FN FNP-45 from Hero Gear

[molonlabetn]

Don't have an actual picture yet, but here is a generic:

Joe @ Hero Gear hooked me up yesterday afternoon with this puppy, and I am super impressed with the build quality so far. Haven't shot it yet, but a range report will follow probably this weekend.

Here's an article with a few pics comparing the size with other double-stack .45s: http://www.tucsonguns.com/FNP-45.php

Very similar in size to an XD-45, Glock 21SF, and M&P-45, but with a 14+1 capacity, and superior ergonomics. It points for me even better than an XD, and the sights are excellent. The DA/SA trigger is surprisingly smooth for the initial pull, feels to be about 10-12lb... the SA pull is phenomenal. Decocker operates smoothly, and the whole action is very simple yet refined. I'm looking forward to putting it through it's paces.

My only issue is mine doesn't have the Safety and Decocker, just the Decocker, but hopefully when those become available I'll be able to get FN to upgrade mine to have this capability without too much trouble... I'd like to carry it cocked and locked, when I do carry it.

...speaking of carrying it, now I just have to wait for some holster manufacturers to pick up the slack, I know many have begun production...

A big thanks to Hero Gear for getting me exactly what I wanted, and not giving me too much hell for buying another plastic pistol I swear, someday I will get around to buying another 1911!

So, now I have an FN pistol to match my FN shotgun... what's next?

[highshot]

nice gun.

[Magiccarpetrides]

Need a range report, I have been thinking about one of these since they came out. I love pretty much all things FN...second only to SIG ;-D

[Smith]

Blade-Tech is about the only holster manufacturer now that carries anything for FNP. I had the FNP9 and it was a great gun. You will be well pleased.

[Marswolf]

I don't have experience with this one, but FN makes some very nice weapons.

[Mike.357]

will it work with some fff?

Nice rod Eddie, shoot straight.

[molonlabetn]

Got to shoot it this past weekend, about 200rd. My observations:

- This is a huge pistol... I mean really big. The grip is great though

- The slide is really heavy, it's most of the weight of the gun... it cycles slowly but with authority. You really notice the front sight come back down when it returns to battery. It felt well-balanced though... reminiscent of a long-slide USP-45 (Expert?) I shot once.

- Recoil is very mild, probably the tamest .45 I've ever fired, but doesn't return to POA quickly... this isn't a pistol that will shoot quickly. Double-taps are definitely a much slower pace than with the XD or 1911.

- The sights are great, and the gun is very accurate, It was giving my wife's 1911 a run for it's money once I got used to the trigger.

- The trigger is good in single-action... similar, I would say, to a Sig. The DA pull is long and heavy, but the takeup was smooth (and it got better after having some rounds through it). I'm definitely going to have to practice with the DA trigger transition...

- E-mailed FN about having the decocker-only setup upgraded to one with a safety and decocker, I'd really like to be able to carry it cocked and locked (if I ever find occasion to carry such a big gun). No response yet.

Out of the ~200rd which were fired, there were 3 failures, all failure-to-return-to-battery (cartridge had begun to feed, and was partially in the chamber but stopped). 2 of these happened when my wife was shooting it, and I think limp-wristing contributed, because the 3rd instance was when I was shooting it after that, and intentionally holding it loosely to see if that was the problem. The gun ran great as long as it was gripped moderately tight... I think this has alot to do with the gun breaking in (especially the TIGHT magazines), and the fact that the slide is most of the mass of the gun and does not use a very strong recoil spring (compared to other .45s, with much lighter slides), and significant relaxation of the grip would keep it from having sufficient force to completely strip a cartridge from the magazine. All 3 failures were in the first 50rd or so, but after it got hot and dirty, and I held it right, it ran like a champ.

[LA_357SIG]

After reading this range report reminded me that I did have 1 (and only 1) failure when shooting my FNP-45. The slide didn't lock back after the last round when I shot it off the benchrest. (resting the mag on a soft shooting bag)

So I'm still 250 for 250 on the FNP-45 reliability scoreboard.