Sidearms & Scatterguns I made the wrong choice with FN

[JaysonF]

So I bought a FNX-45 and FNX-45 tactical. I wanted to have a carry gun that was almost identical to my competition gun. It was either between the FNX or the HK45 tactical and HK45c tactical. I chose FN because of the features which it came with (such as the milled slide, suppressor sights and 15 rounds of 45). I post this simply because if there is someone out there on the fence as I was, I hope they have an honest opinion versus the "fan boy" stuff.
Both my fnx45 and fnx45t (both had their test fires this year) had the mag catch problem. Both wouldn't eject an empty mag. And now I found both are having issues with failure to feed (which happened to 3 out of my 7 mags). And yes, I also had the issue of prevention mag seating when the mag was in the mag well if it was canted. These rounds were all spec saami rounds, the gun would just jam them into the barrel angled up to where the gun needed "immediate action to return to battery. Now before you say it, I read the posts, I followed the procedure (which is stupid as hell to have to do on a major manufacturer's gun). I locked the slide back and filled the mags for a week. I even had 2 mags get stuck halfway down (which let the rounds go loose in the magazine and fall out!
I had to send in my fnx-45t to fn, and to their credit, the repairs were done within a week. The blatant nonsense is to when an operator claims to never had heard of this problem before (most likely the suit's provided answer). I shouldn't have to do repairs or send a gun in just so it can eject an empty mag. QC and the blind eye to issues like this really let me down. I wanted these two pistols to be everything they claimed to be, but unfortunately, they are not. So tomorrow I'm selling my fnx45 to a guy and as soon as I get my fnx45t back, I'll sell that to. I never, ever had anything like this as problems from hk. I'll have the last of my things (holsters, mags, etc) listed as for sale once they're both gone. I know all guns fail on some levels at some point, but this is over the top and completely unacceptable. I know this stuff hasn't been an issue to a lot of you members, and if your gun rocks then right on. I just cannot trust these guns.
I wanted a SCAR 17s, but now I'm not too sure...
i guess I'll wait until I can buy a M249 or M240 to look back FNs way.

 

[Unknown]

I too had issues with FN products...specifically two different SPR A3G rifles. The first rifle had a bad barrel, and it took FN 4 months to admit there was a problem with the rifle, then about 11 months to replace the rifle as they were between manufacturing facilities.
The second FN SPR A3G rifle wouldn't feed rounds from the left side of the magazine. Again, it took FN about 4 months to admit the problem was with the rifle, and not the ammo, they tried for 3 months to fix it, then after about 10 months admitted the rifle was not going to be fixable. At that point I gave up on the A3G rifles, and took some other FN products in trade.

As soon as the other products arrived, I sold them. I just didn't trust FN's civilian rifle products any longer. The sad part was that I really wanted to play with the FS2000 for a while as it seemed like a neat rifle. I was simply too afraid that something would go wrong with it, so before anything happened, it was gone.

I was considering the FN pistols, but after your experience, I think I will wait. I used to be on a shooting team that was sponsored by HK, and I never had any problems with their gear. All the stuff HK issued me worked with the exception of a P7 M13 that got filled with sand at a match worked great. The match had a course where we had to low crawl through the sand with our pistols having an empty mag well, then do three rolls to the side through the sand, then shoot the course. I think I saw one pistol that didn't jam.. In any case, after a cursory cleaning, my pistol went right back to working fine.

I think if you fill the mag well and barrel with fine sand and shake it around, most pistols will have a problem though.

 

[JaysonF]

That's very true and I'm really glad to hear of your experiences as well. I used to own an hk45 and it was the highest quality polymer framed pistol I ever held. I forgot to mention that I also had another fnx45t before this one, had the same problem. Only it blew up with some careless reloading and titegroup. I went to a gun store today, mags still not ejecting. I'm battling with some guys over on the fn forum right now over this. I posted this comment and all the fan boys came out to protect the kool aid.
It's funny, I don't see any reason to protect any manufacturer over junk they put out. Especially if it is something that someone is buying that they may rely on to save their lives. The buck stops with fn on this one and as much as I wanted an fn SCAR 17, I cannot let my previous experiences go unnoticed when deciding.
I really just want to get this story out there for guys who are on the fence between this and another gun, to look elsewhere than fn. These apparently are common issues which the manufacturer turns a blind eye to and that is just bad business.

