FN 509 News You Can Use

[Tokarev]

Fresh off the wires this morning is news of an LAPD contract for the FN 509:


LAPD Selects FN 509 MRD-LE for New Duty Pistol


FN AWARDED 5-YEAR AGENCY CONTRACT FOR FN 509 MRD-LE

(McLean, VA) Following a highly competitive and rigorous qualification, FN America, LLC is pleased to announce that the FN 509 MRD-LE has been chosen by the Los Angeles Police Department as their new duty pistol. The FN 509 is a capable and versatile handgun platform that delivers rapid, precision fire in any environment. Officers training on marksmanship, tactical maneuvers and precision target engagements now have a more accurate and reliable sidearm, proven by the LAPD to perform with a wide variety of duty-rated handgun optics and ammunition.

“The Los Angeles Police Department is one of the largest and most elite law enforcement agencies in the country, with roughly 10,000 uniformed officers, and we are proud that they have chosen the FN 509 MRD-LE as their next duty pistol,” said Mark Cherpes, President and CEO of FN America, LLC. “The FN 509 MRD-LE is the only choice for agencies seeking an extremely capable and versatile duty pistol platform with proven reliability, accuracy and optic interoperability. Serving the men and women of an outstanding law enforcement agency like the LAPD brings great pride to everyone at FN, we look forward to supporting their police force with a remarkable handgun platform their officers will rely on every day.”

During the LAPD handgun trials, FN competed against several contenders in a 20,000-round-count endurance qualification, which it surpassed with zero malfunctions. “Exceeding all of the requirements LAPD sought in their new duty pistol was a high-performance standard to meet,” said Chris Cole, Vice President, Sales and Marketing at FN America, LLC. “With over a million rounds fired in development, the FN 509’s reputation for durability is proven here again giving LAPD officers a superior handgun they can depend on in the most demanding policing environments.”
Superior accuracy of the FN 509 MRD-LE starts with the patented FN Low-Profile Optics-Mounting System[emoji769]. Adapted from the original development for the U.S. Army’s handgun trials, it gives officers more precision and sighting versatility than all other handguns.

“LAPD needed the ability to quickly and securely mount a variety of duty-rated micro red dots to their service pistols to improve the accuracy potential of their handguns and their officers,” said Charles “Bucky” Mills, Sr. Director of Law Enforcement Sales for FN America, LLC. “FN pioneered the MRD mounting technology the LAPD required, enabling precision shot placement and immediate target engagement no matter the environment.”

Accuracy is further enhanced by the high-performance trigger assembly and cold-hammer forged barrel. The combination of accuracy, speed, longevity and versatility gives the FN 509 MRD-LE the edge that today’s officers need.

The FN 509 MRD-LE delivers more precision and versatility than any other duty-rated handgun. Building on the proven FN 509 lineup, the exclusive upgrades for law enforcement place every advantage in an officer’s hands. The FN 509 MRD-LE is the only choice for agencies who require complete reliability.

Pinpoint accuracy is made possible for all officers with a precision, hammer-forged barrel with recessed target crown, high-performance, conical striker and flat-faced, duty-rated trigger. With a positive wall at 90° before a clean break, officers maintain their sights on target through the full trigger pull. The FN Low-Profile Optics-Mounting System[emoji769] with co-witness tritium 3-dot iron sights, delivers rapid sight acquisition and consistent shot placement, vital when every shot must be accounted for.
To inquire about the FN 509 MRD-LE, LAPD’s newest duty-issue sidearm, for agency or individual office purchase, please contact the FN Law Enforcement Sales team at LE@fnamerica.com. More information about the FN 509 MRD-LE or FN’s other law enforcement products can be found at www.fnamerica.com.



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[JonInWA]

I can see choosing a FN 509 over, say, a SIG P320, but I'm more than a bit surprised that it would be chosen over a Glock-especially since LAPD has been a Glock issuing agency, in multiple calibers for years. I would have thought that the time requirements needed for annual detailed inspections would have kept the Glock in the forefront, and I'd be surprised to see the FN outperforming the Glock, especially a Gen5 Glock in any of the performance areas evaluated.

Anyone got more details on this?

Best, Jon

[Wayne Dobbs]

I can see choosing a FN 509 over, say, a SIG P320, but I'm more than a bit surprised that it would be chosen over a Glock-especially since LAPD has been a Glock issuing agency, in multiple calibers for years. I would have thought that the time requirements needed for annual detailed inspections would have kept the Glock in the forefront, and I'd be surprised to see the FN outperforming the Glock, especially a Gen5 Glock in any of the performance areas evaluated.

Anyone got more details on this?

Best, Jon

Pricing won the day...

[Wonder9]

This makes absolutely no sense at all with FN's handgun division.

Why would FN care about selling pistols when they can discontinue it, re-release it with minor changes, and engineer a new non-backwards compatible magazine?

[WobblyPossum]

Pricing won the day...

The state of the industry today where Glock is regularly getting beat on pricing. How the tables have turned.

[tlong17]

My, how the turn tables.

[jnc36rcpd]

Bold move, Cotton. Let's see how it works out for them.

I'm hopeful that LAPD did extensive testing and evaluation of this weapon. While I've never fired an FN 509, it SEEMS to be a solider platform than the FNS. That said, to my knowledge, all the agencies using the FNS in one flavor or another, are now carrying Glocks.

[TCinVA]

I sincerely hope that their guns perform better in the field than the 509's I've seen in service so far. I have clients who have been issued 509's with pretty bad results...including one who had to spend time in his last qual holding the magazine in his pistol because the point on the magazine where the catch engages is so worn that the magazine will eject itself from the pistol when fired if you don't forcefully shove the thing up in the grip. Which was at least better than the failures to reset the gun experienced when he was trying to use it in class.

LAPD shoots more than most departments and if the durability issues I've seen from issued guns haven't been addressed, they will run into problems PDQ.

I have been remarkably under-whelmed by what I've seen out of the 509 so far.

[JonInWA]

It will be very, very interesting to see how LAPD is supported by FN throughout the use cycle. My personal prediction is that LAPD will use them for 3 years and move early into (or back into) another platform. When the party at FN HQ dies down, they're gonna realize that they've just vaulted themselves into an entirely different, and very demanding market niche.

In addition to the guns themselves, now LAPD will presumably have to invest in entirely new holsters and presumptively magazine pouches, etc. I'm again a bit curious how such a shift could be justified on a cost basis-unless their current support gear was at end of cycle and had to be replaced.

I certainly didn't see this one coming.

Best, Jon

[BWT]

I wonder given the LAPD’s prominence if that wasn’t part of the thinking. Receive adoption by a major agency and then subsequent adoption by smaller agencies that follow suit.

I shot a 509 once - it wasn’t too bad. I did not think about trading my Glocks though.