FN 510 Tactical Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great accuracy
- Best in class capacity
- Threaded barrel
- Robust optics mount
Cons
- Hinged trigger
- Grip texture could be better
Last year, FN announced the introduction of their 510 Tactical pistol with immediate success. Our readers and viewers made it clear that they wanted to see us get our hands on this gun for review.
Well, you asked, and we listened. We are happy to say that we finally got our hands on one for review and can easily see why it was so highly requested.
While it may look like just another striker-fired pistol, FN did an excellent job finding a combination of features that no other 10mm pistol on the market offers.
So, if you are interested in seeing why this was such a highly requested gun, read on!
Table of Contents
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FN 510 Tactical Specs & Features
Specs
- Caliber: 10mm
- Action: Semi-auto, striker-fired
- Capacity: 15 (flush), 22 (extended)
- Barrel Length: 4.71″
- Overall Length: 8.3″
- Height: 6″
- Width: 1.45″
- Weight: 32 oz
- Comes with: Two interchangeable backstraps, 1x 15-rd mag, 1x 22-rd mag, 4 MRD mounting plates, manual, locking device, premium zippered case
Features
- Optics-ready slide
- .578”x28 Threaded barrel
- Tritium night sights
- Fully ambidextrous controls
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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How We Tested the FN 510 Tactical
For this review, we tested FN 510 Tactical with a Holosun 407C red dot at distances varying from 5 to 50 yards.
Practical accuracy was measured at 7 and 10 yards using freehand shooting. During testing at the range, I also performed a few drills at 6 yards to test accuracy in defensive scenarios.
Reliability was tested with just over 500 rounds of ammunition, the majority of which was S&B 180gr FMJ. Other ammunition used during testing included Magtech flat-nose 180gr FMJ, Sig V-Crown 180gr JHP, and Underwood Xtreme Defender 115gr solid monolithic. I also used two OEM 15-round mags and one OEM 22-round mag.
At home, I put the FN 510 on a Dvorak TriggerScan machine to give an advanced data readout of the trigger pull using three overlapping tests to check consistency.
Note: this gun was sent to us directly for test and evaluation by FN at our request. The same gun was used for the entirety of the testing in this article.
FN 510 Tactical Background
In 2018, FN released the 509 Tactical line of 9mm pistols that featured threaded barrels, optics-ready slides, and full ambi controls.
Although those features aren’t unheard of on 9mm pistols, FN noticed that there was a distinct lack of 10mm and .45 ACP handguns with the same features. Thus, they decided to use the 509 Tactical as a basis for their 10mm 510 Tactical and .45 ACP 545 Tactical pistols, which were released in 2023.
Who is the FN 510 Tactical For?
To put it plainly, this gun is for people who are looking for a heavy-hitting 10mm platform that has all the tactical goodies you would want right out of the box.
If you want max capacity, this gun has it. Want to mount an optic? Covered. Looking for a suppressor host or something you can easily drop a compensator on? This is your guy. Hoping to do all three? Well, this is the only bad boy in town that can do it all.
Ergonomics: Fit & Feel
As mentioned earlier, the FN 510 Tactical takes many of its design cues from FN’s earlier 509 Tactical pistols.
To be honest, the grip shape isn’t the best fit for my hand shape (medium-sized and bony), but YMMV. The shape is a bit boxy, and it creates a small gap between the base of my thumb and the frame.
This gap led to some mild recoil discomfort when shooting really long strings with decently hot ammo, but nothing major. I also feel like the grip texture isn’t aggressive enough. The lack of “bite” was noticeable on one of the days when my hands were very dry.
While it may not be the best feeling gun in hand to me, it still had a good balance and decent enough hand feel that it wasn’t offputting or detrimental to my shooting.
Both the forward and rear slide serrations make racking this pistol a breeze; I had plenty of purchase.
The tritium sights are easy to acquire and ridiculously overbuilt, especially with the protective wings guarding the rear sight.
Mounting the optic was a breeze using the included plates. The Holosun 507C only needed to be adjusted about half an inch right at 7 yards after the initial mount. I really liked how sturdy the plate and lockup felt — they definitely didn’t cheap out, meaning you won’t need to buy an aftermarket plate.
Controls
The ambidextrous slide release is awesome. It is small enough to be out of the way, but it was easy for me to hit and, more importantly, very easy to actuate.
However, the ambidextrous magazine release is not my favorite. This style of release can be pushed from both sides without having to reverse anything.
With my natural hand position, when I depress the magazine release on the left side of the gun with my thumb, I find that my fingers on the right side of the grip tend to slightly block the magazine release on the backside.
When I first got the gun, I thought the mag release was just stiff. It took me about 30 seconds to realize what was going on. A very slight bend of the fingers alleviates this issue, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Trigger
Nitpicks aside, my least favorite part of the FN 510 Tactical is definitely the trigger. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t anything to write home about.
FN opts for a hinged trigger (similar to the older M&P 2.0 pistols), which I greatly dislike. Mechanically, there is a small amount of takeup that has some resistance, then you hit a wall, and then there is a little bit of creep before the trigger breaks.
