[juangomez]

I was waiting to post a response and/or comparison of the FNP9 to other common guns such as the XD9, CZ 75B, etc., but I found something very disturbing/disappointing this morning and wanted to share it with others that may be considering this gun.

I picked up the NIB (new in box) FNP9 last week, put two hundred rounds of WallyWorld Winchester white box through it yesterday and found cracks in the frame this morning while cleaning. The cracks are:

- Right side - from takedown lever to trigger pin
- Right side - 1/2 inch long from hammer pin - heading forward
- Left side - 1/2 inch long from hammer pin - heading backwards
- Right side - 1/2-3/4 inch long behind trigger on grip portion

The gun was test fired at the factory 5 June 2007 which I consider the birth date. I haven't opened it up again to see if there are any cracks inside.

Again, this is only after 200 rounds. YMMV. I'll wait to see what FN changes/fixes before deciding whether to keep the gun or not. At this point, I don't trust it. It would stink to take a loss on a gun that is brand new, but better safe than sorry. It stinks that I already lost $50 in ammo since I'll need to retest/break-in the replacement should I decide to keep it. For the $50 in ammo already lost and the additional $50 in ammo I'll need to spend on the replacement just to get to where I am with this one in break-in, I could have purchased the CZ 75 PCR.

Luckily, I bought it from Davidson's (with it's Lifetime Warranty) so I may send it for a replacement and trade the replacement on the spot once received. Again, depends on what FN says they'll do/did.

 

[jrh3]

Please post pics to better show us what you are talking about

 

[ShipWreck]

Fn has fixed the cracking issues that has come up in the past - I'd call FN - they will likely pay for shipping both ways and fix ya up.

 

[juangomez]

I'll snap/post pics as soon as possible.

I called and left a message with Bob, but haven't been called back.

Thanks.

 

[juangomez]

I've never posted pics to a forum before, but here goes:

[img=http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/8566/cimg0265hy1.th.jpg]


[img=http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/3900/cimg0267zx3.th.jpg]


[img=http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3829/cimg0268qr6.th.jpg]


The only other polymer gun I've owned has been the XD9SC and it has been flawless since day one. The only reason I purchased the FNP9 was because you can't decock the XD. Likewise, I have a stainless CZ 75B, but you have to manually decock that pistol which isn't an issue for me, but I'll be teaching my daughter to shoot with one of these one day and I want something any mid-level shooter can handle.

 

[B52U]

Wow, those are some interesting places to get cracks. Usually it's the internal fire control group housing that breaks. I haven't seen the actual polymer frame itself crack like this. Looks like defective polymer or something. FN will get you fixed up.

 

[juangomez]

Would anyone know, what kind of warranty does FNH have? I didn't see/read anything in the manual regarding a lifetime warranty against defects and/or workmanship.

The reason I ask is that Davidson's provides a lifetime replacement warranty and the serial number is registered. Unfortunately, the part that has failed on my pistol contains the serial number so if FNH replaces it, I doubt I'd get the same serial. There is the possibility that Davidson's could replace my unit with another dud (since they buy in large quantities/lots). I'd rather send to FNH for replacement, but not if they do not back up their product with a written warranty.

So back to my question, does anyone know if FNH has a written lifetime warranty?

Thanks.

 

[B52U]

FN's warranty is an implied lifetime warranty. I'm sure Bob at FN can confirm this.

 

[jrh3]

make sure you get a free t-shirt for your troubles. :-D

sorry about the 9 that is really extraterrestrial looking, because i have never seen a crack in those locations before, I think they even x-ray or magna flux the polymer part in qc testing for that reason.

 

[cripps]

The funny thing about ammo is it is considered a consumable. Something that you will always continue to buy so spending $50 on new ammo is something you would be doing in the future anyway, either all at once or over time.

 

[juangomez]

I may be wrong, but my initial break-in period isn't for simply sending rounds down range. The main reasons I see for the break-in period are to have the gun parts wear into each other (and smooth surfaces), to establish reliability and for me to build confidence that I can trust the weapon. That's just off the top of my head. I can expect/understand certain failures such as failure-to-feed and/or failure-to-extract, but what I don't expect is failure-to-maintain-integrity.

