By Warren Lauderdale
From the time I began shooting handguns until a few months ago, I was a die-hard 9mm shooter and SIG fan-boy. Being a college student, I don’t have much to spend in terms of ammo money so 9mm and .22 lr was the best way to go for me. Even during the ammo crisis of last year, I never had trouble finding 9mm. But one day, I went to the range and felt a bit splurgy so I rented the prettiest .45 on offer . . .
The gun was a SIG P220 and it shot so smoothly. My only complaint was the price tag and the 8 round magazine. So, I started shopping around for high capacity .45 handguns. The new P227 caught my eye because it was so similar to my own P226 and had 10+1 capacity. The HK45 was also attractive but it shared the capacity of the P227 with a higher price tag. After checking out the GLOCKs and XDms, I was totally unsure of what to buy, but on my next visit to the range I saw someone shooting the FNX-45 Tactical and I knew I had to have it. After saving my pennies and shopping the various websites and local stores, I picked up the black model for just under a grand.
The FNX-45 Tactical has an interesting history. In fact, the US Military almost adopted it’s older brother as the standard service sidearm. In 2005, the US military launched the Joint Combat Pistol program (JCP) to find a replacement for the Beretta M9. The program was searching for a .45ACP caliber pistol with day/night sights, an integrated Picatinny rail and a threaded barrel for accepting suppressors.
Many well-known manufacturers such as H&K, Smith and Wesson, SIG SAUER, Ruger, and GLOCK put forth entries for consideration. FNH entered the program with the FNP45-USG. This gun is externally similar to the FNX-45 but not identical. It was not fully ambidextrous and the FNP magazines are incompatible with the FNX. Sadly, the program was massively scaled back and eventually canned. Afterwards, FNH-USA sold a version of the FNP45 to the public. In 2012, the FNX was released as its successor with a redesigned ambidextrous magazine release, safety, and slide stop among other minor changes.
Appearance
The gun comes in a nice, zippered, cloth case that has a slot for an ID card and has the FNH logo embroidered on. The interior is lined with Velcro and this allows you to configure the case however you like. Inside the case, there are pouches for the 2 spare 15 round magazines in addition to the one magazine that sits in the gun, a tool kit for mounting optics, a long pouch that held the gun lock but is conveniently the approximate size of common suppressors, and the resting place of the gun itself.
The FNX-45 Tactical is a large gun. This is by no means an every day concealed carry firearm. It weighs just over 33oz empty and has a 5.3 inch long threaded barrel with an overall length of 7.9 inches. Despite my love of SIG SAUER and their full metal handguns the polymer lower receiver of the FNX feels great. It has a steel frame and slide rails, a Picatinny rail for mounting lights and lasers, and a large trigger guard with serrations on the front. The checkered grip has an extremely positive feel to it, perhaps a bit more aggressive than the SIG E2 grip setup and very similar to the GLOCK Gen4 texture. The backstrap can be swapped between the four different textured straps included with the gun.
(Author’s note: FNH does not sell the Tactical variant of the FNX-45 in the two-tone configuration, only in black or FDE. I swapped lower receivers with a friend to achieve the color configuration seen in the pictures.)
The slide is made of stainless steel and has a short external extractor that doubles as a loaded chamber indicator, although it is hard to tell at a glance, unlike the XD style indicator. There are also cocking serrations on the front and rear of the slide and the gun comes with raised night sights for use with suppressors. Lastly, the slide is pre-milled for use with micro red-dot sights, but more on that later. The threaded barrel is just like FNH’s other stellar barrels, cold hammer-forged stainless steel, with a factory polished feed ramp and chamber.
Possibly one of the best features on the FNX-45 are its magazines. They have a polished stainless steel body with a large polymer base plate and hold a whopping 15 rounds of 45ACP. The base plate is large and thick which helps absorb some of the shock when the magazines are dropped while reloading. The downsides to this insane capacity are the sheer size of the magazines, the weight of a fully loaded magazine, and the price. I’ve seen them for as little as $40 and as much as $65. If you decide to buy more magazines, be sure you purchase FNX magazines and not FNP magazines, as they will not work in an FNX. Thankfully, you get three with the gun from the factory and they are very durable so you are not likely to ‘need’ more. Whether or not you want more is the question.
Ergonomics
Once I picked it up from my FFL, I took it to the range for a test shoot. I ran 50 rounds of Federal white box 230 grain FMJ ammunition through it with no issues. The gun is quite heavy, but is well balanced with a full magazine inserted. It has a reasonably steep grip angle, similar to a 1911, which allows the gun to point very naturally. I shoot handgun with a thumbs-forward grip and a problem I commonly have with polymer-framed handguns is the tendency of the gun to escape my support hand thumb leading the excess muzzle rise. While this may be an issue on my part, the grip texturing on the FNX helps keep the gun in the shooter’s hand and I have had no trouble keeping my grip fully on the firearm.
The recoil is very manageable as well. The slide eats up a good portion of the impulse and the rest is largely directed back into the shooter’s hand. I have let many first time shooters try out the FNX and they do not have much issue handling it. But the recoil of the .45 caliber coupled with the aggressive grip texturing can lead to quite a bit of wear on the hand after a few boxes of ammo.
The trigger on the FNX is very reminiscent of the HK DA/SA trigger, which seem to have a stiffer pull than most other DA/SA triggers that I have shot. It clocked in at 10.5 lbs in double action and 4-4.5 lbs on single action. I shoot in double action whenever possible and to me the trigger feels heavier than my P226 trigger which is marked from the factory at 10 lbs. This is likely a result of being more comfortable with my SIG but it does still “irk” me. The trigger has very little over travel but the single action pull has quite a bit of take-up on it. A 1911 trigger this is not.
