509 compact tactical
Courtesy FN America
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Jeremy reviewed FN’s full-size 509 Tactical pistol almost two years ago. He was a big fan (his 4½ star review here). Now FN America has revealed the new compact tactical model in the 509 platform. It has the same threaded barrel, suppressor-height tritium night sights and an optics-ready slide but in a smaller, more EDC-friendly size. MSRP = $1,049.

Here’s their press release . . .

FN America, LLC, the makers of the world’s most battle-proven firearms, proudly announces the release of the FN 509 Compact Tactical, the smallest and most concealable 9mm tactical pistol available on the market.

The FN 509 Compact Tactical, available in both black and FN-signature flat dark earth (FDE), can be easily deployed as an everyday carry with the standard 12- or 15-round magazines or on the range with the extended 24-round magazine, giving 51 rounds of ammunition at the ready.

The 4.3-inch cold hammer-forged threaded barrel makes it compatible with today’s most popular aftermarket accessories like compensators or suppressors and the FN Low-Profile Optics-Mounting System,™ capable of accepting more than 10 miniature red sights, rounds out this compact tactical pistol.

The compact frame features the FN 509-signature enhanced grip texturing for secure hold, a MIL-STD 1913 picatinny rail that is compatible with most compact pistol lights and interchangeable backstraps for a customized fit.

509 compact tactical
Courtesy FN America

Additional features like the suppressor-height night sights aid in co-witness of the miniature red dot and while the optics system is not in use, the protective slide cap provides a serrated surface for racking the slide from any surface and ensures iron sight alignment.

The pistol ships in an FN-branded soft-sided case with the optics-mounting kit, one each of the 12-, 15-, and 24-round capacity magazines with the appropriate grip sleeves or in a state-compliant configuration with 10-round magazines. Visit your local dealer for pricing.

Product
Designation
66-100780
FN 509C T FDE/FDE (1) 12-Rd (1) 15-Rd (1) 24-Rd
66-100781
FN 509C T FDE/FDE (1) 12-Rd (1) 15-Rd (1) 24-Rd
66-100782
FN 509C T BLK/BLK (3) 10-Rd
66-100783
FN 509C T BLK/BLK (3) 10-Rd

The FN 509 is FN’s most tested pistol platform to-date with over 1 million rounds fired during development. The company’s extensive durability, reliability and performance standards, far exceeding the strictest requirements, has yielded yet another advancement in tactical pistol market with the FN 509 Compact Tactical.

Take your concealed carry into the future with the FN 509 Compact Tactical, part of the FN 509 family by visiting www.fnamerica.com.

 

Carry the Future.™ | FN America, LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of Belgium-based FN Herstal, S.A. provides U.S. military, law enforcement and commercial customers with a complete range of state-of- the-art, groundbreaking solutions developed around small caliber firearms and associated ammunition under the FN brand name.

 

FN Herstal is the Defense & Security entity of Herstal Group that also includes a Hunting & Sports Shooting entity (Browning and Winchester Firearms’ brand names) and operates globally.

FN product lines include portable firearms, less lethal systems, integrated weapon systems for air, land and sea applications, remote weapon stations, small caliber ammunition, as well as modern and cutting-edge solutions to provide enhanced combat, logistics, maintenance and communication capabilities.

In addition to FN America – headquartered in McLean, VA, with manufacturing operations in Columbia, South Carolina –, FN Herstal is the parent company of FNH UK in the UK and Noptel (electro-optics) in Finland.

For more information on FN’s latest products, visit us at www.fnamerica.com or follow us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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32 COMMENTS

  1. Your chart appears to be off. The 10-round configuration is only available in black and the multi-magazine pack is only available in FDE?

  2. Nice pistol. I don’t know why. I hate Sig. idk why. I love glocks I like H&K I love colts and browning and FNH is well imho one of the best. I will say bias aside, my old p229 legion was probably why I said I am done with Sig.

  3. Is any handgun with an optical sight efficient (effective?) as a concealed weapon? Is this pistol sold as an EDC firearm?

    • “The FN 509 Compact Tactical, available in both black and FN-signature flat dark earth (FDE), can be easily deployed as an everyday carry with the standard 12- or 15-round magazines…”

      • “The FN 509 Compact Tactical, available in both black and FN-signature flat dark earth (FDE), can be easily deployed as an everyday carry with the standard 12- or 15-round magazines…”

        Not buying the marketing hype, just looking at the pistol, and thinking about all the ways such a gun can get hung-up when attempting to draw from concealment. So, I asked the question here, where people are more likely to be practical experts, not marketeers.

        Thanx

        • While working at a gun store I used to know a doctor who wore a Glock 19 with a red dot sight in his scrubs. He bought scrubs that could take a full size belt. That was over five years ago.

        • ” I used to know a doctor who wore a Glock 19 with a red dot sight in his scrubs.”

          Interesting, that.

        • “So, how could you tell if the doctor was happy to see you or not?”

          The doctor is always happy to see any, or all of his patients. Being a single-person practice, each person walking through the door looks like dollar signs, thus making the doctor happy.

    • That depends on how you are carrying it. As such, there is no clear answer. I would be more concerned with the Red Dot sight, no matter how it is done, being ready. This means that it needs to be on and with sufficient battery to actually work at an instant, without needing to push any buttons or other procedures.

      As far as concealing it, that seems it would be pretty easy.

      More to the point for me, other than the red dot sight being ready, is that I have never warmed to striker-fired pistols. Something the size of the Hellcat, or the p365, hammer-fired and with a paddle release would hit all th buttons. Of course it dosn’t exist.

