FN 509 Holster

The FN 509 is primarily designed as a duty gun. But there are also smaller variants of the firearm that are optimized for concealed carry and other roles. The 509 is a very versatile gun and can work for many roles. You want to make sure that you have the right FN 509 holster for the job at hand.

Holster Compatibility

There are tons of different variants of the FN 509 and they all have their differences. But they don’t affect holster compatibility as much as you would think. We’re going to cover each of these individual variants. Detailing features that you need to make sure a holster has so it will be compatible. The FN 509 is built off a similar slide for most of the guns. So as long as your gun has the correct slide length, or you don’t mind running a longer holster, you should be good.

FN 509 Compact MRD Holster

The slide on the FN 509 Compact is the same size as any other gun. And what’s unique about the MRD holster is that it has an optics cut. So if you’re going to run the MRD, you’re likely going to be running an optics. So you want to make sure your holster is optics compatible. The slide itself is a standard FN 509 slide. So you won’t have to look for a shorter slide over other guns. So any 509 holsters with an optics cut will work for this firearm.

509 Midsize IWB Holster

The FN 509 Midsize is essentially the same gun as the FN 509 Compact MRD. The only difference between the Compact and the Midsize are the optics cut. The Mid-size gun is a full-length four-inch slide like the FN 509 Tactical. It has a compact length grip that holds 15 rounds instead of 17. Again, FN did a great job making sure your holster compatibility wouldn’t be an issue. You can use pretty much any FN 509 holster with this gun.

FN 509 Tactical

Now the FN 509 Tactical is a different animal from these other guns due to the threaded barrel. If you have an open-ended holster, it isn’t a big deal as far as compatibility. But an open-ended holster is going to have a couple of issues. For one, if you’re wearing the holster inside the waistband, it’s not going to be as comfortable. I should clarify the FN 509 Tactical open-ended holsters are fine for OWB carry. But they have a lot of downsides for inside the waistband carry.

Without the threaded barrel being protected. You don’t know if a hot barrel could hit your skin when you carrying the holster inside the waistband. Another disadvantage is if brass falls into the holster, an open-ended holster means that brass is going to fall right through into your pants. Hot brass will likely be singeing you and that could cause some safety issues on the range. So if you’re looking for an FN 509 Tactical holster for OWB, you don’t have to worry about it. But for IWB, it’s definitely something you need to take into account.

FN 509 Holster OWB

When you’re looking for an FN 509 holster for OWB, there are going to be a couple of different setups you may be looking at. You can carry OWB for concealment or tactical and competition uses. All of these have a different holster requirement.

Competition/Tactical

If you’re competing with an FN 509, you’re going to want a holster that’s completely set up for the purpose. Now there’s big difference between shooting sports. Like 3 gun where the gun may be on you when you’re going through some rough stages and rough terrain. So you’re going to need a holster with really solid retention.

Now, if you’re shooting a sport like USPSA, that’s not going to be an issue. The only time the holster is really going to come into play is when you draw the gun. Drawing while you’re standing in the starting box, or once you step out depending on the rules of the stage. So when you’re looking for a holster, I think it’s a good idea to have one that has solid adjustable retention. So you can adjust the retention to how you would like to run the gun.

Mounts

When choosing a mount for a task or competition-style holster, you’re going to want to make sure that you choose the right mount for your needs. There are a variety of mounts on the market. So it’s good to have a holster that is compatible with most of them like our holsters are. If you’re shooting in a competition like USPSA Carry Optics, then you’ll likely want to get a mount that is set up specifically for the competition. Like a Turbo Drop or a Boss Hanger.

These hanger-style mounts are designed specifically for competition, and they’re not going to have a use many other places. They attach to outer belt that is designed to be very safe and they’re attached via screws. They clamp on each side of the belt. So you’re going to have to go through a lot if you want to quickly take the holster off the belt and the mount. This is why I don’t think it’s a great option for the casual user. But for the purpose-driven competition shooter, it’s likely the best option out there.

Another option is a paddle. Paddle mounts aren’t the most secure option in the world. But a good paddle is still going to be reasonably secure and a lot easier to get on and off than a competition-style mount. For the casual user, this is probably the best option. If you sit in between the casual user and the hardcore competitor, then you might want to check out the X-Lock. The X-Lock is great for tactical applications and works great for mounting the holster to a battle belt. This is my favorite all-around option. If somebody doesn’t know what to get, this is the default answer of the best mount for your holster.

Concealment

The purpose of an FN 509 concealment holster is going to be completely different than a holster for tactical or competition. A concealment holster is going to be as close to the body as possible since you likely won’t be wearing armor or anything that would make you want to get the holster far out. Concealment is the number one goal. So for this you going to want a holster that tugs the body very tightly, as well has adjustable cant. The FN 509 and its other variants are not small guns. So you need to make sure you can cant the grip of the gun next to your love handle. This allows you to optimize the cant of the gun for both concealment and draw efficiency.

