Any list of the world’s greatest gunmakers would be incomplete without mentioning FN. The company was founded in Belgium in 1889 as Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre, translated “National Factory of Weapons of War.” FN is responsible for many fine firearms in the last 130 years, including the the High Power, Five-seveN, SCAR, various rifles and shotguns, not to mention military small arms such as the M2, M249, and M240 series. FN military products have been procured by more than 100 countries.
Producing some of the most popular military arms in history, the company has also offered commercial products for more than a century. FN released the Reflex in Guns & Ammo’s August 2023 issue, a subcompact 9mm pistol that measures an inch wide with a 10- or 15-round capacity. I tested that pistol for G&A and was impressed with its performance, particularly the trigger.
The trend in the carry gun market is to “beef up” subcompact pistols, adding extra barrel length and a longer grip with full-size capacity. FN joined the bigger-is-better club with its upsized version of the Reflex: Reflex XL MRD. The Reflex XL MRD wasn’t the first “big” subcompact 9mm, but that’s no surprise. FN never rushed its pistols to market simply to be the first. When its guns arrive, they are refined and well-proven designs. The Reflex XL MRD is no exception.
The Reflex XL MRD comes with a 3.8-inch cold hammer-forged, stainless-steel barrel with a 1-in-10-inch twist rate and a recessed crown. It’s a half-inch longer than the barrel of the standard Reflex model, but both guns measure just more than an inch wide.
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The grip was also extended on the Reflex XL, allowing it to hold up to 15 rounds in its standard “flush-fit” magazine. The extended mag holds 18 rounds. One of each is provided with the gun, unless you live in a restrictive jurisdiction. FN supplies two magazines for those subject to such regulations.
Fifteen and 18 rounds is a noteworthy increase compared to the standard 11- and 15-round magazines with the original Reflex. The extra capacity adds about an inch to overall height, which measures 5.2 inches with the flush-fit mag. Compare that to 4.27 inches for the Reflex.
The added height of the Reflex XL MRD may make it more challenging to conceal, but the extra grip length offers substantial benefits. Primarily, the Reflex XL offers a magazine capacity that is on par with compact and some full-sized double-stack 9mms while only measuring 1.08-inches wide. Most compact double-stack 9mms measure around 1.3 inches wide. While .22 inch might not seem like a lot of extra width, it’s considerably easier to conceal a 1.1-inch pistol than a 1.3-inch gun, especially when wearing light clothing. Plus, the Reflex XL MRD weighs 20 ounces unloaded, which is just 1.6 ounces more than the unloaded weight of the standard Reflex model.
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The other benefit of the extended grip is that shooters — even those with large hands — can obtain a full grip of the gun. A grip that leaves your pinky floating in space is notably harder to control under recoil, and it’s much less fun to shoot a short grip during extended ranges sessions. Reflex XL MRD pistols are also equipped with a mild palm swell that helps fill the hand and increases control and shooting comfort. Basically, the FN is a pistol you’ll enjoy shooting, which means you’ll shoot more often.
The internal hammer-fired, single-action only (SAO) operation also makes the Reflex XL MRD a pleasant shooter. Internal hammer-fired pistols offer a smooth and light triggerpull because the trigger does not need to compress the striker, as is the case with striker-fired guns. Internal hammer-fired guns can use lighter springs, which, in turn, reduces the force required to manually operate the slide. Two things we immediately noticed on receipt of the Reflex XL MRD were the crisp trigger and the reduced force required to operate the slide.
As on the standard Reflex, the Reflex XL MRD features front and rear slide serrations. There are five angled serrations at the rear of the slide, and three wider but shallower serrations up front. Unlike some front slide serrations that are narrow and shallow, the Reflex’s forward serrations provide excellent purchase when conducting press checks. The slide won’t slip from your grasp.
MRD models are offered with both standard iron sights and an optic-ready slide. The Reflex XL is only available with the MRD slide, which is cut for RMSc and Holosun 507K footprints. Miniature red dots have become popular on carry guns, and the MRD slide allows the owner the option to mount a red dot. The pistol does not include an optic, but arrives with a coverplate and night sights.
Both the Reflex and Reflex XL MRD feature the same all-black notch-type rear sight with tritium dot surrounded by an orange ring at the front. Both the front and rear sight are dovetailed into the slide. With the Reflex XL model, the longer slide equates to a longer sight radius, too, measuring 5.05 inches. It is a half-inch longer than the standard Reflex sight radius for improved sight picture.
For every shooter who argues that a carry pistol should always have a manual safety, there is another who will argue just as strongly against manual safeties on carry guns. Rather than choosing sides, FN decided to offer both manual safety (MS) and non-manual safety (NMS) versions of the Reflex XL MRD. Both camps should be satisfied. Regardless which you choose, all Reflex XL MRD pistols also include multiple passive safeties, including a firing pin block, trigger safety, and fire control safety.
All FN Reflex XL pistols come with a magazine release and a slide-stop lever on the left side of the frame. The slide stop is recessed in a molded polymer shelf, and the oval magazine release is reversible. The mag release is checkered and easy to locate, and it drops both the 15- and 18-round metal magazines clear of the pistol when depressed. There’s a rotating takedown lever on the left side of the pistol which is, by my estimation, easier to operate than the transverse takedown bar on other polymer-frame pistols.
