The FN 510 Tactical is one of those pistols that a lot of shooters immediately notice because of the caliber alone, but the bigger story is that FN did not treat it like a one-note 10mm range toy. The gun launched in 2023 as FN’s first 10mm Auto pistol, and the company built it as part of its Tactical line with features like an optics-ready slide, threaded barrel, suppressor-height tritium sights, interchangeable backstraps, full ambidextrous controls, and extremely high magazine capacity. FN’s current product page says it carries 22+1 rounds of 10mm Auto, while American Rifleman highlighted that same figure as one of the pistol’s most stand-out traits.
What makes the 510 Tactical especially interesting is that it is not just “an FN 509 in 10mm,” even though the guns are clearly related. American Rifleman’s 2023 and 2024 coverage says the 510 Tactical was inspired by the 509 Tactical and built on an all-new frame, while FN’s own page presents it as part of the newer FN 510 series rather than just a caliber swap. That means the 510 Tactical sits in a pretty important place for FN: it carried the company’s modern Tactical-pistol formula into true big-bore territory.
1. The FN 510 Tactical launched in 2023
A lot of shooters assume the 510 Tactical has been around longer than it really has because it fits so neatly into FN’s current pistol lineup. But American Rifleman’s January 2023 “New For 2023” coverage makes clear that FN introduced the 510 Tactical that year, alongside the FN 545 Tactical. FN’s own current page still reflects that launch-era configuration and pricing structure.
That timing matters because the 510 Tactical arrived during a real surge of renewed 10mm interest. It was not early to the modern 10mm revival, but FN came in with a pistol that immediately looked more feature-rich than a lot of the competition.
2. It is FN’s first 10mm Auto pistol
This is one of the biggest basic facts about the gun, and it still surprises some people because FN has had a pretty broad handgun catalog for years. American Rifleman’s 2023 “Editor’s Choice” piece explicitly says FN America introduced the company’s first 10mm Auto pistol with the FN 510 Tactical.
That is a pretty important milestone for the brand. FN had already covered 5.7×28 mm, 9 mm, .45 ACP, and more, but the 510 Tactical marked the company’s first true entry into the full-power 10mm market.
3. It was built from the success of the FN 509 platform
The 510 Tactical did not come out of nowhere. American Rifleman’s 2024 “Gun of the Week” says the 510 Tactical is a testament to the success and strength of FN’s 509 platform, and the 2023 coverage says it builds on the company’s earlier FN 509 Tactical. FN’s own specs page reinforces that shared Tactical-series DNA with the same optic-ready, suppressor-height-sight, threaded-barrel formula.
That matters because the 510 Tactical was not just FN experimenting with a random new format. It was the company taking a Tactical pistol formula it already trusted and scaling it up for a heavier cartridge.
4. It uses an all-new frame, not just a simple caliber conversion
Even though the 510 Tactical builds on the 509 idea, American Rifleman’s 2023 “Editor’s Choice” article specifically says it is based on the striker-fired FN 509 and built on an all-new frame.
That is a bigger deal than it sounds. FN was not merely dropping a 10mm barrel into an existing 9mm-size layout and calling it done. The company treated the jump to 10mm seriously enough to redesign core dimensions around the cartridge.
5. The 22-round magazine is one of its defining features
This is probably the single most eye-catching stat in the whole FN 510 Tactical story. FN’s current page says the gun ships with one 22-round extended magazine and one 15-round flush-fit magazine in standard-capacity states, and American Rifleman called that 22-rounder one of the stand-out features of the pistol.
That kind of capacity is unusual enough in a 10mm pistol that it immediately became part of the gun’s identity. Plenty of shooters can tell you “the FN 10mm with the huge mag” even if they do not remember much else about it.
6. FN says it offers 22+1 rounds of 10mm Auto
The magazine itself is notable, but FN pushes the total loaded capacity even harder. The company’s current page says the FN 510 Tactical carries 22+1 rounds of 10mm Auto, and American Rifleman repeated that claim in both 2023 and 2024 coverage.
