The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: The Semi-automatic Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old November 8, 2017, 08:05 PM   #1
Excoastie
Member
 
Join Date: September 18, 2016
Location: Bossier City, LA
Posts: 89
FN X

What is the general consensus about the FN X in 9mm?

I've heard good things about FNs in general, just nothing specific to the X.

I was looking at the 1911 platform, but the more I looked into it, the less I liked it. Yes, I know that is a sacrilege, but I'm OK with that. My hands just aren't big enough to hold it comfortably and be able to reach the slide release etc. with my thumb. I have also found that they're a bit of a PITA to take down and reassemble. I borrowed a friend's SR1911 and it took me about 20 minutes to get it apart, and close to an hour to reassemble it, even while watching a YouTube video that provided step by step instructions.

I don't need the hassle.

Having said that, I was hoping to stay with the same (loosely defined) overall look of the piece. I think that I have found that with the FN X. I can also get it considerably cheaper than any of the 1911s that I was looking at for just shy of $600 OTD.

The planned use is for target shooting, and as a weapon that my 18 y/o son can call "his". He has shot my Shield 9mm, XDS .45, and a few other 9s and 45s. He seems to prefer the 9, and he likes the Shield, but said he would prefer something "slightly bigger".

Exco
__________________
I'm going outside to stand, if anyone asks; tell them I'm OUTSTANDING
Excoastie is offline  
Old November 8, 2017, 08:40 PM   #2
Kvon2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 4, 2016
Posts: 757
This is my favorite topic ever.

I have an FNX 40 and absolutely love it. The ergonomics are the most comfortable I've found in a handgun so far. Some people do not like the aggressive texturing so make sure you get your hands on it.

The only gripe I have is how the back straps are secured. It's this silly little notch that you have to depress with a small punch or something similar. I highly recommend looking up pictures of it so you understand how it works. I did not do this and I permanently damaged the notch. It's not a huge deal because once I had the correct back strap on I just used a small amount of super glue to secure it and I've never had a problem.

Overall it is a fantastic weapon and one I'll never get rid of.
Kvon2 is offline  
Old November 8, 2017, 08:45 PM   #3
xandi
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 10, 2015
Location: ga
Posts: 321
Just out of curiosity, why did it take you an hour* to stip the 1911?
xandi is offline  
Old November 8, 2017, 09:05 PM   #4
Excoastie
Member
 
Join Date: September 18, 2016
Location: Bossier City, LA
Posts: 89
thanks kvon that is the type of input I was looking for.
I was able to put my hands on one this afternoon. I liked the way that it felt. The aggressive texturing didn't bother me, as I have something similar on both the XDS and the Shield; I found it to be one of the things that I liked about it, along with the overall feel, etc.


xandi, I just had a hard time getting it apart. I couldn't get the takedown notch to line up properly to get the pin out, and getting it back in was a nightmare.

This was my first experience with a 1911, so call it inexperience.

Exco
__________________
I'm going outside to stand, if anyone asks; tell them I'm OUTSTANDING
Excoastie is offline  
Old November 8, 2017, 09:10 PM   #5
xandi
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 10, 2015
Location: ga
Posts: 321
10-4 it happens sometimes
I thought you might have stripped it to the frame
xandi is offline  
Old November 8, 2017, 10:09 PM   #6
viciouskitty
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 6, 2010
Location: South Texas
Posts: 316
I've had my fnx now for several years, put many thousands of rounds through it and shot many competitions with it. Overall the fit and finish are superb as well as the reliability. I've had one jam and it was because I caught the slide on a barricade. The gun is accurate enough for me. 2 inch or so groups at 15 yards. My only gripe lack of aftermarket support. Until recently it was a pain to find replacement mag springs, the gun didn't necessarily need them but I felt it was time to replace. Finally found them on midwestgunworks, that and magazines are expensive. 45 bucks a pop 40 when they are on sale. I prefer sa/da and I love that it comes in a lightweight ergonomic package so I stick with the fnx.
viciouskitty is offline  
Old November 8, 2017, 10:12 PM   #7
smee78
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 14, 2008
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 2,918
I love my FNX-45, it has been a reliable pistol and is so well liked I use it as my home defense weapon.
__________________
We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located, among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't got a clue where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are
smee78 is offline  
Old November 9, 2017, 04:25 AM   #8
ms6852
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 3, 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,394
The FNX-45 pistol with a suppressor is what I use for my home defense and is by night stand. I broke down and bought the suppressor because it hit me that if I had to discharge my handgun in the house I did not want to suffer hearing loss as well. Being that the round is subsonic it is very quiet as well. Feel safe with 31 rounds of 45 acp.
__________________
ONLY TWO DEFINING FORCES HAVE GIVEN UP THEIR LIVES FOR YOU. ONE IS JESUS CHRIST FOR YOUR SOUL AND THE OTHER IS THE AMERICAN SOLDIER FOR YOUR FREEDOM.
ms6852 is offline  
Old November 9, 2017, 06:31 AM   #9
dontcatchmany
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2010
Posts: 460
I have the FNX 45 and the FNX 40 and the FNS 40. Well over 2,000 rounds through each.