Field stripping the gun for cleaning and maintenance is identical to the SIG SAUER pistols. After dropping the magazine and clearing the gun, a quarter turn of the takedown lever and sending the slide forward will allow you to remove the slide from the frame and remove the recoil spring and barrel. I use M-Pro 7 cleaner and oil but any gun cleaning solvent will do just fine.
Features
The FNX-45 Tactical is primed to accept add-ons. The milled slide allows the easy mounting of red dot sights, the threaded barrel and suppressor sights means the gun can be shot with a suppressor with ease, and the rail on the lower receiver lets the shooter mount lights, lasers, and so forth. However, because of the unique nature of the gun and the amount of additional accessories that can be added to it, holsters are hard to come by and really must be custom made. I highly doubt that this gun will be popular enough with law enforcement to warrant a company like Safariland to make Level 2 and up retention holsters so keep that in mind if you want this gun for a duty weapon.
The threaded barrel accepts most suppressors with no problems at all. I’m hoping to pick up a Silencerco Osprey-45 but that’s more money I don’t have at the moment. With an AAC Ti-rant 45 can, the report of the firearm is extremely quiet. The fact that the .45ACP is subsonic helps out a lot as well. It is also worth noting that the recoil is somewhat subdued with the addition of the suppressor and the suppressors I tested did not have any impact on the reliability of the gun.
By far my favorite feature on the gun is the ability for it to accept micro red dot sights out of the box. Normally, this would require an expensive procedure as well as giving your precious gun to someone you likely do not know who is about to drill parts off of your firearm. The gun comes with mounting plates for the Trijicon RMR and the Leupold Delta Point. I mounted an RM01 RMR on mine. The red dot sight makes the gun much easier to shoot quickly with.
I can actually shoot the FNX faster and more accurately than I can with my P226 because of the RMR. The contrasting night sights co-witness with the red dot when it is sighted in correctly which is fantastic if the sight has some kind of malfunction and you need to resort to the iron sights. An added bonus is the ability of the shooter to use the RMR for slide manipulation. The RMR is durable enough to withstand impacts on shoes, tables, hands and more to aid you in clearing malfunctions and reloading.
The biggest downside to this gun is probably the lack of holsters. I currently have two OWB holsters. One is from Bladetech, and the other is from a Dallas company called Hazmat Holsterworks. They are both simple Kydex retention holsters.
I have not found any level 2 retention holsters, like the Safariland ALS, for open carrying. Personally, I find a simple Kydex holster is not enough for open carrying in everyday life. The risk of someone snatching my gun weighs too heavily on my mind.
Reliability and Accuracy
The gun is also extremely reliable. I have shot 1500 or so rounds through my FNX and the only malfunctions I have had were 5 failure to extract malfunctions from WOLF steel case ammunition that someone gave me for free. After those malfunctions, I have not put any steel cased ammunition through it. The gun has functioned flawlessly with every other type of ammunition I have fed it. Federal, American Eagle, Blazer, HPR, Remington, Winchester, Hornady, Liberty Munitions, Freedom Munitions, you name it.
When it comes to accuracy, this gun excels. I have two pictures below. One is a three shot group from 25 feet with my P226 and a three shot group from 25ft with the FNX-45 Tactical. Both were shot with Federal white box factory ammo. 115 grain 9mm and 230 grain .45ACP. The P226 had a 1.5 inch grouping and the FNX had a .89 inch grouping. If you do your part, this gun will reward you. That 5.3 inch barrel probably helps a bit too!
Summary
As I mentioned before, this is certainly not a concealed carry firearm. I’m 6’1 175 lbs. so I conceal the GLOCK 19 and I highly doubt I could do the same with the FNX-45. However, FNH does sell the FNX in 9mm as well as a striker-fired version called the FNS. These both have dimensions somewhat similar to a GLOCK 19 and as such may be more suited to concealed carry.
So what is this gun good for? I haven’t seen any law enforcement with this firearm. The city of Houston, where I live, just started to allow its LEOs to carry .45ACP again but the FNX is not on the approved list. For the everyday shooter, the gun would be a great pistol for USPSA or IPSC but to my knowledge, IDPA would not allow this gun because the slide is milled out for red dot sights. (IDPA guys feel free to correct me on this.) The gun is a great range toy especially once you get the RMR, a good light and a suppressor for it. When I am at the range, other shooters always come ask me what I am shooting and want to give it a go. Additionally, this gun would be ideal for home defense if you don’t mind the DA/SA trigger. If I have the choice between 15 rounds of .45ACP or 15 rounds of 9mm, I know what I’m picking.
Is the FNX-45 Tactical perfect? Damn near in my opinion. Small flaws in cycling low quality ammunition, the relatively high cost and its size are the only real downsides. I am more than satisfied with my purchase, and if you aren’t looking for the latest single stack 9mm pocket wonder pistol, this should be your next purchase.
Specifications:
Caliber: .45ACP
Barrel: 5.3”
Overall: 7.9”
Weight: 33oz empty
Capacity: 15 (factory)
MSRP: ~$1000
Ratings (Out of Five Stars):
All ratings are relative to the other similar guns and the final score is not calculated from the constituent scores.
Accuracy: * * * * *
This gun is a tack driver if you do your part. End of story.
