View Full Version : Looking at a used FNS 9 pistol
I don't know a lot about them, but it feels really nice and is in excellent/like new condition. LGS wants $475 out the door for the pistol, 3 magazines, and original case with the manual/extra backstrap/spent casing. They said a guy brought it in who claimed to have barely fired it. Just wanted to get rid of it due to having to move to New York.
Should I pick it up for a carry gun?
WickedWillis
03-27-14, 17:49
I don't know a lot about them, but it feels really nice and is in excellent/like new condition. LGS wants $475 out the door for the pistol, 3 magazines, and original case with the manual/extra backstrap/spent casing. They said a guy brought it in who claimed to have barely fired it. Just wanted to get rid of it due to having to move to New York.
Should I pick it up for a carry gun?
You should not pick up ANY gun for carry that you are not completely comfortable with, and know in and out like the back of your hand. Is there a local shop where you can go and rent the FNS9? I have fired the FN45 Tactical, and I hated how bulky it was, before I went and shot it I was dead-set that that was going to be my new nightstand gun. I have handled the FNS9 and I like it, and it's been deemed reliable from what I've seen. My point being, if you think it's for you rent it and shoot 100 or so rounds down range and get a little bit of a feel for her. I have saved so much money by renting guns I wanted.
plouffedaddy
03-27-14, 18:42
You should not pick up ANY gun for carry that you are not completely comfortable with, and know in and out like the back of your hand. Is there a local shop where you can go and rent the FNS9? I have fired the FN45 Tactical, and I hated how bulky it was, before I went and shot it I was dead-set that that was going to be my new nightstand gun. I have handled the FNS9 and I like it, and it's been deemed reliable from what I've seen. My point being, if you think it's for you rent it and shoot 100 or so rounds down range and get a little bit of a feel for her. I have saved so much money by renting guns I wanted.
Solid advice if it's plausible at that shop.
But, if you just have to go on what you learn here then check out my video below. Should give you some info. It's a great gun; but since it's used make sure it has the 'dead trigger' fix I talked about in the video. Other than that it should be good to go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHKBPd-ssv4&list=UUvtuPgvFmA--W404WkST8GA
WickedWillis
03-27-14, 18:53
Solid advice if it's plausible at that shop.
But, if you just have to go on what you learn here then check out my video below. Should give you some info. It's a great gun; but since it's used make sure it has the 'dead trigger' fix I talked about in the video. Other than that it should be good to go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHKBPd-ssv4&list=UUvtuPgvFmA--W404WkST8GA
Great advice and videos as always.
KalashniKEV
03-27-14, 20:05
I'm a Glock guy, but I really like my FNS 9 and should give it more trigger time...
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r220/Kalashnikev/Pistols/IMAG0068_zpsbdd926bc.jpg (http://s145.photobucket.com/user/Kalashnikev/media/Pistols/IMAG0068_zpsbdd926bc.jpg.html)
The mags just seem to jump up into the gun.
Wow, great video! Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately there's nowhere around here where I could rent one, so I'll be basing everything off of what I read about them. And the fact that it feels great in my hands.
I should be able to test for the dead trigger issue just by dry firing it repeatedly, correct?
I'd pick it up. Not sure about using it for SD till I fire a few hundred rnds through it. I know they are hammer fired, but I own a pro-9 and an fnp45 and I love them. The gander mountain by me wants $699 for one! I've dry fired one and it feels better than the trigger on my hand guns
I have one and I love it there was a 10 hour period though that I was going to git rid of it and go back to a Glock but the more I worked with it the more I liked it. It has some of the best ergos out there. I will agree with any gun new or used put some rounds through it and make sure it works for you and that it works in general.
I put some money down on it today. Would have taken it home, but there's another gun purchase in the pipeline that's tying up nearly $5,000. Spent a long time holding a Glock 19 side by side with it. The FNS 9 feels so much better to me. I think it will be nice. The gunsngear video helped me out a lot with the decision.
Good decision. Really like mine. Feels good in the hand. Check out Hickok45 video review. He is a diehard Glock guy....but u on can tell he really really liked the fns.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk
Marshall Dillon
03-28-14, 23:02
Outstanding gun. I have two of them. This one, my carry gun, has over 3,300 rounds through it without a single malfunction and I've only cleaned it once (2,250 round cleaning).