Never a hiccup except the first shots with the 45 were Ammo One brand (ammo was difficult to find at the time) and it would not fire or eject. Put decent ammo in it and never a problem since.

The 45 resides in a safe on my night stand.

Had not fired it in about 6 months because I had purchased a couple of revolvers and two other semis and put more time into them. Finally took the 45 out and fired 50 rounds through it and man did it feel good. Dead on target. It and the 40s seem to just fit my hand.

Easy take down and cleaning.

I have thought about getting the FNX/FNS 9mm but I have two other 9mm and I now have probably too many handguns to shoot them all with any regularity.

With colder weather coming upon us and coat wearing time, the the FNH pistols will become carry pistols. If FN made a truly pocket carry 9 or 40 or 45, I would be sure to get one. Might would consider getting rid of a couple of other semis.

I am sure you will be pleased with any FNH pistol.

EDIT:

This thread caused me to take a look at the FNAmerica web site and I stared and compared the FNS 9 and 40 Compacts with my Glock 27. The measurements are similar and at times I pocket carry the G27 comfortably ) in my fat boy pants. Normally I pocket carry a Shield 40 or 9) I believe the FN compact models would work for pocket carry.....oh no, OP, you have cost me another 500-600 bucks and there is a gun show down the road this weekend.

OH, I am left handed and the ambi controls is what initially was a big reason I started looking at FNH. At the time I did not care for striker fired and no safety, but have changed that mentality. Still like hammer fired weapons better.

Last edited by dontcatchmany; November 9, 2017 at 06:52 AM.
dontcatchmany is offline  
Old November 9, 2017, 08:56 AM   #10
Fishbed77
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 23, 2010
Posts: 4,862
Quote:
I borrowed a friend's SR1911 and it took me about 20 minutes to get it apart, and close to an hour to reassemble it, even while watching a YouTube video that provided step by step instructions.
You were definitely doing it wrong then.
Fishbed77 is offline  
Old November 9, 2017, 11:22 AM   #11
FairWarning
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 9, 2008
Location: GA
Posts: 1,149
Big fan of the FNX series, and I like having a hammer. Wouldn't mind a slightly larger slide release button, but no big deal. And if we "men" have grown so soft that the texturing of its grip is too much for our dainty little cupcake baking hands......well that's no fault of the gun, is it?
__________________
Mauser Werke, Schmidt-Rubin, Colt, Walther, HK, Weatherby, Sig Sauer, Browning, Ruger, Beretta, etc, etc....a few friends of mine
FairWarning is offline  
Old November 9, 2017, 04:18 PM   #12
Excoastie
Member
 
Join Date: September 18, 2016
Location: Bossier City, LA
Posts: 89
Quote:
You were definitely doing it wrong then.
You're correct. I was doing it wrong, and that was most of the problem.
If you add to the fact that I didn't secure the spring bushing and I shot it across the room; I then spent far too long trying to find it.

Nope, don't need the hassle, especially on a gun that is too large for me to comfortably hold, much less shoot.

I scored an FN X 9mm from my LGS for $579 out the door. I was pleased with that price, as it was actually a little cheaper than the box store, and I'm supporting a local shop.

They didn't have it in stock, so had to order it. I should be able to pick it up tomorrow if I don't get called into to work, otherwise on Monday.

Exco
__________________
I'm going outside to stand, if anyone asks; tell them I'm OUTSTANDING
Excoastie is offline  
Old November 9, 2017, 05:38 PM   #13
DaleA
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 12, 2002
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 5,283
Quote:
You're correct. I was doing it wrong, and that was most of the problem.
Extra points for honesty. LOTS of us have been in similar situations.

I personally believe there are some things that just orders of magnitude easier if you get personal hands on training to do it.

Obviously I think shooting would be one of these events.

Being familiar with firearms, watching the Ruger 8 minute video on disassembly and then another 8 minute video on reassembly I think I managed to get a Ruger Blackhawk back together in about 3 hours.

My personal best though was a Ruger Mark I that was left behind at a shooting range where I did volunteer work. The range closed for the summer and during the last week someone left the Ruger behind. All us volunteers had a turn at shooting it and then (this was back in the late 1960's) with no manual or no knowledge we took the thing apart, cleaned it and then throughout the rest of the summer when ever we dropped by to check out the range we'd all take turns trying to reassemble it. Somebody finally got it at the end of the summer before we started up again. So off and on several people took almost three months for the reassembly.
DaleA is offline  
Old November 9, 2017, 06:21 PM   #14
Walt Sherrill
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 15, 1999
Location: Winston-Salem, NC USA
Posts: 6,348
The surprising thing about FNH handguns is that while nearly all are now polymer, they don't really look like or feel like polymer in your hand. They are (as is the FN practice and tradition), very well-thought out and well-engineered weapons.