 

[JaysonF]

And then someone on the FN forum deletes my thread regarding the issues. Some shady business going on there.

 

[JaysonF]

Copy and pasted this onto the hkforums (which I'm also a member of) and it was deleted for "bashing on another manufacturer". Is the hide the only place where someone can warn people about firearm issues and true reviews?!keep up the good fight frank! The world needs a place for honest opinions.

 

[simmy952]

Sorry to hear of your problems with FN. I have several FN pistols and all have functioned and performed 100%. I may not have as many rds through but all have functioned without hesitation or stumble. You hear of problems with anyone of the manufacturers but customer service can go a long was in easing a bad experience.

 

[DT1]

I had to send in my fnx-45t to fn, and to their credit, the repairs were done within a week. The blatant nonsense is to when an operator claims to never had heard of this problem before (most likely the suit's provided answer)

Don't you know that the first thing most customer service reps are trained to say is "gosh, that's the first time I've heard of that problem"

Sorry to hear about the problems with your FN pistol(s). Guess FN doesn't want any dirty laundry aired on their board. Their choice to have a "fan boy" atmosphere. As long as your statements don't come across like a flaming lunatic lashing out at a mfg, the moderators are pretty good about permitting honest criticism of products on SH.

 

[Unknown]

It amazes and disappoints me to hear that forums delete any negative comments about the products. But I suppose it isn't surprising that negative comments would be deleted if FN owns the forum. Maybe they could start a tread where the problem is dealt with openly, honestly, and QUICKLY on the forums, so customers say things like "Geez, I was stunned at the great customer service I got when my firearm was returned for work, I highly recommend brand X and their customer service!"

But that would mean that they would have to correct the problem. And if it is a serious problem that would require new engineering and re-tooling, that could be VERY expensive for a manufacturer. In such a case, the manufacturer would actually have to give a darn about civilian customer service. I sure don't see that happening with FN. I think they are primarily interested in military contracts, and civilian sales are an afterthought, and nuisance to them.

 

[a1-equipment]

We sell a few of these at the shop I help at. Most people are happy with them but most people never really push a pistol hard. I do know that we get alot fnx tacticals traded back in from
People just not happy with the performance for the cost. Most trade them for a hk or sig

Few things suck more than paying alot of cash and getting a bad performer

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

Copy and pasted this onto the hkforums (which I'm also a member of) and it was deleted for "bashing on another manufacturer". Is the hide the only place where someone can warn people about firearm issues and true reviews?!keep up the good fight frank! The world needs a place for honest opinions.

For those of you that do not know, Jayson and I are good friends. I am here to write two things. One in support of Jayson, and one in support of my personal experiences with a slightly different pistol.

Jayson worked very hard with the folks at FN to try to resolve the problem with both of his pistols. He even suffered an exploding pistol and minor injuries. It was a tough haul and I think of all the people out there to complain, Jayson eff'in has the right to complain here. I totally support the Hide here. Great people who can share their experiences in an honest forum that does not censor people. I also want to thank Frank for all of his integrity.

Meanwhile, I have the FNH FNP-45 tactical, a very similar pistol to Jayson's. The different between the FNP and the FNX are minor, but in this case, significant. The FNP magazine could not handle longer SAAMI 45 ACP rounds. The FNX addressed this by enlarging the magazine to allow for an longer C.O.A.L. However, this caused the magazine to fit tightly in the magazine well, not allowing the magazines to fall out by themselves, something that was required by the U.S. Joint Combat Pistol Program: Magazines must fall out without assistance.

My personal experience has been nothing like Jayson's, but that is because my earlier version did not suffer the problems. So it appears FNH replaced one problem (which was not a big deal since I reload and do not shoot Winchester White Box) with another problem. I am looking forward to trying out Jayson's next pistol, the HK45.

 

[ZombieMonkey]

It seems hit or miss on people's experience with the FNX 45 Tactical. The ones I've personally shot and the one that I personally own have had no real issues to speak of. I've had a hiccup here and there, but nothing that I could really attribute to the guns fault as most of them have been due to reloads that were just slightly out of spec that wouldn't clear a case gauge for whatever reason. We are talking maybe a couple rounds out of about 2k the pistol has seen in the last year. That's about on par for most pistols I shoot. My particular sample is one of the early FNX Tactical pistols from the LE program before you really saw them much on the civilian side.

