Is It a Near Perfect 9mm EDC?

Ever since the world was shut down for nearly two years, I feel we have seen the best products and most innovation out of most of the major players in the firearms industry. Many companies have released new pistols over the past few years, and as a gun writer, I’ve been in heaven. The FN America 509 CC Edge is a shining example of this.

The FN America 509 CC Edge

When I got invited to one of my favorite manufacturer’s media events, I knew my mind would be blown.

FN America pulled out all the stops with a one-of-a-kind media event. We were bussed to the range, and I expected to be shown a few new models and fire a couple of rounds like a normal event. Well, this range event was different.

We showed up to the range and were greeted by some range officers and instructors, boxes of holsters and gun belts, and tables full of ammo. FN was so confident in all the new pistols that they were running us through a day of non-stop shooting and abuse on all the new models.

I would bet that we each shot more than 1,000 rounds that day through four different pistols.

Everything ran flawlessly and was very impressive, but one model in particular really stood out and excited me. The new addition to the Edge Series—the CC Edge. I bet you are thinking the CC stands for “Concealed Carry,” but it actually stands for “Compensated Carry.”

We will get into that in a minute.

Something New

Pretty much, the new CC Edge is the little brother to the Long Slide or LS Edge but with even more upgraded features. The FN CC Edge pretty much shares the grip, frame, and slide height and length with the FN 509 Compact or the Compact Tactical.

The grip itself has very comfortable and usable multiple textures and interchangeable backstraps like all the newer FN pistols. Likewise, the frame itself has not changed either. However, you do get one 12-round magazine and two 15-rounders with the CC Edge package.

The magazine basepads themselves are all weighted to ensure a smooth, easy release out of the frame every time you touch the oversized magazine release button. Correspondingly, the controls are ambidextrous as well, so both righties and lefties can enjoy the pistol.

The Precision trigger system is also out of the LS Edge and is perfect for the CC Edge. This trigger system dramatically improves speed and accuracy for all shooters.

The flat-faced trigger has a smooth take-up and a clean, 90-degree break. When paired with the high-endurance striker in the Edge line, the system produces a very smooth 5.6-pound trigger pull right out of the box.

Sliding Into Home

Looking at the slide, it shares the same lightning cut press checks as its bigger brother, the LS Edge. Likewise, it has the same rear serrations and is coated in a very attractive and very hard Graphite PVD Finish.

The most significant change is the addition of a half-inch of length to the gold titanium nitride PVD-coated barrel. A half-inch doesn’t seem like it should be that big of a deal. But the innovation and thought that went into that half-inch puts the CC Edge in a whole different league.

The half-inch houses a system that has never been seen on a pistol barrel before. FN created a proprietary locking lug system that they machined right into the end of the barrel.

Those lugs allow for the low-profile, true expansion chamber compensator that comes standard with the CC Edge to be removed and installed without any tools. It also eliminates shims for alignment. The FN 509 CC Edge compensator is quick-detach and auto-indexes for easy takedown.

Field Stripping the Compensator

To field strip, push in and twist 90 degrees to release the comp. That’s it. The locking lugs machined into the barrel maintain tension and perfect alignment with the slide every single time.

The comp itself vents upward via two ports. This nearly eliminates the amount of carbon fouling on your light if you run one on the pistol. It also reduces the amount of flash in the shooter’s sight picture while preventing debris from getting stuck on your front sight during shooting.

This is very important because it shares the same sights with the LS Edge as well. Specifically, a narrow front suppressor-height sight with a green fiber-optic tube that would disappear with a slight amount of carbon buildup. The comp is not just for looks, though. It is truly effective as well.

At the media event, we got the chance to shoot the 509 Compact and run drills with it right before introducing us to the 509 CC Edge. It was definitely an eye-opener. The CC shoots about as flat as a full-size pistol.

The comp reduces muzzle flip by about 25% over the 509 Compact. That increase is extremely noticeable and welcome for a gun that is designed to be an EDC pistol.

FN MRD (Modular Red-Dot) System

The slide of the 509 CC Edge has the FN modular red-dot system or MRD system, as FN has tagged it. The MRD system is probably the best factory system on the market. It allows for nearly every optic on the market to be mounted directly to the slide.

My only complaint with the MRD system is the plastic shim plates that are included in the package. The shims go under the various optics to eliminate any gap. However I have found the plastic does not sit very flat and likes to move around during shooting a little bit.

