Handgun: FN FNX-45

When I first saw the FNX-45, I thought it was a cool gun, but I didn’t really have any interest in owning one. It seemed big and kinda bulky. Plus, I was in a stage (still am, mostly) in which I preferred metal guns to polymer guns. When I decided to swap out my nightstand gun (CZ 75b) for something else, I began looking at other all-metal guns that I liked. But at some point, the FNX-45 came back across my radar.

And now, with this specific home defense purpose in mind, I was intrigued. 15+1 rounds of 45 acp as a nightstand gun? That got my attention. As it happened, a relative owned an FNX-45 in excellent condition and had an interest in acquiring a CZ. He was willing to trade the FNX for the CZ. We took both guns to a range and shot them. The CZ, as always, was a really great gun to shoot. To my surprise, the FNX was also very pleasant to shoot and very accurate.

His FNX had only the larger backstrap with it (they come with 2-4, depending on the exact model). The alternates had been lost at some point prior to my relative acquiring the gun. I have medium-sized hands, so it did feel a bit big, but it was manageable. The only real issue is that I could not easily work the safety/decocker with one hand. That wasn’t a significant issue for my planned use, but it would be nice to try the smaller backstrap. My relative ordered a smaller backstrap, which arrived not long after. Going smaller made a huge difference for me. Suddenly, the gun fit my hand like a slightly chunky 1911. I mean that as a compliment. The angle felt good. The grip was sized correctly. I could easily work the controls with one hand. It pointed naturally.

We went through with the trade, and I ordered some nightsights by Ameriglo. Another relative “helped” install them (in the way I “helped” assemble my kids’ toys when they were toddlers). A quick range run verified the sights were dead on.

Suddenly, I had parted ways with a gun I still loved and had found that I loved a new beast. I went from metal to polymer. I went from 9mm to 45acp. But I didn’t lose capacity. And I didn’t lose any accuracy. I gained a larger caliber. I gained a gun with better sights.  I gained a gun that field strips even more easily. And I was – and remain – tickled pink.

FN makes quality guns for militaries and police across the globe. This particular gun was designed as a true combat gun, and it shows. It is reliable, rugged, and easy to strip and clean. It is not easy to conceal, but that was never its purpose.

I really have a hard time imagining a better stock handgun for nightstand duty than the FNX-45, in either standard or tactical variants. I should note, my gun is the standard version. The tactical version comes at a higher price and includes a threaded barrel and a slide that is ready to accept optics. Otherwise, they are the same gun.

Here is some basic information from FN Herstal:

SPECS

• CALIBER: .45 ACP
• OPERATION: Double-action/Single-action
• MAGAZINE: 10 or 15 Rd.
• WEIGHT: 33.2 oz.
• BARREL LENGTH: 4.5″
• OVERALL LENGTH: 7.4″
• TWIST RATE: 1:16″ RH
• HEIGHT: 6.3″
• WIDTH: 1.58″
• TRIGGER PULL: 8.8 – 12.1 lb. or 3.96 – 5.06 lb.
• SIGHT RADIUS: 6.4″

PRIMARY FEATURES

• Fixed 3-dot sights (standard)
• Fixed 3-dot night sights available
• Flat Dark Earth or black frame color available

SLIDE

• Stainless steel construction
• External extractor with loaded chamber indicator
• Front and rear cocking serrations
• Matte black finish

BARREL

• Cold hammer-forged stainless steel
• Polished chamber and feed ramp

FRAME

• Polymer construction with replaceable steel frame/slide rails
• Two interchangeable backstraps with lanyard eyelets
• MIL-STD-1913 accessory mounting rail
• Serrated trigger guard

OPERATING CONTROLS

• Fully-ambidextrous decocking/safety lever, slide stop lever, and magazine release

MAGAZINE

• Polished nickel coated steel body
• Low-friction follower
• Polymer base pad

Let’s take a look at some of the gun’s features.

Reliability. As I have written previously, this is my top priority in any gun that I may carry or use for defense. This gun is larger than I would carry, but it is a terrific home defense and range gun. It has not misfired at all and has chewed through any ammo I’ve tried. It looks and feels like a high-quality firearm. I am confident this gun will work whenever I need it to as long as I take proper care of it.

