Thoughts on the FNH 5.7???

[Guest dboonekilledabearhere]

I am thinking about purchasing one of these handguns. They are fairly expensive but I think it would be lots of fun. Does anyone have any experience with this gun? Any suggestions as to alternatives?

[RoDan]

Kel Tec PMR30

Kel Tec

[Dolomite_supafly]

The 5.7x28 is almost exactly the same ballistics as a 22 magnum. The only good thing is you can reload to save the cost of shooting it in the long run.

There was a lot of buzz about the 5.7x28 FN when it first came out but look up 5.7 Johnson Spitfire. Similar round that was developed decades before the 5.7x28.

In this thread there is a comparison of the rounds next to each other.

Anyone ever convert an M1 carbine to .38 special? - THR

Dolomite

[kesava]

very potent and graceful firearm. Although the ballistics are similar to a .22 mag, the 5.7 can be used as a self/home defense weapon, not just defeating body armour. Go for it.

[Guest bart_p]

If it is purely a fun gun and ammunition costs are of no concern to you then I say go for it. If you are looking at this thing for defensive purposes do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. Sorry 5.7 fanboys, but the terminal ballistics of them are less than desirable.

Bart

[Guest cheez]

Expensive gun expensive ammo. Big and clunky but tons of fun on the range.

[Magiccarpetrides]

If it is purely a fun gun and ammunition costs are of no concern to you then I say go for it. If you are looking at this thing for defensive purposes do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. Sorry 5.7 fanboys, but the terminal ballistics of them are less than desirable.

Bart

Not to be insensitive but I think Ft. Hood more then proved its capabilities. I used to have one...for fast accurate shooting with high capacity you will be hard pressed to find a better gun. $19.95 per 50rds is not that bad compared to anything larger then 9mm.

Edited April 10, 2010 by Magiccarpetrides
info

[Guest bart_p]

Not to be insensitive but I think Ft. Hood more then proved its capabilities. I used to have one...for fast accurate shooting with high capacity you will be hard pressed to find a better gun. $19.95 per 50rds is not that bad compared to anything larger then 9mm.

Here are all of the sources that say that the 5.7 round has poor terminal performance:

--Dahlstrom D, Powley K, and Gordon C: “Wound Profile of the FN Cartridge (SS 190) Fired from the FN P90 Submachine Gun". Wound Ballistic Review. 4(3):21-26; Spring 2000.

--Fackler M: "Errors & Omissions", Wound Ballistic Review. 1(1):46; Winter 1991.

--Fackler M: "More on the Bizarre Fabrique National P-90", Wound Ballistic Review. 3(1):44-45; 1997.

--FBI Academy Firearms Training Unit. FBI Handgun Ammunition Tests 1989-1995. Quantico, U.S. Department of Justice--Federal Bureau of Investigation.

--Hayes C: “Personal Defense Weapons—Answer in Search of a Questionâ€, Wound Ballistic Review. 5(1):30-36; Spring 2001.

--Roberts G: “Preliminary Evaluation of the Terminal Performance of the 5.7 x 28 mm 23 Grain FMJ Bullet Fired by the New FN P-90 , Using 10% Ordnance Gelatin as a Tissue Simulantâ€, AFTE Journal. 30(2):326-329, Spring 1998.

Now, this testing was all done from the P90 which is guaranteed to have much higher velocity that its' pistol counterpart. Seeing as how it fails horribly, then no doubt the pistol does worse off. Sorry, but I have to say that the round has the potential to do about as much damage as a .22lr or .22 magnum.

Bart

[Magiccarpetrides]

Here are all of the sources that say that the 5.7 round has poor terminal performance:

--Dahlstrom D, Powley K, and Gordon C: “Wound Profile of the FN Cartridge (SS 190) Fired from the FN P90 Submachine Gun". Wound Ballistic Review. 4(3):21-26; Spring 2000.

--Fackler M: "Errors & Omissions", Wound Ballistic Review. 1(1):46; Winter 1991.

--Fackler M: "More on the Bizarre Fabrique National P-90", Wound Ballistic Review. 3(1):44-45; 1997.

--FBI Academy Firearms Training Unit. FBI Handgun Ammunition Tests 1989-1995. Quantico, U.S. Department of Justice--Federal Bureau of Investigation.

--Hayes C: “Personal Defense Weapons—Answer in Search of a Questionâ€, Wound Ballistic Review. 5(1):30-36; Spring 2001.

--Roberts G: “Preliminary Evaluation of the Terminal Performance of the 5.7 x 28 mm 23 Grain FMJ Bullet Fired by the New FN P-90 , Using 10% Ordnance Gelatin as a Tissue Simulantâ€, AFTE Journal. 30(2):326-329, Spring 1998.

Now, this testing was all done from the P90 which is guaranteed to have much higher velocity that its' pistol counterpart. Seeing as how it fails horribly, then no doubt the pistol does worse off. Sorry, but I have to say that the round has the potential to do about as much damage as a .22lr or .22 magnum.

Bart

At this point your comparing it to other rifles...of course it fails compared to a 5.56

Also you are missing the big point...the real world test using off the shelf non-ap ammo proved that this round is killer....plain and simple. I guarantee you a Ruger Mark III or ruger 10/22 wouldnt have done nearly the amount of damage at ft. hood...the other point your missing is how easy it is to rapid fire this pistol and stay on target....it kicks less then most 9mm's and still has more then enough power to kill (unlike a 22mag or 22lr)

22mag ballistics (with a 7.5" barrel no less)

Remington .22 WMR Loads

5.7 ballistics (p90 and FiveSeven)

5.7 mm FN Ammunition

[Guest bart_p]

My point was not to compare it to other rifles. My point was to show that if the rifle version (which I'm sure we can both agree is more sound than the pistol as far as ballistics go) fails ballistics testing, then the pistol version surely will. I'm sorry but I stand my ground on this one. The 5.7 round is a less efficient round for destroying tissue than a 9mm ball round, which is less than stellar. But if you are still convinced, then please by all means carry one. I have nothing invested in it. I just hate it when people tout false information.

