FN America on Wednesday followed up on news of their new SCAR line by announcing an optics and suppressor-read .22 LR pistol line, the FN 502.
While FN has long produced .22 LR pistols meant for bullseye-style target shooting and plinking – such as the Browning-branded Challenger, Medalist, and Nomad – the new FN 502 is a more tactical-minded rimfire that takes obvious cues from the company's popular FN 509 handgun line. Unlike the 509 series, however, the 502 is a single-action hammer-fired gun with what FN describes as a "best in class" trigger, 15-shot magazine, threaded barrel, and the FN Low-Profile Optics Mounting System on the slide.
"We set out to accomplish two primary goals with the FN 502 Tactical – to create a .22 LR pistol with the advanced features and superior accuracy of our current pistol line-up, and deliver a pistol designed for maximum fun on the range. We feel like we’ve met both of these objectives handily," said Mark Cherpes, president and CEO for FN America.
FN says they saw a .22 LR gap in the company's handgun catalog, and, going further, that the other guns in that space lacked capacity or accuracy features that FN could meet. Further, in-house testing has shown enthusiasm for the model.
"When a customer shoots an FN 502 Tactical for the first time, we’ve seen nothing but pure excitement," said Cherpes. "FN’s new rimfire handgun has obvious, universal appeal, whether you’re a new shooter looking to master the basics or an advanced user expecting peak performance from FN. The new FN 502 Tactical performs on every level."
The FN 502 Tactical is now shipping and comes standard in a hard case with one extended 15-round magazine and one 10-round flush-fit magazine along with a variety of plates to mount compatible miniature red dots. Available in FDE or black, the MSRP for both is $499.
