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. Whereas the rest of their striker-fired pistol offerings have a Smith and Wesson-like hinged trigger, the 503 has a bifurcated trigger a la Springfield Armory. Both guns also feature a modular platform and the 503 allows the shooter to change grip assemblies. Like the 509, the 503s metalwork receives a salt-bath, ferritic nitrocarburizing treatment that protects against metallic corrosion and scuffing. Kydex against the skin is painful; leather against the skin is comfortable. If you like shooting the FN 509, youre going to love carrying the FN 503. With all of the anticipation for this pistol, it wasclear to a lot of holster makers that they should hit the ground running with carry rigs for the G43. The 503 will be as easy to conceal as other comparable guns, which is to say that you can wear it under light clothing without printing, as a backup or a deep-cover hideout. It also carries well. Several comments from 290 owners said it wasnt necessary. Pushing out to 25, it was still on paperman torso. He serves as an NRA certified pistol instructor and pursues a variety of firearms based hobbies. The companystatedthat the TGL will also fit the newer G43, and I confirmed it during this testing. Your email address will not be published. Yes its made in Croatia but the Hellcat checks all the boxes for me. 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. Capacity matters in any concealed carry pistol. The Glock 43 has those lame plastic sights, a decent grip texture, and thats it. This pistol was loaned, not given, to me by Glock as part of another article I did for Harris Publications. And if you shoot mostly indoors, as I do, over-the-ear muffs like the electronic Pro Ears Silver 22 offer the most protection. However, she said that it was only a problem from the standpoint of fatigue setting in sooner, not from an inability to control the recoil. Anything with the Glock title also has an almost immediately massive aftermarket. I tried a range of pocket holsters and simply could not find one that worked for me. We havent cleaned it yet and dont plan on it until the testing is complete. Havent shot it yet as Im waiting for the NICS check. Great content. Surprisingly, the gun had to grow on me a little before I truly accepted it. I guess that just seems like a curious choice in such a quality firearm - and at a great price. The TaurusTX 22 Compact delivers class-leading reliability, capacity, and shootability in a 22 LR platform, and it's cut for a slide-mounted mini red dot. What do you like about it? Is carryability a word? In any case, the sight dovetails appear to be the same as the 509, so it's conceivable that you'll be able to get aftermarket sights for them. All work on firearms should be carried out by a licensed individual and all state and federal rules apply to such. I just purchased one. Im still hoping that Glock will introduce a single-stack version of the Glock 19. The Hellcat is slimmer by a mere .06 inches, but it bears mentioning. The FN 503 ships in an FN-branded zipper case and has two mags. Such a practice is heavily regulated and subject to applicable laws. Although I like the Shield, Im currently carrying the G43. If this gun served daily duty as my defense pistol, Id swap out the utilitarian thee-dot sights. Quick Cash Offer Get Offer We make you an quick cash offer online We find the dealer that offers you the most money Required fields are marked *. Which do you prefer, and why? We'll only use the information provided according to our privacy policy. I own several Glock pistols and all are outstanding in function, reliability and accuracy. 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 But, Ive experienced what youve described when shooting some other guns. Width: 1 in. Great review, Been looking at cc 9 and 380 guns for awhile. Did you or your shooters have any complaints or failures to lock on empty with the thumbs-forward grip? For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. 17 more deals from guns.com . And if it doesis it the right one for you? The most pronounced difference between the FN 503 and the 509 is, of course, size. Not by much; it's like an extra " compared to other guns of this class. Glock has a factory in Smyrna, GA. FNs are coming out of SC so they have a neighboring fued of sorts going on. You can always remove the texture, but it is a lot harder to add it so the fact that the FN 503 is super grippy puts it to the better end of the scale in my opinion. The advanced texture provides a tight, aggressive grip of the pistol despite its thin profile. From the magazine springs to the metals finish, and the grip texturing to the muzzles recessed target-like crown, I find that every aspect of the FN 503 is well designed for serious shooters. My impression is that the 503 looks, feels, and is finished like a $450 gun that sells for around $450. However, it does do better than the Glock G43s 6 round standard while keeping the size smaller but even the Glock has magazine extensions that can bring the magazine up to 10 rounds. I like it overall. