For some gun gurus, the FN Five-seveN is the handgun equivalent of the world’s most fire-proof paper hat. It’s a brilliant technical achievement but who cares? For one thing, you’re more likely to find Keira Knightley at an Old Country Buffet than a box of 5.7x28mm ammo at K-Mart. For another, firing-off a hundred rounds of Five-SeveN ammo costs more than draining a particularly good bottle of Scotch.
As for the weapon itself, you can buy two Springfield XD’s for the price of one of FN’s strangely-chambered pistols. Did I mention that the Five-SeveN’s safety sits on the side of the gun’s barrel? Or that the grip is longer (end-to-end) than War and Peace? All of which makes the Five-SeveN a novelty gun for impressing range rovers who Glock around the clock. Right?
In the run-up to International Elvis Tribute Week, let’s put it this way: 23,000 Five-SeveN buyers can’t all be wrong. That’s the annual total. So I reckon the majority of Five-SeveN USG (United States Government) buyers have seen beyond the obvious drawbacks of owning an expensive gun in an obscure caliber to appreciate a weapon with genuine character and utility. What do they see in the the Five-SeveN pistol? Let’s start with its most obvious advantage: weight.
The Five-SeveN is as light as an episode of iCarly. Unloaded, the full-size handgun tips the scales at 617 grams (1.36 lbs.). Picking up the weapon for the first time, you’d swear the featherweight firearm is an Airsoft replica of itself. But the most plastic feeling of plastic-feeling polymer pistols is not an airport screener’s worst nightmare. The Five-SeveN’s Belgian manufacturers fashion the gun’s polymer-encased slide, barrel, trigger, springs, pins and various other mission critical bits from steel.
When FN USA introduced the gun to the American market a decade ago, customer Support Manager Bob Ailes used to tell buyers to carry it in a paper bag. These days, Sidearmor (above), Blade Tech, Galco and others offers custom holsters for the Five-SeveN’s distinctive shape. Mag holders? It’s Blackhawk or nothing. Still, if you’re looking to travel light whilst concealing a “proper” sized gun (4.75″ barrel), the Five-SeveN’s good to stow. Yes but . . .
The Five-SeveN is only slightly lighter than a Glock 17. The Austrian Mack Daddy weighs-in at 625 grams (1.39 lbs.). Gentlemen, add your bullets! Load the Five-SeveN with 20 of those needle-nosed 5.7x28mm cartridges and you’re aiming 744 grams (1.64 lbs.) of Belgian bad-ass at your target. Insert 17 9mm rounds into a Glock’s polymer pistol and you’re schlepping nearasdammit two pounds of handgun. A fully-loaded Glock 17 with a standard magazine gives up three bullets and about a half a pound of heft to the Five-SeveN.
And now for the twist . . .
As I pointed out in my ArmaLite 24-15C review, a heavy gun can be a good thing, not a bad thing. In particular, slight men and women and elderly people benefit from firing larger caliber bullets from a bigger, heavier gun. It reduces limp-wristing, flinching (which does absolutely nothing for accuracy) and removes a general preference to forgo range time for something more pleasurable like, say, paying bills. Which is why GLOCK’s turning to new technology to reduce recoil.
The Five-SeveN doesn’t need no stinkin’ dual recoil spring. Credit the smaller, lighter round for which the Five-SeveN was created. No question: the 5.7x28mm cartridge is a diddy thing. FN’s SS195 cartridge (the best choice for self-defense) is a 27-grain projectile, as compared to the average 9mm bullet’s 115 – 147-grain tally.
Although the FN’s muzzle flash would suit a small flame thrower, the Five-SeveN kicks like a slightly peeved gerbil; roughly 30 percent less than a 9mm bullet. Muzzle flip is simply not an issue. So much [not] so that this FN deserves an intra-consonant “u”. Punching holes or plinking with the Five-SeveN is Big Fun, with an amateur-friendly kill zone of 50 to 100 feet.
The Five-SeveN’s entirely endearing low-recoil also makes it possible for USG owners to grab their weapon in a crisis knowing that the only intimidation involved will be felt by those poor unfortunate souls who find themselves on the business end of a gun made in René Magritte’s homeland. Five-SeveN-istas will be able to fire quickly and very, very accurately.