Ergonomics (handling): * * * *
The gun weighs less than my P226 and points very naturally. It’s just damn big. If you have smaller hands, this might be an issue.
Ergonomics (firing): * * * * *
It is a big .45ACP but the recoil is smooth and controllable.
Reliability: * * * *
The only reason I am not giving this gun five stars here is because I had issues running steel ammo, and with the price of .45 right now, any money you can save on ammo is great.
Customization: * * * * *
Light-ready, laser-ready, red dot sight-ready, suppressor-ready. All right out of the box.
Overall Rating: * * * * *
In my opinion, this is the best double stack .45ACP handgun on the market. No other handgun comes from the factory and offers anything close to what this gun offers out of the box. While it is not ideal for concealed carry, remember what this gun was designed for: a big service pistol for the military, not to be carried in your purse (or man purse). If your state allows open carry and you don’t mind not having a level 2 retention holster, this could be an attractive choice. If you want a handgun for home defense that your range buddies will drool over, this is the gun you want.
For those of you who are not going to add a suppressor or red dot scope to your handgun, the FX45, regular version, shoots just as well and is a few hundred dollars cheaper. That is the version that I have and love it. Recoil is mild and, in my opinion, if you want a .45 for home defense and not interested in joining the herd, you would be well served to buy one that has more capacity than the typical 1911.
I totally agree with this. I have the FNX-45 and after working with the local gun shop on price a bit I got it for about $625. Everyone wanted the cool FN color schemes and they were having trouble moving one with a stainless slide, so I helped take it off their hands.
It is a smooth shooter, very accurate, and if you want a pistol for home defense I would look here first.
A buddy of mine bought one and its his 11yo daughter’s favorite pistol to shoot.
Aww…
Double Awwwww~ & kudo’s to you for being the kind of dad that really cares about a daughter’s safety!
I had the predecessor the fnp 45 tactical. Pretty good gun, great capacity. The stippling on these fn pistols is too aggressive, and it became uncomfortable to shoot lots of rounds. A bit like the old block rtf frames. I found it interesting that the reviewer pointed out the p220, which was what I switched to (the p220,combat). You can get 10 round mags for that gun, and I am much more accurate with my p220 combat then my fnp 45 Tactical, maybe its more comfortable to shoot? I dunno. One last this is I really dislike the look of the rounded base plate of those fn 15 round mags
Have you shot/owned an HK45? I am currently debating between this or the HK…I would love to own both but…that’s realistically not going to happen.
When I purchased my FNX-45, the HK and the XDm 45 were the next competitors for my money. Went FNH over HK for price + capacity reasons, And went FNX > XDm for capacity and looks.
Military Arms Channel has a great comparison of the HK and the FNP-45. Obviously the FNX has the same strengths and a few less weaknesses as the FNP. Worth a quick YouTube search.
Thank You!
I have the older FNP-45 Tactical and a HK45. I enjoy shooting the HK45 much more. It fits my hand better is the main reason. The FN is my primary home defense gun. I have a C-more red dot and a YHM Cobra M2 suppressor for it. One day I will upgrade to a RMR sight.
I too was debating which to get. In the end I purchased the HK as I could manage to conceal that over the larger FN.
I have an Hk 45 , a HK mark 23,and a glock 21.ive had my FNX tactical for a couple months ,put a burris fastfire 3 and it’s my favorite gun.i love my glocks you can’t the reliability for the price,I love my mark 23 but as big as it is it has to be in aleg carrier to be comfortable and it doesn’t even hold what mt glock 21 does.I love my HK 45 tactical but it doesn’t have the options the FNX does.So from my opinion I’d go with the FNX
Blade-Tech currently sells a Level 2 Duty holster for the FNX 45 Tactical which I have and like a lot. Even fits with my light and RMR on it.
I really like this pistol. I wish they had a 9 mm version. I simply don’t want to introduce another caliber that I have to maintain. I’ll probably go with a M&P CORE and trick it out. Only downside is that I’ll have to hunt for 147 grain (or that new 124 grain American Eagle suppressor ammo) if I want to go quiet as possible.
The vast majority of standard pressure 124gr 9mm is subsonic. Far cheaper than 147gr especially if you reload.
Oh is it? Well, I’ll have to do more research. I was under the impression it was borderline above the sound barrier.
Not sure about “vast majority”, but some of it definitely is.
http://www.ballistics101.com/9mm.php
@SR Thanks for that link. Very helpful!
Um, FNX-9? Or you mean a version with a threaded barrel?
Version with threaded barrel. And, I don’t believe the FNX-9 has the pre-milling for the RMR. Am I wrong on that?
Aren’t most MOLLE holsters pretty generic? If I went with a FNX-45 Tactical would I have any trouble finding a holster for a MOLLE vest?
I’ve owned and shot my FNX45 tactical for about a year now. Absolutely love it, got Glocks, got Berettas, got Sigs, and a few others, but this is my favorite. Absolutely right about finding an off-the-shelf holster. Found that “Kester Farms Tack” (Google them) does custom make a holster which is outstanding, and it has belt tunnels instead of belt slots which makes is 100% more comfortable to wear.
Now that I have the holster problem solved, this gun is perfect.
The FNP-45 holster should fit the FNX-45. Safariland makes compatible holsters, but it takes some digging.
Blade-Tech also makes some FNP/FNX-45 versions with light and RMR compatibility.
