Cybergun FNH FNX-45 Tactical GBB Pistol

Operator7

13 Apr 2016

I must confess, I have not used a side arm for about 10 months now. The reason behind this is because I wasn’t finding in the market a gun that would make want to have it. Especially most of the games I have been playing during the last 8-9 months were in the woodlands where you usually can manage without a sidearm.

However, recently I started going to some more CQB sites, such as Blitz CQB (which I reviewed here) and started to feel the need of having a gun for more close quarter situations or when I’m using my DMR, the Ares M110 SASS.

The trigger moment happened when I saw the recent release of the FNX-45 by Cybergun. I knew I had to have that gun!

DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY AND ERGONOMICS

The design is really what makes this gun stand apart from most pistols out there. That, plus the colour since its high density polymer frame and metal slide come in two different shades of tan.

In fact, the colour coordination reminds me of the SCAR series, another great product from FN Herstal. The frame is in flat dark earth and the metal slide is more golden brown and made out of stainless steels. It just looks amazing, and you either love it (like I do) or you don’t have to hate it, since Cybergun has also released the black version of this gun.

Another thing that catches the eye is how tactical this gun is: the raised metal sights, the long and protruding stainless steel barrel with the thread protector, the great looking skeletonised hammer, the serrated slide, the rail and the long grip, are all features that add to the tacticoolness of this gas blowback pistol.

The whole setup is an amalgamation of small and simple tactical solutions seen in just one gun; and the result is surprisingly nice in looks and mostly when it comes to usability.

Even though it looks like a very large gun when compared to a Glock 18, the dimensions are pretty much the same on the frame and slide when I put them side by side. The difference is only when it comes to the barrel, since it protrudes in order to accommodate the thread for the suppressor; it is slightly longer than the Glock. Apart from that, they have pretty much the same dimensions.

Being that this is an extremely close Airsoft replica of the real steel FNX-45 (the commercial and upgraded version of the military FNP-45 created by FN Herstal for a pistol replacement program ran by the U.S. military) which is a .45 calibre gun.

So all the bells and whistles as I mentioned before are there, and one of the most sought after is the rail cut that allows you to put an RMR or docter sight on the slide without much effort.

When it comes to the build quality, this is my first ever Cybergun gas blowback and I’m very happy with it since the materials used to build the gun are really good quality, and the paint on the stainless steel slide is also quite good and durable with a nice matte finish.

The gun is well build, and the frame is solid and rugged. The slide is very well machined and has all the trades you would expect, and these are realistic, down to the calibre 45 ACP!

Also, the slide serrations are amazingly comfortable to use and provide a great level of grip with or without gloves. Talking about using gloves, the enlarged trigger guard also helps getting the index finger onto that trigger real fast and with no hiccups!

The grip is textured with a chequered pattern in a way that is grippy, but doesn’t eat into my hands, especially when I’m not using gloves. But the highlight in terms of comfort for me is the frame lip under the hammer which really fits my hand perfectly and allows me to grip the gun in the same manner and position over and over again, so I aim down my sights quicker than in many other guns I’ve used before.

The safety is easy to action, and especially very easy to reach without having to take the finger out of the trigger. Just by using my thumb, I can depress the lever quite easily since it’s raised enough for me to do this. It does not get in the way and you really have to want to get it to the safety position in order to action the lever, so it won’t move without me wanting it to move, which is great.

Most important, the trigger pull which is a double action/single action is super clear and easy to use with a soft but not squishy and very clear “happy” point.
So overall, bravo to FNH for this gun’s ergonomics as picking up the gun and using it is a real pleasure and Cybergun for making this a reality for Airsoft.

One last note, I invite you to guess which one of the following is the Airsoft version and then spot the difference, if there is any that you can spot!

FEATURES AND ACCESSORIES

I’ve pretty much touched most of the great features of this gun, but let’s go a bit more in depth into some of those:

The two included backstraps are very nice in texture and have a more rubbery material than the frame. These will help with getting the best grip on the gun, so I chose to run the thinner one since I have smaller hands and the gun just feels comfortable as it distributes the weight quite evenly since the most heavy parts on the gun are the slide and the magazine.

Also part of the frame, the rail allows for tactical attachments, from lasers to flashlights, to cameras, and whatever you can get into that MIL-STD 1913 real estate. Please note the number plate embedded on the frame which looks great!

