is also the decocker with this pistol. You have to use it constantly. I feel like a failure of that magnitude would show up more often on more forums and would have lead to a recall. While we're at it, I have a bit more faith in FNH than I do in Generous Motors.

tahunua001 · August 16, 2014, 09:11 PM

personally they feel like toys to me. very poorly made compared to just about anything else in their price range. I'm not saying they're garbage or unreliable or anything like that, I just think that when a $650 FNS does not have the same fit/finish of a $400 Ruger SR9 sitting right next to it and a gun that is nearly 75% plastic(the FN 57) costs over $1100?

I would rather spend the money on other, better deals like Springfields, glocks or sigs.

TunnelRat · August 16, 2014, 09:14 PM

Quote:

personally they feel like toys to me. very poorly made compared to just about anything else in their price range.

Poorly made in what way?

Quote:

I would rather spend the money on other, better deals like Springfields, glocks or sigs.

You make it sound like FNH is some po-dunk company. This is the company making M249, M240, SCAR 16/17, SLP, and soon to be making the M4s for the US Army.

vyse.04 · August 16, 2014, 09:28 PM

I think they are very underrated firearms to say the least. I almost picked up an FNP357 a few years back (before the FNX line and such), and have regretted my decision not to at times. They have come up in price quite a bit, which generally happens after a brand starts receiving recognition (think CZ).

I'm not a fan of the ambidextrous safety that does look a bit cheap, but these guns are duty sized so it goes with the territory. I prefer the FNP safety, but can see why they changed it. I also wish they would release a compact version, as I would be all over it. Still, if you are in the market for a hammer fired polymer pistol, I think it would be a good choice.

James K · August 16, 2014, 09:46 PM

The current FNH stands for Fabrique Nationale, Herstal. The coincidence of the German WWII code fnh for CZ is just that, a coincidence.

Jim

tahunua001 · August 16, 2014, 11:34 PM

Quote:

This is the company making M249, M240, SCAR 16/17, SLP, and soon to be making the M4s for the US Army.

actually they also make M16s as well. and those weapons have no bearing on their HANDGUNS. as I said, poor metal finish, flimsy, flexible polymers, and personal experience says triggers are nothing special either.

as I said in my statement clear as day, I'm not saying they are junk, I just think they are way overpriced for what you get. none of them are worth more than $400 as far as I'm concerned and with all but the 57 produced in the US, there is no reason that they cost any more to produce than Rugers or S&Ws which in my opinion and experience show superior finished products at lower prices.

they sell for what they do because weapons like the M240/9 M1(machinegun), and browning hi power all built their reputation so that any product with FNH on it is labeled as precious, much the same as anything with Colt on it command higher prices than other makers that make the same dang things to the same specifications.

gyvel · August 16, 2014, 11:51 PM

Quote:

The current FNH stands for Fabrique Nationale, Herstal. The coincidence of the German WWII code fnh for CZ is just that, a coincidence.

Jim

Fer petessake, I know that. Jeeeeez.

Crankgrinder · August 17, 2014, 12:09 AM

Thank you for the pics posted by cyanide. Steyr is a good looking pistol as well, and perhaps some might be onto something about the price vs.other comparable guns in regards to fit & finish. The.g19 I've got has been flawless, mags cheap parts cheap light to carry, but the triggers not the greatest and fit & finish aren't either imo. All is compromise.

Jim243 · August 17, 2014, 12:20 AM

Tahunua, how you got a spur under your saddle I do not know, maybe you tried one, maybe you haven't, but I would suggest you try one before you down a product.

They are anything BUT plastic guns, except for the receivers the slide and barrels are all stainless steal. Maybe you think their fire control group should be different than S&W's or Glock's or Sig's or Ruger's or Beretta's, well my friend think again it is the new wave of semi-auto pistols. (putting metal parts in plastic frames)

Their customer service is outstanding and one of the best in the World. Yes, I said World. They are an International company that does most of their business (90%) with Governments instead of slobs like us. We should be thankful that they even bother with the retail market here in the US.

Overseas the label is "Browning" not FNH that you will find on all their handguns. They are still the only mfg of BHP not clones. As well as all of John Browning's original designs. Maybe you should ask some of your friends if they want to down their A-5's or BAR's or our troops if they want to get rid of their 249's and 240's or if they would rather have a Colt AR instead of a FNH ones.

Before you spit on someone else you should look down at your own shoes, they could use a spit shine.

Jim

gyvel · August 17, 2014, 12:54 AM

Bubits did a good design on the Steyrs.

