Could care less about capacity issue. The truly amazing trigger makes this a much nicer gun to shoot out of the box than many other options on the market right now. 1174 vs. 1178 That was unexpected. The FN 503 features metal three-dot luminescent sights dovetailed into the slide. The 503 is a new entry that borrows cues and the . The 503 series is FN's first sub-compact, striker-fired semiautomatic pistol. We'll send you the latest guides and training tips geared The truly amazing trigger makes this a much nicer gun to shoot out of the box than many other options on the market right now. Both guns also feature a modular platform and the 503 allows the shooter to change grip assemblies. Too many issues and my M&P Shields have had zero malfunctions. But, Ive experienced what youve described when shooting some other guns. She would up picking the Shield for her daily driver. Not only does the added capacity reduce the frequency of reloads, but it also offers more real estate to grip. Others here in the AGH offices thought much the same; at first the grip seems weird because of the longitudinal width, but you start to appreciate it pretty quickly. I can't find any more info on it now that the post is down but they said a MSRP of . FN 503 Specs. Meet the all-new Taurus Judge Executive Grade, a revolver featuring a hand-polished satin finish, presentation-grade wood grips, a brass rod front sight and an exceptional hand-tuned trigger. I have tested most of them and it would be a mistake to not consider this fine shooting, well built firearm. A hex wrench is included for mounting the light and making aiming adjustments. The 365 and 365 XL along with the Hellcat have set the bar. The companystatedthat the TGL will also fit the newer G43, and I confirmed it during this testing. With water dripping off the frame and muzzle, the 503 just kept running and grouping holes on paper. I really appreciate it. The FN503 is a fine well built firearm and great shooter. Fn 503 4 more deals from guns.com 379.99 View Deal Fn American 503 9Mm 3.1" 8+1 Pistol -. The red laser is quite bright though like all red lasers, it is not going to show up well in full daylight. In the course of a few range trips, we ran a bit over 500 rounds through our fresh-from-the-box FN 503, mostly Federal American Eagle 115-grain 9mm. Learn the 3 most popular shooting stances & more. However, instead of mounting to an accessory rail, this unit attaches to the trigger guard. There has been a lot of ballyhoo on the internet about the relatively limited magazine capacity of the G43. Great content. With that being said, we also made sure to drop some Wolf, PMC, and Winchester loads through the gun as well as some with 124- and 147-grain bullets and both FMJ and JHPs. Several comments from 290 owners said it wasnt necessary. FNs first entry into the sea of slim-line pistols on the market breaks down like this: The FN 503 is a seriously slim 9mm and features an advanced texture for a secure, comfortable grip. Its solid and reliable. Looks like a beautifully made, quality firearm. Although I think it would behoove you to read the complete review, Ill save the time crunched reader with my bottom line: the gun is very good, though not for everyone. Loaded the 8 round mag, racked the slide then took out the magazine out. Is the G43 still a good choice for CCW and as a backup gun? Even she couldnt get a full grip on the gun with the six-round magazine in place. With an MSRP of $549, has FN brought a true contender to the table with the 503? It runs. My Glock 19 and Smith & Wesson 642 are my reliable standbys, though Ive also carried pistols from Kahr, Bersa, Springfield Armory and SIG Sauer in addition to other models of Glock and S&W. For this review, I was able to get a TLR-6, and I already had a TGL on hand. What cant be accomplished as quickly is whether or not this gun will run the distance, but Ill attest that it will. I didnt have a fancy rig, but I tried it out with an old Uncle Mikes holster I have. Trigger pull was right at 5-pounds every single time we tested it, which is a lighter than many polymer-framed guns of similar size, namely the Sig P365 and Glock G43. My wife bought a G42 about 7 months ago and loves it. During the class, the gun was shot by a petite homeschooling momand an athletic male firefighter. After a few hours, I was hooked on the gun. Hand-Picked Daily GUN DEALS, and Exclusive Coupons Codes >>>, Springfield Hellcat with its 11 round standard mag, Good ergonomics even with large hands with the extended mag, Needs some breaking-in of about 100 rounds for the gun to shoot reliably, Lower capacity mags 6 rounds for standard, 8 rounds for extended, Comes with 6 round and 8 round extended mag. The extended slide stop and the fenced-off reversible magazine-release have a raised texture. Maybe not enough to deal with a methed up zombie or a Mall shooter with an AK-47 but I dont go out much after dark.or do much shopping. The 503 is a worthy addition to the FN family and fills a sensible gap in the brands recent history. Summer Local Champion of Firearm Safety by NSSFs Project ChildSafe. Im a long-time Glock shooter, but my first experience with the gun was not especially grand. How has it held up? Brian Keene. I have little doubt that if the time came, I could adequately defend myself