The new FN Reflex compact 9mm handgun is possibly one of the best CCW guns to hit the market in a long time. For a concealed carry gun, it’s just the right size and holds a ton of ammunition. Of course, this is my humble opinion and everyone has their favorites. This pistol has become one of my top choices for a CCW gun because it checks almost every box on my list. That list comprises the things I want to see on a compact daily carry. My time with it has been short but, so far, this little gun is awesome.
- Overall size: I want it large enough to get a good grip on, but compact enough to comfortably conceal.
- Caliber: While I’m a little flexible on this one, 9mm is a good compromise in the wide range of calibers.
- Magazine Capacity: The more ammo, the better. I don’t like extended mags for CCW, so I want maximum ammo capacity in a flush fitting magazine.
- Optics: If I can’t see my sights, I can’t hit my target. Night sights are important to me on any weapon I plan to carry daily.
- Ergonomics: I want the weapon to feel comfortable in my hand. The magazine and slide release should both feel natural to use without needing to adjust my grip.
Who is FN America?
FN America is a fairly new name, but the company is anything but new. The US-branded company is a subsidiary of FN Herstal, which is based in Herstal, Belgium. Established in 1889 to manufacture rifles for the Belgium government, the company has a long history making military weapons. In fact, the original name “Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre” means “National Factory of Weapons of War.” In 1973, the company changed its name to the current one as it restructured its manufacturing products.
Even though the company is based out of Belgium, it has more of a connection to the US than many realize. One of it’s most successful partners for decades was none other than John Moses Browning. Working with the US firearms inventor, FNH manufactured weapons like the Hi-Power handgun and Browning M2. However, their success wasn’t limited to making Browning weapons. They manufacture the famous SCAR, popular Five-Seven, and P90 submachine gun. The company continues to develop and produce a wide range of small arms for military, police, and civilians around the world.
The FN Reflex is not a striker-fired handgun
As I mentioned above, FN’s newest addition to the CCW market is worth consideration. At first glance, it looks like a cross between the Springfield Hellcat and Sig’s P365. I happen to like both of those guns, so this doesn’t bother me one bit. But that doesn’t mean this is the same gun either. The first major difference is the firing mechanism. The FN Reflex is a hammer-fired gun even though it looks exactly like a striker-fired weapon on the outside. This was a shock to me as I thought it was striker-fired until I pulled the trigger for the first time.
A small square hammer is cocked underneath the slide when you chamber the first round. I didn’t realize this when I got my hands on it and noticed a difference in the trigger almost immediately. With striker-fired handguns, the firing pin is mostly pulled to the rear where the trigger pulls it just a little more and then releases it. With a hammer-fired weapon like the Reflex, the hammer is fully cocked and the trigger only releases the hammer. This makes the trigger light and smooth. There is no trigger or external safety on the Reflex although it’s been rumored FN is making one with an external safety.
A Closer Look at the FN Reflex
The trigger guard on the Reflex is on the small side. For those with large hands, it may feel cramped and gloves could also be a challenge with this gun. However, this is where you must find the gun that works for you. Larger trigger guards are great when shooting, but also make the gun bulkier, which takes up more room when carrying. It works for me, but this one is going to depend on each person and what they prefer.
A one-slot picatinny rail can accommodate micro-compact lights like the Streamlight TLR-7 or the Surefire XSC. Having a picatinny rail on such a small gun is a nice option for those who want a light or laser on their weapon. The grip is short, but even the shortest magazine has a small finger extension. This is the closest to a flush fitting magazine you get with the Reflex. However, the overall length of the grip is still short with the magazine inserted. The gun comes with an 11 and 15-round magazine (overall lengths are listed in specs below).
Grip Texturing
I have always liked the grip on FN handguns. The Reflex keeps the same popular grip as its older brothers, which makes it feel natural in your hand. I get picky about the texturing on guns with some not having enough and others overcompensating. Some guns feel like they have 80-grit sandpaper wrapped around the handle. FN put a light texture on the sides of the Reflex and a heavy, but not sandpapery, texture on the front and back of the grip. This texture also continues onto the finger extension of the magazine.
Slide and Sights on the Reflex
The slide has a PVD finish which stands for “physical vapor deposition.” PVD is a common finish used on handguns and is durable. Aggressive grooves are milled on the front and back of the slide to help grip it when chambering the weapon. Currently the slide and frame are offered in all black or FDE (flat dark earth). The slide has somewhat of a boxy look to it, which I like on handguns.
If I were to complain about one thing on this gun, it would be the sights. While I like the three-dot iron sights, only the front can be seen in the dark. A tritium insert makes the front sight easy to spot, but I wish they would have put rear night sights on it as well. It does have white dots making it nice for daylight, but I can’t see them at all during the night. I may add some glow-in-the-dark paint to them. Besides that, the sights are easy to line up and worked great on the range.
Hammer-Fired Trigger
As soon as you pull the trigger, you can tell this is a single-action, hammer-fired gun. You can feel a little resistance after taking up the slack, but there is no clear breaking point. The felt resistance is steady as you pull to the rear and then, “bang!” It’s not bad at all, just not what you’re expecting on a small gun that looks and feels like a striker-fired pistol. My trigger gauge averaged 4.5 pounds after five pulls.
Field Stripping the FN Reflex
In today’s world, every gun should be easy to field strip for cleaning. Some guns get it right and others make it as hard as possible. The FN Reflex is arguably the easiest gun to take apart. You don’t have to pull the trigger to get the slide off like on Glock pistols. Just lock the slide back (with magazine removed), push the takedown lever up to the 12 o’clock position, and…that’s it.
The slide will now come off. The magazine must be removed, of course, and chamber empty; so make sure that’s done before taking it apart. The barrel and recoil spring will come out and that’s about as far as you need to go for cleaning. When I first took mine apart, it had some thick grease on it; so I would clean and re-oil it before taking it to the range for the first time.
Wrapping it up
If you are left-handed, the magazine release is easily reversed. The 11-round magazine is 3 ¾ inches tall while the 15-round mag is about 4 ½ inches tall. I prefer shorter magazines in a gun while carrying concealed. An extended mag is great for backup. I’m a believer of “the more ammo, the better” strategy, but the extended mags sticks out too far for me (at least in the summer when I need maximum concealment). During the cold months when a jacket or coat will cover it up, I use the extended mag as my primary one.
Again, the trigger takes a little getting used to, but isn’t bad at all once you’ve fired a few rounds from it. I shot a couple hundred rounds on my first time to the range with thanks to Global Ordnance who provided the ammo for this review. Full metal jackets and several brands of hollow point cycled through the gun without flaw. If you’re in the market for a new CCW handgun, check out the FN Reflex 9mm pistol.
