[AITG]

I couldn't wait any longer so I decided to brave the rain and went to the range. I ran 200 rounds of Blazer 115 FMJ through the P and it was 100%.

Good news: gun feels really well balanced, much more so with a loaded magazine. I have never owned a handgun that ejects so consistently - picking up brass is a snap as it's all piled within arm's length. The gun is very accurate in SA. Cleaning afterward revealed very little dirt and no abnormal wear. Mags were all clean inside and a lot easier to strip than Glock mags.

Bad news: I now understand why people ask about converting to SAO. DA pull is listed as 12 lbs. That's ridiculous. I have a S and W CS9 that's half that. I shoot the Smith well, but my first DA shot with the FN wasn't even in the neighborhood. I think I've been spoiled by the Smith and my Glocks. I will conquer the trigger ... but I won't be carrying the FN anytime soon.
Other interesting problem: the magazine base plate is really well designed to match up with the grip. In fact, the two pieces fit together with only a small sliver of a gap. So small that you would never imagine that you could latch part of your palm in it when seating a new magazine. So small that after seating one's palm in the gap, the user must release the mag before the palm can be removed from said gap. Operator error ... you only need to do it once and you're cured. :roll:

Conclusion: I'm glad I bought the gun, and I think it will ultimately make me a better shooter. My first choice for a defensive gun is still my G17.

 

[ShipWreck]

:? :? :? :?

 

[Craigar45]

Thanks for the review... I am really interested in your DA pull weight. Have any friends with a pull scale? The two examples I have had the pleasure to handle had fantastic triggers that had nice smooth DA pulls; they were certainly well under the DA pull of my p226, and p239.

Anyway, I have heard (read) a few complaints about poor triggers on FNP's, and I am curious if there is a large discrepancy in factory consistency... Luck of the draw?


C

 

[ShipWreck]

Well, are you familiar with DA/SA guns. The DA pull is supposed to be heavy. Many people get so used to the Glock/XD/ HK LEM triggers that they forget of that heavier DA pull...

 

[AITG]

I understand that striker fired guns hava a different trigger pull. I also understand that DA will be longer and heavier than SA. The 12 pound number comes out of the Owner's Manual.

My point of reference is my Smith and Wesson CS9 TDA. That gun has a much lighter DA. Other than the 12 lb. number, the FN trigger is smooth and has a clean reset. If I get the chance I'll check the actual number.

I don't regret buying the gun - a P-9 and two cases of ammo is about the same price as a Sig and the P9 is lighter.

 

[Craigar45]

Well, are you familiar with DA/SA guns. The DA pull is supposed to be heavy. Many people get so used to the Glock/XD/ HK LEM triggers that they forget of that heavier DA pull...

Uh... yeah, I guess you could say I am familiar with DA. :-D
As I said in my last message, the pulls on my Sigs are heavier than that of both of the FNs I have toyed with... Same applies to my Tanfoglios, and one of my Bernardellis. I guess you could say I am primarily a DA/SA guy. I typically pilot Sigs in USPSA production, but in Limited I run a SA witness limited.

I suspect that most of the reports of heavy DA's in FNs is a result of SA or striker fired guys new to DA/SA... Sound about right to you? That is why I would like to see some real world pull weights.

 

[AITG]

OK, I got my fish scale and a rawhide shoe lace to measure the DA pull. It is consistently 14 lbs.

No, the scale wasn't calibrated , but I weighed two 10 lb. dumbbells and they were at 19 lbs.

I'll be talking to FN to see if they can do anything to lower that number.

 

[BlitzPig]

Your trigger will probably lighten up and smooth out more after a few hundred more rounds are fired.

 

[AITG]

Range report part 2:
I shot indoors yesterday, another 200 rounds.

Good news: once again, the gun was 100% on Blazer Brass 115 FMJ. The trigger is starting to loosen up a bit. In SA it's really crisp.

Bad news: so far it's no match for my Glock 17. Found that BreakFree CLP is MilSpec PRF-63460, so I bought a can. Then I found out it contains PTFE.

