Hi All! New member & FNS 9c issues have brought me to this forum.
We bought a FNS 9c this weekend as a CCW for my husband. I've been shooting it. 250 rounds down range with numerous double feeds & slide failing to lock back on the last round. I have read the tips on this forum for new owners, but I must say, I believe a gun should work out of the box! We own several pistols along with revolvers, and I've never had to deal with a break-in period or so many malfunctions. Even though my confidence in this firearm is already shaken, I will try the tips and some more rounds.
The pistol has been cleaned & lubed properly prior to shooting. It malfunctions with both 115 & 124 grain. Higher grains are not in my local stores. I will clean & lube it again, lock the slide back, and keep the mags loaded. Anything else? Thanks!
Locking the slide back won't do anything. Racking the slide will, working in the spring and and getting the surfaces mated (but having 250 rounds through it, it should be close to being broken in or is broken in). I'd also recommend having someone else shoot it to see if it reacts the same way.
With the double recoil spring, sounds like some of the issues Glock was having when they came out with their double recoil spring system.
I would make sure that the recoil spring is all the way seated, it cannot really come completely out of place but if were to be sitting on the wrong ledge or canted I could see it being a minor issue. I would also field strip the magazines to make sure nothings out of wack.
What brand ammo are you using and what are the specs, bullet weight (115 gr, etc.) and fps/ft-lbs? You can find the information on the box, MFR(s) catalog, or web-site. Winchester (Olin) White Box ammunition 9x19 mm 115gr has a weak and inconsistent charge; the reason, budget ammunition. Working the slide by hand will break-in the pistol faster. Revolvers do not need a break-in (wear-in) period due to design but revolvers will wear-in as it is a mechanical device. Pistols are different due to design, bearing surfaces, many wear points in addition to many springs so break-in (wear-in) is needed. Ammunition, lubrication and maintenance plays can be a factor on how pistols function; most owner’s manuals, MFR(s) information and industry information can explain this further. The FNS-40 has less issues during break-in (wear-in) due to more powerful ammunition. The good news is it will improve after wear-in; some 9x19 mm ammunition does not have enough energy (force) to operate a pistol correctly when new regardless of make or model.
I forgot to mention pistol mechanics, improper hold (limp-wristing) will cause these issues so changing shooters can rule this out. Note my wife cannot use 115 gr PMC ammunition in her new SIG Sauer SP2022 9x19mm it had the same problems (FTF and slide not locking back); I solved the problem by changing to AE 124gr FMJ 1150 fps/364 ft-lbs #AE9AP ammunition. The best break-in ammunition is Winchester (Olin) 9x19 mm NATO 124gr FMJ 1200 fps/396 ft-lbs #USA9NATO sold by Gander Mtn; another good one is Sellier&Bellot 115gr FMJ 1237 fps/391 ft-lbs #SB9A.
Thanks y'all for the replies. Will try all suggestions.
My point about owning revolvers wasn't to suggest they need a break-in but just pointing out we are not new to firearms.
I haven't looked up fps & all that. I shouldn't have to but will. All of our pistols have worked from day 1 out of the box. No attention was needed to fps, grain, and any guns we keep are not picky. My Sig P938 & HK VP9 shoot anything I put in them regardless of brand or grain.
So far, I've shot Blazer Brass, Federal, & Magtech 115 gr. Magtech was the best but still had a failure of the slide locking back on the last round. Have also shot 124 gr Blazer Brass & American Eagle. Both brands produced a failure on slide lock, & the Blazer also had a double feed. It will be this weekend before someone else can get behind the gun.
Thanks for all the feedback! I will rack the slide over & over, take a part the mags, & anything else suggested.
I disassembled the mags, cleaned them, and kept them loaded in the safe. I racked, racked, & racked the slide until I got tired. Repeated 2 or 3 more times (had to put on gloves after several cycles w/ those serrations :smile The only thing I didn't do was purchase the ammo Vulcan71 suggested. I didn't have time to go to Gander, and we already have plenty of ammo. There are no recommendations in my manual regarding grain, brand, or "break-in" period; therefore, I expect the gun to function with the majority of readily available factory ammo. I don't buy the super cheap stuff anyway.
Took the gun back to the range today. Shot 115 gr Remington & Federal Champion. 150 rounds down range w/ no double-feeds. That's an improvement; however, the slide still failed to lock back on the last round 30-35% of the time. Unacceptable. I asked the guy 2 lanes down if he would mind shooting 2 maga through the gun. He looked at me kind of funny, Lol, but agreed to help. He too had a slide lock failure.
Just got off the phone w/ FN. They emailed an RMA w/ no questions asked. Thank you all, again, for your help. I'll let ya know how it turns out.
I'm a little late to the conversation. I don't have an fns 9 compact, but i do have the full size version. I had a similar slide lock issue with mine...Tho I never had a double feeds. Turns out, the way I gripped the pistol I thumb was keeping the slide lock front activating. Changed my grip and the problem went away. Just a thought...
i have one on order - i will let the thread know of any issues i encounter if any after a good range heat up - but after reading this i still cant wait to get my hands on mine - hope all turns out well for you
Thanks everyone. The gun is a great shooter. Easy follow up shots, positive, short trigger reset, and just a joy to shoot. I'm hopeful ours is just a wild hair. The slide lock was duplicated w/ another shooter yesterday. Truth About Guns put out their review of the pistol yesterday. Great review, but it was noted that there were 3 failures of the slide to lock back. No other malfunctions, and no other reviews I've seen have noted any either.
I have the same problem with the slide. If your thumb barely touches the slide stop it will depress it enough to not catch the slide. Keep your thumb up or on the outside of your other hand and that should remedy the problem. At least it did for me, have fun.
The gun was picked up by UPS yesterday; however, I will try the +P when it's returned. None the less, the pistol must function reliably w/ most readily available ammo.
I will also watch the slide release. Hitting the slide release hasn't been at the top of troubleshooting. Primarily, because I find the slide release nearly impossible to depress on purpose! Seriously, I have only been able to release the slide once w/ the "button." Maybe there's a technique, and I've dismissed the likelihood of bumping it while shooting? IDK. I hope the turnaround is quick & it's smooth sailing ahead.
I don't believe in break in periods and I don't tolerate malfunctions. Once a pistol malfunctions, I am finished with it. My FNS 9 has been trouble free so far. Suggest you insist on a new example.
My first day at the range was limited because of funding (getting married is taking all my money lol) so I only shot 100 rounds. No issues what so ever. Trigger and guide rod spring really broke in nicely by the time I was finished. No FTF, double feed, fail to lock back. It sounds like you may have a bad apple my friend. They will fix it. [emoji16]
Does anyone else have issues with the the bullet casing scraping the "cartridge guide surface" when inserting a loaded magazine? It is chewing up the casing on the top bullet when inserting a magazine.
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