        • By the time I decided I wanted it, the PPS M! compact was no longer on the market in 9mm.

          I just looked, the PPS is no longer available with a paddle release. The PPQ is, but it is as big as my HK P30, they are both service pistol sized. Eventually, I will go ahead and get a p30sk (the smaller version). There isn’t much else that is hammer-fired and paddle release.

          I could make it worse by demanding grip safety. After all, I like grip safeties. That was the reason I didn’t get a Springfield XD-e. I have also considered an XD, at least with that I get a grip safety. It comes down to wanting: a paddle release, a grip safety, hammer-fired, DA/SA with a decocker. It simply isn’t made. So then I start looking to see what has the most of my desired features. The Glock 42 I am carrying right now checks none of the boxes, but it is easy to carry.

          If I were a bit more satisfied with the Remington R1’s reliability, it would be my carry choice, having at least one desired feture. But it isn’t quite there. The PK380 has one and a half features (there is no real decocker on it), but it is big enough that the P30 in’t much bigger. The P30 is great, but no grip safety and too big for a daily carry gun.

          Where does all this musing fit with a story on an FN, just that I keep looking at various compact pistols looking for the right one.

      • “This means that it needs to be on and with sufficient battery to actually work at an instant, without needing to push any buttons or other procedures.”

        That was one of the thoughts that came to me. Would it be smart to rely on aging batteries (turning on the optic just before departing for outdoors), or insert a new battery each time the gun is carried concealed? Even home carry; is the optic “on” all the time, or turned on when needed? Managing the power source for the optic seems a risky failure point.

        Thanx

        • Lots of red dot sights now have up to a 50,000 hour battery life (5 years) and are now motion activated as well.

        • “Lots of red dot sights now have up to a 50,000 hour battery life (5 years) and are now motion activated as well.”

          Not sure it is important to know….is the 50,000hr life based on continuous burn, or an “average usage” estimate?

          Motion activation/de-activation sounds interesting, as in trying to figure out whether the acceleration is due to intentional draw and use, or some other factor that causes the detector to sense motion.

      • I’m in the same boat, love my P30L DA/SA but it’s too big to carry, and I keep thinking about the P30sk but that’s still bigger than I want to carry. My first gun was striker fired and I’m just not a fan, give me anything with a hammer. For now I’ll stick with my S&W BG .380 (added a hogue sleeve that has worked out quite well).

    • From my limited experience is with a Vortex Viper on a Glock 19, it’s not a good CCW optic because it lacks an auto-on/motion-on feature. One could easily turn it on, while still holstered, before going into a transitional space, I.e. house to car. But it will auto-off with time. I honestly didnt do all the research for a CCW hangun optic, but my value priced optic works well for range and HD use. I think if a person cannot point shoot well or needs to shoot far, the optic provide a very fast shot.

      • “From my limited experience is with a Vortex Viper on a Glock 19”

        Thanx for a first-hand report. Had not even thought about “auto-off” complications.

  4. Mrgunsngear is doing an in depth review on this today…I have no real opinion except “a thousand buck’s”?!? It’s a crowded market. Oh and I’m looking into a red dot pistol sight. Old eyes need help!

    • Canik TP9 Elite SC is $379 at PSA and elsewhere. All the features except threaded barrel. Not sure if the iron sights are high enough for co-witness. And PSA is supposed to have their not-a-glock GLOCK out soon for less than $500 optics ready.

      • “Canik TP9 Elite SC is $379 at PSA and elsewhere.”

        Canik firearms are made in Turkey, a Sunni Islamic state. Spending money destined for Turkey (Türkiye), is profiting a growing authoritarian nation that has more in common with Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, than the values of the framers of the US Constitution. Money going to Islamists is paying people to hate you, when they are quite willing to do it for free.

        • I want to totally agree, but really paper currency for badass guns of great quality, I mean I BET you dislike the many groups of people even though you probably are affiliated with them regardless how that makes you feel sunshine buttercup. But really, how can you say guns being bought and sold of foreign creation are unAmerican. I would bet you are to dumb to even understand the arms deals our founding fathers made. I bet you are not even American, maybe you are ISIS. You talk like ISIS

  5. I have a Glock and a Mosin Nagant. So I think I’m qualified to make this statement. That is one fugly pistol.

  6. People say don’t carry a snubby with a hammer spur due to potential snags… add 1.3” tall glass red dot to the top of the gun and it’s called tactical 😂😂 I like FN and red dots, just found the anecdote humorous!

  7. Problem, question, about FN guns has been the striker. Has this issue been solved and addressed by FN? There’s much reading on the subject you can easily find. The go to solution seems to be the APEX brand solid stainless steel striker – when available. I picked up two FNs recently, and then learned of the potential striker issue and was fortunate to be able to get APEX strikers before they sold out. The other thing is the magazines are good but don’t leave them laying around loaded for too long of a time.
    FN was also saying to not leave them loaded for too long a time in their manuals. This may have changed. And how it is with the FN strikers in new 509s I don’t yet know.

    I like FN pistols but wondered about the MIM manufactured strikers after learning about them. MIM manufactured parts are more and more common but the upgrades to the solid stainless steel strikers, not cheap, was essential. I’m not knocking FN guns at all, far from it. Just a more solid and better built gun than Glocks and Springfields, you get what you pay for, but you do what you need to do – when it comes to the striker.

    FNs will never be as common as other guns. Some people will have them but most won’t ever own one. H&K is like that too. Cheaper isn’t always better; it seldom is.

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