SILENCER SATURDAY #141: FN 509 Compact Tactical – 9mm Quiet Time

Good evening fellow hush lovers and thanks for joining us on the Labor Day weekend edition on TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by the good people at Yankee Hill Machine- manufacturers of the R9 multipurpose suppressor. In fact, we got an initial look at the YHM R9 last week and we’ll be following it up with some side by side comparisons shortly. Today I wanted to show off a new host I’ve been having a bit fun with – the FN 509 Compact Tactical. With a threaded barrel and suppressor height sights/optics options, this gun was born to be suppressed. Let’s take a look.

• REVIEW: Suppressing The FNX 45 Tactical Pistol with a SilencerCo Octane 45HD
• Optics And Suppressor Ready! New FN 509 Compact Tactical Pistol
• FN America Introduces New FN 509 Midsize MRD in FDE
• New FN 509 Midsize & Tactical Black from FN

There’s just something about a compact pistol with a small-profile silencer that evokes feelings of clandestine operations and spy tradecraft. But there is also utility in a small suppressor host that takes you out of comic book fantasies and back into the real world. Land owners and outdoor adventures may have a need for quiet plinking or pest control. When it comes to home defense, a small suppressed handgun helps with secure storage, ease of deployment, navigating confined spaces and should the worst happen, preserving your hearing when discharging a round indoors.

Four years ago I reviewed the FNX 45 Tactical, and going against popular opinion, it wasn’t my favorite pistol suppressor host – mostly because it is chambered in a round I don’t normally stockpile. But the FN 509 Compact Tactical is a real pleasure to suppress, with no noticeable blowback, a solid trigger and a comfortable grip.

https://fnamerica.com/products/fn-509-series/fn-509-compact-tactical-fde/

From the makers of the world’s most battle-proven firearms®, comes the release of the FN 509® Compact Tactical, the smallest and most concealable 9mm tactical pistol available on the market. Easily deployed as an everyday carry with the standard 12- or 15-round magazines or on the range with the extended 24-round magazine, giving 51 rounds of ammunition at the ready. The 4.3-inch cold hammer-forged threaded barrel makes it compatible with today’s most popular aftermarket accessories like compensators or suppressors and the FN Low-Profile Optics-Mounting System™, capable of accepting more than 10 miniature red dots, rounds out this compact tactical pistol.

• CALIBER: 9mm
• OPERATION: Double-action
• MAG CAPACITY: 10 or 12/15/24 Rd.
• WEIGHT: 26.2 oz.
• BARREL LENGTH: 4.32″
• OVERALL LENGTH: 7.4″
• TWIST RATE: 1:10″ RH
• HEIGHT: 5.3″
• WIDTH: 1.35″
• TRIGGER PULL: 5.5 – 7.5 lb.
• SIGHT RADIUS: 5.6″
• Striker-fired autoloader
  
• 5.5 to 7.5 lbs. Trigger pull
  
• FN Low Profile Optics Mounting System
  
• Threaded Barrel
• Suppressor Height Trijicon 3-Dot Green Tritium Night Sights
• MSRP: $1,049

Pricing the whole package together, the street price ends up only being slightly higher than a standard pistol with a host of aftermarket upgrades, without the additional ordering and shipping wait times. While I really like the SCAR-esque two tone FDE color scheme, there is a black compact tactical available for the puritans among us.

For the most part, the results are what most would expect: the Octane 45HD is the quietest, followed by the Odessa (depending on the number of baffles). But with a wipe and some ablative material, the Poseidon is surprisingly effective for the first 8-10 shots. That setup is light, simple and extremely compact. Either the Odessa or Poseidon make for a very compact pocket setup.

I have yet to find the perfect holster for a small, suppressed woods gun. The RagnarockSD from TREX Arms uses the weaponlight as an attachment point, but it’s footprint is fairly large for a small handgun with a small suppressor. The same thing goes for the SureFire Masterfire holster.