The threaded barrel is also something that the vast majority of stock GBBs out don’t have. So it’s a more than welcome feature, as it allows me to pimp this beauty with a nice suppressor. The thread is 16 millimetres clockwise and there’s a very special suppressor I would like to review that fits particularly well with this gun: the Ace1Arms Osprey, which comes in both black and FDE to match both guns!

Looking at the raised sights, these are full metal sight with white/transparent inserts. So no fibre there and they can be a bit tricky to pick in the dark. But apart from that they are easy to pick up, though I would prefer them to be fully white rather than transparent. These are extremely solid and raised so you can use a longer suppressor which is great.

Now if you look closely at the slide, next to the ejection port, there is a small red dot, which is the loaded chamber indicator. It actually sort of works: if you rack the slide it will retract and as soon as you let go and the slide goes forward, it will reveal a small red dot indicating the chamber is loaded. The airsoft version shows that the chamber is loaded even if you don’t have a round in the chamber, but it’s already quite cool!

The magazines are very unique, not only in terms of looks as they have this mirror like coating. But they’re also quite heavy, which is great since it balances the gun quite will; and the filling valve’s position is somewhat different from where we’ve been used to find them on most Airsoft GBB pistols since it’s not on the base of the magazine, but rather on the back. I see this as a positive move away from having the valve on the base, since usually when you do a speed reload the magazine tends to fall on the floor and the valve gets damaged. By having a polymer base plate the shock is cushioned and the valve barely has to touch the dirt, let alone the ground when it falls. So, a good design decision in my opinion.

Finally, we get to my favourite bit: the slide cut. Here is where there’s a lot to be said as this gun has been made to replicate the real steel gun so it’s ready to go with the real steel big bucks Trijicon RMRs and Docter sights and so on. However, if you want to use an airsoft red dot such as the one that Cybergun have for the FNX, you’ll have to use an adapter.

There are several adapters being sold on the web, and the first one I got was from Asura Dynamics, which I don’t recommend. Then I got the Ace1Arms and it worked for me with only one minor change to the screws, but do check the video so you can see how to install the red dot and all the issues and recommendations I have.

PERFORMANCE AND GAMEPLAY

Performance wise this gun runs on green gas, and Cybergun recommends using 0.2 gram BBs. On 0.2 gram BBs, I’m getting a quite consistent FPS starting on around 317 and then dropping to around 300. And this is with the hop-up adjusted.

Adjusting the hop up is easy, but can require the use of a small tool since the adjustment wheel is quite tight. This is a good thing believe me, as when it comes to gas blowbacks, the impact of the slide can be so much that the wheel can move out of place.

Field stripping is exactly like the real steel one and is made easy by the take down lever positioned on the left hand side of the gun. All I have to do is to rack the slide, push down the lever, release the slide and then pull it out of the frame. And you have access to the hop-up. Super simple!

When playing with this gun in CQB environments it’s very easy to manoeuvre and it breathes confidence into me, since the ergonomics, the performance and great trigger are an amazing combination that makes it such a nice gun.

It is not just in CQB does this gun shine, as I was able to get kills at a great distance that usually you wouldn’t try with a sidearm. But since on the last game I was on Red 1 my main weapon was hit and from there I was using the FNX a lot and also on the more close quarters areas of the game.

Finally, when holstered, it doesn’t add any bulk or much weight that it’s uncomfortable or hard to run around with. On the contrary it’s surprisingly compact and the weight gets completely unnoticed.

CONCLUSION

All in all the Cybergun FNX-45 really works for me, has fulfilled all my needs and even went beyond those as it’s really a dream gun packing lots of features into just one system.

I finally found the will to carry around a sidearm since now it’s something I really appreciate not just to have, but also to shoot as the kinetic feedback of that stainless steel slide is extremely rewarding, and the range and accuracy are out of this world for when it comes to a GBB handgun.

Though slightly pricier than the competition, it’s very hard to find another gun that has all these features. You will likely end up paying more if you want to have with a setup like this as you’ll always have to shell out the extra money for a new slide and new threaded outer barrel, which goes way beyond the retail price of around £190 in the UK or €232 that Cybergun advise as the retail price for Europe.

As I mentioned before, if you want to have a more urban tactical loadout, you can always go with the all black FNX-45 which retails at the same price.
I was already a big fan of the FNH range, having previously owned two VFC SCARs.

Now, I’m also a fan of Cybergun because they’ve done a great job with the licensing and production of the beautiful and performing GBB pistol!