Provided they’ve got a big enough hand. To accommodate that 20-round magazine (optional 30), the Five-Seven’s grip is as wide as a GLOCK’s, which is way too wide for a lot of small-handed shooters (hence the new GLOCK 23’s interchangeable backstraps.) To compensate for the big honking handle, the Five-SeveN’s grip texture is extremely aggressive. If you grab a gun as hard as I do, the Five-SeveN leaves a lasting impression—on the last three fingers of your strong hand.
Fortunately, there’s only 2.75 inches between the ridged trigger and backstrap. Activating the Five-SeveN’s pivoting internal striker-fire hammer is well worth the trip. After about .13 of an inch of take-up, the gun delivers a clean, crisp 4.5-pound pull, with no over-travel and near instant reset. Provided you remember to switch off the snout-mounted safety.
Yes, there is that. The Five-SeveN’s safety is, uh, unconventional. Training your brain to switch it off in a high-stress situation will require the usual 3000 round re-education process. At full retail, that’s $1800 worth of bullets.
More importantly (for some), if you place your trigger finger as high as possible on the barrel (as I do), you can’t use your left thumb to deactivate the safety. Both digits are touching it at the same time; a recipe for confusion. The best way to flip off the safety: use your trigger finger.
On one hand (so to speak), the Five-SeveN’s safety forces you to NOT fire immediately. There’s your trigger discipline (in the proper place too). On the other hand, the Five-SeveN’s safety forces you to NOT fire immediately. A lot of personal defense pistoleros–guys and gals holstering GLOCKs, Springfields, M&Ps and the like–want to introduce an extra step into the firing process almost as much as they want to adopt Kevin Costner’s eyes-closed shooting technique from The Bodyguard.
Many of these combat-oriented shooters are concerned about the Five-SeveN’s stopping power. And with good reason. In its defense (or yours), penetration is not an issue. The Five-SeveN sends lead-free SS195 hollow-point jacketed bullet downrange at 1950 feet per second, generating some 220 ft-lbs. of muzzle energy. The SS195 round penetrates traditional ballistic gelatin (in the usual testing process) to a depth of 10.5 to 11 inches.
More to the point (so to speak), the SS195 round is designed to tumble and yaw when it hits its target, creating a wound channel as wide as the bullet is tall (21.6-mm or .85 in).
The Secret Service is down with that. But then they get the law enforcement-only SS198LF cartridge. That bullet’s high velocity (2050 FPS) gives the feds body armor-piercing capabilities while maintaining the round’s flat-shooting flight characteristics and loss of lethality at 550 to 750 yards.
And the taxpayer picks up the tab. Even shooters who value the Five-SeveN’s light weight, low recoil, amazing accuracy and 20-round magazine capacity above bullet size have to pause before committing themselves to FN’s thousand-dollar pistol and its single-source, premium-priced ammo ($30 for a box of 50 cartridges). Controversy may have kept the Five-SeveN in the public eye, but price has kept it out of gun buyers’ collective grasp.
FN is trying to convince American bullet-makers to help Five-SeveN owners feed their USG without breaking the bank. But FN can’t do anything about the imported gun’s elevated price point. And so the Five-SeveN will never find mainstream success. But if you march to the beat of a different drummer with platinum plastic in your wallet, the Five-SeveN is a quirky, but justifiable purchase. Hats off to FN.
SPECIFICATIONS: FN Five-seveN
Caliber: 5.7×28mm
Barrel: 4.8 inches
Overall Length: 8.2 inches
Weight (unloaded): 625 grams (1.39 lbs.)
Grips: Polymer
Sights: Fixed 3-dot combat sights with optional self-luminous tritium elements
Action: Single action, delayed blowback
Finish: Black
Capacity: 20 (10 where restricted)
MSRP: $1399 ($1,169 at Brownells)
Ratings (out of five stars):
Style * * *
Our all-black tester was handsome enough, but a bit fussy and generic.
Ergonomics (carry) * * * * *
It’s a big (accurate) and light (easy to carry) weapon. What’s not to like? Unless you want something smaller.
Ergonomics (firing) * * * *
Ridiculously low recoil. Excellent trigger. Good magazine release. Final star removed for the snout-mounted safety. I understand its benefits and could train to get used to it, but I don’t want to.