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Caliber: 9mm; Operation: Striker fired However, an extra 30-40 fps might help a 9mm hollow point bullet expand in flesh after encountering clothing. Glock G43X 9Mm Pistol 3.6" 10Rd, Robin Egg Glock G43X Mos 9Mm 3.4" 10Rd Optic Ready Glock G43X 9Mm 3.41" 10Rd Operator Flag Cerakote. Stay in the know. Weve got a dedicated section for the AR-15 here. 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 Looking into buying one and dont want to get ripped off! How does the 503 compare to other similar-size guns in this category? Learning how to shoot at a young age in the Boy Scouts, David now spends most of his time working on or with firearms. Im buying one for my personal use, and I expect it will be my daily carry for any time I am not testing another pistol. Sure you have more options with a Glock but we are talking about concealed carry guns and many people will not enhance them much. MSRP is $549, a price lower at retailers. Your email address will not be published. The rear slide serrations are deep enough to provide plenty of purchase. Ive got a pretty solid feel for this pistol, and I hope I can relate that to you. I found the stock trigger uncomfortable to shoot and replaced it with an RTK. Even she couldnt get a full grip on the gun with the six-round magazine in place. In the process of shrinking guns, some cut corners. Ive got afull review of the TLR-6 here. I recently moved from a very restrictive state to a state that allows me more carry choices. With all of the expectations associated with this gun, there is a lot of pressure on Glock to deliver. After that article was done, Glock granted me an extension to hold onto the gun for an addition 60 days for this review. How do these two handguns stack up against eachother? First is the grip housing. The Aftermarket Embraces FN's 509 The new-for-2023 lineup includes ultralight hunting stocks and a VGA 2-pound adjustable vertical-grip stock. Born in southeastern Washington State, Sam Hoober graduated in 2011 from Eastern Washington University. As nice as the FN 503 is, it does have some shortcomings. Thanks again. Field stripping the 503 required removing the magazine from the unloaded gun, retracting the slide and aligning the slide-stop lug and disassembly notch. Installation is quick and simple: two halves clamp over the trigger guard and three screws hold them in place. I can't find any more info on it now that the post is down but they said a MSRP of . The grip is slightly narrower than the slide at .89 inch, and the depth of the grip is roughly 2.2 inches. I dont think there is a wrong choice. The average encounter is likely to be over before you can get to that second magazine, even if it is in a good place to access. 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. They are not, however, exactly identicalto full size Glock pistol sights. The magazine release is marketed as being oversized but it feels fairly normal-sized to us, however that is saying something since this is a sub-compact CCW. The Glock 43 packs six rounds, and thats it. Great, thanks for the response. Even like it more than the P365. Loaded the 8 round mag, racked the slide then took out the magazine out. Do you think FN has provided a worthy challenger to the Hellcat, Shield, the Sig Sauer P365, or even the Glock 43? This super-slim striker-fired autoloader pistol was designed withconcealed carryin mind. We at Guns & Ammo think so. Glock G43X For Sale . I love the back scene but Id be worried Id drop the gun or parts into the water. It helped push me toward the Hellcat. If youre worried about keeping the FN 503 as small and concealable as possible, you can opt for the standard capacity magazines. [Hands-on + Video]. Zimmerman VS Elvis. The FN has a relatively low bore-axis. Pro Ears Silver 22: Electronic Earmuffs Under $100. The smallest pistol that the storied firearms maker has produced in the past 40 years, the new FN 503 is a micro-compact 9mm that can fill a lot of needs for todays gun buyer. FN never really makes a bad gun and the FN 503 is no exception. Yours are likely to vary in some degree from mine. We did notice that the gun proved a bit more accurate with the longer mag/grip inserted. About half of this test took place in the midst of a steady rain. I got about the same with Remington HTP 115 grain +P as you did with Federal 9BPLE. 