gives the shortest overall height for the pistol and provided a comfortable hold while it lets your pinky fi nger hang off the bottom. A second 12-round 9mm magazine has an ex- tended base that accommodates your pinky fi nger and pro- vides a solid, full grip. The last magazine holds 17 rounds (12 rounds in 40 S&W) and has a slipover cover that effectively turns this FNS Compact into a full-size grip. The magazine is actually the same as the one that’s provided with a full-size FNS pistol.
For most offi cers, the extended 12-round magazine felt great, shot great, and still kept the pistol small for conceal- ment. Carrying the full-size magazine as a spare when off- duty makes perfect sense since it is only marginally larger than the 12-round version.
There was no manual safety on this particular FNS Com- pact, but another model will be available equipped with such a device if it is desired. The FNS Compact’s two-part trigger pivots to provide FNH-USA’s style of trigger safety, com- mon on striker-fi re pistols. Unless purposefully pulled by index fi nger pressure, the trigger is locked in place. Steel rails are fi tted into the polymer frame (and are re- placeable if needed after extended service) and the slide (in your choice of natural silver stainless steel or matte black) runs back and forth, utilizing the Browning tilt-action oper- ating system.
Fully Ambidextrous Four different surfaces are present on the FNS Compact’s frame to afford a secure grip. There is the relatively smooth surface, the molded lines on the front strap, the heavily pointed side and rear back strap areas that grab your skin, and a less heavily checkered portion toward the outside of the side panels. They work in concert to give a non-slip grip that isn’t abrasive under recoil. Like its larger brothers, the FNS Compact is fully ambi- dextrous. The magazine release and slide stop/release are located on both sides of the pistol. Flat and arched back straps are included to further tailor the grip to each indi- vidual offi cer’s hands. The top of the extractor is painted red to serve as a loaded chamber indicator. It pops out slightly to the right side when a cartridge is stripped from the magazine and seated in the chamber.
A dual-coil recoil spring on a steel guide rod is light enough to allow manual racking of the slide without the need for super-human hand strength. Some compact pistols require undue force to work their actions, but the FNS Com- pact is neither too light nor too strong.
Front and rear steel sights are dovetailed and the test pistol came with the common three white-painted dots. The front dot is large and the rear sight sports a V-shape in the bottom of its notch. This is the Warren/Sevigny design and it’s also an available option as a tritium night sight. The rear V-shape sight works well in the real world. It allows your eye to pick up the front white dot quickly. The sight is angled to prevent it from snagging during a draw and it has horizontal serra- tions to cut glare. It’s also mounted as far back as possible to provide the longest possible sight radius.
Field stripping the FNS Compact is straightforward. Start
Field stripping the FNS is requires little effort. The steel rear sight has a V-shaped notch at the bottom of its squared shape, which lines up fast with the front sight’s white dot.
by locking the slide to the rear and inspecting the chamber to be sure it’s empty. Rotate the takedown lever and then ease the slide forward until it loses spring tension. It will not continue to move forward off the frame until you pull the trigger. Then it will slide forward off the frame and you can lift out the cap- tive recoil spring and guide. The barrel simply lifts out of the slide as well. After clean- ing and lubrication, the steps are reversed, but the slide is just racked all the way to the rear and held there by the slide stop while the takedown lever is returned to its horizontal position.
The FNS Compact is an excellent choice for an off-duty pistol, whether an officer carries an FNH-USA product on duty or another brand.
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