I particularly like the sights on the Steyr; They capitalize on the fact that the brain instinctively follows a linear perspective to its end at the apex of the triangle.

Cyanide971 · August 17, 2014, 12:57 AM

Thanks Crankgrinder, if you get a chance to handle one go for it. Make sure that if nothing else ya dry fire and feel the reset on it, as well as seeing if the trap sights work for you.

Nothing against the Glock (I still have one for the time being), but the Steyr trigger is a completely different animal, it has steel sights out of the box, a better grip angle (to me), and it has an easier disassembly while at a lower price than it's fellow Austrian sibling (Blue Label pricing notwithstanding). Never seen them higher than $480 w/2 mags NIB @ Cabela's, regardless of model or caliber, and sometimes you can find them even cheaper online!

gyvel · August 17, 2014, 12:57 AM

TunnelRat, the point I am making is that, somewhere along the line in the FN case and the GM case, somebody decided that "what was" was "good enough."

And I'd be willing to put money on the fact that there was a bean counter involved somewhere.

Yung.gunr · August 17, 2014, 01:41 AM

I took my little brother to the LGS to get a sub compact XD9. After handling the FNP9 he left with that. REALLY nice gun. For him it even came new with FIVE mags. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one or trade my XD9 for one. That trigger is a bajillion times better than my XD. I'm not familiar with why they dropped the FNP for the FNX, but I found no flaw in the FNP.

My $0.02 after shooting it only a bit.

August 16, 2014, 12:04 PM	#1
Crankgrinder Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 917	how about fnh? I may be in the market again soon. There is always lots of talk and debate over glock vs xd(m), cz and sig (funds permitted) but I notice not a whole lot of talk about fnh. particularly the fnp, fns, fnx series. Would like something glock 19/23ish in size/capacity. Is it that fnh is lacking somewhere or is it just a popularity/market share/accessories type thing? Are there any members here with experience with them? Thanks in advance.

August 16, 2014, 12:52 PM	#4
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Last fall I rented a FN pistol, the striker fired one in 9mm. It was fine, no complaint, as good as any of the others of this type. Although, if I was to actually buy that type of pistol, it would probably be the Ruger SR. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

August 16, 2014, 03:18 PM	#6
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	Has the irony occurred to anyone of FN Herstal being referred to as "fnh," using the same code letters as CZ during the Nazi Occupation of Czechoslovakia? __________________ As always, YMMV. __________________________________________ MIIAA SIFE

August 16, 2014, 07:36 PM	#8
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	For some reason, the Nazis let FN use its actual name on all the pistols it manufactured during WWII. However, a letter code on P.38 components made by FN was used for reasons known only to the Germans. The Czech firm of CZ, however (as I stated), was assigned the code of "fnh." LOL! __________________ As always, YMMV. __________________________________________ MIIAA SIFE Last edited by gyvel; August 16, 2014 at 08:45 PM.

August 16, 2014, 09:11 PM	#14
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	personally they feel like toys to me. very poorly made compared to just about anything else in their price range. I'm not saying they're garbage or unreliable or anything like that, I just think that when a $650 FNS does not have the same fit/finish of a $400 Ruger SR9 sitting right next to it and a gun that is nearly 75% plastic(the FN 57) costs over $1100? I would rather spend the money on other, better deals like Springfields, glocks or sigs. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

August 16, 2014, 12:21 PM	#2
JWT Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2007 Location: Southern Arizona Posts: 3,888	I owned a FNP9 and it was a very good gun. It was accurate, reliable and extremely easy to strip and clean. FN's customer service was excellent. Think you'd be satisfied with anything from them.

August 16, 2014, 12:45 PM	#3
RX-79G Junior member Join Date: October 27, 2013 Posts: 1,139	Their current striker fired guns have a weird site problem where they shoot really high. Their polymer hammer fired guns are really nice.

August 16, 2014, 03:04 PM	#5
Crankgrinder Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 917	Next gun I go to may very well be da/sa hammer fired. Striker is fine and all but my hammer guns just seem so much sweeter. So I guess all told fnh must be on par with glock/xd as far as build quality?

August 16, 2014, 03:41 PM	#7
Crankgrinder Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 917	I know the fn plant in Belgium was overruled by Nazis during the war, but I know nothing of the.letter designations used during the time. A luger p-08 is still a very desirable thing, purely a Nazi pistol itself.

August 16, 2014, 08:15 PM	#9
Cyanide971 Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2014 Posts: 726	Crankgrinder, not trying to be a fly in the ointment, but since you are wanting something around the size of a Glock 19 have you checked out a Steyr M-A1 or C-A1 for a striker-fire platform? Absolutely love mine, but that's all I'm saying so as not to derail your thread...