It is hard to put my finger (no pun intended) on what exactly I don’t like, but despite my misgivings, the trigger is very repeatable.
Using the Dvorak TriggerScan machine I measured the movement of the trigger which is represented by the graph below. The pistol yielded a 4.7 lb average trigger pull.
But honestly, none of the 10mm striker guns have “great” triggers. That said, I think the Smith & Wesson M&P and the Springfield XD-Elite are a small cut above the FN 510 Tactical, Gen 5 Glock, and Sig P320-XTEN triggers, respectively.
How Does The FN 510 Tactical Shoot?
Straight up, this gun is very accurate and fun to shoot. I was genuinely shocked by how well it printed.
Even with my minor gripes about the trigger and grip, I was immediately stacking rounds with this gun— to the tune of 1-inch groups at 7 yards with the S&B 180gr FMJ.
Moving out to 15 yards, I was able to keep just about all my shots in the B-27 x-ring (2×3”). Ringing steel out to 50 yards was done with ease, and going out even further would be no issue.
Even though this gun isn’t particularly heavy, I found the recoil perfectly manageable. This also held true with the hotter Magtech FMJ ammo and the Sig and Underwood defensive ammo.
I even tried a few Mozambique drills and was able to keep my double taps within the 10-ring at 6 yards.
While 15 rounds of 10mm is nothing to sneeze at, the included 22-round magazine is a trip. It feels like you can shoot forever on a single mag, and the fact that you can squeeze over 15,000 ft/lbs of energy in a single mag is wild.
Reliability
The gun was near flawless and felt smooth, but I did suffer a single failure-to-feed on the last day of testing with the Magtech 180gr flat-nose ammo.
I will admit that I was getting fatigued from shooting the hotter ammo, so it could have been a limp wrist. It also might have been an issue with the ammo (flat nose), but it is hard to say.
Why Is the FN 510 Tactical Unique?
As mentioned earlier, there is no other 10mm striker-fired pistol that comes with a threaded barrel, optics-ready slide, fully ambidextrous controls, and a 22-round magazine.
If you are looking for a duty-ready 10mm that you can put any type of suppressor, optic, or accessory on, there isn’t much other than the 510 Tactical that fits the bill.
By The Numbers
Reliability: 4.5/5
The gun ran smooth and didn’t feel like it was chugging, but a single failure near the end of testing (could have been ammo or user), knocked half a point off.
Ergonomics: 3.5/5
The grip shape wasn’t my favorite, but it isn’t bad, and the grip texture is a bit smooth. The ambi mag release can be a little tough to actuate, depending on your hand placement.
Accuracy: 4.5/5
For a full-size duty gun, the accuracy was excellent across all types.
Customization: 3.5/5
There isn’t much aftermarket or modularity here, but the threaded barrel, Picatinny rail, and optics-ready slide make accessorizing fairly easy.
Value: 4/5
Even though it comes in around $1000, the price is fair considering everything you are getting. No one else is offering a similar package.
Overall: 4/5
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Upgrades & Accessories
If you want to flex the 510 Tactical into a hard-use role, the ultra-durable Trijicon RMR is still the duty optic of choice.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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The SureFire X300 Ultra weapon light is the perfect fit choice for those looking for a tough and reliable way to illuminate and identify your targets.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Make the most of that threaded barrel with the excellent Silencer Central Banish 45 suppressor. You can check out our full review here!
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Why You Should Trust Pew Pew Tactical
Taking the lead on this review is Wyatt Sloan, Jr. Editor. Wyatt is an NRA-certified instructor with previous experience as a USPSA competitor. He personally owns over 200 firearms and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales. Wyatt uses his extensive experience with firearms at large to test guns for Pew Pew Tactical — evaluating them based on our standards and metrics.
Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of gun reviewers and edited this review. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. She uses her extensive professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards.
Final Verdict
I’d say the FN 510 Tactical is a bit too large for concealed carry, but it would be doable with the right holster. However, it is well-suited to be your ultimate bear gun, a powerful suppressor host, or a formidable home defense tool.
I went in knowing that the 510 was going to be a solid gun, but I did not expect to like it this much. The mix of appealing features and outstanding accuracy make this a very strong contender to the Gen 5 Glock 20 (my favorite of the bunch) — so much so that I am seriously contemplating buying one.
What are your thoughts on the FN 510 Tactical? Do you have any experience with it? Let us know in the comments below! And if you are interested in other 10mm pistols, check out our article on the Best 10mm Pistols!
2 Leave a Reply
Thank you for the FN 510 Tactical review! I’ve been researching this pistol for two months already and couldn’t decide between the 510 or the Sig Xten. I love my FNX 45’s but they’re not hiking caliber.
Chris, thanks for stopping by to check it out! Those are both solid guns, I just feel like the XTen is a little front-heavy for my liking. If I was grabbing one for a hiking gun, it'd be between the 510 Tactical and the G20 for me. All the features on the 510 make it really appealing, though, and the protective wings/metal sights actually make sense if you are mucking around in the brush. A solid gun for sure!