Any law enforcement using the FN FNP / FNX pistols?

[Paincakesx]

I've been eyeballing one of these. They seem to have a very nice fit and finish, seem well made, and are very similar to the HK pistols (can carry cocked and locked, DA/SA with a decocker on the same lever, even looks similar).

Are they a commonly used pistol in law enforcement? (mainly want to know out of curiosity given I haven't seen any officers carrying one). What is the reason for their apparent lack of popularity (unless they are popular and I'm simply not aware of it)?

 

[AZ Hawkeye]

I've never heard of a LEA using FNH pistols. I'm sure that there are a few, but HK use is astronomically higher, especially worldwide.

I'm guessing they aren't very popular due to lack of advertising. FNH far and away prefers the military market, and they have a pretty good share of it.

Example: You can purchase the most reliable rifle ever made (AK-47 and variants) starting at around $430. The SCAR Mk 17 costs $2,700.

 

[Paincakesx]

Ah.

Are they commonly used in the military then? I'm just curious as to where they are generally used aside from civilian use.

 

[AZ Hawkeye]

Ah.

Are they commonly used in the military then? I'm just curious as to where they are generally used aside from civilian use.

Rifles and LMGs and SMGs, yes. Handguns, no.

I did forget to mention that the Secret Service and a few SWAT teams across the country either use or were using P90s and PS90s.

 

[mgmorden]

What is the reason for their apparent lack of popularity (unless they are popular and I'm simply not aware of it)?

They're hammer guns, and law enforcement (at least in this country) has leaned towards striker fired guns for a while now.

Realistically, in the US, the Glock is the de-facto standard police sidearm right now. There are a few departments buying S&W M&P's, and a couple of scattered areas using something different, but by and large its Glock. Nothing wrong with Glocks either, so that's not a bad decision at all, though I will admit that IMHO there are plenty of other pistols that are just as good as the Glock.

All in all though, I wouldn't place too much importance on whether or not a gun is police issue as to my own purchasing decisions though. Police officers actually are often not very interesting in guns or shooting, and as such to some degree the choice in police sidearms is a search for a gun that's good for non-shooters. That doesn't mean that Glocks and other similar guns are BAD, but they do have design goals that aren't necessarily important to the gun-enthusiast crowd.

 

[KenW.]

My agency T&E'd the FNP40 a couple of years ago. I fired a box through it. Nice weapon, handles well, accurate; but my trigger finger rubbed the trigger guard. Not a show-stopper, but not quite as comfy as my 1911s. Maybe my habit is to put my funger VERY low on the trigger. Leverage ya know.

Much to many people's dissappointment, we gave up our long and successful history with HK P7 and USP and went to Glock, bypassing the FNP.

BUT: We kept our awesome alternate weapon policy and I can carry either my 1911s or my XDs.

 

[Mr.Davis]

Armorer support, availability of parts, reputation of customer service, and price all weigh as heavily as performance when police departments select service pistols.

This is not to say departments usually buy garbage. No price is low enough to make up for a lack of reliability, for example. There are just a lot of good choices in pistol design nowadays so the other factors I mentioned tend to win the day.

 

[Cards81fan]

There is at least 1 small agency using them, as FN donated pistols to equip the small force that had budget issues. It was in LA or perhaps MS.

 

[FCastle88]

My agency T&E'd the FNP40 a couple of years ago. I fired a box through it. Nice weapon, handles well, accurate; but my trigger finger rubbed the trigger guard. Not a show-stopper, but not quite as comfy as my 1911s. Maybe my habit is to put my funger VERY low on the trigger. Leverage ya know.

It's not just you, I have the same problem with my FNP. The trigger on all of FN's handguns has almost no curve to it, so there's nothing to keep your finger up off the trigger guard. My finger rubs across the guard when pulling the trigger, gets smacked by the guard during recoil, then gets pinched when resetting the trigger. It's a decent gun other than that one problem, but I just don't enjoy shooting it when it beats up my trigger finger. I bought a P99 to replace it, and now I'm trying to sell my FNP. If the FNP still went for $300 with 3 mags, this problem probably wouldn't bug me so much, but now the FNX costs at least as much as a Glock or P99, and the P99 is a much more refined DA/SA gun for the price.