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/dgormont4/dgormont4006/FNSStippled2_zpsb3161002.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/user/dgormont4/media/dgormont4006/FNSStippled2_zpsb3161002.jpg.html)
Marshall Dillon
03-28-14, 23:05
accurate to boot...
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/dgormont4/dgormont4006/FNSStippled_zps7d6bdbd3.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/user/dgormont4/media/dgormont4006/FNSStippled_zps7d6bdbd3.jpg.html)
Congrats man you will enjoy it, the aggressiveness of the grip takes a little getting used to but all in all its an awesome gun. Now only to find a rear sight with a nice ledge on it.
Marshall Dillon
03-28-14, 23:43
Congrats man you will enjoy it, the aggressiveness of the grip takes a little getting used to but all in all its an awesome gun. Now only to find a rear sight with a nice ledge on it.
The grip was not aggressive enough for my liking, hence the stippling. When shooting .18 - .20 second splits I needed/wanted more grip. I carry the gun fully stippled daily and have no issues whatsoever.
With respect to changing the rear sight to something with a more pronounced ledge, I think people make too much of this issue. There's enough of a ledge on the front of the rear sight to do one handed manipulations as-is, if absolutely needed. The sights that come on the gun are steel and they're excellent in my opinion. No need to change 'em.
I had the FNX, I loved it! Only reason I got rid of it was to invest in a g26 and a sig
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The grip was not aggressive enough for my liking, hence the stippling. When shooting .18 - .20 second splits I needed/wanted more grip. I carry the gun fully stippled daily and have no issues whatsoever.
With respect to changing the rear sight to something with a more pronounced ledge, I think people make too much of this issue. There's enough of a ledge on the front of the rear sight to do one handed manipulations as-is, if absolutely needed. The sights that come on the gun are steel and they're excellent in my opinion. No need to change 'em.
I like the grip but it is rougher than the Glock and M&P and the ledge is more of a personal preference. All in all I ove the thing.
Sent from my SPH-L600 using Tapatalk
Brought it home yesterday. Feeling like it was a really good buy. I put 5 magazines through it last night with no hiccups. Shot for accuracy, did double taps, practived drawing it from a hip holster and did a really fast mag dump. Pretty much hit everything I wanted to hit. The FNS 9 is such a ridiculously comfortable pistol to hold, carry and shoot. Good sight picture and fast target acquisition. I was able to keep every round on a propane tank at about 10 yards as quickly as I could pull the trigger. FN got this one right. Would recommend buying one without any hesitation. I was using Magtech 115 grain FMJ and Tula Brass 115 grain FMJ.
I'm thinking of getting a shoulder rig that keeps it under the left shoulder with two spare magazines under the right shoulder. Any recommendations for a setup like that?
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1.0-9/10157246_839598566053686_343459205_n.jpg
You guys take much better pictures than I do
Tzintzuntzan
04-03-14, 19:00
You guys take much better pictures than I do
Get some powerful white light shining onto a reflective white background and then use that to brighten up the subject of your photo. Then get a decent used Nikon D100 and you too can get some nice pictures.
Tzintzuntzan
04-03-14, 19:01
As far as the FNS 9 goes, I've only ever seen the 40 version around but it did seem to have a pretty decent trigger on it, compared to the usual polymer crowd.
m1a_scoutguy
04-03-14, 23:49
Big congrats on the FNS 9 ! I have had mine for close to a year and I love it ! I would say I have close to 3K through the gun and it is laser accurate and runs like a top !! I think ya did good @$475ish !! I love the grip angle,,pretty much the same as a 1911,fat magwell,good sights, trigger is decent, actually has gotten better as time & rds add up,etc ! I didn't mind the texture of the grip,but I did put the Talon rubber grips on mine and it made it even better ! I won't get rid of my Glocks,,but lets just say if I'm not shooting my 1911s,,I'm shooting my FNS ! ;)
KalashniKEV
04-04-14, 20:34
...has over 3,300 rounds through it without a single malfunction and I've only cleaned it once (2,250 round cleaning)... accurate to boot...
That's awesome.
I fully believe that if the FNS came out sooner and got positioned in a celebrity instructional video, a lot of us could have avoided the Trail of Tears the M&P turned out to be.
