Waterbury, CT, Police Department Adopts the FN 509 MRD-LE

The Waterbury Police Department of Waterbury, CT, has selected FN America’s FN 509 MRD-LE 9 mm-chambered pistol as its new sidearm. The handguns have already been issued to the agency’s 300 officers.

“Waterbury Police Department approached us in search of a new duty pistol that was reliable, durable and offered them future-proof, optics-ready technology, and we answered that request with the FN 509 MRD-LE,” said Doug Grier, law enforcement business development director for FN America. “The FN 509 MRD-LE delivered against their need for a factory optics-ready solution that was instantly adoptable department wide and exceeded officers’ expectations with its ergonomics, modularity and ambidextrous controls.”

“During testing, our team fired in excess of 12,000 rounds through a single endurance test, along with several thousand more rounds fired over the course of adverse condition testing and in situation training scenarios, with zero issues to report,” said SGT James O’Brien of the Waterbury Police Department. “To say the least, the FN 509 MRD-LE is an extremely durable and reliable pistol that our officers can depend on. Since its adoption, we have seen a dramatic improvement on our officers’ test scores for accuracy, and we have received nothing but positive feedback on the pistol’s capabilities.”

Developed for the demands of duty use and the professional user, the FN 509 MRD-LE is FN’s premier law enforcement pistol. Fully vetted through rigorous endurance testing to function with 9 mm +P duty-style ammunition, the pistol delivers reliable, accurate and durable function throughout its service life.

The proven design features four passive safety systems, including a trigger safety incorporated into the flat-faced trigger. The contoured frame design delivers superior ergonomics and effective recoil management that accommodates nearly all hand sizes through the interchangeable backstraps.

News of Waterbury’s procurement of the pistol came only a few weeks after FN America announced the Wake County Sheriff’s Department selected the FN 509 Fullsize MRD-LE. That agency has issued 500 of the sidearms to officers, as well customized FN 509s for SWAT officers and FN 509 Compact MRD-LE for detectives and staff.