FNH USA’s FN SLP™ Competition Shotgun

Photography by Jorge Nuñez

Three-gun is the fastest growing shooting sport in the world. They are exciting events in which you navigate intricate courses of fire, engaging various types of targets near and far with your rifle, pistol, and shotgun (Issue 2 of RECOIL took a close look at the sport). What could be more fun than that?

Now in its fourth season, the 3-Gun Nation series brought three-gun to broadcast television and awards a $50,000 purse each year to its champion. Airing on the Sportsman Channel and Pursuit Channel, 3-Gun Nation has been a fantastic ambassador for the shooting sports to the public at large. And FNH USA has been an anchor sponsor of 3-Gun Nation from the very beginning. In fact, Team FNH shooters took first and second place in 2012 — guys who were not just team members, but also executives at FNH USA. Furthermore, FNH USA is the title sponsor of an annual major match at the Peacemaker National Training Center in West Virginia. That should tell you a lot about the company’s commitment and dedication to the sport.

So it should be no surprise that FNH USA has released an updated version of its competition-focused shotgun. Haven’t you ever wished that manufacturers truly thought like you, or catered to you? Well, the guys at FNH USA are die-hard shooters through and through, and they’ve built what they need to compete, straight from the factory. Company brass told us their philosophy with the FN SLP Competition was “build it and they will come.” Damn straight, and we all are the beneficiaries.

Bred in the Crucible of Competition
The FN SLP has been offered for years in a variety of configurations, including tactical and multi-purpose configurations. The standard Mk I variant, with its 22-inch cantilevered barrel, has served as the basis for many a three-gun shooter’s build. Based on a short-stroke gas system, the SLP is a soft-shooting shotgun. The gas piston slips over the magazine tube and seats into the gas block on the barrel. Ports in the barrel bleed gas back to the piston, which then drives the gas sleeve rearward. A rod attached to the gas sleeve cycles the bolt assembly. FNH USA shipped a batch of Mk I-based competition shotguns earlier this year and will now be offering this new version.