Ill admit, this review sent me searching FNHs site. I was sad to find however that they only offer the micro red dot accepting slide on the tactical version with the threaded barrel. Sadly I’m in CA and while I can get the magazines pinned to 10 rounds there’s no getting around a threaded barrel. I assume the slides are interchangeable but I’m sure it would cost a bunch.
You would most likely just need a barrel. These people make fnx barrels http://www.efkfiredragon.com/fnp-and-five-seven.html
I wish FNH would put the Tactical .45’s slide on the standard FNX series. It seems like they want to push people who like the RMR slide cut to the more expensive Tactical.
Well it actually makes sense as the milling of the slide is built into the cost of the tactical.
Sorry, but the real cost to have that milled out at the factory is likely in the range of just a few dollars at the VERY most. It is built into the price because the feature definately makes you want the tactical. How many of us would really go and buy the suppressor for holster use, but the red dot….
I have a new fnx and would happily trade my standard barrel for your threaded barrel.
I just bought the FNX Tactical here in N.J… assuming NJ would soon enough realize the dreaded threaded barrel was available and outlaw it, I had the salesman try a regular FNX barrel in the Tactical. And while we did not fire it. It assembled properly and cycled the dummy dry fire rounds repeatedly. My intent is to get another barrel if we get a democrat governor. Another option is to have the thread protector pinned as I have seen others do online however the barrel is captive to the slide.
Last year when I was in the market to buy my first handgun, I considered the 1911 as THE pistol base on familiarity of the profile. I ruled it out based on reliability issues with the ones in my price range $500-$700. Glocks had been praised for reliability but the Glock 21 was big, fat, and ugly. Then I saw the FNX 45. I felt stable in my hand and not too large a grip either despite the 15 round capacity. Being new to shooting I had this idea that I would learn to shoot left handed because my left eye is dominant. The ambi features on the FNX45 seemed like a perfect fit. It was feature packed in fact with an integrated safety/decocker lever. I found a good price on one and 2 days before my profit share came in, it sold. Then I heard that all pistols should be Glocks and all Glocks should be the Glock 19. I said “yeah right”. So I went to the range to fire the Glock 19 but it was unavailable. I tried the Glock 26 and did not fair well. I had shot an M&P40c a week earlier at another range that did not have an FNX or any Glocks for rent and even though it was my first time in 30 years shooting a gun, did pretty well. I was just not sold on the 40S&W. I asked the dealer at the range that carried Glocks if I could see a Glock 19. He said he had no new Glocks in the store but just as I was about to leave, he said a guy brought in one the day before that he had bought for his girlfriend but they broke up. The gun was new but could not be sold as new since changing ownership. I asked how much and he said $429. I said “I want it” but my profit share would not post till the next day. I could not wait or the Glock would be gone. I put down 30% with an over charged credit card (still can’t figure out how that worked) and I paid the balance the next day and have never regretted the Glock since. I now find the features on the FNX to be cumbersome and unnecessary. You can accidentally decock the FNX when triyng to take the safety off. It is the same forward and down motion that you have to stop half way to take off the safety but not too far that you decock it. Not a good idea in a DGU.
Carry decocked and safety off, then.
It’s a compelling .45 option if you want 15+1 capacity, factory threading, and more interestingly, pre-milled for a RDS.
I would carry it that way thanks to the DA first pull but I would hate for that safety to get inadvertantly engaged. That is why I trust my Glock.
That is why you practice drawing the weapon. Also so you hit the safety pull the trigger gun doesn’t discharge so you take the safety off and then shoot. Also I’m 5’9 210lbs I have no problem concealing this gun and when I lose weight I will still carry this gun. I used to carry the 9mm 4.5 inch barrel xdm with 19 round cap, with 115 grains versus 230 grains with 15 round mag I still have 1200+grains. Also My shots touch with this gun at 21 feet 7 yards vs I never have shots touching with my XDM. And I’m sorry a glock is a good gun, but not as good or as smooth firing as this double/single action. I bet after shooting this you, you will ditch your glock. I went with my Dad to the gun range and he shot his 45 Ed Brown 1911 and both were very comparable since we do not shoot 45 acp often and never shot the guns ever before. This gun rocks especially with rapid fire. For me the gun does seem to shoot a little high, When Aiming center of mass, but I was keeping the shots center of mass, with vertical deviations and very little horizontal deviation. This gun is made for war and after firing 50+ Rounds through it much cleaner than my XDM. The only thing I wish would maybe be a full metal frame. Other than that get this gun. But of course you will have the glock fan boys that for some reason never get off of glocks cock, because they simply can’t afford the 1200 dollar price tag. Later I will buy a suppressor and probably mount a red dot sight. By the way the trigger on this thing is excellent, very smooth a little long of a trigger pull, but you really don’t notice it. Even dry firing it using the double action the trigger is very light with the pull. Definitely not like the LC9 which my dad Also bought and he neither nor I like it. With a long trigger pull and very snappy shooting the 9 mm cartridge. My dad carries the XDS 9mm, but he will now be carrying his Ed Brown. I think I will convince him to carry the FNX. Now when we shoot the guns more I’m going to say that the ED Brown is a nail driver 1911 and my dad shot 5 shots at 21 feet and punched out a pentagon shape, all shots touching. My shots were very good with my fnx and 3 shots touching but my gun kind of walked up. All and all first impressions have sold me on the 45 cartridge or use a