My only complaint about the FNX has been that I can't run my Osprey wet with it as it just blows shit all over the lenses of my RMR and after a mag or two it's time for a cleaning. But hey, that's more my fault for insisting on running it wet on occasion. Just seems the action tends to blow more shit back than other style actions.

I'm far from an FN Fanboy, I've owned several products from them including a PS90 and a FiveSeven pistol, never have really had any issues with any of them. My only complaint is that sometimes the finish work on them leaves something to be desired. But hey, as long as they function well it's not a deal killer in my book.

 

[DT1]

Jayson worked very hard with the folks at FN to try to resolve the problem with both of his pistols. He even suffered an exploding pistol and minor injuries. It was a tough haul and I think of all the people out there to complain, Jayson eff'in has the right to complain here. I totally support the Hide here. Great people who can share their experiences in an honest forum that does not censor people. I also want to thank Frank for all of his integrity.

Holy S*1T!! "Exploding Pistol"?? No wonder FN deleted his post from their forum. Probably concerned about legal ramifications about the whole matter.
Certainly glad he's OK!

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

Holy S*1T!! "Exploding Pistol"?? No wonder FN deleted his post from their forum. Probably concerned about legal ramifications about the whole matter.
Certainly glad he's OK!

Yes. Jayson is not allowed to talk about that because he signed a non-disclosure agreement. But I knew about this prior to that agreement and I did not sign it, so yes, it did happen. I think FN handled that matter well, but just understand that Jayson is not the type to complain right out of the gate. He tried a lot to make the pistol work, he really did.

 

[JaysonF]

I appreciate the support, and I wanted to have this out there so that someone on the fence knew of my experiences. Best case scenario, I give some "other side of the fence" perspective. There really is a lot that comes with that gun, but in my experience, I cannot trust the FN line of pistols. I hope this post gives someone looking to buy one an idea of the problems to look for. Definitely check that it drops an empty magazine, and cant the mag forward during insertion. All 3 of mine completely stopped mag insertion. I know, you need to train to have a straight insertion, but under duress, someone may not necessarily retain that muscle memory. If they were unable to insert a mag, it could cost them their lives in a speed reload.
Once again, thank you for the support. I really wanted this gun to run like advertised for me.

 

[P Henry]

Wow. Really glad for this thread. I have a bunch of FN products (including an FNX45), with consistently good performance. However, as another poster said, I haven't run the FNX45 hard yet. Something for me to look for for sure. And I've been strongly considering an FNX45T to run with my Osprey and an RMR....so this has all been very timely. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Longshot231]

I realize that this is a very old thread. However, it is six years later and I bought an FNX-45 Tactical last December.

I could not be happier. I have not had a single malfunction on the pistol and it is extremely accurate; suppressed and un-suppressed.

It may have had problems six years ago but the one I have has had about 1000 rounds put through it so far. If I ever have any problems later, I will be sure to post them. For now, it's an excellent pistol.

 

[Snuby642]

I purchased my FNX-45 tactical on initial release, one of the first two in the county.

It has never had a malfunction.

I have had a lot of fun shooting it suppressed and most everyone liked shooting it, a couple didn't like the size.

One complaint is the trigger but it was never intended to have a target trigger so I adjust my trigger pull.

Note: I normally run 14 rounds.

 

[MotoFlier]

Man my experience could not be diffrent, I recently purchased a FNX 45T because they were on sale at KYGunCo. I've got north of 4k rounds through it and zero issues not even 1 FtF. The only issue I had was caused by me. I was finishing up a box of ammo so the mag was about half full I slammed the mag home super hard to cause the slide to release and chamber the 1st round because Tacti-Cool Mall Ninja. In doing so a couple rounds actually flipped straight up and down in the mag was not a big deal just had to push them around I reloaded the mag just to be sure they were seated correctly. 100% my fault on that but it works slick when using full mags.

My problem with the FNX is all ergonomic the thing is just so big and clunky. The way I grip the gun I constantly flick the safety on it's very annoying and the main reason other than size I would never carry it. As far as shooting and reliability though I absolutely love it. I plan on putting a silencer on it at some point.

