Originally (as I understand it) this gun was not intended for the US market as FN already has plenty of models here. According to the below gun show video, that has apparently changed. Although who knows if that will actually happen, and the US polymer 9mm market is already awash in guns.

I had thought that this was just another flavor of 509, but evidently that's not the case?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUeWRvDR-Q4

We'll have to see how it shoots. But with the present controversy over the Sig P320 FN may have an opening in the U.S. law enforcement market.

Doubtful. Unless Safariland already makes a holster for it, it’s DOA.

Curious as to why FN would want to add this to an already crowded US market. Maybe it's not selling well and they want to try to boost sales?

Nice to see people are still trying to get the benefit of a Glock-type safety tab in the face of the trigger - but without the Glock-type safety tab in the face of the trigger.

As for the already crowded US market, does the 509 really sell all that well? If the HiPer really sells reasonably well, is the 509 somehow special enough for FN to keep producing and selling it?

Regarding pistol manufacturers in the US, the various online statistics sources have FN ranked number 9, 10, or 11 depending on year. Behind the usual suspects such as S&W, SIG, Glock, Ruger, Beretta, etc. One chart I saw had them ranked one notch below SCCY.

As far as I'm aware, FN makes decent handguns. Guess they just don't have broad appeal with all the other choices out there.

it looks to me like an FN version of the SP2022 with a safety.

https://fnherstal.com/en/security/handguns/fn-hiper/

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
it looks to me like an FN version of the SP2022 with a safety.

Yeah? Looks to me like a Beretta APX with Down’s Syndrome.

FN’s current USA pistol line is very conservative. All of them are excellent, but other than the Five-seveN and maybe the reimagined HP, none of them are terribly exciting. The HiPer looks different enough to maybe shake things up a little. I’ll buy one, but I also have to wonder what they’re thinking bringing it here. The market is really crowded. On the other hand, it might also just be established enough in the European market that it’s not even a risk (i.e. they only stand to gain).

To add another gun to the pile, Taurus is supposedly coming out with the "TX-9". There's one or two videos on Youtube, but otherwise very little else.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
it looks to me like an FN version of the SP2022 with a safety.

https://fnherstal.com/en/security/handguns/fn-hiper/

Perhaps the "safety" is actually the slide stop? The blurb says "unique slide catch location"...

Looks like a hair dryer to me. Not sure why FN needs yet another crappy polymer pistol that will be discontinued in 2 years.

Looks kind of Taurusy. The more I look at it, the worse it gets. With the taller/optic sights, it reminds me of the Martin Short character "Ed Grimley".

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
it looks to me like an FN version of the SP2022 with a safety.

Yeah? Looks to me like a Beretta APX with Down’s Syndrome.

LOL

quote:

Originally posted by 1KPerDay:

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
it looks to me like an FN version of the SP2022 with a safety.

https://fnherstal.com/en/security/handguns/fn-hiper/

Perhaps the "safety" is actually the slide stop? The blurb says "unique slide catch location"...

Looks like a hair dryer to me. Not sure why FN needs yet another crappy polymer pistol that will be discontinued in 2 years.

Correct, that’s the slide stop lever. The HiPer doesn’t have a manual safety. I won’t say anything for sure until I handle one, but it looks like that slide stop lever angle and location will help prevent one’s thumb from riding it, to ensure that the slide locks back on an empty magazine even with a high grip.

It's revolting that the name of this unnecessary pistol is a corruption of "High Power".

The High Power is legendary, but this thing will be on closeout at CDNN in 18 months.

This thing was intended for the military and police markets. Wonder if FN has made any sales to date?

quote:

Originally posted by MacGyver:

quote:

Originally posted by 1KPerDay:

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
it looks to me like an FN version of the SP2022 with a safety.

https://fnherstal.com/en/security/handguns/fn-hiper/

Perhaps the "safety" is actually the slide stop? The blurb says "unique slide catch location"...

Looks like a hair dryer to me. Not sure why FN needs yet another crappy polymer pistol that will be discontinued in 2 years.

Correct, that’s the slide stop lever. The HiPer doesn’t have a manual safety. I won’t say anything for sure until I handle one, but it looks like that slide stop lever angle and location will help prevent one’s thumb from riding it, to ensure that the slide locks back on an empty magazine even with a high grip.

Interesting. To me that looks RIGHT IN THE WAY of a high thumbs grip. I guess we'll see.

^^^I can see that happening as well, especially given different shapes/sizes of hands. In my own experience though, slide stop levers only cause problems when they are at the distal phalanx (I had to look up the technical term for thumb pad ) of the thumb. I have this problem with P220-type SIG Sauers and P30 HKs (though I usually avoid too high of a grip on those anyway). However, I don’t have this problem with Glocks (slide stop lever sits just ahead of distal phalanx for me). The slide stop lever on this FN looks like it’ll sit way behind (under the proximal phalanx, and mine is usually slightly raised when I get a proper grip).

Great time to bring out another striker fired pistol with no trigger safety tab.

I noticed that too. It might be internal?