I'd argue that they are the gun equivalent of the lower-end Porsche models. (That is to say, they're not Toyotas, Chevrolets, Rolls, or Ferraris -- but good solid machines that offer real value for the money spent.)
Walt Sherrill is offline  
Old November 10, 2017, 10:30 AM   #15
jackstrawIII
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 20, 2016
Location: Upstate NY.
Posts: 901
I had an FNX. It shot well and was reliable. I sold it because the safety on the gun dug into the web of my hand while shooting. Very annoying.
__________________
In God we trust.
jackstrawIII is offline  
Old November 12, 2017, 10:37 AM   #16
jetinteriorguy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 28, 2013
Posts: 3,138
I have an FNS 9c and it's a really nice pistol, other than the flush mounted mag release. So I was shopping for a .45 and tried dry firing the FNX, the trigger was so rough and crunchy it was a no go for me. If it was as smooth as my FNS9c I would have grabbed it. Other than that I liked it very much. Maybe it was just that one, or it would break in just fine, but I don't just plop my money down hoping something will get better.
jetinteriorguy is offline  
Old November 13, 2017, 12:39 PM   #17
5whiskey
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 23, 2005
Location: US
Posts: 3,640
Quote:
Extra points for honesty. LOTS of us have been in similar situations.
+1 I agree. I have taken 1911s down tons of times. To include stripping the entire frame, installing aftermarket parts, etc. Still didn't stop me from launching the spring plug off in my closet a few months ago. Took me a couple hours of pulling everything out to find it. It landed in a cardboard box with books and stuff in it, then rolled to the bottom and got under the contents somehow. It happens. So in that instance it took me probably 2.5 hours to field strip and reassemble a 1911
5whiskey is offline  
Old November 13, 2017, 10:03 PM   #18
sevt_chevelle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 13, 2013
Posts: 320
Have the FNX 40, love it, shoots great feels great I'll never part with it.
sevt_chevelle is offline  
Old November 13, 2017, 10:20 PM   #19
Longhorn1986
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 12, 2016
Location: Fort Bend County, Texas
Posts: 173
I have an FNX-45 and really like it. A big factor for me is the condition one carry and the safety operation, both of which are similar to a 1911.

If you decide you'd prefer a striker fired pistol in lieu of a traditional DA/SA, you might check out the FN 509.
Longhorn1986 is offline  
Old November 15, 2017, 12:41 AM   #20
Cosmodragoon
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 18, 2013
Location: Northeastern US
Posts: 1,869
The FNX series offers excellent reliability and versatility. Right or left, gloved or bare, DA/SA or cocked and locked; they work. Given that and the relatively high capacity to weight ratio, these should shine in open-carry or professional duty roles. Personally, I like the balance of the smaller-framed FNX-9 and 40. They fit my hand like a glove and have relatively pleasant recoil. The fifteen-round FNX-45 feels strangely light in hand for its size.

BTW, the FNX-40 magazines are actually stamped for use with .357 Sig but I'm not sure they ever made an FNX-357. Was that a scrapped plan? Has anyone tried a conversion barrel?
Cosmodragoon is offline  
Old November 15, 2017, 09:18 AM   #21
Kvon2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 4, 2016
Posts: 757
I assumed the 40/357sig mags were always designed for conversion, I never saw any indication that they were going to manufacture a 357 model.
Kvon2 is offline  
Old November 15, 2017, 01:03 PM   #22
carguychris
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 20, 2007
Location: Richardson, TX
Posts: 7,523
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kvon2
...I never saw any indication that they were going to manufacture a 357 model.
I don't know anything conclusive about FNH in particular, but many other pistol manufacturers have either dropped their .357 SIG offerings, or are producing them for LE special orders only. The cartridge just hasn't caught on.

My hunch is that the FNX-357 was stillborn, but FNH has never bothered to modify the magazine tooling, perhaps in case an LE special order finally materializes.
__________________
"Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules... MARK IT ZERO!!" - Walter Sobchak
carguychris is offline  
Old November 15, 2017, 01:35 PM   #23
Walt Sherrill
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 15, 1999
Location: Winston-Salem, NC USA
Posts: 6,348
I think that the SIG mags -- and SIG was the first .357 SIG manufacturer -- are the same for .40 and .357. I don't understand why any gun maker or mag maker would have to build a different mag for the .357 round.

There is at least one barrel maker (EFK Firedragon) that makes a .357 Conversion barrel for several different FN models.
Walt Sherrill is offline  
Old November 15, 2017, 04:38 PM   #24
dontcatchmany
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2010
Posts: 460
I have a FNX 40 and a FNS 40. I have a 357 Sig barrel that fits both and 8 total magazines.

I use the magazines for both calibers. Never a hiccup with either weapon. And the FNX 45 ain't bad either......actually very good.

Now I realize that FNH has the FNS 9 and 40 in a compact model. Got to get rid of a couple of non FNH guns and get one of each.....! Why do they do this to me....lol!

That is how much I like FNH.
dontcatchmany is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:13 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.07044 seconds with 8 queries