That number matters because it helps explain why the gun got so much attention right away. For a cartridge usually associated with lower-capacity pistols or heavier compromises, 22+1 sounds almost ridiculous on first read.
7. It is optics-ready from the factory
The FN 510 Tactical was built for modern red-dot use from the start. FN’s product page says the slide is cut to mount most optics with no gunsmithing needed, and American Rifleman’s 2023 coverage says the gun uses FN’s Low-Profile Optics Mounting System with included plates.
That is important because FN did not ask buyers to choose between “big-bore power” and “modern pistol features.” The 510 Tactical was clearly designed to deliver both at the same time.
8. It ships with four mounting plates
A lot of optics-ready pistols are technically ready for dots but require extra purchases or limited footprint options. FN’s current specs page says the 510 Tactical ships with four MRD mounting plates, and American Rifleman’s 2023 “Editor’s Choice” piece says the same.
That is one of those practical details owners appreciate immediately. FN wanted the optics-ready feature to feel complete right out of the case instead of half-finished.
9. The sights are suppressor-height and tritium-equipped
FN’s product page says the pistol has tritium lamp steel dovetail sights that co-witness with most MRD optics, and American Rifleman’s 2023 launch coverage identifies them as suppressor-height Trijicon sights.
That is a pretty serious setup straight from the factory. It means the 510 Tactical was built not just to accept a dot and a can someday, but to actually support that full Tactical use case from day one.
10. The barrel is threaded and target-crowned
FN’s current page says the 510 Tactical uses a 4.71-inch cold hammer-forged barrel with a target crown and .578×28 threads for compensators and suppressors. American Rifleman’s 2023 articles repeat the 4.71-inch threaded-barrel detail.
That matters because it shows FN treated the barrel as more than just a tube needed to launch 10mm rounds. It is clearly part of the Tactical identity and one of the gun’s core premium features.
11. It is fully ambidextrous
FN’s product page says the 510 Tactical has a fully ambidextrous slide stop lever and magazine release, and American Rifleman’s 2024 “Gun of the Week” specifically called it one of the most lefty-friendly designs out there.
That matters because the 510 Tactical was not built only for a narrow slice of shooters. FN carried over one of the better usability traits from its 509-style thinking and kept it intact even in this larger-caliber platform.
12. It includes interchangeable backstraps
FN’s current page says the gun ships with two interchangeable backstraps, and American Rifleman’s 2024 review notes that owners can customize grip fit through those backstraps.
That is useful because a 10mm pistol has to be controllable, not just powerful. FN clearly treated hand fit and recoil management as part of the same problem.
13. The grip texture was designed to help tame 10mm recoil
FN’s product page says the enhanced grip frame is built for unmatched control, and American Rifleman’s 2024 review pointed out the unique multi-pattern texturing as a real help with the added power of the cartridge.
That is one of the reasons the 510 Tactical reads as a serious shooter’s pistol rather than just a spec-sheet monster. Capacity and caliber look great on paper, but the gun still has to stay manageable in the hand.
14. FN’s published weight is 32 ounces
FN’s current page lists the 510 Tactical at 32.0 ounces unloaded, and American Rifleman’s 2024 spec rundown gives the same figure.
That number is worth noticing because it helps explain how FN balanced the pistol. The 510 Tactical is not featherweight, but it is also not absurdly heavy for what it offers. It sits in a place meant to help control recoil without turning the gun into a brick.
15. The biggest surprise is that FN made a 10mm pistol feel like a natural extension of its Tactical line
The most interesting thing about the FN 510 Tactical is that it does not feel like a weird one-off. FN and American Rifleman both present it as a natural progression from the 509 Tactical concept: optics-ready, threaded, ambidextrous, high-capacity, and tuned around control rather than simply brute force. The difference is that this time it all happens in 10mm Auto.
That is why the 510 Tactical stands out. Plenty of 10mm pistols exist. Fewer feel like they were built from the start to be a fully modern premium Tactical handgun instead of just “the 10mm version.” The FN 510 Tactical really does.