FNS is the only true runner up to Glock.
Tzintzuntzan
04-04-14, 21:28
That's awesome.
I fully believe that if the FNS came out sooner and got positioned in a celebrity instructional video, a lot of us could have avoided the Trail of Tears the M&P turned out to be.
FNS is the only true runner up to Glock.
I don't have any experience with the M&P and I have only a small bit of exposure to the FNS but I definitely think that the trigger on the FNS beats the other two designs, or at least the one I handled had a decent trigger, not as heavy or gritty as a stock Glock trigger. I'll probably pick up an FNS 9 in the fall and post my comments on it.
That's awesome.
I fully believe that if the FNS came out sooner and got positioned in a celebrity instructional video, a lot of us could have avoided the Trail of Tears the M&P turned out to be.
FNS is the only true runner up to Glock.
I get that I might have "shiny new gun syndrome," but I strongly prefer the FNS to a Glock. At a minimum, they're equals. The store I picked the FNS up at had tons of Glocks in stock, so I had every opportunity to look them over, feel them, and compare them to the FNS. The FNS felt superior to me (YMMV, of course). FNS torture tests seem to be showing good things too.
You and I are definitely on the same page, but I think that "runner up" isn't giving the FNS all of the credit that's due to it.
That's awesome.
I fully believe that if the FNS came out sooner and got positioned in a celebrity instructional video, a lot of us could have avoided the Trail of Tears the M&P turned out to be.
FNS is the only true runner up to Glock.
If you truly understood the Trail of Tears you would know the M&P has not been that.
I'm generally a Glock guy for my CCW, but the FNX-9 is quite a pistol.
I liked it so much I picked up an FNX-45 Tactical to go with it.
You'll be happy with it, and the fully ambidextrous controls are a huge plus if you ever really need it for a gunfight.
FNS looks like a great pistol. My only concern is the ambi mag release. If any thing bumps it whole carrying it or shooting it your mag will drop. No idea if this has happened to any one but that would be my only concern. Besides that it looks like a winner.
Brought it home yesterday. Feeling like it was a really good buy. I put 5 magazines through it last night with no hiccups. Shot for accuracy, did double taps, practived drawing it from a hip holster and did a really fast mag dump. Pretty much hit everything I wanted to hit. The FNS 9 is such a ridiculously comfortable pistol to hold, carry and shoot. Good sight picture and fast target acquisition. I was able to keep every round on a propane tank at about 10 yards as quickly as I could pull the trigger. FN got this one right. Would recommend buying one without any hesitation. I was using Magtech 115 grain FMJ and Tula Brass 115 grain FMJ.
I'm thinking of getting a shoulder rig that keeps it under the left shoulder with two spare magazines under the right shoulder. Any recommendations for a setup like that?
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1.0-9/10157246_839598566053686_343459205_n.jpg
Galco makes something called the "Miami Classic" (or something along those lines) that is as you've described.
...And it's just a bad ass holster.
FNS looks like a great pistol. My only concern is the ambi mag release. If any thing bumps it whole carrying it or shooting it your mag will drop. No idea if this has happened to any one but that would be my only concern. Besides that it looks like a winner.
Kind of a non-issue. Very positive 'feel' mag release. It's hard to describe, but that mag isn't dropping unless you mean for it to.
FNS looks like a great pistol. My only concern is the ambi mag release. If any thing bumps it whole carrying it or shooting it your mag will drop. No idea if this has happened to any one but that would be my only concern. Besides that it looks like a winner.
Kind of a non-issue. Very positive 'feel' mag release. It's hard to describe, but that mag isn't dropping unless you mean for it to.
m1a_scoutguy
04-06-14, 22:12
FNS looks like a great pistol. My only concern is the ambi mag release. If any thing bumps it whole carrying it or shooting it your mag will drop. No idea if this has happened to any one but that would be my only concern. Besides that it looks like a winner.
Kind of a non-issue. Very positive 'feel' mag release. It's hard to describe, but that mag isn't dropping unless you mean for it to.
I agree,,,although I have never been in a gun fight ,:eek:I have used my FNS in multiple IDPA/USPSA matches and Action Pistol type shooting with both strong hand/support hand & moving the gun around a bunch with no issues. It is nice to have the ambi-controls & I feel they are pretty solid along with a pretty positive press to get the mag out. Anything can happen,but I wouldn't worry to much about it.
