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April 21, 2017, 09:07 PM | #26 |
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I'm very surprised at the responses I have read here to my post. For hearing so little about them, there appears to be plenty of folks who have owned an FN pistol. I had started thinking there must be reliability issues with them since I hardly ever heard anyone talk about them. I can see where getting parts or accessories would be an issue for concern. You guys have got me thinking now.
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April 21, 2017, 10:49 PM | #27 |
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FNs are very much "sleeper" pistols due to their marketing (or lack thereof) to the civilian population. I guess when you make more small arms for the US Government than any other manufacturer you can afford to not buy glossy full page ads in every issue of Guns & Ammo.
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April 22, 2017, 06:54 AM | #28 |
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I have been following this thread for several days.
I was flipping through channels last night and on SPIKE TV there was a FN commercial....on the new 509. First commercial I have even seen for FN. |
April 22, 2017, 07:56 AM | #29 |
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The shiney new pistol models are getting much more attention and are sucking the oxygen out of the room. FN as a brand is not very "vocal" in advertisements or the media and the classy Browning Hi Power is not visibly as popular or as attention getting. Times and styles change.
BTW, I love my Belgium made FN BHP 1969C; one of the best guns I own. |
April 22, 2017, 08:23 AM | #30 |
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If they are giving away the FNS-40 again this fall, I will likely own one!
Might have to sell off my Glock 23 to make this happen as i STRONGLY prefer the manual safety! Last edited by Nathan; April 22, 2017 at 08:33 AM. |
April 22, 2017, 06:56 PM | #31 |
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I have no special insider knowledge, but when a quality product fails to sell, the reason is usually a combination of the retail price and the dealer cost (e.g., the profit to be made on a sale.) Some customers will believe (rightly or not) that their favorite gun is so superior that it is worth hundreds more than any other gun on the market. But no dealer is going to buy and tout a gun, no matter how good, on which he makes $100 when he can sell a dozen guns on which he makes $200 each for only a little more effort (and probably hear a lot less BS from the customer about the "super" gun).
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April 22, 2017, 09:00 PM | #32 |
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James, I think I disagree or misunderstood you.
Price is where demand equals supply. If average customers are willing to pay 400, but the dealer breaks even at 500, very few guns will be sold and it will not be popular, except with rare case buyers. FN pistols will sell at the going price $450-$550, but the marketing is so weak that I honestly think nobody on the consumer side knows much about it. The FNS also has some small flaws. First the grip frame is long compared to the slide. Good for fighting, but not for CCW. Second, the trigger is rough and nobody is covering that part of the market. Last, there are just a lot of players in this market that are all good. |
April 23, 2017, 12:06 AM | #33 |
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I finally sold my FNS-40 a few days ago. I really only bought it because of it being on sale so cheap. I really hated the grip and a coworker said he would buy it at what I wanted for it, which basically got me even, so it was gone. I decided to get rid of my .40 S&W stuff, and that was one strike against it, but the real reason I sold it was I really really really hated the over aggressively textured grip. Yeah, I could have sanded the little points down, but doing that to a new, unfired gun was just crazy, IMHO. It looks like it's replacement has the same overdone grip texturing. Too bad.
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April 23, 2017, 02:04 PM | #34 |
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I have an FNP-9 and FNP-45. Great guns.
Also have two Hi Powers.
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April 23, 2017, 06:09 PM | #35 |
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I liked the FNX when I shot it, and the FNX-45 is a wonder - a double stack .45 that feels like a 9mm in the grip. If I had confidence they'd last like a Glock, I'd have bought one.
However, the anecdotal reports aren't leaning that way and it is still a big pistol compared to the Hi-Power. |
April 23, 2017, 06:17 PM | #36 | |
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Quote:
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Know the status of your weapon Keep your muzzle oriented so that no one will be hurt if the firearm discharges Keep your finger off the trigger until you have an adequate sight picture Maintain situational awareness |
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April 24, 2017, 11:52 AM | #37 |
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I was thinking of the FNX-9 when I made that comment. It is about a half inch taller than a Hi-Power and the squared slide makes it look thicker/bigger even though it is a wee bit shorter.
