FN 510 Review – 10mm Pistol

If you’re going into the backcountry, or you just want more power in your pistol, 10mm Auto is a great place to start. In fact, 10mm jokingly carries the moniker “God’s Caliber” or the “Full 1cm.”

As you’ll see in this review, it’s much more than just 1 more millimeter over 9mm. 🙂

The problem with 10mm? It’s tough to find a pistol that’s ergonomic and reliable – these pistols are big and hard to shoot for some.

Read on in this FN 510 review to see why we love it so much (even though I’m not a big fan of FN’s other pistols)…

FN 510 Background

The 10mm Auto cartridge became popular after Jeff Cooper and the Bren 10 – it has hung around all of these years and lately it has seen a resurgence now that many people are starting to realize how great this caliber is for a “backcountry” gun.

The problem is, these guns are a bit cumbersome for many to shoot and carry. The standard for many years has been the Glock 20 but if you find the ergonomics of a Glock to be a bit off, then a super-sized option in 10mm is even worse.

FN has a line of polymer striker fired pistols that are all over social media but they never see to be seen by me in the real-world – they seem popular online (but not in competitions, CCW carry, training classes, etc). They’re fine pistols, however, there are better options in each category available – except this one… the FN polymer pistol line is perfected in the 510.

They first came out with the 510 Tactical (with a threaded barrel) but I like this version better, the newest “510 MRD”

FN 510 Features:

FN’s 510 striker-fired pistol is chambered in 10MM Auto and has an ergonomic polymer grip, great capacity, and it’s optic-ready.

Features of this polymer 10mm pistol include:

1 Optics-Ready

As all modern pistols should be, the 510 is optics-ready.

2 Great ergonomics

From the slide serrations to the grip, this pistol is perfect for emergency/dangerous situation use.

3 Picatinny Rail

Light rail available for just about any pistol light you could want.

4 Ambidextrous Mag Release

Mag release is ready to be used with either hand (great for an emergency pistol)

5 Great Capacity

15 rounds of 10mm capacity in a flush-fit magazine.

6 Suppressor-Height Sights

Extra-tall sights from the factory.

Other Models and Variants

FN 510 10mm – Our Take

I’m even surprising myself saying this, especially because FN’s other pistols are just “fine” and I normally only recommend Glock pistols for serious/professional reliably, but I think that the FN 510 is the best 10mm pistol on the market.

Why is the 510 so great? I’m glad you asked…

Shootability

I’m a big guy and even I think that some 10mm pistols are a bit too big/blocky/chunky.

In fact, most 10mm pistols just feel a bit awkward to shoot – especially when compared to their smaller framed 9mm counterparts.

The 510, however, really shines in 10mm. In one day, I took some range time and personally shot each of the main 10mm pistols out there and, although I’ve never owned an FN pistol nor thought that they were anything special, I immediately declared the 510 the best of the bunch because of how “shootable” it was.

Seriously, there’s blocky/clunky options and then there’s the 510.

Accuracy

It may have to do with how easy it is for me to shoot but the 510 MRD was the most accurate 510 pistol I tested.

I’m bringing shoot ability into this section because I’m guilty of poor trigger control just as much as the next shooter and something about the 510’s trigger and ergonomics just make shooting it so easy that it makes shooting accurately a breeze.

Ergonomics

If you can’t tell already, I love how the 510 felt in my hands while I was testing it – much more so than other 10 mm pistols.

The grip texture may be too much for some people – it’s clearly too aggressive for concealed carry (but that’s not what this pistol is for).

I think the grip texture is perfect for what this pistol is: an emergency tool that might save your life in the woods against dangerous game (where your hands may be wet, sweaty, bloody. muddy, etc).

The rest of the pistol is just fine – meaning nothing ergonomically was amazing nor bad. The slide’s serrations are nice, the trigger feels good, etc.

A nice touch is the ambidextrous controls (slide release and magazine release) – I normally don’t care about these on a pistol personally but they are well done on this pistol and will be nice for lefties and also to be able to use this pistol well in either hand in an emergency.

Value

This category is always tough for me.

Considering that I think it is the best 10mm pistol and it’s not the most expensive, I’d say that’s a great value.

However, if you’re looking for a reliable 10mm (even though it may not be as easy to shoot), you can get a Glock 20 Gen 5 for less money.

So, it’s a good value but not the best. 

What I Don’t Like About my 510:

The sights – why would FN put such tall sights on this pistol?

I mean, I get why tall sights re useful for red-dot optics and also for shooting with a suppressor. However, in my opinion, this is a backcountry pistol that should be carried and used in an emergency against a mountain lion, bear, or two-legged aggressors.

This means I need it to work in less than desirable circumstances and it needs to be able to get rounds into my target NOW! For me, the taler sights get in the way (they can snag easier when drawing the pistol) and they are slower for me to use.

When FN first came out with the 510, they had these tall sights AND a threaded barrel – neither were good ideas. They finally got rid of the threaded barrel but they kept the tall sights on this model (technically the 510 MRD).

Unfortunately, the first thing you should do is get a good set of tritium night sights and use them to replace the stupidly tall iron sights on this FN.

FN 510 Pros and Cons

My Preferred Ammo

Accessories to Include: 

1. NightFision Night Sights		Check Pricing
2. GunfighterInc Chest Holster		Check It Out

Important Links and Manuals for FN’s 510 10 mm pistol

Are you looking to pick up an FN 510 but need a bit more info?  Or maybe you’ve just misplaced your user’s manual?  Either way, check out the links below.

• FN 510 MRD Owner’s Manual