Microtexturing covers the left and right grip panels. The frontstrap and rearstrap both offer aggressive texturing arranged in horizontal rows for improved control. Three interchangeable backstraps are included with each pistol. The triggerguard undercut allows for a more comfortable grip on the gun and better control under recoil. The beavertail extends more than the beavertail on the Reflex MRD. The Reflex XL’s single-notch rail is patterned after the Slimline rail and accommodates lights that fit the Glock G43X, such as the Streamlight TLR-7 sub and SureFire XSC.
Reflex XL MRD pistols are available with either a black or FDE PVD finish. Both look good and hold up to the rigors of daily carry. The finish on these pistols is excellent, as is the slide-to-frame fit. A polished chamber and ramp also come standard, and the internals of these pistols are clean and free of machine marks.
The suggested retail price for the Reflex XL MRD was set at $719, which is higher than the SIG Sauer P365 XL and Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro, both of which start around $620. The Reflex XL MRD is .7-ounc lighter than the P365 XL and 1 ounce lighter than the Hellcat Pro, but the capacity of the Reflex XL MRD is greater than those pistols.
At the Range
The Reflex XL MRD accepts popular miniature red dot footprints including the RMSc pattern, so it was easy to mount a Burris FastFire C. The sight’s low deck height allowed it to co-witness with the FN’s iron sights. I also added a Streamlight TLR-7 Sub for evaluation, which mounted directly on the Slimline pattern rail. With light and optic, the FN measured 6-inches tall and weighed 22.2 ounces.
The original Reflex MRD offered more grip space than most subcompacts, particularly with the 15-round extended magazine in place. The XL version is large enough for anyone having a hand span less than that of a polar bear to securely grip, with no digits left dangling. I don’t know that the FN Reflex XL should be billed as an “extra-large” subcompact. Rather, its more like a compact pistol that’s slimmer and easier to carry and conceal, which I think is a more fitting category for this pistol.
Am I delving too deeply into semantics and pistol nomenclature? Perhaps, but few of the big subcompacts feel like a compact gun when you shoot them; the Reflex XL does. It offers nearly as much grip surface area and barrel length as a Glock G19 with more capacity, yet the FN is a quarter-inch narrower. The palm swells provide a more secure and comfortable grip on the pistol while shooting, and this truly is a pistol you can shoot for extended periods on the range. You can’t say that about all 1-inch-wide pistols.
Like the original, the narrow Reflex XL MRD rides close against the shooter’s side, but the XL added inch of grip length can make concealment a challenge — particularly if you carry on the strong-side hip. If you’re carrying in the appendix position with the flush-fit magazine, concealment isn’t difficult so long as you choose proper clothing. I tested the Reflex XL in late February, and when I carried the gun in the appendix position, I could make it completely disappear with a light t-shirt and a loose flannel cover garment.
The Reflex XL is among the most accurate pistols in its class. I consider a carry gun to be accurate when it consistently produces five-shot groups less than 2 inches at 25 yards. Of the 25 test groups — five groups of five — 15 of the groups measured less than 2 inches, and two groups fired with Federal’s Punch ammunition were less than 11/2 inches. The Reflex XL MRD managed sub-2-inch accuracy on average for three of the loads tested, and performance was consistent.
Thanks to its internal hammer-fired design, the trigger tested at an average of 4.9 pounds for 10 pulls on a Wheeler trigger gauge. That’s only slightly heavier than most single-action 1911 triggers, and while the FN trigger certainly has more take-up, it’s less than many rival striker-fire guns.
Reliability proved to be perfect, and there were no issues with feeding, extraction or ejection. I also want to point out that the FN’s 15- and 18-round magazines truly hold that number of rounds. It requires a feat of strength to load some handgun magazines to full capacity, and some magazines simply will not hold the advertised number of rounds. The FN Reflex XL MRD lives up to its capacity promise. My only quibble is that the trigger sits far forward, and I think the triggerguard could be enlarged to accommodate large or gloved fingers.
I remember reviewing the original Reflex pistol. While I liked it, I felt there was something missing. Turns out that “something” was an extra half inch of barrel length and a longer grip. FN has hit just the right size with the Reflex XL MRD. I suggest that anyone in the market for a new carry gun get this pistol in your hand before making a final decision. As part of the trend toward “upsized” sub-compacts, the new Reflex XL MRD is a winner. There are many great guns in this class, but the accuracy, build quality, just-right size and trigger set the Reflex XL apart from the rest. In this case, bigger is better.
FN Reflex XL MRD
- Type: Recoil operated, internal hammer fire, SAO, semiautomatic
- Cartridge: 9mm
- Capacity: 10 rds. or 15/18 rds.
- Barrel: 3.8 in., cold hammer forged, stainless steel, 1:10-in. twist rate
- Length: 6.75 in.
- Height: 5.2 in.
- Width: 1.08 in.
- Weight: 1 lb., 3.8 oz.
- Finish: Black or FDE PVD
- Sights: Tritium dot (front), black, U-notch (rear); optic ready (MRD), RMSc pattern
- Trigger: 4 lbs., 15 oz. (tested)
- MSRP: $719
- Manufacturer: FN America, 703-288-3500, fnamerica.com
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