smaller cartridge like the 5 7 fn just for the armor piercing capabilities. But then again if I shoot then with the 45 dump 5 or 7 in their chest and they have not dropped then I will aim for their head. All in all this is a great gun and the added cost is because of the night sights, threaded barrel and milled out ready to go to mount a red dot. Like I said this is a weapon for war. And we might be needing these for ISIS. Mind you the war of 1812 and the civil war and in Texas fighting Mexico, we have had war on our lands. So again 1200 dollars or 1295 with tax. Buy this gun. The only down side is the loaded chamber indicator it’s pretty much useless, but then again you should always check the barrel before dry firing. They should have used the glock type loaded chamber indicator on the side, ok never mind, you can feel it rub your finger raw if ti’s loaded. If it’s not loaded it’s smoother. This gun is amazing. I seriously don’t know if their is another gun out their that can compete like this. Especially right out of the box. My only I guess real complaint is the threaded barrel, I was walking and the end of it fell of, Lucky I heard the clank on the asphalt and picked it up. Now I just make sure I hand tighten it snug. Also interesting enough my XDM has a slightly longer sight radius and I am more accurate with this FNX. I used to be a 9mm fan boy, but now seeing how easily i can shoot this 45 and accurately with rapid fire at 21 feet. I’m a believer. The only reason for the Five seven one day is just because of the novelty and the 2000+ fps, and I want armor piercing capabilities. I.E Aurora Colorado theater shooting. One thing I would recommend is night sigths for your hand guns, yes they are ridiculous priced 120+, but eliminates having to use a flashing light to illuminated your sights. I have thought about buying watch paint and painting my sights with those. Overall I consider myself a novice shooter that is naturally a good shot, having been untrained and to have the accuracy I have with random time frames of going to the range, I was not expecting the accuracy I had with the 45 fnx. Again I was shooting a little high but all of my groups were consistent. Now the grip is a little abbrasive, but then again you if your hands are sweaty etc, you don’t want your your gun to slip out of your hands. Sorry for the lengthily response and my own review. I hope I helped people out and sold them on this gun. By the way I dual wielded this gun with one in each hand at 21 feet had pretty much all shot hit the target except one or 2 I think. I love this gun and if I had only one hand gun this would be my hand gun of choice, again I carry this hand gun for my Chl. Though I will probably carry my XDM as well, and eventually by the XDS 45, I like the palm safety that is why compared to the Glock only having a trigger safety. And just carry the XDS if I want to carry it in my pocket. But as far as dual stacked magazines go in the 45 caliber I don’t think many guns can compete. Certainly not Glock or Springfield. Then again 1000+ for a hand gun. I don’t hold anything against glock, but I think they need to stop relying on popularity and seriously step up their game. Whenn all they do is make pistols they should have better pistols with higher capacities, and better shots, then what they are making.
I really need to get around to picking up one of these. Would it be a sin to trade a USP for it?
My wife’s FNX-9 made me want a FNX-45. I’m still undecided between the tactical or the normal one. I’m not sure how practical it would be for me to think I would be getting a suppressor for the 45 before a suppressor for my rifles.
Not sure if the 45’s have the same issue as the 9mm’s but if anyone runs into problems with FTE’s new from the box, just lock the slide back for a few weeks and leave it in the safe to break the recoil spring in.
The FNX 9 was my first handgun back in 2010 Loved it and it never had a single malfunction of any type. When I return from afghanistan the FNX .40 or FNS .40 are on my list. If only they had a .357 so I could swap barrels.
One of them does come in .357SIG, the earlier model if I recall correctly. The older ones were being marked down and I handled it in a shop locally. It has a 14 round capacity and a DA/SA trigger with a bobbed hammer if I’m of solid recall.
Nice review. I have the FNP-45T (FDE), and it’s my favorite pistol. It also serves as my primary “bump-in-the-night” HD gun. I have an RMR (RM07) on mine, and it’s very effective. I have yet to go through the hoops to get a suppressor for it. Some day… some day.
There’s something to be said for 15+1 rounds of .45-ACP goodness. The pistol is a beast, and I’m not a big guy. But, I don’t seem to be sensitive to the size of a pistol / grip. I can shoot’em all! 🙂
One of these days, I’ll get a holster for it, too. Just haven’t gotten around to it.
I’m wanting one of these badly, but I’m concerned about the thread protector working its way off during routine use. Anybody have any input?
Yes. The thread protector will vibrate loose during normal use. I got an o-ring for it that helps. (Found them on the FNH forum, I think.)
It is a nice enough handgun. If you are going to get a can and a RMR, might as well give this a long hard look.
I have the vanilla version as the threaded barrel made the Tactical verbotten in the UnConstitution State. I really like the gun, except the grip is so aggressive it makes me want to wear gloves, whereas I tend to add grip tape to a Glock.
I have the FNP 45, picked it up new when they first came out for $500 +tax. It had the 14 round mags, but I eventually picked up some 15 rounders . Magazines and Holsters are hard to find. I have a Bladetech for my FiveseveN. It is a big pistol. Wish I had the ability to mount a red dot. Accurate reliable gun, but I prefer my High power and Glocks.
You failed to mention the FNXs can be carried in SAO(aka cocked back hammer, and safety on), but great review.
After a few months and several hundred rounds, I can only find one slight complaint wit the pistol.
For me, it is very easy top swipe the safety past fire and all the way to decock. Probably will get better at it with some more range time.
The sights are high enough that they clear most suppressors and adding a RMR is so easy a caveman can do it.