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. I am currently considering a switch from a Shield 9mm to the Glock 43, but was curious if you have any input on that issue. As I stated earlier in this review, my first taste of the handgun was tepid. Bob Meinert, FN Marketing Director, introduces FN's first commercial pistol suppressor, the FN Rush 9Ti. The Hellcat can catch-up, but at the time of this article, the Glock 43 kicks the Hellcats butt aftermarket-wise. GO TAURUS!!!!!!!!! Due to lack of inventory I didnt have much choice . Your email address will not be published. Its centered and wide as opposed to thin and offset on the Kahr. Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine gunner who served with 2nd Bn 2nd Marines for 5 years. With that being said I do like it. Extra points for that oversized slide release. The new 503 also ships with one six-round magazine with pinky extender and one eight-round magazine with grip sleeve in FN's standard soft-sided zippered case. However, the Glock is lighter. The Glock 43 comes with two six-round magazines, and the Hellcat comes with an 11 and 13 round magazine. 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. All Rights Reserved. One of those pistols was the Glock 43 detailed in this review. There is a slide-stop lever serrated at both the top and bottom for use as a slide release, also. The FN 503 ships in an FN-branded zipper case and has two mags. If you pick one up, make sure you get yourself an FN 503 holster to go with it. But how does it compare against the P365 and G43? I dont seem to have the same problem with the Shield. Fn 503 Pistol 9Mm 3.1 Barrel 8-Round/6-Round Includes Fn 503 9Mm Luger 3.1In Matte Black Pistol Psa Dagger Compact 9Mm Pistol With Extreme Carry Springfield Armory Firstline 1911 Ds Prodigy Aos 9Mm Springfield 1911 Prodigy 9Mm, 5" Barrel, Fo Front, We find the dealer that offers you the most money. The extended slide stop and the fenced-off reversible magazine-release have a raised texture. guns & Im very glad I gave the G43 another test drive. Glock G43X vs FN Reflex. Zero issues from round 3 through 500. Fn 503 4 more deals from guns.com 379.99 View Deal Fn American 503 9Mm 3.1" 8+1 Pistol -. The slide locked back on an empty mag time after time. This is a Good crime solving site in sris lawyer, The most typical interactions with police enforcement personnel are traffic stops, thus it is crucial to understand how to respond in this circumstance. (All Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com). I certainly dont think the SIG is a bad choice, just not the best for me. Across all of these, the Glock performed with 100% reliability. You'll now receive newsletters of our best articles on techniques, Personally, I believe that is a lot of worry over nothing for most people. For me, the gun did not work wellfor pocket carry. 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. I got this today and mine has a built in lasermax flashing/ solid (blinding)flashlight. The 503 is a true subcompact. I would be a liar to suggest that Im happy about leaving a 15-round magazine behind for a 6-rounder. Further, being steel rather than plastic as often seen today, they allow for realistic one-handed emergency manipulation of the slide if needed. I doubt FN was going after a single brand such as Glock. Just buy extra mags. Your Cart is Empty When carrying, the FN 503 is almost indistinguishable from the popular G43, P365 and XD-S. The TGL mounted easily to my G43. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Lastly for the 503 is MSRP, which comes in at $549. The Glock 43 has taken a beating this article. Speaking about that texture, the grip is aggressive, which is something I like. First off there were two malfunctions during the first 100 rounds. I own both and I carried the 43 for a long time, for me the winner would have to be the hellcat but to be fair to glock you cant beat its reliability, it is a Glock after all! Glock G43X 9Mm 3.39" 10Rd Pistol W/ Ameriglo Glock G43X 9Mm 3.41In 10Rd Black Pistol (Px4350201). You can check out my full review of the LaserLyte laser here. We are continuing our test and eval of the FN 503, hoping to push it out to 2,000 rounds while putting at least 100 more hours of carrying on it, so watch this space for that review in the coming weeks. 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Aggressive grip of the slide locked back on an empty mag time after.. Anything with the Shield, Im currently carrying the G43 pocket carry with gun! Are not, however, fn 503 vs glock 43 identicalto full size Glock pistol sights out my full of... It & # x27 ; s like an extra & quot ; 8+1 pistol - 503s metalwork receives a,!