by Don McDougall
FMK 9C1 G2 Compact 9mm Pistol review.
Fairfax, VA -(AmmoLand.com)- As an NRA instructor I get to shoot a LOT of different guns. With a local price tag of UNDER $400.00 my first thought was the FMK pistol was too cheap to be worth shooting.
Now, it is the gun I keep next to my bed and the one my sister-in-law (A first time gun owner) has for her protection.
You’ll see this gun described as a “budget Glock”, and there is already half a dozen honest reviews of this gun. There is one or two trashing the gun, and an obviously made up review by a Glock Fanboy.
The gun is an American made Glock and available in two versions.
There is a DAO version available for sale in CA and MA, and a “fast trigger” that is available in the rest of the country.
FMK 9C1 G2 Compact 9mm Pistol
Guns are built for a purpose. The gun you choose for home defense is not the gun you elect to use in competition. The FMK 9C1 G2 Compact 9mm Pistol in DAO is uncompromisingly built for personal protection. It’s the size of a larger .380 but shoots a 9mm. The grips are a bit slimmer in design than the boxy grips of comparable Glocks. The angle and feel of the FMK is like that of a 1911.
The FMK 9C1 G2 fits most people’s hands easily. The gun is accurate (Under 2 inches at 10 meters). For the DAO (Double Action Only) the trigger pull is long and a little heavy, say about 7lbs. (The “fast trigger” in about 5 lbs.) Nothing that keeps you from getting the best out of the gun, but it’s as different from a Glock as a Glock is from a 1911. (Please note I love my 1911s and my Glocks, the FMK-DAO trigger is different, not better or worse.) The SA single action trigger is an improved version, similar to the one you’ll find in a Glock Gen3.
The DAO action means that except for the magazine spring, NOTHING in the gun is under tension when the gun is living loaded and secure next to your bed. There is a real advantage to this in safety and reliability. I always have a twinge of concern for reliability when a gun sits unused for a long period of time, but not so with the FMK 9C1 G2 Compact 9mm in DAO.
The gun does not have the “factory only” ammunition restriction seen on many of the plastic guns, making the gun a LOT more economical to shoot. Since it is a home defense gun it gets shot regularly for practice.
FMK Made in California
The gun is made in California, and meets ALL the current CA safety requirements. The patriotic owners of FMK have engraved the gun with the 2nd Amendment and a thank you to the troops. A nice touch. Yes, they come in colors, and my Sister-in-Law has one that is pink.
There is a trigger replacement available that drops the poundage, and shifts the gun to a … well… a Glock style trigger. When Glock’s patents for their triggers sunset, there were bound to be people who would adapt the trigger to a better, less boxy frame. The backstrap is rubber and helps absorb the recoil, and the gun has a lower axis than most plastic guns. This means less felt recoil.
Since the FMK can shoot reloads, the cost savings over the Glock is frightening when you add it all up. Assuming you practice every two weeks the saving after 26 trips to the range plus the difference of the FMK’s purchase price (Under $400) means after a year the FMK is HALF the cost of the Glock. So you can buy another FMK from the savings from shooting a FMK, or wait a year and use the savings to buy a Glock. Oh and if you’re in CA or MA, and want to change over the trigger the FMK trigger is only $61.95, where as the Glock replacement triggers average at a cost of 3X that. Add that to the savings as well and the FMK is by far the better deal.
I know you’re supposed to list the Pros and Cons of each gun. The only problems with the FMK is that the low price means some people don’t take it seriously when looking for a firearm, and that people assume it is a Glock and shoot it like one. The unique techniques that make a Glock successful may not be the ones you need for an FMK. Younger shooters who grew up only on plastic autos just don’t understand that not all guns are Glocks.
Summary: If you’re looking for one gun for your home or personal protection this is it. The gun is reliable, accurate, and ergonomically comfortable. You can change out the trigger (if you want) and unless you’re in CA, the gun comes with two 14 round magazines. This is an excellent gun for a 1st time gun owner, or a dedicated defense gun.
- https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/01/chris-dumm/made-in-california-fmk-9c1-9mm/
- https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2012/3/12/fmk-9c1-gen-ii-9mm-pistol/
About Don McDougall:
Don McDougall is an NRA instructor and member of the Los Padres “Friends of the NRA” committee. If he’s not at the range you will find him setting the record straight with on gun issues and gun safety on AmmoLand Shooting Sports News.
FMK 9C1 G2 Compact 9mm Pistol Sheet by AmmoLand Shooting Sports News
Children… children… enough bickering. This gun FMK 9C1 G2 has been made available brand new, in a brown box, with one mag for the princely sum of less than $220. So NOT in a kit with a case, extra mag, alternative sites, or little bottle of oil, which retails for about $350. You can get an extra mag for under $30. No one uses the case, or lubricates their gun; and most guns don’t come with second sets of sites.
So, who would buy this gun for $250?
I have owned my FMK 9C2 G1 for more than 2 years now and here are my takes on the gun: – Be patient during the break-in period. The first 100 rds were nightmare with all kind of issues. But it gradually got better. After 300 rds, it started to perform flawlessly. I used 300 rds of Fiocchi 115gr for break-in. Now, I shoot reman ammo for practice, and fail rate is maybe 1/500 rds or so, more likely that it was due to the ammo than the gun itself. – Limp wristing is a real thing with this gun.… Read more »
I have had my FMK for about a year and it has been a reliable firearm. I expected a few malfunctions in the beginning but that was it. These were failure to go in to battery. Other than that and the occasional slide not staying open on the last round (I sometimes ride the slide stop) there have been no issues in close to 2,000 rounds. Is it as good as a Glock? Probably not but it comes close. I get really tired of people slamming a company for using another’s design cues. Glock is starting to remind me of… Read more »
thinking of buying a fmk 9c1 g2. not sure what to believe, never know who is working for or against a gun company. HELP! just need truthful info, thats all i need.
I had a FMK Gen 2 for the past 2 yrs. Never had any malfunctions. Shot about a thousand rounds through it.I thought it was a great gun. Just had it ripped off. I’m getting another.