I have the FNX-45 and like shooting it but I have two issues with it that keeps me from totally loving it. First it chokes on semi wad cutter bullets. I don’t know if anyone else has tried these in their FNX-45 but in mine they are a no go. Second it that I have 5 magazines for this pistol and they all fail to drop out of the frame when doing a magazine change. I have to pull the empty one out before I can put in the next magazine.
Does anyone else have these issues? I only use ball or hollow point bullets so that is not a big deal but the sticky mags really bother me.
Your “sticking mags” are actually the followers in the mags tilting to the right and wedging against the slide stop. One of the compromises of having 15+1 capacity in a relatively flush fitting magazine is that the followers are short when compared to other magazine designs. If you remove your slide and insert a magazine, you will find that the magazine follower will tilt just enough to the right to miss the slide stop and wedge in place. In the case of my FNX-45, this meant that rarely did the slide lock to the rear once all rounds were fired and I had to pull all magazines out of the pistol. Additionally, the left side of the followers began to show significant wear and scratches as time went on which exacerbated the problem of them not dropping free.
Ultimately I sold the pistol and went with an M&P 45 for my polymer .45. The FNX was accurate and comfortable to shoot, but I couldn’t reconcile the annoyance of the “sticking” mags and failure of the slide to lock to the rear.
I have an FNX-9 and I really like it for what it is. It is almost a stereotypical modern DA/SA gun: there’s nothing that really stands out, but it’s solid quality and generally works great and how you expect it to work. For the price, it’s definitely a buy. I love the safety that is an optional decocker – so you can still carry cocked and locked if you want to, or you can decock – I miss that on my CZ 75 now.
fn makes my favorite line of pistols and rifles. i love all my fn pistols. i’ve got 2 fnx one in 9 and one in 40. and then i’ve got my pride and joy 5.7. only problem is finding reasonably priced ammo to go down the barrel in that 5.7
i even have an ar15 that chambers 5.7 and uses the ps90 magazines
The ONLY reason I decided against getting this gun is the fact that the detail strip cannot be performed by a regular gunsmith and the gun must be sent to the factory for any additional work.
The safety levers must be destroyed to detail strip it and only FN can replace them. If not for that u would own this boat if only because guns in FDE make me happy.
That is not true. There is a little hole on the right side of the decocker lever that you would push in to remove the lever. You don’t need to destroy it like the bad rumor that has been spreading on the net about detail stripping this pistol.
After lusting over it for, like, a year and a half, I was finally able to rent the 9mm version a couple of weeks ago. I had my new (to me) CZ 75 SP01 and figured that it would be a good chance to compare the two.
The FNX had a really stiff mag spring–I could only get 13 rounds in there. It had a few FTFs with Federal RTP–I’m guessing because of the stiff spring. I was surprised how well it tamed recoil, though. It wasn’t as soft as with the CZ, but still quite good for a gun that is almost a pound lighter with a barrel almost 3/4″ shorter. The trigger was longer and heavier than the CZ’s as well, but not by much (certainly not as bad as a P30). Enough to drop some shots, but that will go away with practice. The reason that I never bought one is that, as LC said, you have to BREAK THE DAMN GUN in order to detail strip.
The JBPholsters.com has a retention holster #8745 that fits the FNX-45. That is the HK USP holster, but it fits the basic 45, not the red dot though.
Mine needed to have several hundred rounds before it ran flawless. It had the issue of failure to eject every few rounds. Break-in and a very dry cleaning took care of the problem. Also getting all 15 rounds in the mag can be a feat of strength for two of the three mags that came with the gun!
The steel SIG looks good. Even ‘plastic’ Glocks look good. This weapon looks like it has both mumps and chicken pox. And from a purely cosmetic view, I hate ambi controls. We buy things because of how they look and how they work. This might work great, but it looks just terrible. Pass… at least until I shoot one, probably.
2 NON issues i am reading here…….
you DONT have to destroy OR replace the safety levers. the 1st gen ones had a roll pin, 2nd gen had a clip, current ones use a .028 allen key to remove the lever.2013 and on.
also if you are “decocking trying to put it on safe” then that is a training issue you need to work out. its not the gun or design thats the problem its you. HK and walther use the same system.
Its also not hard to carry it daily, i have been CCW my Tac since jan 2013.
Is this able to have a 10 round magazine?
Just an FYI, T-Rex Arms will make a level 2 holster for your FNX 45 tactical with or without a light and MRD. I just ordered mine.
I Wanted This Gun So Bad a year ago and Read Everything online about it !!! But I was also wanting the HK USP 45 without control lever and safety and LEM trigger and I ended up buying the HK Over the FNX Tactical because as another reviewer stated this Gun IS BUTT UGLY,LOL, and Another thing that bothered me about it was that the grip angle I couldnt get used to, BUT after owning the HK USP 45 for 6 months I Realized Very Quickly that the ONLY thing it did well was Rapid fire w/ the LEM trigger, because I could NOT hit the side of a barn with it and My dad who is an Expert shooter tried my HK out and he also told me that the gun is a piece of Junk and Not accurate at All, My Dad is able to regularly hit bullseyes from 25 yards with his Beretta Special Duty 45 and with my HK his groupings were all over the place. So 6 months later I Sold the HK, But I Was Really Impressed with the Recoil Buffer tube spring device in the HK because it tamed the recoil WAY Down!!! I was Also Very Impressed with its German build Quality and want another German built gun like a Walther and Ive heard they are made from the same factory that Hks are built in 🙂
My FNP45 is great. I love the 15 Rd mags. However, it truly hates TulAmmo 230gr steel case. FTF constantly. The steel cases also bind in the mags. Brass case ammo is 100% as is aluminum cased Blazer. Avoid steel cased POS stuff and you’re good to go. I’m a southpaw and the weapon’s full ambidextrous controls were a huge bonus. But finding a holster is a ‘cuss and throw things’ issue. I did find a Galco belt slide and I’m waiting on Alien Gear to ship me an IWB rig. At 6’2″ and 285 I can hide a lot of gun. So this is my general EDC weapon.
