Glock Talk banner

FNP 45 Tactical 2,000 Round Review

19K views 35 replies 21 participants last post by  Von Hayes 
#1 ·


Well, passed the 2k round mark on the FNP 45 Tactical this weekend and decided I had enough experience with it for a thorough review...

Background: The gun was developed for the US Joint Combat Pistol program that was later scrapped by the military. But, that program gave us a lot of great guns, this being one of the finest. The gun has fully ambidextrous controls and comes with a few goodies from the factory that include: 3 15 round magazines, factory night sights standard (raised for suppressor use), 4 interchangeable backstraps, numerous mounts for aftermarket red dot use, and a 5.3'' hammer forged threaded barrel. Shown here as it comes from the factory (minus the red dot):


Overall impressions: This gun is big and bad; no doubt about it. It certainly wasn't developed to be a concealed carry piece. It weighs 33oz empty, add to that 16 rounds of 45ACP and it feels extremely solid in the hand and like all FNP/X/S pistols points very naturally. The trigger is traditional DA/SA, with the DA pull coming in consistently at 10.5lbs on my trigger gauge and the SA trigger pull coming in at a crisp 4lbs.

Let me also say, I 'm a huge FNH fan. I own a lot of their weapons and even used an A2 made by them in basic training. I love the M240 Light they offer these days as well; it may be my favorite gun on planet earth. So, I guess I'm a FNH "fan-boy" if you will.

Reliability: As the title says, I've put 2,000 rounds down the pipe of this gun and, of those, this gun has had 1 failure. That failure was by a new shooter that wanted to try the gun out and the slide locked back after firing; it was almost certainly shooter error with him probably hitting the slide lock with his thumb... I've never had a failure with it. I've used mostly Blazer aluminum cased ammo but also, Federal FMJs, MFS FMJs, Aguila FMJs, Hornady TAP 230gr JHPs, Hornady TAP 230gr +p JHPs, Winchester Ranger 230gr JHPs, and Federal HST 230gr +p JHPs. All fed reliably and the gun soaked up recoil regardless of the ammo used.

Accuracy: IMO, this is where the FNP and FNX handguns really stand out among their peers. In SA mode, this gun is an absolute tack driver. I'd put it against any 1911 I've ever shot. When using the red dot option, follow up shots are also extremely fast. I have a 4MOA Optima 2000 (now the JPoint) on mine that I picked up on ebay for $155 and it works extremely well. It really seems 'unfair' how accurate this gun is coupled with the fast target acquisition provided by the red dot sight and bright night sights.

Durability: I've had no issues with the gun at all. I've seen reports of broken triggers on the early models but it has been a tank so far.

Maintenance: I clean and lubricate the gun after every time out (usually 100-200 round sessions) with good old CLP and use a little grease on the rails. Takedown is extremely easy and doesn't require the user to pull the trigger which is a turn off for a lot of people who are considering Glocks. I don't think it's an issue, but I don't want to go down that road...

Cost: This is the biggest downside to this gun. It's expensive, no doubt about it. It retails for anywhere between $900-1200. That's a hefty price tag for a non-1911 handgun. FNH does offer a military discount for those eligible (this is how I purchased the pistol) and the discount is significant. For people looking to save some cash the standard FNP 45 is also a great option, I own one as well and it has been great too.



Final thoughts: This is an excellent firearm and is the best DA/SA gun on the market in my view. I know some will chime in with SIG and H&Ks; they're fine guns as well but if I could only have one out of the lot I'd take this one.

Full review with a ton of pictures can be found here: Review
 
See less See more
2
#2 ·
With just 900 rounds through mine, I concur. The FNP-45T truly "has it all," in my opinion.

I will "disagree" and say the biggest "downside" is that it's too big to carry concealed (for those of us who are not Neanderthals). ;)
 
#3 ·
thanks for the review , how would you describe the trigger? is it as good as a steel/aluminum framed pistol say a Sig 226 or does it have some mushy-ness to it
 
#4 ·
I think the trigger is very crisp for a DA/SA gun; much more so than a standard 226 IMO. The crispness of Sig's SRT SA trigger break is more comparable. It's not as short of a reset as the SRT, but just as crisp. The mushyness of Sig triggers is my biggest complaint about my P series guns. The FNPs don't have that issue at all.
 
#6 ·
I don't think the price is really all that bad. Considering what I've paid for HK's through the years, I'd drop the cash for one. You get a heck a lot of gun for the money and it's right up there neck and neck with HK in the quality department IMHO!

:wavey:
 
#9 ·
I own an FNP-45 and haven't run much more than 200 through it... don't know why but I've had multiple failures to feed (narrowed it down to 2 mags) and when the slide is returning forwards it feels like 2 independent motions. This is my first 45 I've shot.

FNH customer service (refers you to Browning) said it needs to "break-in" more.

Thought I would bounce it off of others and see what the group thoughts were.

Thanks!
 
#11 ·
I own an FNP-45 and haven't run much more than 200 through it... don't know why but I've had multiple failures to feed (narrowed it down to 2 mags) and when the slide is returning forwards it feels like 2 independent motions. This is my first 45 I've shot.

FNH customer service (refers you to Browning) said it needs to "break-in" more.

