I think I need one, I grew up and currently live in the 509 area code I know thats a crap reason to want one, but Im wondering are they any good?

There's a rebate for free magazines

I had one for a short bit. Mag release hardly worked pushing from the left,worked great from the right...Didn't really care for the proportions either.

I bought one thinking FN makes quality and they do but I took it home and just could not get used to that trigger pull. Did not even shoot it. I took back to the dealer and traded it for a Canik SFx. Great gun! Will not buy the 509!

I like the texture over the FNS, the trigger is meh leaves a lot to be desired, and it shoots as good as I can.  I have nothing really bad to say about it except I wish the trigger was lighter.

clip two coils off the striker plunger assuming it has the same setup as the FNS.  That's the common trick with those guns.

It is my friends pistol and he will probably do an Apex kits for it.

I won't get one unless they release one to the general public with night sites and three mags. FN can shove it if they won't sale the factory night site version to the public.

Sig sights fit

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hKvs1C3EoXk


Worth a watch

I have not shot one just for the record. But I wouldn't get one for the following reasons.

1. FN has a really bad track record with their recent handguns. Especially in terms of support. Aftermarket for this gun will probably be nearly nonexistent.

2. The gun is massively over sprung. The mainspring is significantly heavier than a 9mm should have. Heavier than what Glock puts on the G21. This makes the gun difficult to handle for people with limited upper body strength. I think it also makes the gun unreliable. Tim at the military arms channel did a mud test where it fared poorly. I think what happened was, once grit, mud and whatnot got in the system there wasn't enough energy to allow proper function. That said my friend who owns one says that recoil is very light.

3. The trigger is nothing that good by current standards. I would much rather have a CZ P10, or a Canik Elite or even a Beretta APX.

As time goes by I think this list will get longer. The 509 looks like a bellyflop to me.

you must mean recoil spring, a mainspring is something far different.
2.  The P10C is having lots of teething issues as does the Elite Can ik
3.  The bellyflop landed the massive Brinks Security contract

What do you mean by a really bad track record? I have 2 (FNP, FNS compact)and have not had one single issue with them. The aftermarket support could be better, I do agree with that. That being said Apex already has a trigger out for the 509, and maybe more models to come along as well. They Are already doing stippling jobs and slide cuts to them too. I've already added the 509 to my want list. Can't wait to pick one up!

We are not in GD, please leave

I have not seen anything to make me desire a 509 over the FNS.

Of course what I really want is an FNX where the safety does not also act like a decocker.  

Can't exactly say that Brinks security is an organization which I look to for firearms innovation.

Put a few rounds down a 509 - trigger reminded me of a M&P, and not necessarily in a good way.  Really gritty, but to be fair it was a new pistol.  Ergos are nice, I like the texturing.  That said, I preferred the new M&P 2.0 over it.  

Unless FN somehow gets more aftermarket support, I really don't see the 509 being more successful than any of the other prior offerings.

I had a 509 for a day.

Took it to the range and couldn't hit shit. The trigger was that bad.

Picked up my buddies G19C and drilled the center out of the same target.

The 509 feels great in the hand and looks good......just couldn't shoot it worth a shit because of the trigger. I really wanted to like the gun so much, as the LE version I had, had some awesome Trijicon HD-esque night sights on it.

Sold it that day at the gun store for a Glock 19C Gen 4.

I bought the "old" fns40 model for $360 shipped/transferred with ns and 3 mags and it's been great for a cpl hundred rounds. Not sure if they changed the trigger for the worse but mine is decent (better than m&p9 or shield 9, worse than Steyr M40A1 or ppq9). Plenty accurate and good ergonomics. I've also had a fnp9 for years and still like it.

I love my 509. It's eaten everything I've put through it with one failure to feed fully into the chamber the first day I took it out, and I didn't lube or clean it before shooting like 500 rounds that day. I haven't done a mud test.

I'm not sure what trigger other people got but mine was far better than a factory Glock and I own 3 of them. It isn't as good as a Canik out of the box I'll admit. Just like someone else said it's gotten much better just like my FNS-9C, and Glocks, as I've put rounds through it.

As far as aftermarket support, it's been a sellers market for a long time, so if people were buying parts, companies would've jumped on it, but people just weren't buying aftermarket parts for their FN's for whatever reason. It's not because they are such shit no one wants to make anything for them. Be mindful of personal attachments when getting information from people on the internet, myself included. I do wish factory support was better for things like spare parts and mags from FNH.

If you like it, try to find one to hold, that should be your biggest indication. Personally I also love the looks of the 509.

The FNS fire control design was a dumpster fire, which is why nobody wanted to make a drop in replacement.   The sear is a piece of stamped sheet metal.  Dave Sevigny recommended clipping coils off the striker spring to lighten the trigger (and his was pretty light), but I didn't want to do this with mine until I could buy a replacement spring (which nobody seemed to have in stock).  

The 509 uses a different fire control design and it should be easy to make new parts for.  I think a couple shops already have designs in the works.

I've yet to see detailed pics of the differences.  Can you point me to some?

No, I can't.  It appears the sear is larger on the 509, but I haven't seen any detailed images of the internals.

yeah, I've asked several people that own both to post pics but no one has ever done it

I'll get pictures of my 9C and 509 internals posted tonight.

Like I said, they feel the same to me.

Looks to be nearly identical and the ejector on the FNS looks beefier to my eyes.  Thank you for the pics

I have not handled a 509, but if it is anything like the FNS it will be a 2nd rate pistol.

I won an FNS tried to like it but the trigger was horrible, the stock sights we worse than Glock sights, it felt so plastic it almost felt like I could crush it with my hands. We I went to get rid of it I literally couldn't give it away.    

The plastic on my FNS is at least twice as strong feeling as all my Glocks and the trigger after some break in rounds and proper lubrication is just as nice, if not better.  The stock sights are steel on the FNS too, not sure what is horrible about them.  

Agree that the plastic frame on my FNSs feels at least as good as my Glocks and there is no comparison between the Glock trigger and the triggers on my FNS-9 or FNS-9 compact. Both my FNS guns have better triggers that any of my Glocks. I have read that the triggers on the first ones were gritty but mine came in grit free and are very good, but the FNS had been out about three years before I bought mine. The gun feels very sturdy in my hands. Of the numbers of plastic framed strikers I own, or have owned, only my PPQs and VP9s are more favored over the FNS. Out of the box my two FNS-9s have needed nothing except Talon grips as I don't care for the aggressive pattern on the stock frame. It has an excellent grip angle and shape, very good trigger and recoil comes straight back into my hand.

The comment on the FNS sights is simply a puzzlement. They are sturdy steel sights whereas the Glock sights are el-cheapo plastic ones. On the last Glock that I bought the rear plastic sight was so loose in the dovetail that I could move it side to side with only my thumbnail pressure. I always replace Glock sights, but there is no need to replace the FNS sights as they are both sturdy and give an excellent sight picture. Check one out at a gun shop and see whose description of the FNS sight is correct.

Choice of handguns is just a personal choice and no gun can please everyone. If a person doesn't like the FNS gun that is perfectly fine, but it is definitely NOT a 2nd rate gun.  The build quality is as good as my Glocks, PPQs, VP9s, P320, P99 and any of the other striker fired handguns I have owned from major manufacturers. Again, check one out at a gun shop and see whose description is correct.

As far as the FN 509 goes I won't be in the market for one since it looks to be very close to the two FNS guns I already own and I don't need a third, slightly different one.

The rear notch was too narrow and the front blade way to wide, they were pretty much unusable. 

FNP9 is my favorite handgun to this day.