@Winterborne- You might want to try Wolf brand steel case (its also Russian mfd). I fired around 500 rounds (230 gr Ball) through my FNP-45-T with no stoppages. The Wolf cases are polymer coated. The drawbacks of Wolf are not re-loadable and the bullets are copper-washed steel jacket. The draw is the relatively low price.
I just ordered my FNX-45. First off, I have always been a 1911 fanboy, and I currently shoot a Kimber & Sig 1911’s. I wanted another option for home defense and for range time and some tactical training I plan on taking. For several months I looked at a lot of handguns with a couple of requirements in mind..
1. Ambidextrous (I am a southpaw)
2. .45 first…9mm second…..40 Third
3. Accurate
4. Reliability.
I have been researching and looking at several different options, my long list was
.45 – Sig P227, Sig P320, HK 45, FNX-45,
9 mm – Sig P320, Sig P250, KH VP9, Walther PPQ
After handling and shooting most of these, and doing a couple months of research on-line and talking with shooters that I trust, my short list became..
FN-FNX-45
Walther PPQ
HK-45
I really like the Sigs, but no lefty controls was a deal breaker. If I am going to spend my hard earned money, I want a weapon that I and my wife can train and operate in a crisis situation.
Of those three, I loved the HK and PPQ M1 mag releases… I was able to shoot both the HK and the FNX and found that my accuracy was better with the FNX, but the HK was more comfortable. Holding the PPQ was a striker DA only left me with doubts..Unfortunately, I could not find a PPQ to shoot, only was able to hold one and dry fire it.
In the end, I chose the FN-FNX-45 with the FDE lower.
I will post after I receive it and shoot 300-500 rounds through it..
Great Post Daniel,
Mike
Im a law enforcement officer and carry the FNX on duty. This weapon is amazing. Ive carried glock and Springfield, but in my opinion these weapons (while both good weapons) dont hold a candle to the Fn-FNX. Guys and gals if you have the chance to fire one of these weapon systems do it and come to your own conclusions. I also own the fn-fns in .40 cal and I gave it to my wife and she absolutely loves it. FN really did a phenomenal job the the fns, fnp, and especially the fnx series weapons. And honestly who can complain of a 15 +1 .45 that preforms every time. Well everyone have a wonderful and blessed day.
I have the FNX and FNP .45 (tactical fde in both).
Everything is interchangeable.
Mags, Slide, etc.
They say there are not, but they are!
There is a guy that did a youtube video of this also.
What the heck FN? At least tell people that they are the same……
I LOVE BOTH OF THEM!
I’m late to the comment party here but I just would like to add that anyone having trouble with the roughness of the grip, can easily fix that for about 18 bucks for a Talon rubber feeling, grip cover that sticks right on quite nicely to the FN grips. I use them on all my pistols and they make a big difference in how the gun feels in your hand. Worth every penny. This FNP or X, is such a great handgun, don’t let the grip ruin it for you. It is the best handgun by far imo, and once you get it set up with the RMR sights, suppressor and light, if you like, you will have a fantastic gun in your hands. Very accurate and with the suppressor installed, the recoil is almost nothing, for a .45, that’s amazing, great firepower and follow up’s. It’s not for EDC, but for everything else, your car, the range, your house, the best. Never failed yet on me, but I don’t buy crap ammo either. Good prices on good ammo are here again.
I just like the way FN does things, seems to be a great company that thinks a lot about their products, and then gives you a good case with three great mags, that’s nice.
Have fun.
I was just at my local gun store and picked up a very slightly used all black FNX 40 with original box and all 3 mags. It looked like it had never been fired. I got it for $399 plus tax. The package with the factory test round was dated 8/2013. New they had it for $629. Anyway. They had the standard non tactical on sale for $729 with stainless slide and the all black tacticals on sale for $1,049. I got to shoot the 40 yesterday and liked it so much over my Glocks and HK’S I’m going tomorrow to get the tactical 45. I just wish they had the FDE color. But black will do.
I’ve had my FNX-T for about 8 months now. It failed to eject a few times but I expect that problem to disappear with good cleaning and use. I use it for tactical training including drawing, low light and elevated heart rate shooting. Being far sighted this weapon is a godsend for quick action shooting. The trijicon dot allows me to find my target and shoot without re-focusing on the front sight with the extra hassle of bi-focal glasses. There is a learning curve to looking at the target vs front sight but if your brain forgets the elevated sights are in clear view through the trijicon. Also, with the dot you get to see just how good your trigger pull is. This thing is nice! Concealment is ok with my holster from KT-Mech in Dallas. It’s about 7 degrees forward tilt and tight to the hip. A long shirt covers it. My current carry is a glock 19 on my ankle but this FNX just might be taking that position.
It was great to read all the above reviews. As part of any collection, the 1911 .45 ACP is a must. Seeing my Company Commander with his personal .45 as a sidearm and which was standard in the 80’s before Beretta. is like an ingrained, must have a .45. What threw me off was the capacity.