Thought I would bounce it off of others and see what the group thoughts were.

Thanks!
How many are you saying is multiple failures? The reason I ask is that some FDE guns (see sturmguewer's VTAC 9mm review for a detailed explaination) do require a 'break in' due to the coating on the slide. Mine didn't but I have seen it, especially with low pressure ammo...
 
#13 ·
I own an FNP-45 and haven't run much more than 200 through it... don't know why but I've had multiple failures to feed (narrowed it down to 2 mags) and when the slide is returning forwards it feels like 2 independent motions. This is my first 45 I've shot.

FNH customer service (refers you to Browning) said it needs to "break-in" more.

Thought I would bounce it off of others and see what the group thoughts were.

Thanks!
medic-- were you using the forbidden wwb ammo? i took my new fnp tac to the range on monday. shot mostly blazer brass, but i thought i'd see about the wwb while i was there. in two of the supplied mags, everything was fine. in the third mag, as i loaded the third round, the first round loaded would tilt and jam against the follower and the side of the mag. tried it three times, using different cartridges, with the exact same result. strange, indeed.....

otherwise, it shot great.... 10 rounds into one ragged hole @21 feet with the docter red dot, no failures.

regards to all-- deguelo
 
#14 · (Edited)
mine has worked fine...early models had some magazine issues (at least that is what Bob who has since retired from CS told me)...it IS a big gun...no more heavy than a full steel 1911 pattern pistol with twice the payload...can be carried with thumb safety on, off as decocker only (with DA first shot) or cocked and locked...I have mine with a Trijicon RMR which I feel is the best of all the red dots (for my use)...as a Southpaw my only complaint is the thumb safety can irritate my thumb joint in long range sessions...built as well as anyone else's premium pistol...good luck with your choice.

Bill
 
#16 ·
Didn't know WWB was a forbidden ammo to use in 45?

I run it through my G17 & XDM (both in 9mm) with no issue.

You recommend Blazer. how is federal or american eagle?

Thanks!
Word on the street is that WWB does not work well in the FNP-45 (FNH). Has something to do with the WWB ammo having a slightly longer OAL. I haven't tried it in my FNP-45 Tactical. I'm just going to take "their" word on it and not buy it for that pistol. I have not had any issues with any other ammo in my FNP-45T. Flawless.
 
#17 ·
I own an FNP-45 and haven't run much more than 200 through it... don't know why but I've had multiple failures to feed (narrowed it down to 2 mags) and when the slide is returning forwards it feels like 2 independent motions. This is my first 45 I've shot.

FNH customer service (refers you to Browning) said it needs to "break-in" more.

Thought I would bounce it off of others and see what the group thoughts were.

Thanks!
Yep... I'm betting you were using Winchester White Box ammo. It's a known problem with this pistol. Bottom line: don't use it. Anything else is fine.... just not WWB.
 
#18 ·
I don't own one but I did get to shoot a friends and only thing i did not like was the grip. I don't know why but the grip of this gun hurts my hand.
have your friend change the back strap to one of the grooved ones...I bet you'll like it better...the FN checkering IS quite aggressive...

Bill
 
#19 ·
So after finally getting to the range again I took the FN and had zero failure to feeds etc.

The kicker... it was with WWB b/c I have a couple hundred of that left. That being said I also brought some federal JIC the WWB failed me.

Also, from another forum/posting, multiple individuals reported they had my problem but they "broke in" their magazines. This is completely unnecessary and affects the properties of the springs in no way, shape, or form. I took a crack at it anyways with the 2 mags I knew failed to feed. They functioned perfectly. Between the wife and I each mag got used at least twice.

I'll advise of any future WWB problems though so everyone can say "told you so." ;-)

Thanks everyone!
 
#21 ·
To me the FN45 seems to be the closest thing to a "modern" 1911. Ive considered buying one. Have you had any problem decocking the gun when your dinengaging the safety? I have read that it is easy to do. That is a big turnoff for me.
 
#22 ·
I have fewer rounds than 2000 through mine but has anyone noticed some "breaking the corner" or rounding over on the barrel hood forward corners???...

Bill
 
#23 ·
FNP-45 frustrations resume. Failure to feed in all 5 magazines with multiple ammos. Blazer, Federal, and Armscor all had failures to feed or rough feeds.

Upon examination of spent brass I noticed an indentation that was identical on all the brass just below where the bullet is seated in a cartridge. FN received another phone call and recommended I ship the gun back to them. I wish they would've at least paid returned shipping... I'll advise of the outcome
 
#26 ·
FNP-45 frustrations resume. Failure to feed in all 5 magazines with multiple ammos. Blazer, Federal, and Armscor all had failures to feed or rough feeds.

Upon examination of spent brass I noticed an indentation that was identical on all the brass just below where the bullet is seated in a cartridge. FN received another phone call and recommended I ship the gun back to them. I wish they would've at least paid returned shipping... I'll advise of the outcome

I read somewhere that the FNP-45 was built to NATO ammunition specs, which are different than commercial specs. That is one of the big changes on the new FNX-45. It accepts a wider range of ammo types due to its "commercial grade chamber". It may be BS but I did read that somewhere.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top