FNX-45: FN Herstal's .45 ACP Joint Combat Pistol

FN America introduced the FNX-45—a hammer-fired semi-automatic pistol, chambered in .45 ACP—in October 2012. It is modeled after the FNP handgun the company entered for consideration in the U.S. military’s 2007 U.S. Joint Combat Pistol Program, so adaptability to a wide variety of shooter sizes and preferences comes as no surprise.  

The FNX-45 manual safety is ambidextrous, for example. So are the magazine release and slide stop. The gun ships with two interchangeable backstraps with lanyard eyelets and the polymer frame’s grip is checkered to maintain control with gloves or sweaty palms. The front of the trigger guard is serrated and a mil-spec accessory rail on the dustcover provides ample space for mounting lights and lasers.

The gun is designed to survive military abuse, too. Both the slide and cold-hammer forged barrel are constructed from stainless steel. Feed ramp and chamber on the 4.5” barrel are polished. The extractor is external and there is a loaded-chamber indicator. Cocking serrations on the hammer ensure positive operation. Slide and hammer are finished in matte black, although the polymer frame is available in either black or flat dark earth.

Each gun ships with two magazines, either 10- or 15-round capacity. Weight of the FNX-45 empty comes in at 33.2 ozs. and overall length is 7.9”. Standard sights are three-dot, but tritium versions are available as an upgrade. MSRP for handgun starts at $824.

FN America also offers another pair of versions, the FNX-45 Tactical and FNX-45 Tactical FDE. Both come with a threaded barrel with its length increased to 5.3”. They retain all the fire control advantages and performance of the standard model, but they come with four backstraps instead of two and the slide is pre-cut for optics (two red-dot mounting plates are included). Gun weight goes up to 33.3 ozs. and to clear the suppressor most of these pistols will ultimately wear, the handguns have raised, three-dot Trijicon tritium night sights. MSRP for either tactical model comes in at $1,349.

When American Rifleman ran an FNX-45 Tactical FDE model through the paces in 2018 it performed admirably during range sessions. Here’s a look at that video report.