LAPD gets 1st delivery of new FN 509s

[Thy.Will.Be.Done]

Makes you wonder if the 509's that passed trials were cherry picked and built to pass knowing that other examples would fail.

[Squib308]

I’m not as cool as LAPD, but I did own an FN 509 circa 2018. It was reliable but awful. Magazines only dropped free if mag release was pressed from the R side. The trigger felt like gravel and had unpredictable catches in the trigger press. I tried to diagnose the site of friction in the firing mechanism but never could. It got worse with more dry fire and use. My theory was the striker safety caused rotation of the striker itself against the inside of the slide. FN’s customer service (via phone) was absolutely worthless. That’s my last FN product. I kept my FN SLP 12 gauge but nothing in FN’s product line appeals to me.

[Borderland]

Interesting thread.

[TCinVA]

I’m not as cool as LAPD, but I did own an FN 509 circa 2018. It was reliable but awful. Magazines only dropped free if mag release was pressed from the R side. The trigger felt like gravel and had unpredictable catches in the trigger press. I tried to diagnose the site of friction in the firing mechanism but never could. It got worse with more dry fire and use. My theory was the striker safety caused rotation of the striker itself against the inside of the slide. FN’s customer service (via phone) was absolutely worthless. That’s my last FN product. I kept my FN SLP 12 gauge but nothing in FN’s product line appeals to me.

I believe the local department bought their guns around the same time frame.

[jh9]

Makes you wonder if the 509's that passed trials were cherry picked and built to pass knowing that other examples would fail.

I don't know about cherry picked, but isn't one of the larger federal agencies that issues the 320 restricting its personnel to using one SKU of 320?

It's easy to take for granted that everyone builds guns like S&W where an M&P is an M&P as opposed to Sig where I guess if you buy enough guns we'll make a specific SKU for you where we source from vendors who don't make parts out of pot metal and even do some actual QC. But for the rest of the schlubs you get what you get. Take your diamond plate slide and be thankful.

[HCM]

I don't know about cherry picked, but isn't one of the larger federal agencies that issues the 320 restricting its personnel to using one SKU of 320?

It's easy to take for granted that everyone builds guns like S&W where an M&P is an M&P as opposed to Sig where I guess if you buy enough guns we'll make a specific SKU for you where we source from vendors who don't make parts out of pot metal and even do some actual QC. But for the rest of the schlubs you get what you get. Take your diamond plate slide and be thankful.

Yes, DHS / ICE. But it’s only the FCU that’s restricted. It can be combined with any OEM grip except the tungsten grips and any OEM slide except those with extra holes /lightening cuts like the PRO and Specter slides.

They are also going to start requiring POW P365 series guns be purchased via the SIG IOP / LE program (verifiable via serial number prefix) due to supposedly higher QC.

If you buy enough guns any of the major players will make what you want….

[WobblyPossum]

I don't know about cherry picked, but isn't one of the larger federal agencies that issues the 320 restricting its personnel to using one SKU of 320?

It's easy to take for granted that everyone builds guns like S&W where an M&P is an M&P as opposed to Sig where I guess if you buy enough guns we'll make a specific SKU for you where we source from vendors who don't make parts out of pot metal and even do some actual QC. But for the rest of the schlubs you get what you get. Take your diamond plate slide and be thankful.

There are a small amount of approved SKUs of P320 and none are available commercially if you aren’t an authorized agency employee. I believe there are 7 approved SKUs: full-size, carry, and subcompact that are not optics ready, full-size, carry, and compact that are optics ready, and the SRT gun which is a tan, optics ready full-size with a magwell and flat trigger. The fire control groups in those SKUs have a specific serial number prefix and if your P320 fire control group doesn’t have that prefix, you can’t carry it on duty. They used to allow any P365 sourced from anywhere but now people will be restricted to the Armed Professional Program SKUs with a W prefix to the SKU. They could have whatever serial number but must be APP guns going forward.

ETA: I didn’t see that HCM replied already. He is correct. The approved SKUs just started in the configurations I listed. Once you have a fire control group from one of those SKUs, you can use most of the slides and frames in the catalog. Whatever parts or quality control differences there are between the DHS SKUs and the commercial ones are probably in the fire control group.

[HCM]

I’m not as cool as LAPD, but I did own an FN 509 circa 2018. It was reliable but awful. Magazines only dropped free if mag release was pressed from the R side. The trigger felt like gravel and had unpredictable catches in the trigger press. I tried to diagnose the site of friction in the firing mechanism but never could. It got worse with more dry fire and use. My theory was the striker safety caused rotation of the striker itself against the inside of the slide. FN’s customer service (via phone) was absolutely worthless. That’s my last FN product. I kept my FN SLP 12 gauge but nothing in FN’s product line appeals to me.

Mags not dropping on early 509s was a known issue (since fixed) swapping out for the “tactical” (single side) mag release supposedly fixes the issue in older guns. This likely resulted from an over correction to the fact the 509s ill fated predecessor, the FNS, was notorious for dumping mags when carried /holstered.

Triggers on the 509 are meh but they did pre-game a better aftermarket trigger with APEX before the 509 was released. Likely why the LAPD model appears to come with the APEX.

FN is a euro gun company that thinks of the MIL/GOV as their “real” customer. As a result FN Commercial seems to have inherited the poor customer service HK used to be famous for.

[HCM]

I believe the local department bought their guns around the same time frame.

Have they addressed this with FN’s LE reps ? If not do they need a POC ?

[JTQ]

If you buy enough guns any of the major players will make what you want….

One of the most surprising to me was West Virginia State Police getting S&W 4566 pistols about a decade ago, about a decade after S&W stopped producing their TDA line of pistols.

https://www.policemag.com/348403/sw-...-highway-patro