I have had my FNS for slightly over a year now, and have just over 3500 rounds thru it. It is my first handgun, and also the first review I have written, so let me share what I think of the firearm.
I picked it up on sale for $499, And it came in a nice case with 3 magazines and 1 spare backstrap.
image.jpg (48.0 KB)
Ergonomics- if you have ever held a 1911, this will feel familiar to you, the grip angle is very similar, the stippling is a series if tiny pyramids across both sides and the back, with vertical lines across the front of the grip, the magwell is slightly flared, for ease of mag changes, and the mag release is metal, and ambidextrous, with no need to switch from side to side as with some other brands. Mags eject with authority, and the mag release is well placed, I have never hit it accidentally. The slide release is also ambi, however I have found the right side release much harder to push than the left, I'm sure with some sanding that could be remedied. The slide serrations are cut deeply into the slide, both front and back, and they really grip the skin and make manipulating the slide easy. The slide itself is beautifully milled, and the stainless look is clean and has held up amazingly well. The beavertail on the back is not obtrusive, and allows a nice high grip.
Overall, I would say this is a very ergonomic handgun, with great balance and well thought out controls.
The sights are a 3 dot system, with the front dot being substantially larger than the rear dots, making sight acquisition easy, I love these sights, they are my favorite of any handgun I have tried, not that I have a ton of experience, but from what I have shot, I like them best.
The trigger is a hinged trigger ala Glock, M&P etc. At the start, it felt very gritty, although the reset was nice and audible. With time and rounds, it has smoothed out into a very nice, and very predictable trigger, with a nice break, audible and tactile reset, and I must say, I like it a lot now.
The hard parts- the internals of the FNS are all metal, yes , even down to the small parts in the striker mechanism, the slide rails are much beefier than the Glock or others, not sure that makes a difference, but I like it, the barrel is cold hammer forged with polished feed ramp, and the slide is solid and very obviously well constructed when held. With 3500 rounds thru it, mine shows surprisingly few signs of wear, I'm am very impressed with the durability of the FNS, it has held up very well to bolstering and many range trips with new shooters. In 3500 rounds, it has only ever failed to function properly once, and that was 100% due to the Wartek ammo I tried to feed it. It has never malfunctioned with any other ammo. Would I trust it if my life were on the line,,,absolutely
Accuracy- I have found this pistol to be very accurate, I have yet to shoot any pistol that has made me think it is any more accurate than the FNS, that is just my experience, I'm sure there are more accurate out there, and far better shooters than me, but for my purposes, this pistol is better than me, if I do my part, I get very nice groups, and I have seen a better shooter than me put 3 rounds in the same hole at 15 feet.
In 2016 Dave Sevigny was USPSA National Champion with an FNS,,,,, I know you can't compare his gun to mine,lol, but still
Holsters and accessories- holsters are getting easier to find now, extra mags are expensive, and parts are a PITA to find at this point, sights are available and easy to track down. I use a Solely Canadian holster and it is fantastic.
Overall, I have been very happy with all aspects of this handgun except the availability of parts, but I'm sure that will change as the gun gains popularity. I find the long slide to be quite soft shooting and easy to get back on target, I can pull the trigger faster on my buddy's Canik, but my groups are always better with the FN.
I would recommend this gun to anyone looking to enter the striker fired world for under $1000, it has been a fine handgun, and I would buy it again,,,, as a matter of fact I did,,, for the wife
I picked it up on sale for $499, And it came in a nice case with 3 magazines and 1 spare backstrap.
image.jpg (48.0 KB)
Ergonomics- if you have ever held a 1911, this will feel familiar to you, the grip angle is very similar, the stippling is a series if tiny pyramids across both sides and the back, with vertical lines across the front of the grip, the magwell is slightly flared, for ease of mag changes, and the mag release is metal, and ambidextrous, with no need to switch from side to side as with some other brands. Mags eject with authority, and the mag release is well placed, I have never hit it accidentally. The slide release is also ambi, however I have found the right side release much harder to push than the left, I'm sure with some sanding that could be remedied. The slide serrations are cut deeply into the slide, both front and back, and they really grip the skin and make manipulating the slide easy. The slide itself is beautifully milled, and the stainless look is clean and has held up amazingly well. The beavertail on the back is not obtrusive, and allows a nice high grip.
Overall, I would say this is a very ergonomic handgun, with great balance and well thought out controls.
The sights are a 3 dot system, with the front dot being substantially larger than the rear dots, making sight acquisition easy, I love these sights, they are my favorite of any handgun I have tried, not that I have a ton of experience, but from what I have shot, I like them best.
The trigger is a hinged trigger ala Glock, M&P etc. At the start, it felt very gritty, although the reset was nice and audible. With time and rounds, it has smoothed out into a very nice, and very predictable trigger, with a nice break, audible and tactile reset, and I must say, I like it a lot now.
The hard parts- the internals of the FNS are all metal, yes , even down to the small parts in the striker mechanism, the slide rails are much beefier than the Glock or others, not sure that makes a difference, but I like it, the barrel is cold hammer forged with polished feed ramp, and the slide is solid and very obviously well constructed when held. With 3500 rounds thru it, mine shows surprisingly few signs of wear, I'm am very impressed with the durability of the FNS, it has held up very well to bolstering and many range trips with new shooters. In 3500 rounds, it has only ever failed to function properly once, and that was 100% due to the Wartek ammo I tried to feed it. It has never malfunctioned with any other ammo. Would I trust it if my life were on the line,,,absolutely
Accuracy- I have found this pistol to be very accurate, I have yet to shoot any pistol that has made me think it is any more accurate than the FNS, that is just my experience, I'm sure there are more accurate out there, and far better shooters than me, but for my purposes, this pistol is better than me, if I do my part, I get very nice groups, and I have seen a better shooter than me put 3 rounds in the same hole at 15 feet.
In 2016 Dave Sevigny was USPSA National Champion with an FNS,,,,, I know you can't compare his gun to mine,lol, but still
Holsters and accessories- holsters are getting easier to find now, extra mags are expensive, and parts are a PITA to find at this point, sights are available and easy to track down. I use a Solely Canadian holster and it is fantastic.
Overall, I have been very happy with all aspects of this handgun except the availability of parts, but I'm sure that will change as the gun gains popularity. I find the long slide to be quite soft shooting and easy to get back on target, I can pull the trigger faster on my buddy's Canik, but my groups are always better with the FN.
I would recommend this gun to anyone looking to enter the striker fired world for under $1000, it has been a fine handgun, and I would buy it again,,,, as a matter of fact I did,,, for the wife
Last edited:
Seriously, I've read a range rental report of 17,000 trouble free rounds, so parts are not a concern. 