With that said, these shims are only shims, so the quality of them should not really affect zero at all. I feel FN could have included metal shims just as easily at very little extra cost. Thus giving the shooter a little piece of mind.

If you choose not to run a red dot, the cover plate is metal and is coated in the same Graphite PVD finish as the rest of the slide. The plate also has the same wings that wrap up and hug the rear adjustable sight of the 509 tactical models.

On the range, the pistol was my absolute favorite to shoot. It was fast, smooth, reliable, and looked so good in my hands. We ran about 350 rounds through them that day with no issues at all from any of the early samples.

Daily Carry?

When I got the gun in my hands back home, I couldn’t wait to get back to the range with it. What I found was I was easily shooting better than with my 509 Midsize I carry all the time.

At the media event, we just ran a bunch of drills, so I never got a chance to really test accuracy. This would be my focus back at home. I wanted to ensure this gun was reliable and accurate enough to become my new EDC pistol. So, I grabbed a variety of 9mm ammo and headed to the range.

I ran around 1,000 rounds through the sample I received over the course of three range sessions. A wide variety of ammunition made it through the CC Edge without a single malfunction out of the 1,000 rounds.

I like to really test guns with a multitude of ammo options to see what it does. So, I grabbed 115-grain Pinnacle TAC-XP, 125-grain Hornady Steel Match, 124-grain Black Hills JHP, 100-grain Black Hills Honey Badger, 115-grain Fiocchi FMJ, and the new NovX 65-grain Self-Defense rounds.

Ammo Testing on the Edge

I mainly shot outside at steel but did run some simple accuracy tests on paper targets with the iron sights and with a Trijicon RMR installed to compare the two.

To start, I did my accuracy testing by shooting at 10 yards. I saw my best groups with the 100-grain Black Hills Honey Badger rounds. However, everything I fed the CC Edge was accurate and achieved tight groupings.

The best 10-yard group I shot was sub-1-inch. Out at longer distances, those groups really did not open very much at all. Just for the hell of it, I reached out to 50 yards and was able to achieve around 3-inch groups with ease. Those groups were achieved standing and unsupported.

I was having so much fun that I decided to back up a little more. With my favorite 15-inch gong plate out at 100 yards, I decided to try to reach out and touch that target, also. I lined up the red dot, squeezed the trigger, and “BONG,” first try at 100 yards.

I was honestly not that surprised at the accuracy of the pistol because I have had such good luck with all the FN Models I have shot in the past.

Cleaning and Holstering

I cleaned the CC Edge when I first got the gun because it was sent to me filthy. And then I cleaned it again after my testing sessions because I was going to start carrying the thing.

The gun was one of the easiest pistols I have ever taken apart to clean. It was also the easiest comped gun I have taken down. I was very shocked at how clean the slide stayed and how well the finish around the lugs held up.

The carbon builds up on those lugs but never effected takedown or performance at all. I was so impressed with the package that I ordered two new holster shells from my favorite holster company, TacRig Holsters.

These guys are always on top of the market and already had holster shells ready to accommodate the new comp. I ordered the right-hand shell to carry on my hip in the TacRig FLEX IWB Breathable Backer that I carry often. Likewise, I got the left-hand model so I can carry it in my truck, where I already have the TacRig FLEX system mounted to my center counsel.

The gun carries very well and feels smaller on my hip than my 509 Midsize. Especially with the 12-round magazine in it. I love that I can carry the 12-round magazine in the gun for a smaller footprint and then have a 15-round magazine as a backup.

Final Notes

The FN 509 CC Edge is nothing short of amazing. The combination of all the new features, frame textures, and comp system makes for a very enjoyable range session. Not to mention, a perfect package for concealed carry.

In my opinion, the package has a bit of a steep price tag coming in at $1,569 MSRP. However, the performance and features are premium and could easily be justified for that price.

If you are looking for one of the best out-of-the-box everyday carry guns that can hang with the best at the range, look no further than the new FN 509 CC Edge.

For more information, visit FNAmerica.com.

FN 509 CC Edge Specs

Performance

Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second (fps) by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best five-shot groups at 10 yards.                      This article was originally published in the Personal Defense World Gun Buyer’s Guide December/January 2022 issue. Purchase this issue in print or digital at OutdoorGroupStore.com.       

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