Just saw this FNX-45 Tactical; the red-dot, threaded barrel etc and seeing all these reviews, is my next acquisition.
So I wanted an FNX Tactical for quite a while . I just couldn’t justify spending the money for something I didn’t have to have. They are between $1100 and $1300 around here Then a few months ago I was at Cabelas and they had a lightly used FNP 45 all black with night sites, 3 15 round magazines in the box lightly used for $525 out the door. It looked like it hardly had been fired. I just simply put the small back strap on it and slipped on a $10 Hogue grip. Now it’s my favorite 45 over my Glocks
Glock 21 Gen 3, HK USP 45 compact, 1911, and others. So after all the buzz I’m fine with the non tactical for now.
So I now have 5 FN pistols. I have the FNX 40 all black, FNP 45 all black, FNS 9 all black, all 3 with Trijicon night sites and now both colors of FNX 45 Tacticals with Trijicon RMR self adjusting red dot sights. So am I sick or what?
I have the tactical .45 and love it. Two issues.. I put a Inforce light on the low end and its perfect, I can tap the switch with either my left thumb or right index finger, easy and immediately when needed, no fumbling.. Just need to acquire the red-dot and can. Thought I would make a holster for the suppressor and carry like a mag..but I’ve been told its very difficult to get through the paperwork..that you must be ready to divulge all personal info. And offer up your first born! And with all accessories on, getting a holster that accommodates. Anybody?
I bought a suppressor for my FNX Tactical and now I have to wait for it to come in which they say will be 6 to 8 weeks. Then after it arrives, you have to pay the tax of $200 and send it in which will take another 4 to 6 months, so they tell me. I have decided to put together a trust and submit it that way instead of as an individual, especially if those on the trust are around the suppressor when you are not. In other words, those on the trust are allowed to be in the control of the suppressor.
I just purchased an FNX 45 Tactical that was made in 2015. The very first thing I noticed was when I was sliding up the magazine it would catch half way up. I could see immediately what the problem was. I then went to the internet to see if others had a similar experience. I found comments from 2013 that indicated the same issue. Also, guys there said they contacted FNH USA and told them about the problem. Their reply was that they weren’t aware of it. That was 2013. Well I can tell you they are still sending out those pistols with the same problem and to tell you the truth, I resent it because they have ignored those who have informed them of it for two years. The pistol is mainly for for police, military, and self protection purposes and I fail to see how they can ignore a problem that could actually cost someone their life if they were trying to slide in a fresh magazine during an altercation. I can say I don’t have very high regards for a company that can ignore a problem like this for that long. It’s an easy fix, not a complex production problem because all you have to do is grind off an edge on the magazine release pin.
Bought my FNX-T 45 for Christmas last year. Wife bought me a Streamlight TLR2G, RMR, and KT Mech custom holster. It took seven months to get my suppressor stamp, but was well worth it. Only better factory trigger was on my PPQ 40, and not by much. It’s the most accurate out-of-the-box pistol I’ve seen. The FNX is one heck of a home defense pistol. BTW, picked up and FN FiveSeven for Christmas this year. Can’t wait until Dec 26th (It’s wrapped.)
I purchased this weapon about one month ago. It sits on my nightstand cocked and locked like your standard 1911. For what I was looking for, this gun is near perfect. I wanted something in .45 with high capacity that was suppressor ready and, most importantly, fully ambidextrous (my wife and I are both lefties). I found this gun and knew I had to have it. If you’ve ever fired a gun indoors without ear protection then you know that A) it hurts and B) it is concussive, affecting your vision. With the suppressor this is a non-issue. I got mine during the Streamlight promo offer so I have a nifty light for identifying my target at no extra cost, a big deal in a dark house. Everybody who has ever shot this gun says two things: It’s their favorite of all the guns they’ve shot and they love how the sights stand out. My father is in his 50’s and his eye sight isn’t what it once was. He really appreciates the raised sights. All in all, of all the guns I’ve shot, this is my favorite by far and serves its intended purpose better than I could’ve hoped. 5/5 and would recommend if you want a home defense gun that won’t blow your eardrums out (looking at you, 12 gauge).
From a Law Enforcement standpoint, I can confidently say that this gun is awesome. I am larger at 6’4″ and 280 pounds, and I carry one every day in a Desantis three slot belt slide holster. I work investigations, so I don’t have the uniform holster issue that is discussed here.
I do want to address one thing: I bought 3 FNP .45 magazines, and have comfortably run hundreds of rounds through them using this pistol with zero problems. Did I get lucky, or did FN modify the FNX at some point to accept the older mags?
On 07/07/2020, I purchased the FN MODEL FNX-45 .45 ACP 4.5″ black pistol – Product# 66960 for $776.14 (including tax & shipping) from Palmetto State Armory (PSA). Product# 66960 includes 3-each 15-round .45 ACP magazines. In addition, I purchased 9-each additional 15-round magazines Product# 66322-5 for $433.50 (including tax & shipping) from PSA. I purchased a “Custom Level II Duty Holster” from Dara Holsters & Gear in Wendell, NC to hang on my Ronin Tactics, Inc. “Shūto Battle Belt” from Colorado Springs, CO. Finally, I purchased 1K-rounds of the #1-rated .45 ACP 230 grain HST ammo, which was rated “Best .45 ACP Ammo [2020]: Home Defense & Target Practice” on the internet. I am delighted with my purchase. I’m prepared for when the inevitable happens, which doesn’t appear far off. Because AMMO Matters!
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