Accuracy. The gun came with standard 3-dot sights, and it aims easily. The rear sight is adjustable for windage. The gun is accurate at any distance you’d fire a handgun. The low recoil (see discussion below) contributes to the accuracy when firing multiple rounds quickly. As noted above, the stock sights have been swapped out for a set of Ameriglo night sights. They were easy to install and work amazingly well. FN does have an option for night sights if you purchase the gun new.

Grip. The grip is large, after all, this is a double-stack 45.  The grip angle is reminiscent of a beefier 1911. The front is semi checkered (more like horizontal grooves) and is comfortable. The sides have a fairly aggressive checkering. I’ve seen some reviews complain about them not being comfortable, but I don’t have any issue with them. The rear can have either the same aggressive checkering as the sides or the horizontal grooves like the front. There are also different sizes of rear backstrap. Since the gun is already large and my hands are medium-sized, I opted for the smaller flush backstrap with horizontal grooves. The smaller backstrap made the gun fit my hand perfectly.

Recoil. The FNX-45 has remarkably low recoil for a 45. The gun is heavy, so that undoubtedly plays a role. FN also engineered it such that the barrel and slide travel further, supposedly up to twice as far, than that of some other semiautomatic pistols before separating. And the barrel is a cold hammer forged barrel.

Appearance. I generally prefer the look and feel of metal guns, but this polymer beast is not unattractive. It looks purposeful and well thought out. The ergonomics are good. The operation is simple. The overall appearance is good. It’s not the most beautiful gun in the world, but it is not unattractive.

Build Quality. Build quality seems excellent throughout. I haven’t found anything to complain about in terms of quality. I’m very impressed.

Features. The gun includes a manual safety with a decocker. That allows you to select your mode of carry, if you dare to carry something this large. Plus, all controls are fully ambidextrous. It is a hammer-fired DA/SA pistol, and the trigger is better than average. It has a full rail, so you are free to install the flashlight, laser, or mini-bayonet of your choice. The biggest “feature,” though, is the 15+1 capacity of 45.

Now, let me talk about my experience using the gun.

Initial impressions matter, and this gun makes a strong positive initial impression. The finish was well executed. The heft and general construction exude durability and reliability. It’s a very nice gun.

In terms of groupings, I don’t have target photos to post. That’s not my style in this sort of review at this point. As usual, I started close and then continued moving back a few yards every shot to see how tight my groupings stay. I was immediately impressed with the accuracy of this big gun. After we installed the new sights, our range test was shooting at fragments of clays on a bunker. To my surprise, we were regularly able to shatter those fragments into dust. I did not expect quite that degree of accuracy.

I also did not fully expect my hand to feel so fresh after shooting nearly 100 rounds of 45 so quickly, but the gun is very easy to shoot. I’m afraid I may need to increase my ammo budget to feed this thing.

Take-down and reassembly is the simplest and quickest of any gun I’ve owned. This is the way I wish my other guns did it. Pull the slide toward the rear, rotate the release lever, pull the slide off toward the front. Reverse the process to put it back together. Simple. Quick. No chance of idiot marks, nor of springs flying across the room.

I’ve seen other reviews complain about difficulty fully loading the magazines. That has not been my experience. I have 5 total magazines. They all load pretty easily. They each drop cleanly. Then again, mine are used and broken in. New, they can be pretty pricey, too (almost $50 each). It’s a good thing the gun usually comes with three mags.

I’ve shot a few brands of ammo, from cheaper plinking ammo to high-end defensive ammo. I have had zero misfires. My relative never had any misfires with the gun. I trust this gun completely. Shooting it feels natural and easy.

Suggestions for improvement:

• Well, they could make the magazines and the tactical version a bit less expensive.

Overall verdict – The FNX-45 has become the new handgun king of the house. I’ve long been a fan of 1911 style guns. This is not one, although the grip with the smaller backstrap will remind you of a 1911. But I was not a fan of the 1911’s limited capacity for home defense. If I had to pick between eight rounds of 45 or seventeen rounds of 9mm, I would choose the 9mm. But when the option of sixteen rounds of 45 comes knocking, you need to give it a long look. And I’m very glad I did.

Final: Love.

Update 1/22/20: I recently added an FNX-45 Tactical to the family. The Tactical is like the Standard except my Tactical is FDE (instead of black), has a threaded barrel, the slide is optics ready with raised night sights, and I have a Vortex Viper red dot on it.

Both versions shoot wonderfully. The FNX-45 remains my favorite 45 acp gun. It’s just a joy to shoot in Standard or Tactical configuration. I’ve never had a failure, and the guns are accurate and easy to shoot.