It’s not very often that efficiency of the draw and concealment line up to be the same angle but if they do, great. But if they’re not, having the adjustability allows you to decide which compromise is the best for your individual situation. I would suggest having a holster that has between zero and 30 degrees of cant. Now, this sounds like a wide range, but it’s really not. If you’re carrying a gun at three o’clock and you’re willing to give up a little bit of concealment, zero degrees might be closer to your optimal draw angle. Whereas if you’re carrying just a little bit further back, you may need to cant the holster almost 30 degrees to get that optimal concealment. It all depends on your body type and the clothing you’re wearing.

FN 509 IWB Holster

The features for an FN 509 IWB holster are going to be pretty similar, whether you’re carrying strong side or appendix carry. There are some key differences that you’re going to want to look for between the two holsters. But there are also common features that you want to make sure your holster has to have a comfortable experience. I think it’s a very good thing to have a holster that is well-rounded. When you’re carrying at the three to five, o’clock it’s very important that the muzzle of the holster is well-rounded as that part could poke or jab into your rear end or the side of your leg.

Whereas when you’re carrying appendix, the most important rounding is going to be beneath the trigger guard. Since that area is likely going to be sitting next to your thigh, but a well-rounded holster is always a benefit. It’s also nice to make sure the rounding on the holster is good besides the magazine release. On the FN 509 that’s not that hard to achieve because the lines of the gun are very smooth and there aren’t many poky or jabby points.

Strongside

Carrying a holster at the strong side position, meaning from the three to five o’clock for a right-handed shooter is going to require adjustable cant as the most important feature. The reason you want adjustable cant is similar to when using an OWB concealment holster is that cant is where you’re going to get your concealment from. You can cant the grip of the gun next to your love handle to optimize a minimal footprint.

You’re likely going to want this cant to be somewhere between seven and a half and 30 degrees for the size of most FN 509 variants. I know this sounds like a lot, but everybody’s built a little bit differently. So you’re going to have to find what works the best for you. This cant, again, as it works with an OWB holster can affect [inaudible 00:09:33] your draw stroke and concealment and the two might not always line up. Having a wide range of adjustable cant holsters allows you to decide what is the best compromise for yourself.

Appendix Carry

Appendix carry is a different animal from strong side. You’re looking for a different set of requirements in the holster. You’re going to want to make sure you have accessories like a claw or wing and a wedge, which we’ll cover later. But the holster design itself also needs to be well-rounded under the trigger guard like we mentioned earlier, and you need to have some sort of adjustable ride height. The reason ride height is important is, everybody’s going to have a slightly different build.

Meaning the size of your thighs, how their position in proximity to your waist, what kind of pants you’re wearing. There’s a difference in how I would adjust a holster if I’m wearing it primarily with blue jeans versus khakis. Yes, I can use the same holster for both, but I’m going to get a slightly more comfortable ride if I adjust the holster maybe an eighth to a quarter of an inch, depending on how the pants sit on my hip. These are the things you have to take into account when you’re carrying FN 509 Holster appendix. That’s why I would always suggest a holster with adjustable ride height.

The higher the ride height of the holster, the quicker it’s going to be able to draw but the lower the grip sits, the more concealable the gun is going to be. When it comes for comfort, it’s going to depend how it fits into that pocket on the inner side of your thigh. And that’s going to be all about the height of your pants relative to that pocket and how the holster is adjusted. Having adjustable ride height allows you to configure this.

Wing/Claw

A wing or a claw is a device that sits off the side of the holster and presses the grip of the gun into the body by using leverage from the belt. This is a great accessory for appendix carry and really increases concealment on the gun. It makes it no problem for me to carry an FN 509 Tactical, which is a full-size duty gun and isn’t small. Another advantage of this device is by catching the grip it also makes the grip you’ll get on your firearm a little more natural since the back of your hand, doesn’t have to push the grip any further when you’re requiring your grip.

Wedge

An accessory a lot of people don’t know about is a wedge. A wedge is a really good design and really can make appendix carry a lot more comfortable. When you’re carrying appendix your holster is essentially sitting in a pocket. And that pocket you want to be completely filled. And the reason for that is, if the pocket is not filled you’re going to get undue pressure in certain spots with that FN 509 holster.

For some people they don’t need it, but for many a wedge helps fill that pocket. Spreading out the pressure and making the holster more comfortable. This accessory sits between the holster and the body itself and for an FN 509 you’re going to want a larger wedge since it’s a decent size gun, but if you’re carrying something like the FN 509 Sub-Compact, then a larger wedge may or may not be necessary.

FN 509 Holster with Light

At this time, we do not have an FN 509 holster with a light but it is something we are currently working on.