I've given all of this some thought and have determined that I find the FNP9 to be a safety hazard. I'm going to have it replaced and then trade it in for a CZ 75 PCR or P-01. I'd much rather take a loss of a few hundred dollars (with all things included) than chance having this thing explode.

The only question I have left is, I wonder how many people have had to sign nondisclosure agreements as a result of being injured by this gun.

Thanks.

 

[cRyan]

The only question I have left is, I wonder how many people have had to sign nondisclosure agreements as a result of being injured by this gun.

Thanks.

i may get banned for saying this, and if I do it is still worth it, but I find you to be a fool. Keep in mind that I'm only saying what others are thinking. All asembly lines will put out an occasional dud. That's life. Let the FN make it right and get over it/yourself. Sheesh.

 

[raggededge]

I don't know, I can understand where he's coming from. I think I'd have a hard time trusting a gun that was falling apart in my hands, too. It's a definite case of better safe than sorry.


That being said, I'd still buy a 9 if I could find one when I still have the cash (paychecks just don't stretch as far as you need them).

 

[cRyan]

I'm not going to argue that anyone should shoot a broken pistol, however, when there are a fair number of FNPs here with well over 1000 rounds down the pipe I fail to see the logic in labeling an entire line of pistols defective due to a problem that likely existed before this particular gun was ever fired. The OP experienced a manufacturing defect that unfortunately slipped through the QC department in 2007.

 

[Texas Armadillo]

No need to get nasty Ryan. You could have made your point without being insulting.

 

[juangomez]

cRyan, You may attack the action, but not the person. It's called civility. Next time try something like "I don't agree with your action", "I think you're going overboard", etc. You are simply willing to take greater risk than I am. That's all.

I expect firearms to experience parts failure, but not the type of failure this firearm has shown. These cracks appeared in areas that are not under direct stress. I wouldn't want a firearm where I have to worry at what point it will disintegrate and cause harm. It's not worth it to me. I'm a software architect/engineer; having both hands helps.

 

[cRyan]

cRyan, You may attack the action, but not the person. It's called civility. Next time try something like "I don't agree with your action", "I think you're going overboard", etc. You are simply willing to take greater risk than I am. That's all.

I expect firearms to experience parts failure, but not the type of failure this firearm has shown. These cracks appeared in areas that are not under direct stress. I wouldn't want a firearm where I have to worry at what point it will disintegrate and cause harm. It's not worth it to me. I'm a software architect/engineer; having both hands helps.

Fair point. Working nights tends to grind away at my sense of "keeping my mouth (or fingers) shut." So, sorry, but understand that I wasn't attacking your action or decision. I was attacking the NDA comment, which I still think is a bit rash.

As a final word, I highly doubt that I take any bigger risks than you do. Trust me, I need both of my hands as much as you do. We both take a risk every time we pull the trigger, but through cleaning and inspecting our firearms we keep the risk relatively low. You noticed a defect in your firearm and your next action was to figure out how to get it fixed. I've been in that same exact situation. Seriously though, you find me a product that is man made, and I'll find you a defective example of that product. The measure of a company is not in their ability to send 100% of their product to the market in perfect shape, it's in their ability to make things right when something is wrong. It does suck to have to be one of the people that ends up with the defect, but statistically we'll all be there at one point or another. Thankfully, it seems that FN does a good job of making things right.

 

[JoeFriday]

I expect firearms to experience parts failure, but not the type of failure this firearm has shown. These cracks appeared in areas that are not under direct stress.

I'm not sure that's true. Two of the crack appear to originate at penetrations in the frame (maybe all three). These points are stress risers. If the stress in these areas was higher than anticipated it could result in cracking. I would think it would be more likely that an area which was not anticipated to be under high stress have a problem than an area where high stress was obvious and resultant engineering scrutiny was applied.

 

[jadexter]

Thanks!

With the help of your pictures, I was able to identify the SAME cracks on my FNP-9. I had put ~200 rounds thru this gun. It was inspected/test fired around the same time (5/29/07).

I have to say that I didn't even realize I had all these cracks until I looked carefully with a magnifying glass. Initially, I thought they were just superficial scratches.

I was also planning to purchase an FNP-45, but I think I'm going to wait and see how things pan out...

 

[NillaIce]

Duds are made every day... I like mine and it's accurate.

P9M for life. 8)