There was an FNS-9 at the local fun store that the previous owner had started to stipple... and it looked like every time he got to a stopping point, he didn't like the way the border looked, so he stippled out a little farther... and wound up basically stippling the entire frame.
I bought it out of pity. It's not a bad stippling job, it's just that there's rather a lot of it.
I really liked the FNS-40L they had out for shootin' at the Crimson Trace M3GI last year, and if I'd run across this used 9 at the show this month rather than a couple weeks later, I probably wouldn't have bought the 2022.
Ernest, thanks for the in depth review. It is helpful to read a review from someone of your abilities. I am seriously considering purchasing one of these but it does not look like I will have a chance to try one before I buy it. Can anyone comment on the perceived recoil of the FNS .40 as compared to a Glock 22?
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Shot one two years ago and really liked it. While I prefer a Glock, this was a nice gun to shoot. But...try to pick a gun from an assortment as, in my experience, the trigger can have some variance in quality and trigger weight.
Ok bump for great justice.
I got my FNS-9L from FNH this week.
Ernie's first comment about the magazine well is 110% accurate. If someone asked me what I wanted on my perfect striker pistol I would point them to the FNS-9L for the slide release placement, magazine release placement (though figure out something different about it sticking out the other side), and the mag well.
The recoil was ok, about equal to other striker pistols. The trigger needs work. The roll pin hole on the grip gets annoying. It gets REALLY hot near the trigger pins and the take down lever.
And seriously how hard is it to find a holster for this gun? I like holsters with a semi-closed bottom so it can't be bumped out of the holster, so normal FNS-9 holsters are out. And I like one that uses the Tek-lok hole pattern so I can put my QLS fork on it. I checked my usual suspects Blade-tech had nothing, Comp-tac has no plans to make a holster for any FNS, and Safariland only makes duty holsters for the long slide.
I found one guy that might work, we will see if they get back to me.
I'm not having an issue about sights, as I bought as set off of Dave and Brooke at the cup. Just need to find them and install them.
I got one (standard length, thumb safety) in .40, to see if it would reliably launch 200 grain hard cast Double Tap. So far, it is, although I need to shoot more of them.
I am pleasantly surprised how nice it is to shoot, considering it is .40. Seems accurate, reliable so far through 100 "flawless" rounds of hard cast, AE FMJ and 180 HST. Trigger is fine, as are the factory night sights with the addition of orange paint to the front sight. As noted, big mag well. The magazines accept all 14 rounds of .40 without a struggle. Really like the texture. Not sure about the thumb safety. Like a safety but wish Tom made a Gadget for it.
For under $500 with night sights and three magazines, it is quite a bargain. Paid $550 for my Gen 4 G22, plus a KKM barrel, HD sights, larger mag release, grip plug and - connector at another $350, and that pistol still didn't launch the hard cast reliably.
If this pistol were born to parents named Harriet and Ken instead, it probably would already be very successful. Interestingly, I ordered it NIB off Gunbroker, and the first one I received a few weeks ago had a 2012 born date and the trigger/slide issue. Dealer replaced it with a "brand new" one from his distributor, Davidson's, and that came to me made in mid 2013 (fortunately without the trigger/slide problem). Doesn't suggest great sell through at their distributor level. Too bad, because it is a neat pistol.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
My order got processed by FNH about two weeks ago (prize certificate), and came with a brass collection date of 04/15/2014 (tax day).
So it had been sitting in FNH's warehouse for almost three months, I don't know if that is unusual.
*shrugs* I have no idea why this pistol isn't more successful than it is.