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April 24, 2017, 08:05 PM | #38 |
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Hi, Nathan,
You said, "FN pistols will sell at the going price $450-$550..." Apparently not. In my limited experience, customers are more likely to be influenced by 1) price and 2) dealer recommendation than by national ad campaigns or sites such as this one. Ads my get a customer into the store, but the product and the salesperson do the selling. The points you mention may seem minor, but can be deal breakers unless balanced by hefty discounts. Jim |
April 25, 2017, 08:22 AM | #39 |
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As others have indicated, the focus of the company has mainly been on the Military and Police markets. That said, I chose the FN product because of my impression having tried a friend's FN pistol.
I have owned both the FNS-40 and FNX-40. Each in its own right was better than any other .40 pistol I have handled. FN builds quality, well-built, reliable and accurate weapons. My .40 pistols are too large to carry concealed without a jacket. Nevertheless, I consider them to be the equal to any large size revolver or pistol I have owned for protection purposes.
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April 25, 2017, 09:30 PM | #40 | |
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Quote:
There are several "do-it-yourself" videos on You Tube showing you how to smooth out the FNS trigger, and a guy on the FN Forum is working on an update that includes shortening the reset, too. I'm looking forward to it. Apex is releasing a trigger kit for the new FN-509 (which is based on the FNS system, updated for the U.S. handgun competition -- which SIG won) and we are told that the same kit will work in the FNS-9 and FNS-40. I have both an FNS-40 and FNS-40L and they are maybe the best-shooting .40s I've owned -- and I've owned a bunch of them over the years: Glock, SIG, CZ, S&W (both 3rd Gen and the Pro model), Steyr, Witness, etc. Last edited by Walt Sherrill; April 26, 2017 at 08:46 AM. |
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April 26, 2017, 01:57 PM | #41 |
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I recently purchased the FNX45T. Wish I had not waited so long. FN's are kind of a niche market and not as popular (and more expensive )than a comparable Glock. I also have a G22 and really don't care for the Glock. The FNX45T is an amazingly smooth shooting platform for a polymer 45 platform. Shoots and spits ANY type of ammo period. Very reliable action function over a wide span of velocities. My FNX45T is like the AK-47 of handguns....
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April 26, 2017, 06:49 PM | #42 | |
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April 27, 2017, 09:41 AM | #43 |
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I know that when I go into my LGS, finding accessories, sights, and holsters for Glock and Springfield are more plentiful than FN.
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April 28, 2017, 10:48 PM | #44 |
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I believe in the last military handgun proposals where the Sig P320 won the contract, FN came in a close 2nd. This means they were very strong in functionality and reliability of the gun, but loss out in the final selection to Sig perhaps due to price.
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April 28, 2017, 11:00 PM | #45 | |
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Quote:
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Know the status of your weapon Keep your muzzle oriented so that no one will be hurt if the firearm discharges Keep your finger off the trigger until you have an adequate sight picture Maintain situational awareness |
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April 28, 2017, 11:44 PM | #46 |
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FN makes interesting pistols, and it seems like there's always some crazy sale somewhere.
$45 magazines are a real bummer, though. |
April 28, 2017, 11:56 PM | #47 | |
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April 29, 2017, 12:55 AM | #48 |
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TunnelRat,
Apparently I was mistaken with the facts. Both Sig and Glocks were the finalists and Sig beated out Glocks to win the contract. FN and Berretta were eliminated just a month prior. Glock has filed a protest but this will not stop the Army from proceeding the contract with Sig. http://www.military.com/daily-news/2...ce-pistol.html This should teach me on doing my own research before posting, though I've heard the previous erroneous statement from whom I considered a knowledgeable friend. I apologize for posting the erroneous fact prior. Sorry to have confused you. |
April 29, 2017, 10:11 AM | #49 |
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Some companies have to go about in the world, screaming
"LOOK AT US! We're P E R F E C T!" Other companies, ones which have survived a World War, or two, prefer to put their quality where their mouth is. FN is one of the latter. They don't have to brag. They simply know they are the best. If you don't already know, you'll figure it out. My personal experience with them? A FNX45, Five seveN, and an old GP35, and nary a hiccup, ever, from any of them. I was asking a lot, IMO, to expect a new acquisition, fresh from the box, to fall into the role of new EDC CCW for SD, when I purchased the FNX-45. But it has filled that role, as expected, without even a minor tweak. |
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