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FM M95-Classic

5K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  JayPee 
#1 ·
Hello,
I am a new member here, and I hope you can answer some questions.
I was looking for posts relating to the FM M59-Classic and found very little information on this model. Some posts refering to the Detective series but I am looking for owners / users of the full size model.
My questions:
Do you still own one and what is your opinion of it?
Has it stood up under a reasonable amount of use?
I purchased one recently and would rather trade it off before fatal problems arise, if it is necessary. I'm not talking about springs or normal maintenance, those I can handle. Even "normal" parts like fring pins, extractors, etc. aren't a real problem (unless unrepairable).

So, can I have some opinions?

Thanks!
 
#3 ·
Hi Estpa. Welcome to the forum.

I've owned one for several years but have only been able to fire a couple of hundred rounds in it, and none of that was high pressure defensive loads. It is accurate, works fine, and appears to be well made. I think it's a better made gun than its predecessor, the FM 90, and has all the current features of the Mark III BHP. I will say that the FM factory magazines are suitable for range use only and are about as well made as the G.I. 1911 magazines - i.e. somewhere between bad and awful.So I'd get some MecGar magazines if you intend to use the gun for defense.

You didn't say if the gun is in good condition or not, what you intend to use it for, or just why you think you would have to get rid of it. That information would be a big help in answering your question.

Mine is in brand new condition and I can't think of a reason why I wouldn't keep it and shoot it. The FM's don't have the fine fit and finish of the Browning Hi Power they're modeled after, and they have the usual BHP sensitivity to hot ammunition, but if you're under the impression that a new FM 95 is a junky gun that will go to pot and start breaking major parts overnight, I don't think that's correct at all. From my short experience with my gun, and from all the writings I've seen on them, I believe the FM 95 Classic would be on a lot of Browning Hi Power owner's Christmas lists if we could still get them for under $300 like the old days. And there appear to be a lot of BHP owners who are kicking themselves for not getting one while they were available.

So give us some more information and we'll try to come up with a good answer for you. Best Wishes.

JP
 
#4 ·
First, thank you for the replies and the greetings.

JayPee,
I guess some background would help:
I am not new to handguns or Hi-powers. I have owned a couple of FN, FEG and Arcus produced examples. I've never found a FM example around here until now.
I have had to sell all my guns due to job loss and a son in college. I'm not complaining, that is the reality of being unemployed and a father. :)
On the other hand, I do not like being unarmed. I have two daughters at home and a wife, and being the old fashioned sort, I feel that a certain amount of protection is due to them, and myself.
So, being low on financial resources, I visited my old friends at the local gun shops and found most items way beyond my reach, so to speak. But, one had this FM M59-Classic in the case, barely used, for $239. I remembered from the past that FM guns were generally well thought of though a little rough. So, I figured it should be OK and I still had mags and springs laying around that I could use.
I got home and stripped it down, removed the magazine safety, and installed a new Wolff trigger spring. This resulted in a much improved trigger, so I was pleased.
At this point, I figured I would see what other owners had to say. I was surprised at the lack of feedback on this model (M95), most posts were on the M90 or older guns. The only exception was the M95 Detective, and this is where my doubts started to surface. I found several references to barrel lug wear and setback. Most blamed "soft" metal.
So, now that I've written a novel, I can get to the point of my original post. I can understand problems with a "shortened" version of any gun designed as full sized. But poor materials can not be repaired at home, or at all. For whatever reasons, the M59-Classic does not seem to be in widespread use (in this country) and most posts referring to them say that the owners have used them to a limited extent.

What I really want to know is:
1. Does anyone own one that they have fired a thousand or more rounds in without major problems?
2. Why are the newer models so rare in relation to the older models? Is it just because of price, as you suggest?

Again, thank you for your reply, I hope I've clarified the situation somewhat.

Dave
 
#5 ·
Yes Dave, you have and I understand your concerns completely. I have not fired mine enough to meet your criteria, but I think I can probably answer your second point to some limited extent.

One reason for the scarcity of the FM pistols is that importation of the FM 95 ended several years ago because of the weak dollar. Both of the importers told me in '07 that their price on the gun had gone up so much at the factory that they could no longer import them and make a profit, so they were getting out of the FM 95 business. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the FM 95 pistols were never imported in numbers anywhere near those of the FEG Hi Power style pistols from Hungary, as one of the FM importers told me he had only contracted for 5,000 pistols in total. The other importer is not a big name in the gun business and I suspect he didn't import a ton of them either. The FEG's, on the other hand were imported by some very large companies - Century International Arms among them, and tended to be in much wider circulation than the FM pistols.

Another reason I think you see so much more about the FM 90's is because the FM 95 was imported in limited numbers as a commercial pistol intended for the commercial market, like the FEG's, while the FM 90's were imported as military surplus in (I believe) huge numbers. By the time the FM 90 arrived on the surplus scene last year, the FM 95 Classic had been gone for three or four years. Hi Power enthusiasts jumped on the '90's mainly because all of the inexpensive Hi Power clones had dried up when FEG went bankrupt in '04 and importation of the FM 95 Classic ended in '07.So when the FM 90 came around last year, many in brand new condition, guys jumped on them really quick and wrote reams about them on the gun forums and blogs. Such a reception never happened with the FM 95 Classic.

Again, these are just perceptions and conclusions I've reached because of an interest in these guns. I, too, have heard about the rounded locking lug issues, but the complainants never stated what kind of ammo the gun had been used with or what kind of a recoil spring they had used. And even the Browning Hi-Power has been known to round its lugs when used with a lot of hot ammo and a standard weight recoil spring.

Personally, I would buy the gun you describe in a heartbeat at the asking price and never look back, but I understand why you want to look into it further. I own two FEG's, have owned two others, and I have an FM 90 and an FM 95. Because of a common impression that the Browning/Saive design is a bit on the delicate side for a 9mm, I've decided that if I use them defensively I will stick to a well regarded standard pressure JHP like the 124 grain Speer Gold Dot JHP. Same for the single BHP I own. And basically I've made this decision in order to preserve some really fine equipment and not because I think a bit of +P ammo will blow them up. Same reason I use synthetic motor oil in my car. Best wishes in your search for information. I'm sorry I can't help any more than that.

Jerry
 
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