 

[Longshot231]

Man my experience could not be diffrent, I recently purchased a FNX 45T because they were on sale at KYGunCo. I've got north of 4k rounds through it and zero issues not even 1 FtF. The only issue I had was caused by me. I was finishing up a box of ammo so the mag was about half full I slammed the mag home super hard to cause the slide to release and chamber the 1st round because Tacti-Cool Mall Ninja. In doing so a couple rounds actually flipped straight up and down in the mag was not a big deal just had to push them around I reloaded the mag just to be sure they were seated correctly. 100% my fault on that but it works slick when using full mags.

My problem with the FNX is all ergonomic the thing is just so big and clunky. The way I grip the gun I constantly flick the safety on it's very annoying and the main reason other than size I would never carry it. As far as shooting and reliability though I absolutely love it. I plan on putting a silencer on it at some point.

You will love it when you put a suppressor on it.

 

[MotoFlier]

Awesome!!, I just need to do it if I would have right away I'd probably have it by now. The problem is the damn waiting period makes it not very motivating to jump through the hoops.

 

[Longshot231]

Awesome!!, I just need to do it if I would have right away I'd probably have it by now. The problem is the damn waiting period makes it not very motivating to jump through the hoops.

I got a 5.56 Solvent Trap from Quiet Bore, along with the drilling fixture. To say that I am impressed is an understatement. From the time that I filed the eFrom 1 to the time that the solvent trap arrived was 64 days.

Follow the directions for using the eForm-1 process.

https://www.quietbore.com/2019/09/16/atf-eform-1-electronic-filing-guide/

I plan on getting the .45 solvent trap and the drilling fixture soon.

https://www.quietbore.com/product/45-cal-solvent-trap/

https://www.quietbore.com/product/45-drill-fixture/

https://www.quietbore.com/product/45-cal-booster-housing-with-adapter/

I used their engraving service which is first class.

https://www.quietbore.com/product-category/services/

I don't think they have the promo going on but here is the video on the .45 solvent trap.



The baffles in the pistol solvent trap are all aluminum except for the first one, which is steel. I plan on getting the aftermarket titanium K-cups.

https://brandywinesafety.com/k-cups-for-quietbore-9mm-45-solvent-trap/

Here are a couple of videos on how to use the drilling fixture.

 

[MotoFlier]

Wow, Thank you for the info I will sit down tonight and go through it!

 

[Longshot231]

I would be ordering a few more solvent traps right now but have already spent a ton of $$$ on an AR-15 pistol build.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

SD tactical are much better pricing, the give mil discount and ships fast. Full titanium.

 

[silentwoods]

I have a FNP .45 tactical and it's been ran with a Ti-rant since bought. Guessing here but at least ten years? And it hasn't ever done anything but function perfectly.
Was something changed on the fnx? Or was this a production issue?
Thanks

 

[Riverlife87]

Love my FNs, sold my last usp (usp9T) the other day. No real issues with either brand but the FNs are up to date

 

[silentwoods]

My FiveseveN was perfect as well.

 

[Wildcat123]

Thank you to Longshot231 for reviving this thread!