with it. For roughly 20 years, there has been a clamor among the Glock faithful for a single-stack 9mm pistol. The Hellcat is also shorter at 4 inches tall, and the 43 is a quarter inch taller. After a break-in period, this gun ran without any issues. FN 503 Glock G43 vs FN 503 FN 503 vs Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield Plus Taurus G2c vs FN 503 Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield vs FN 503 FN 509 vs FN 509 Midsize FN 509 vs Sig Sauer P320 X-Carry FN 509 vs FN 502 FN 509 vs Heckler & Koch VP9 FN 509 vs Sig Sauer P365 XL Sig Sauer P365 vs FN 503 Glock G43 vs FN 503 FN 503 vs Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield Plus Ultimately, it's a single-stack subcompact striker-fired pistol, so by now everyone knows what that's like. There's a flush-fit magazine and an extended magazine that ships with the gun; pretty standard stuff for a pistol of this size. It seems half the buyers love it, while half had problems. Drag/drop and reorder the handguns to compare on top of eachother, New handguns and the best gun and ammo deals straight to your inbox, Striker-Fired Subcompact Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger. Dubbed the 503, it borrows mechanical influence and design architecture from the companys 509 series. anything extra and your But the magazine capacity does hold it back, we hope to see that change soon but for right now at least if more rounds on your person is important to you the FN 503 does fall short. and he had no problems. Glock G43X. There are a few design features that I would change about the 503, but those come down to personal taste. The longer magazine also reduces shooter fatigue when firing string after string. Looking at the spec sheet it seems simple, but the attention to detail can be found in almost every manner from the outstanding trigger (for a sub-compact) to the great ergonomics. It has a very decent trigger, with smooth takeup and travel, a crisp, clean break and a positive, audible reset. Glock G43vsFN 503 GlockG43 Striker-Fired Subcompact Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger Check Price vs FN503 Striker-Fired Subcompact Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger Check Price Glock G43 For Sale Glock G43 13 more deals from guns.com 419.99 View Deal 13 more deals from guns.com Glock G43 guns.com 420.99 View Deal Glock G43 guns.com The frame offers plenty of room for a thumbs-forward shooting position, and while the almost flush-fit six-round magazine will leave most shooters grip with a pinky finger unsupported, the eight-round magazine has enough to maintain confident control. Some chafe at strong texture (see what we did there) but it is something that can be modded by the end-user with some sandpaper. Overall, it's a very decent pistol, though it's about 5 years late to the game. While not breaking out the lead sled and match ammo, close-in accuracy while shooting off hand was decent, with the gun able to consistently pop plates at 10 yards. The Hellcat can catch-up, but at the time of this article, the Glock 43 kicks the Hellcats butt aftermarket-wise. All Rights Reserved. A solution could be to carry the 6-rounder inserted and the 7-round mag as a backup on the one is none, two is one mantra of EDC. Spec sheets are nice, but they cant really tell the whole story. Jacques has completed hundreds of hours of firearms training including USCCAs Street Encounters and Low Light/No Light Training, she is a graduate of theGunsite Academy, and wasnameda S.A.F.E. FN 503 Specifications Type: Striker-Fired, Recoil-Operated, Semi-Automatic Cartridge: 9mm Luger Capacity: 6+1 rds., 8+1 rds. The striker block eliminates the risk of the striker contacting the primer without the trigger being pulled, the trigger disconnect prevents the gun from firing out of battery, and the trigger safety eliminates the risk of the trigger moving rearward by inertia if the gun were dropped. In a post-Sig P365 world, just about everyone is coming out with a slim, streamlined, 9mm sub-compact CCW gun. Reflex . Ill offer a bit of advice: Dont leave the eight-round magazine behind when you take your 503 to the range. Did you or your shooters have any complaints or failures to lock on empty with the thumbs-forward grip? Mike youre such a champ. Compared to other sub-compact guns, the FN 503 is a great choice given the crisp factory trigger, reliability, and price point. Ive tried a lot of different guns for concealed carry over the years, and Ive been pleased with quite a few of them. However, an extra 30-40 fps might help a 9mm hollow point bullet expand in flesh after encountering clothing. For what its worth, my wife shot several guns side-by-side including the G43 and Shield. Bravo to FN! I dont know if this is suggestive of a quality control problem, but I had no problems with my unit. Surprisingly, the gun had to grow on me a little before I truly accepted it. With several hundred rounds, neither shooter experienced a single malfunction with the gun. Subscriber Services. Would you do a little more indepth take down, like removing the striker and block for cleaning then reassemble and test function. We will be discussing the features of each one, along with the associated benefits. Stoeger Cougar 8000 9mm: Newer Isn't Always Better. Sound off in the