Thats good to hear. I've been interested in trying one of these out but that was one of my concerns. I wish the rear sight had a ledge on it though in case you had to rack the slide off a belt or something but I'm sure the aftermarket will eventually catch up.
Any of you guys run one of these with a light attached ?
m1a_scoutguy
04-06-14, 23:22
Thats good to hear. I've been interested in trying one of these out but that was one of my concerns. I wish the rear sight had a ledge on it though in case you had to rack the slide off a belt or something but I'm sure the aftermarket will eventually catch up.
Any of you guys run one of these with a light attached ?
That's a good point with the sight, it could be a concern, I have never tried it with my FN. I think there are "other" sights out there, but the ones on mine are so friggin dead on,,I hate to change them :D. I have not tried a light yet,but have been looking and wanting to get one. When I do,I will report back.
Tzintzuntzan
04-07-14, 00:49
You don't need a ledge, it is just a feature that some sights have and it makes the process of one handed manipulation easier but that doesn't mean doing it without that ledge is impossible.
Congrats on your purchase. I'm not sure why the FNS doesn't have more popularity, it really is an excellent product.
richiecotite
04-07-14, 22:38
^ changing their lineup every few years, fn not being particularly known for their modern pistols, lack of strong aftermarket support higher cost than most plastic guns are a few of the reasons the FN pistol won't be a serious contender. Shame too, it looks like they finally got it right (besides the whole fnx and fns mags not being interchangeable)
Still salty about the fnp9's I had...
Congrats on your purchase. I'm not sure why the FNS doesn't have more popularity, it really is an excellent product.
I shot the FNS in one hand and a Glock 19 in the other hand. The FNS feels about 100x better. It's very accurate and I've had no malfunctions at all so far in the roughly 400 rounds I've put through it so far. (Not a high round count, but I'm still pleased)
Thats good to hear. I've been interested in trying one of these out but that was one of my concerns. I wish the rear sight had a ledge on it though in case you had to rack the slide off a belt or something but I'm sure the aftermarket will eventually catch up.
Any of you guys run one of these with a light attached ?
I do. If your question is in regards to any extraction/ejection issues, i've had zero malfunctions.
Congrats on your purchase. I'm not sure why the FNS doesn't have more popularity, it really is an excellent product.
I'm thinking FN needs to come out with a compact/carry version of the S then I believe ppl will start to notice. I love both my pro9 (civilian FNP9) and my FNP45. I should get rid of my M&P9L and get N FNS9. Anyone interested? Lol
KalashniKEV
04-08-14, 11:06
I'm thinking FN needs to come out with a compact/carry version of the S then I believe ppl will start to notice.
FN needs to make:
1) An FNS45.
2) An FNS9 w/ factory threaded barrel
Marshall Dillon
04-11-14, 00:21
Any of you guys run one of these with a light attached ?
Yes, I'm currently running two FNS-9 pistols. One with a TLR-1 for home defense and the other without a light for carry (pic taken before I had the carry gun stippled by Chris Damato (Damato Custom Stippling)). I've now hit 3,550 rounds through the carry variant and 350 rounds through the home defense gun without a malfunction on either.
Oddly enough, even though I purchased the guns over a year apart, I took a look at the spent casing/test fire envelope in each of the factory boxes and they're brothers...both guns have the same exact test fire date 8/9/12. Also, to make it even more odd/rare, I purchased one in PA and the other from a dealer in AL. What are the odds?!?!
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/dgormont4/dgormont4005/FNSTwins_zps5405256e.jpg
Marshall Dillon
04-11-14, 00:31
A few more pics of the stippling...
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/dgormont4/dgormont4007/FNS11_zps830864d4.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/user/dgormont4/media/dgormont4007/FNS11_zps830864d4.jpg.html)
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/dgormont4/dgormont4007/FNS10_zps345abd61.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/user/dgormont4/media/dgormont4007/FNS10_zps345abd61.jpg.html)
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/dgormont4/dgormont4007/FNS12_zps97dd9973.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/user/dgormont4/media/dgormont4007/FNS12_zps97dd9973.jpg.html)
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