The post by Jayson was a complete lie and his "friend" Nevada was actually just Jayson on another account. I'm assuming this but one fact I can tell you is his fnx 45 never exploded. Not a single picture on any forum of damage, just a post like leaving a comment, anyone can do it, I'm doing it now. My proof that he is lying is firearm companies along with ammunition and a number of other certain types of companies that produce certain products are not allowed in US courts to obtain non disclosure agreements for products that cause injury to customers. Any lawyer that has knowledge of corporate law can confirm this.
The only documented case of a FN firearm blowing up was a FNP 45T of which customer admitted using his own reloads that he produced on a progressive press 1000s at a time. He claimed that he was loading at low end so even a double charge wouldn't have caused it, that is a double lie. Not only do double charges happen on progressives more vs single presses depending on if you do the charge on a progressive station or separately, but even the most mild 45 load double charged could bring catastrophic issues, and even a properly charged load could cause issues if another action was done incorrectly.
The FNP guy didn't file suit because he knew he'd be found out that he was loading super hot ammo and not mild loads. FN is protected anyway being they state in all manuals that personal reloads void warranty which basically protects them from lawsuits by reloaders who destroy their firearms through their own stupid actions.
There was even a third guy posting on a ar15 site about his FNP 45 blowing up with no details only a picture of a new FNX 45 that FN supposedly sent him for incident. Just lies. The one guy who actually blew up his FNP 45 T because of his stupidity posted the few pics and some fanboy of a another brand like Jayson here or someone that just wanted some attention seen that and made up their own fictional story.
I'm not a fanboy of any brand. I have a few glocks, a hk, a 1911, a few revolvers, a few cheapies and I've had my FNX 45 and FNX T for about 5 years, both with 3000+ rds of my reloads through each and zero as in 0 malfunctions minus a few from others who I let shoot them of which are mostly non guns folks who could limp wrist a 9mm. I even converted my FNX 45 to a 460 Rowland in 2018 so now I basically have two tacticals although the 460 just has a muzzle break with the tactical barrel I bought separately and sent in to get reamed out and non suppressed trijicon HDs and a 460 recoil spring. Ive shot 260 Underwood 185s and 300 of my 185 grain reloads and guess what, zero malfunctions. 460rowland guys out of Oklahoma said the FNX is probably the best firearm for the 460 because they are built so well, the strength of the slide and the inherent flexibility of the frame, and so far they are right. Although I'm trying to help a fellow fnx 460 online friend get his running but he just won't admit his reloads most likely suck, wider .452 bullet in thicker case wall brass equals ftf. Anyway, I saw this attack on the fnx and just had to reply. I'm a reloader for both handguns and rifle so I will make this forum one of my regular stops.
I absolutely love the fnx 45, after 30 years of shooting and 15 years of reloading I can honestly say the fnx 45 is my favorite handgun I've owned, and to be perfectly honest the 460 is now my favorite caliber to shoot and reload, still early in the game though for 460. I've been shooting 40 super out of g21 for 6 years now but feed issues as in needing to customize mag followers to keep last few rounds noses up enough to chamber, and the difficulty I have reloading them makes the 460R my new favorite wildcard. Even the hottest 460 loads are not that bad for recoil, the reports yes, loud. The grip is perfect, it doesn't look like it would be but it is for me, I think I'm using the thinnest backstrap. While I'm more accurate with the 460 it has above average accuracy for 45 being a combat pistol, my R1 Enhanced and even my dad's dan wesson can only match it's accuracy not beat, at least in my hands. While my dad didn't really comment on accuracy with my fnx there was a big smile on his face when he shot it. He only did a single mag with the 460 and did not smile on those but I loaded up 6 15rd mags of my 45 relaods and he shot them all. Almost everyone who has shot the fnx said it looked monstrous thinking it wouldn't be any fun but as soon as they finished a mag they wanted another to shoot.
Great job FNH!

Will do pics and reports soon.

 

[lennyo3034]

I’ve never owned an FN. I do own a few HK pistols. I just find it comical that someone would switch to HK for customer service reasons. “HK because you suck and we hate you”

 

[Tactical trashcan]

I have never owned an FN pistol, have 3 HK pistols and never had a problem one with any of them yet, my favorite brand of pistol and I view them as one of, if not the best pistol makers period! . Granted I haven’t put thousands of rounds through them yet. I do have a scar 17 and it is a very high quality rifle, never an issue with it yet either. I know people have had issues with them destroying powered optics, but it is a very high quality piece of equipment. I have had issues with other brands of firearms and I do feel the known problems are usually covered up or denied by the manufacturers a lot, which is pure B.S. but it’s what it is sometimes. Just avoid them after that and try and do your research before purchasing if you can. Or buy from reputable companies that you know own up to their mistakes and make it right no questions asked. I can say no bad about IWI, they have taken care of stuff I broke at my own fault for free, so there is the good with the bad out there.

 

[Snuby642]

Damn good show there guys.

So how does the trigger compare between your hk and the fn?

Why is the grip angle any better for your hand.
How does the recoil feel?
Are the sights tall enough to clear your suppressor?
Do the sights co-witness on your optic?
What is the mag capacity?

Comparing your firearm of choice to one you have never shot.

I have not shot hk enough to have a legit opinion of them and certianly not a viable negative opinion.

The thread was about fn and apparently a fake negative review which I think the mods should review.