[JustRick]

I bought an FNP9 a month or six weeks ago, and it's been like owning the world's best toaster -- it works perfectly but no one else knows about it.

It shoots great (for all three shooters in my family), no FTFs or FTEs or any of those other FT problems, with any of the ammunition we've tried, it's light, it has a nice feel on recoil, and it feels good in the grip. The price (less than $500 out the door) was certainly attractive, too.

The question is, why is mine the only one I ever see at the range, and why aren't sales better? This is a great pistol and I can't figure out why it isn't a leading plastic gun. Oh, well. I figure it's like owning an Accord with a small block Chevy in it -- only I know how good it is. And I'm OK with that.

 

[B52U]

To me that's part of the appeal. Better than owning a fan-boy XD.
(no offense to any XD owners out there ) :?

 

[djv38]

Well, there are no FN dealers within 100 miles of me, haven't seen any FNP's (other than mine). The guy at the shop where I had the transfer done said he's heard a lot of good about it, but hasn't been able to shoot one yet. It's also a relatively new gun, so give it a couple more years and you'll start seeing more.

 

[Furyataurus]

More like a Datsun Z with a Chevy 350 in it! The first handgun I bought was an HK USP 9. Later I wanted a 40 cal but only had $600. looked at Block, Sig, XD, and came across FN at Bass Pro Shops. Picked her up for $510 out the door w/tax. The other $90 went to ammo and lunch :? .

 

[SELFDEFENSE]

Marketing?

 

[ShipWreck]

Marketing?

Well, its advertised in tons of magazines.

My local shop just started carrying them

 

[Bavarian_Motorist]

I saw a guy carrying a two-tone last time I went to the range, that was the first Id seen one besides my own. and I have to admit the two-tone silver and black is sexy

 

[SELFDEFENSE]

My range visits are a trivia extravaganza for other shooters. I like to mess with their heads by using the full names of the manufacturers:
"Oh, this is a Steyr Mannlicher (pronounced Schtyer Mahn-leasher) M9 with trapezoidal sights :lol: :lol: and this is a Fabrique Nationale Herstal FNP-45" :-? :-? :lol: :lol:

 

[cruzie27]

More like a Datsun Z with a Chevy 350 in it!

i LOVE the old 70-73 Datsun Z's :shock:


i got the FNP-9 right before i deployed overhere,. i got a FNP-45 sitting at my dealers shop now,.. and i just won a FNP-357 off of gunbroker,...

should be clear that i really like these pistols.

but yeah i only know of a few folks with FNP's on the various gun forums i visit,.. and i have yet to see another FNP owner at the ranges i go to.

but hey 10-15 years from now we can all say we had our FNP's before they where cool :?

 

[JustRick]

On the way back from a trip to Seattle yesterday, my 16yo son and I stopped by "our" range to shoot some calibers we don't normally try.

We fired a Sig P229 .40SW, a 9mm XD with a Crimson Tracer grip (my son wanted to play with the laser) and a Kimber 1911 in .45 ACP.

The XD was fine -- although I shot much better with the sights than the laser. The Kimber was fun and was the first time I'd fired a 1911. Two FTFs in a box of 50 Magtech rounds.

The weirdest results were with the Sig P229 -- my first Sig experience. The gun felt fine and shot OK, but it also had at least 10 FTFs in one box of 50 rounds of Magtech. I know it's a range gun and might have been dirty, but that's 10 more FTFs than I've had on my FN in over 1,000 rounds. This is not normal Sig behavior (according to others), but it's hard for me to get too excited about the worst performance I've seen in a pistol. I've never had an FTF in a range Glock 17/19/26, S&W M&P 9C, CZ 75, or XD 9 -- only this awful experience with a Sig. It made me feel better about my weird pistol in a sea of central and eastern European guns!

(To be clear -- over 1,000 times now the FNP has gone 'bang' and faithfully loaded a new round. No FT anything ever. I'm a 52-year-old fanboy.)

 

[Roos13]

Honestly, I did a rediculous amount of research and came upon FNP about midway through. There's such a huge following for Glock and the XD's that unless you really look around, there's a pretty good chance that you'll be sucked in my a gunshop guru and end up with one of those.

I got my FNP 9 off of CDNN and had it transfered over by a gun shop here in CT. The guy who transfered it to me had heard great things, but that's about it. Mine was the first one he'd ever held, I believe.

I like that I've got a spectacular gun, both performance wise and economically speaking, that to most people is spawned from complete obscurity. And when I blow out the bulls-eye at 10 yards in front of the Glock owners at the range, the questions start coming in. Those that ask to shoot it never give it back without expressing some serious positive remarks.

400 rounds have been through it since I got it 3 weeks ago. I'll finally clean it once it hits 500. I wanna know it can get dirty and still get the job done. Same 'ole same 'ole as far as the FT's are concerned. They're non-existent.

 

[H&K 4 LIFE]

When I bought mine the owner of my LGS commented that it was a well built pistol by a reputable manufacturer that simply does not get the recognition it deserves.

I saw the FNP-45 advertised in the usual gun magazines and with 14rnds. of .45 it was not a hard sale. :?