In what looks kind of like a disagreement between FN America and FN Herstal (i.e., Belgian FN), the latter debuted the new 15+1 capacity 9mm FN HiPer last week.
The new gun is about the same size as the FN 509 Midsize which is made in the U.S. and is a little smaller than the American-made/designed FN High Power announced earlier this year, so it seems confusing why the HiPer exists other than the possibility that the Belgians had designed it at the same time as the Yankee FNs, and, since they already spent the R&D Euros, went ahead and sent it to market instead of importing or making the “not-designed in Europe” FN 509/High Power.
While a bit underwhelming, the new FN Herstal HiPer has a *really* different magazine release button, which could lead to fewer accidental mag drops on a two-handed grip.
It also has a slide catch lever that is located at the rear of the frame in the spot where a manual safety usually inhabits. As for adoption, the Belgian Army, which always buys FN Herstal’s stuff, probably already has it on order, a fact that will surely lead to some sales to Third World powers that are on friendly terms with Brussels and don’t already have Glocks.