Bart

Edit: Don't you think it is weird that any law enforcement agencies that were quick to adopt them have since dumped them due to numerous problems getting them to do their job of stopping bad guys?

Edited April 10, 2010 by bart_p

[Magiccarpetrides]

Bart...in that regard you might as well tell everyone carrying a .380, 9x18, and .32 that they should quit carrying those also

[Guest bart_p]

Bart...in that regard you might as well tell everyone carrying a .380, 9x18, and .32 that they should quit carrying those also

I'm not trying to be confrontational at all. Everyone is entitled to do what they wish. I just think it is important for people to know all of the facts before they make a decision (especially of that magnitude). But to what you said, if said person can manage a larger more effective caliber then yes they certainly should do so. If they are recoil sensitive or their environment requires the deep concealment that a gun that size offers, then by all means carry what you can. Just don't expect it to be the fight stopper you are hoping for. Luckily for me I'm 6'4" and 200 lbs. I can fully conceal a full-sized .45 under a standard (not over-sized for concealment) polo shirt. I'm not going to argue anymore on the 5.7. I listed sources that are very reputable and they all show the failing terminal performance of the round. LE agencies discontinued use after the rounds continued to fail when they counted. That's all I can tell you.

Bart

[Guest dboonekilledabearhere]

Thanks everyone I appreciate the discussion. It looks like the 5.7 has it pros and cons like most and/or all handguns do. I am fairly new to the gun scene but I am enjoying learning a great deal. In fact I am just back from my gun class today. Had a great time, scored 100% percent on my range and written tests. Kept 48 shots within a 2" grouping (all in the heart outline) on the paper figure. I currently own a SA XDm 9mm and a Taurus TCP (.380) as well as a small .22. When I get my carry permit I will probaly carry the XDm in my truck and the TCP as my carry weapon (with good SD ammo of course). I am in the market for something fun to shoot with good accuracy. Caliber is not a huge factor due to the quality of SD 9mm or .380 ammo. Thanks again and all suggestions/input are welcome and appreciated.

Edited April 10, 2010 by dboonekilledabearhere

[Guest Papabear]

I'm not trying to be confrontational at all. Everyone is entitled to do what they wish. I just think it is important for people to know all of the facts before they make a decision (especially of that magnitude). But to what you said, if said person can manage a larger more effective caliber then yes they certainly should do so. If they are recoil sensitive or their environment requires the deep concealment that a gun that size offers, then by all means carry what you can. Just don't expect it to be the fight stopper you are hoping for. Luckily for me I'm 6'4" and 200 lbs. I can fully conceal a full-sized .45 under a standard (not over-sized for concealment) polo shirt. I'm not going to argue anymore on the 5.7. I listed sources that are very reputable and they all show the failing terminal performance of the round. LE agencies discontinued use after the rounds continued to fail when they counted. That's all I can tell you.

Bart

Not all LE's have stopped using this round. Several department's have this gun deployed and the Secret Service uses this round on protection details. Everyone is entitled to there opinion but the round is a proven stopper in both civilain LE and military use. With the correct ammo the round performs as designed. Some of the civilian ammo is not optimal but it does perform well for the recoil and size of the round.

The 5.7 fills a certain role just as all guns do. It's just another tool in the tool box and has it's uses. If we had a round that did everything equally well then then there would not be alot of fun in gun ownership and collecting. I personally would not feel underarmed with the 5.7 round in either pistol or rifle configuration. Just my two cents.

[Guest The Highlander]

Fun guns to shoot, but expensive, big, and hard to find expensive ammo keep me from buying one. It is a little bit of an answer looking for a question, just my opinion though.

If you are looking for a 'fun gun' I can think of nothing better or cheaper to shoot than a .22 lr. Available at any price from reasonable to OMG! depending on whether you want a Ruger or a Feinwerkbau. Ammo is available anywhere. Revolvers or pistolsl, or heck for the price of an FN 5.7 you can get a revolver and a pistol in .22 lr.

[Guest thejlb]

Yeah I posted a similar thread about a month ago. The gun seems awesome. I was convinced however to buy a .50 deagle instead. Was about the same price. I'm still gonna get Five- seveN one day for the record.

[roverboy]

A friend of mine shoots at Bend of the River shooting range in Cookeville and sees a few guys shooting them and says they're lots of fun. I always thought it would be fun in a rifle.

[AntiLibTard]

For the money, I'd rather have an FNP-45 Tac.

You could get a PMR-30, but I'm not sure if they are equivalent in terms of bullet energy.

Myth Busting: .22 Magnum vs. 5.7×28mm | The Firearm Blog

However, 30rds or .22 wmr is attractive...maybe someday, quicker burning cartridges will be available for pistols chambered for this.

[towerclimber37]

I've actually shot the danged thing..the muzzle blast is, to me, prohibitive to my aim. After 2 shots, I had to wait and let the blast disappear from my retina..

other than that? great pistol!

it was a light, plastic fantastic futura blaster, (thanks mark@sea, I LOVE that phrase!) that as several others have stated "has real world bonafides, not just some nerd doing the math on paper"..

I myself don't see any immediate need for a pistol that defeats body armor and I can buy more ammunition for a 22 mag or even a 22 pistol, for the money I spend on the FN's ammo.