The FN FNP pistol is a series of semi-automatic,

polymer A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + '' -mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...

- framed

pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, a ...

s manufactured in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the cit ...

, by FNH USA, a division of

Fabrique Nationale de Herstal Fabrique Nationale Herstal (), trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium. It is currently the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe. ...

. The handgun debuted in early 2006 and is variously chambered for the 9×19mm, .40 S&W,

.357 SIG The .357 SIG (designated as the 357 Sig by the SAAMI and 357 SIG by the C.I.P. or 9×22mm in unofficial metric notation) is a bottlenecked rimless centerfire handgun cartridge developed by the Swiss- German firearms manufacturer SIG Sauer, ...

and

.45 ACP The .45 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol) or .45 Auto (11.43×23mm) is a rimless straight-walled handgun cartridge designed by John Moses Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic pistol. After successful military trials, it ...

cartridges.FNH USA press release on FNP debut
FNH USA website on FNP-357

Standard features

All variations of the pistol include ambidextrous decocking levers and a reversible magazine release, as well as an integrated tactical accessory rail. In addition, the FNP-45 offers an ambidextrous slide release. According to FNH USA, the FNP line of pistols is the only polymer-framed autoloading pistol on the market (as of its introduction) with fully replaceable frame rails; this allows the pistol to be rebuilt after extensive firing, thereby extending service life. (

Steyr M Series The Steyr M is a series of semi-automatic pistols developed by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG of Austria for police services and the civilian shooting market. Design work on the new pistol began in the early 1990s and the final product known as t ...

pistols also have this feature, and were released in 1999.)

Design and operation

The pistols of the FNP series are

hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as wi ...

-fired firearms utilizing a Browning cam system with an external extractor. The trigger module is housed inside the polymer frame as an individual unit connected to the hammer. The

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

release button is held in place by a retention pin which can be removed to allow the magazine release button to be reversed. The trigger pull for the FNP-9 variant is generally while in

double action Double action (or double-action) refers to one of two systems in firearms where the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. *Double-action only (DAO) firearms trigger: The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. There is no single-action f ...

, and while in single action. While the lower frame is made of high-strength polymer, the slide is made of stainless steel. Disassembly and reassembly of the handgun is relatively simple. To disassemble the weapon, the slide is locked to the rear and the magazine is released from the weapon. The takedown lever located to the front of the frame is rotated downwards and the slide is released to allow it to slip off the frame rails. Once removed, the recoil spring is removed from its position in the barrel and the barrel is removed. To reassemble the weapon the process is reversed with the slide being slid onto the frame rails and the takedown lever rotated up while the slide is locked to the rear.

Variants

The FNP Series pistol is produced in five basic models with several different variations on each model. Each of the five models, the FNP-45, the FNP-40, the FNP-357, the FNP-9 and the compact FNP-9M (cancelled), are offered with the following features: * Double/single action, Double-action only, or Single-action only (cancelled) * Stainless steel slide (matte black finish) or Stainless steel slide (matte natural finish) * Black or Dark Earth Frame * Standard sights or Night sights The FNP-9 and FNP-40 have also been marketed as the Browning Pro-9 and Pro-40. The FNP series has been replaced by the FNX pistol series.

Users

Current users

*: The

Genk Genk () is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the town of Genk itself. It is one of the most important industrial towns in Flanders, located on the Albert Canal, ...

police force purchased 190 FNP-9 and FNP-9M pistols in April 2005. *:

Spanish Navy Marines The Spanish Naval Infantry ( es, Infantería de Marina) is the naval infantry unit of the Spanish Navy () responsible for conducting amphibious warfare by utilizing naval platforms and resources. The Marine Corps is fully integrated into the A ...

have begun to replace old

Llama M82 The Llama M82 is a pistol produced by the Spanish firm Llama-Gabilondo y Cía. S.A. It is a standard-issue pistol of the Spanish Armed Forces. Mechanically, it is not dissimilar to the Beretta 92 The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) ...

s with FNP-9s. *: A quantity of 27 FNP pistols was donated to New Roads, Louisiana Police Department in October 2009 to replace damaged guns, due to budgetary constraints.

Failed bids

* : 19 FNP-9s evaluated as a replacement for the Browning L9A1 pistol, lost to the

Glock 17 Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/767518/15730.pdf