Last week, I, along with a few other editors from NRA Publications, had the opportunity to meet with representatives from FNH USA at the Peacemaker National Training Center in Gerrardstown, W.Va., to get some hands-on time with a few of the company’s newer firearms, along with a couple of its more popular platforms—the SCAR and the Five-seveN.
After a short round-table discussion on some of the new guns, we headed to the range to try out the FN SPR A5M in .308 Win. and the Ballista in .338 Lapua Mag. at 600 yards. We also received a look at a targeting system that uses the sound of a bullet hitting a target to show shot placement. Both rifles showed excellent accuracy; I was able to place three rounds in a 1-inch grouping at 600 yards with the A5M, though I did accuse the group of using technology to convince me that I was performing better than I’m truly capable of shooting.
Then, we headed to a shorter range to try a few handguns and the SCAR. The Five-seveN stood up to its reputation in both accuracy and recoil control, allowing extremely fast follow-up shots that consistently rang the steel. However, the handgun that caught my eye was the FNS-9 Competition.
The FNS-9 Competition is a longslide version of the FNS-9 striker-fired pistol. It has many of the same features such as replaceable backstraps to fit most hands, manual safety for extra security, stainless-steel slide and cold-hammer forged stainless-steel barrel. It also has an additional inch in the slide and barrel for improved accuracy.
Now you wouldn’t think that 1 inch would be that significant, but the additional sight radius made it much easier to shoot, allowing me to nail the steel nine shots out of 10 in a speed string. The most interesting feature of the FNS-9 Competition though, is that the slide will fit on all existing FNS-9 handguns, allowing shooters to use the same base for both concealed carry and competition. While the set up is currently only available as a full pistol, the reps said they were looking at making the slide available as a separate part. I’m sure we’ll be reviewing this neat handgun soon.
