FN FNP-45 High-Capacity .45ACP Semi-Auto Combat Pistol: Where does it fit in the tactical .45 pistol race?

By David Crane
defrev (at) gmail (dot) com

July 13, 2009

While FN Herstal is much better known for its assault rifles (M16A4, etc.) and machine guns (M249 SAW, M240 MMG/GPMG, MK46, MK48, etc.), the company has also developed a line of pistols. One of them is the FN FNP-45 high-capacity (14+1 shots) .45ACP (also written .45 ACP) semi-auto pistol, which is a double action/single-action (DA/SA) pistol that features an integral Docter Sight mini red dot combat sight a.k.a. combat optic that fits into a recess cut into the slide and tall iron sights for suppressor use. The FNP-45 pistol sports an extended barrel that’s threaded for said suppressor (silencer/sound suppressor) use, a 1911-style sweep-down manual thumb safety, and a commander-style “combat” hammer. The FNP-45’s trigger features an overtravel stop, the grip’s backstrap is interchangeable, and the 14-shot hi-cap mags (magazines) that come with the pistol incorporate bumpers on the bottom.

The FNP-45 is a large pistol. DefenseReview doesn’t know whether or not FN plans to offer a compact version of it, but that might not be a bad idea. Defense Review also doesn’t know how the FNP-45 compares to competing .45ACP combat pistol designs like the Glock 21SF (also written Glock 21 SF), Springfield Armory XD-45, HK45 (also written HK 45), Smith & Wesson (S&W) M&P45, etc., but we’ll ask around. Frankly, we don’t know how good any of FN’s pistols are except for the FN FiveseveN Tactical 5.7x28mm semi-auto pistol, which is the only one we’ve tested. We haven’t exactly heard much about FN pistols from any of our professional contacts–nothing great and nothing terrible, just nothing much, really. If anyone has put a lot of rounds downrange through one of FN’s tactical pistols, we’d love to hear your feedback on it.

Company Contact Info:

FNH USA Commercial and Law Enforcement Sales (FN Herstal USA)
PO Box 697
McLean, VA 22101
Phone: 703-288-1292
Fax: 703-288-1730
E-Mail: info@fnhusa.com
Website: http://www.fnhusa.com/

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