August 16, 2014, 08:26 PM	#10
Caruser4 Junior Member Join Date: September 20, 2013 Posts: 11	My first handgun was an FNX-9 and I don't like it very much. Don't get me wrong, it shoots fine and has never jammed with any ammo I've put through it but a year or so ago, the ambi safety broke. It's a terrible design and it's no wonder it failed. However, they did send me a replacement part for free and it hasn't failed since :thumbup: Also, I don't know if it's suppose to or not but the slide never locks back after the mag runs out and it never has. Tear-down is incredibly easy and the decocker always wows friends. My $.02

August 16, 2014, 09:28 PM	#16
vyse.04 Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 685	I think they are very underrated firearms to say the least. I almost picked up an FNP357 a few years back (before the FNX line and such), and have regretted my decision not to at times. They have come up in price quite a bit, which generally happens after a brand starts receiving recognition (think CZ). I'm not a fan of the ambidextrous safety that does look a bit cheap, but these guns are duty sized so it goes with the territory. I prefer the FNP safety, but can see why they changed it. I also wish they would release a compact version, as I would be all over it. Still, if you are in the market for a hammer fired polymer pistol, I think it would be a good choice.

August 16, 2014, 09:46 PM	#17
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The current FNH stands for Fabrique Nationale, Herstal. The coincidence of the German WWII code fnh for CZ is just that, a coincidence. Jim

August 17, 2014, 12:09 AM	#20
Crankgrinder Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 917	Thank you for the pics posted by cyanide. Steyr is a good looking pistol as well, and perhaps some might be onto something about the price vs.other comparable guns in regards to fit & finish. The.g19 I've got has been flawless, mags cheap parts cheap light to carry, but the triggers not the greatest and fit & finish aren't either imo. All is compromise.

August 17, 2014, 12:20 AM	#21
Jim243 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Location: Just off Route 66 Posts: 5,067	Tahunua, how you got a spur under your saddle I do not know, maybe you tried one, maybe you haven't, but I would suggest you try one before you down a product. They are anything BUT plastic guns, except for the receivers the slide and barrels are all stainless steal. Maybe you think their fire control group should be different than S&W's or Glock's or Sig's or Ruger's or Beretta's, well my friend think again it is the new wave of semi-auto pistols. (putting metal parts in plastic frames) Their customer service is outstanding and one of the best in the World. Yes, I said World. They are an International company that does most of their business (90%) with Governments instead of slobs like us. We should be thankful that they even bother with the retail market here in the US. Overseas the label is "Browning" not FNH that you will find on all their handguns. They are still the only mfg of BHP not clones. As well as all of John Browning's original designs. Maybe you should ask some of your friends if they want to down their A-5's or BAR's or our troops if they want to get rid of their 249's and 240's or if they would rather have a Colt AR instead of a FNH ones. Before you spit on someone else you should look down at your own shoes, they could use a spit shine. Jim __________________ Si vis pacem, para bellum Last edited by Jim243; August 17, 2014 at 12:33 AM.

August 17, 2014, 12:54 AM	#22
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	Bubits did a good design on the Steyrs. I particularly like the sights on the Steyr; They capitalize on the fact that the brain instinctively follows a linear perspective to its end at the apex of the triangle. __________________ As always, YMMV. __________________________________________ MIIAA SIFE

August 17, 2014, 12:57 AM	#23
Cyanide971 Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2014 Posts: 726	Thanks Crankgrinder, if you get a chance to handle one go for it. Make sure that if nothing else ya dry fire and feel the reset on it, as well as seeing if the trap sights work for you. Nothing against the Glock (I still have one for the time being), but the Steyr trigger is a completely different animal, it has steel sights out of the box, a better grip angle (to me), and it has an easier disassembly while at a lower price than it's fellow Austrian sibling (Blue Label pricing notwithstanding). Never seen them higher than $480 w/2 mags NIB @ Cabela's, regardless of model or caliber, and sometimes you can find them even cheaper online!

August 17, 2014, 01:41 AM	#25
Yung.gunr Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2010 Location: Phoenix area Posts: 1,442	I took my little brother to the LGS to get a sub compact XD9. After handling the FNP9 he left with that. REALLY nice gun. For him it even came new with FIVE mags. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one or trade my XD9 for one. That trigger is a bajillion times better than my XD. I'm not familiar with why they dropped the FNP for the FNX, but I found no flaw in the FNP. My $0.02 after shooting it only a bit.