Teardown: The recoil spring guide rod shows some scuffing as others have posted. There are two scuffs on top of the chamber. The chamber side facing the ejection port has a polished mark front to back. A small fleck of red paint was floating around inside the slide. None of which has any effect on the function of the gun.
I cleaned the bore with Hoppe's, oiled it with Rem Oil and rinsed down the slide with BreakFree. Then I worked some Tetra gun grease into the slide slots and buffed it out with a Q-tip. I coated the outside of the barrel with BreakFree and wiped down the outside of the slide with it as well. A drop of Rem Oil on the slide safety, the hammer and the FCG.
I'm not losing sleep over the presence of PTFE. If FN is that picky about lubrication, they ought to name their preferred lube.

I'm happy I bought the gun ... but it's no Glock 17.

 

[ShipWreck]

In the PS90 manual, they specifically recommend Breakfree CLP - I would think it would be fine to use it on the FNP as well?!?!

 

[AITG]

I checked out BreakFree on the Safariland web site (both owned by the same company: Armor Holdings). There they had posted the MIL number so I figured it would be OK. The P-9 owner's manual specifically states not to use oils with PTFE on the polymer. That's easier said than done. I did find a small bottle of Hoppe's gun oil without PTFE, but the stuff is really thick.
So far Rem Oil hasn't dissolved any of my Glocks or Walthers. I find it hard to believe that FNs polymer is that different than everyone elses.

 

[Fabius]

I've been using Breakfree CLP on my FNP. No problems.

I'm surprised at the weight of your DA pull. One of the reasons that I bought my FNP-40 is because the DA trigger pull on mine is shorter and lighter than the PX4 and Sigs that I've tried. I have a friend who owns a Sig P220 and he finds the DA trigger on my FNP to be much better.

 

[ironman0311]

These three products will make any gun run better and well worth the money.


http://www.sweetshooter.com/

http://www.shootersolutions.com/mol.html

http://www.brianenos.com/pages/slide-glide.html

And this is the BEST for anti-corrosion HANDS-DOWN.

http://www.thegunzone.com/rust.html

 

[AITG]

These three products will make any gun run better and well worth the money.

I'm not questioning the value of those products ... or plain old Rem Oil.
The issue is that FN wants lubes to meet MIL-63460, which is an extreme temperature range product. The most readily available one appears to be BreakFree CLP.
Then, they turn around and tell you not to use any lube that contains PTFE which is commonly known as Teflon. Which eliminates CLP, leaving you with... finding something exotic, or disregarding their cautions. :evil:

 

[AITG]

Update time.
I spent over a month dry firing my P9. My best guess is at least 1,000 times (Kept it on my desk during the day, in front of the TV at night.) Trigger seems lighter, I am definitely steadier, and the gun feels good.
I ran 150 rounds through it at the range yesterday and I was amazed at the accuracy. A also ran 50 rounds through my Glock 26 and felt more accurate with it as well. (Practice, practice...)
This gun is $469. well spent.

 

[redduck21502]

That is good news, I am waiting for delivery on my FNP-9 and really started to worry about getting a 14 pound pull. I dabbled with the different springs in my GLOCKs and found that the 12lb spring in my G21 was almost impossible for me to pull, even with a 3.5lb trigger connector. But the 8lb spring and 5lb connector was easy to pull in my G26. I think it was all due to having better leverage in a smaller grip. When you said 14lbs, I almost freaked, thinking back to the G21 experiment, but if it lightens up a little or a person can get used to the pull, then I feel better. I still cannot wait. I wish that it would ship soon.

 

[AITG]

Interesting thing about the trigger. I have to qualify twice a year with my Glocks. Part of the course is firing with the support (weak) hand, unsupported. Because of that, I did some dry firing with my weak hand. I didn't have a problem overcoming the trigger weight but I did have a struggle getting enough travel out of my finger. It seemed like I ran out of movement before the trigger broke. SA, of course, was not a problem.

Since the Glocks are so much shorter travel they have never been a problem for me. I don't intend to qualify with this gun, so it probably won't be a problem. (It's not that I don't trust this gun. The cost of another duty holster and mag carrier makes it impractical).

I think you'll like your P9. It's at least as nice as a Sig for a lot less money.