comments, we want to hear from you! There have not yet been any malfunctions with this pistol.). If you need a top tier CCW, the FN 503 needs to be in the consideration. With a bit of forward cant, even the thinnest, smallest shooter can pack this gun in summer dress. Stay in the know. The slab-sided grip presents micro-texturing on the sides and pronounced square checkering molded to the front and backstraps for better recoil control. This gives the Hellcat nearly 50% more ammo in a flush-fitting magazine. However, the Glock is lighter. With sig 365 and Springfield hellcat there is no need for this unless you want the FN name. It also hardens the metal, so the 503 is well-equipped to resist exposure to moisture and perspiration. Glock often rests on their laurels, and the Glock 43 is a prime example of Glock not willing to push design forward. Thinking about getting a Kahr CM9 but I noticed the straightforward feed ramp on the FN. But I didnt have that instant liking that I did with the G19. So, two failures and it gets 5 out of 5? Glock Delivers on Performance Trigger Upgrade. Glock 43X 43 X G43X All Black . The white light is bright enough to positively identify threats, but is not overwhelming like some of the current full-size weapon lights on the market today. I suspect the reason is feels slightly heavy has to do withmy finger placement on the trigger being different than that on the full size pistols. The low and to the left spread is more an issue with the shooter rather than the gun. The new rifle is built on an aluminum billet chassis with carbon-fiber forend and cheek riser featuring V-block bedding. The gun has been around for a few years now, so its been tested and pushed to the breaking point, and we all collectively know that the Glock 43 kicks butt in the reliability department for long term usage. With so many shooters remarking that striker-fired pistols only have spongy, heavy draws, I encourage you to try the 503s the next time you're in a gun store. Id not base a handgun purchase decision around this, but I consider it a nice bonus. Psa 5.7 Rock Pistol Optics Ready W/ Threaded Psa Dagger Compact 9Mm Pistol With Extreme Carry Rock Island 1911 Tactical 9Mm 5" 8Rd Pistol. It has a better shape and is wider than the stock trigger. As you may already know, the Glock 43 is a compact 9mm pistol, similar in size to the Smith & Wesson Shield, Walther PPS and Kahr CM9. When we move on to larger handguns give me a slightly more expensive but better made H&K any day. Best 9mm Sidearm Pistol Contenders Right off the bat, all six test guns have polymer frames and steel slides. The advanced texture provides a tight, aggressive grip of the pistol despite its thin profile. Fixen to buy the 509c too. The Glock 43 has taken a beating this article. Much prefer a reversible option. A lot of ink, both real and virtual, has been spilled over the Glock 43 pistol. Which one is right for you?https://www.yss.org/donate/Here is a link to donate to a loc. I love both the 503 and 509! How does the 503 compare to other similar-size guns in this category? Give a Gift Required fields are marked *. It did have a little bit longer reset than I would like but it wasnt anything that ruined my day. Joe Kurtenbach, Executive Editor of Gun & Ammo, and John Myles from Smith & Wesson discuss features of the Equalizer 9mm micro-compact pistol and new-for-2023 M&P 5.7. Glock G42 vs FN 503 Glock G42 Striker-Fired Subcompact Pistol Chambered in 380 ACP Check Price vs FN 503 Striker-Fired Subcompact Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger Check Price Dimensions Details Capacity Dimensions Customary Metric Want to sell a firearm? It does not havethe modular backstrap system than the larger guns have. So we put the FN 503 against some of the other giants in the category for you to get a better idea of just how small this sub-compact is. I bought one a week ago and I love it its back up to my Beretta. What do you think of the FN 503? Get Our Top Shooting Drills and Zeroing Targets ($47 value - but FREE for a limited time). Learn all the important stuff about handgunswith none of the attitude. Check Price . We'll only use the information provided according to our privacy policy. Because the FN 503 is a pistol that is obviously a clean-sheet-of-paper design, domestically produced right here in South Carolina, and aimed right at the U.S. concealed-carry market. Lol. However, I wanted to get the G43 back on the range and find out if I really liked it or not. FN never really makes a bad gun and theFN 503is no exception. The grip housing of the FN 503 is wider from front-to-back than the Shield, the Glock 43 and other guns of that type, with a slightly longer trigger reach as a result. Sure, the guns accurate, but more importantly its built well and functions predictably. They are as follows: The FN 503 has knurling on the front and back of the grips, with texturing on the side panels of the grip housing. However, the FN 503 impressed G&As staff for its build quality, materials and reliability. Thanks in advance ! GO TAURUS!!!!!!!!! Installation is quick and simple: two halves clamp over the trigger guard and three screws hold them in place. The bulk of what we shot was Federal American Eagle red box 115-grain FMJs. 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