By Mike Searson
FNS 9 Compact Pistol Concealed Carry Weapon Review.
United States -(AmmoLand.com)- FN has been building firearms for over 100 years. Their most popular and historical designs include the P90, M249 SAW, Browning Hi-Power, FAL, SCAR and the FN-49.
They make a great line of polymer framed pistols and after shooting the FNX 45 Tactical, we could not wait to get our hands on one of their concealed carry type pistols: the FNS-9C.
Each of those letters actually stands for something: FN = Fabrique Nationale, S= Striker and C= Compact. The FNS-9 Compact has a 3.6” barrel and an overall length of 6.7″, just a bit shorter than the striker fired compact pistol that seems to own the market: the Glock 19.
Every inch of the entire gun has been radiused by design to offer a compact and snag-free package for concealed carry. It comes with two back straps in order to accommodate the shooter’s hand size and three magazines: two 12-rounders and one 17-round magazine. One 12-rounder is flush fit, the other sports a grip extension. The 17-round magazine protrudes a bit further from the grip, of course. We hit the range with 500 rounds of Winchester 115 grain FMJ and were impressed with the accuracy of the pistol.
FNS 9 Compact Pistol – The Good
As a shooter, we were pleased with the overall performance of the FNS-9 Compact. The trigger looks a bit like the S&W M&P and thankfully that is in looks only. While it was no match grade trigger, it did offer a nice crisp break and reset was not terribly long.
The lower bore axis makes for a pleasant shooting firearm.
We had no real complaints about the FNS-9 Compact. We suffered no failures to feed, fire, extract or eject. It worked as advertised.
FNS 9 Compact Pistol – The Bad
The slide stop was a bit small, but we tend to slingshot the slide most of the time after reloading so it was not a deal-breaker for us. Shooters who rely on the slide release primarily might want to be aware of this.
Another point we did not care for was that the magazines do not drop free. Luckily the basepad or extended magazine gives you something to grab on to pull out an empty, but we like our magazines to drop when we hit the release.
Our only major concern we had was browsing our local gun shops (not just mom & pop establishments, but Scheel’s, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shop and Sportsman’s Warehouse) over the course of a few weeks and seeing very little in the way of holsters for one of these.
Much of this is a result of the pistols being relatively new to market when compared to the other striker fired 9mm pistols that are out there. In time we hope to see the accessory market open up for FN.
FNS 9 Compact Pistol – The Reality
This is a well-made pistol that is slightly more compact than the Glock 19 in height and length.
FN has made a name for itself producing some of the finest military rifles and machineguns in the world. Often overlooked are the company’s handgun offerings. From the classic Browning Hi Power of days gone by to the hammer fired FNP, FNX or striker fired FNS polymer framed pistols of today, if you have not given these pistols a second glance, you may be short changing yourself.
FNS 9 Compact Pistol – Specifications:
- Caliber: 9mm
- Weight: 23.4 oz.
- Width: 1.35″
- Barrel Length: 3.6″
- Overall Length: 6.7″
- Price: $599 MSRP
Check this Contrasting Video Review of the FNS 9 Compact Pistol by hickok45
About Mike Searson:
Mike Searson’s career as a shooter began as a Marine Rifleman at age 17. He has worked in the firearms industry his entire adult life as a Gunsmith, Ballistician, Consultant, Salesman, Author and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1989.
Mike has written over 2000 articles for a number of magazines, websites and newsletters including Blade, RECOIL, OFF-GRID, Tactical Officer, SWAT, Tactical World, Gun Digest, Examiner.com and the US Concealed Carry Association as well as AmmoLand Shooting Sports News.
- Home page: www.mikesearson.com
- FB: www.facebook.com/mike.searson
- TWITTER: www.twitter.com/mikesearson
I absolutely love my FNS 9C, also. And so do all the friends and family who have tried it. Smooth trigger, dead accurate, very high quality build. I keep it on the nightstand with the full-size mag and a laser for home defense, and use the small flat or pinky mags for conceal carry. Works great for both purposes.
I absolutely love my new fns 9c. It is accurate,easy to carry and comfortable to shoot. I have been a pharmacist for 40 years and need a concealed and powerful hand gun in the evening under my jacket and on the way to my car after closing. I may buy another just for home use. thanks, john moss rph faca.