Reliability – Not Rated
No failures to feed, but FN didn’t send enough rounds to make a proper determination.
Customize This * * * * *
The Five-SeveN’s under-nose rail has plenty of room for lights and lasers. If you consider a 30-bullet magazine as customization, then way-hey!
Overall Rating * * * *
Unique, fascinating and fun. But ammo cost and the funky safety limit the FN Five-seveN’s appeal.
Cool gun and I wouldn't mind shooting one. By your review and by the numbers on paper, I certainly won't be bucking down 12 Benjies for it! The boxes of ammo I did find were at Sportsman Warehouse and they were $30 for a box of 20! That's more than rifle ammo!
Ammo prices have come down since all the gun control bills hitting congress. Bulkammo.com has TMJ for $.48/round, and $27 per 50 round box of V-MAX.
It’s here: http://www.bulkammo.com/rifle/bulk-5.7×28-mm-ammo
I found it on Palmetto State Armory for $17.99 per 50 🙂
The ammo is even cheaper now. I am writing this August 2016 and right now I can buy the ammo anytime I want some at Academy Sports for 23 bucks a box of 50.
I was lucky and got one for only $1000, and it is now my primary carry weapon. My ParaOrdnance P-14-45 was just getting too bloody heavy. As for ammo, Sportsman's Guide ( http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/browse/browsea… ) carries it for $21.37 for 50, $99.97 for 250 and $194.97 for 500 (with 10% off if you pay to join their 'buyers club' which also gets you frequent $10 off coupons). Admittedly I live about 20 miles from their warehouse so my shipping is less than most, but I have been consistently happy with their prices, products and service. Also if you reload or know someone who does, you can also pick up once fired brass on GunBroker for 5 to 10 cents apiece.
And I am *really* happy with my FiveseveN, which I bought on the theory that A) any gun that makes the Bradys soil their panties *that* badly must be a good one, 2] with the election of B.O. we would be seeing a new 'improved' AWB (I know, a politician who lied, what are the odds) and iii} that 30+1 rounds with 2 20-round backups is probably *way* more ammo than I need, but I would prefer to stop shooting after I run out of BGs and not after I run out of ammo.
Hi bruce , i live in milwaukee and so far the cheapest fn 5.7×28 that i could find $1400 plus . i read some testimonials like yours that u paid $1000 for ur 5.7 and i was hoping you could hook me up with the company were you bought yours. will appreciate the feedback thank you j.r.m.
Juan, I’ve purchased two Five-seveNs. One for $950 from Vance Outdoors in Ohio, the other from a local cop shop here in Lansing, Michigan for $1,040 I think (more recent purchase). You’re unlikely to find one below $1,000 today because FN raised their prices across the board by 10% or 12% or something a year or two back. I haven’t looked on gunbroker recently. Sometimes they have good deals, but not always. I think Five-seveNs are still in high demand. I know that almost every Five-seveN that was on order where I bought my last one was spoken for before they arrived.
5.7 ammo is getting cheap again, though. It’s been on sale online all year. You can frequently buy FN SS197SR for $15.99 box/50.
Able Ammo is charging $21 for a box of 50 Hornady 40gr blue tip (SS197SR). Cheaper than Dirt has it for $19.45 a box. You were apparently pricing the lead free ammo which is expensive in every caliber!
I am a 6 foot, 225 lb. police officer and this is my duty weapon. With a Streamlight TLR1 on rhe rail and SS190 (LE only) ammo, riding in a Safariland model 6285 SLS holster, it’s still WAY lighter than the reliable Glock Model 22.
I have fired well over 2500 rounds out of the pistol, of all of the available ammo types with zero malfunctions and trenendous enjoyment.
I will say that I only opted to carry this pistol over the larger (and proven) .40 S&W caliber after a lot of research and hands on time with it.
A great majority of my decision was based on a few things.
A). Although I’m a fairly strong fella, and I took a lot of grief from my fellow cops about my “little gun” the LOW recoil enabled me to make 20 consecutive, accurate head shots in about 3 seconds from 7 yards. This thing is like shooting a laser. The capacity of the pistol (20+1) is a strong positive too.
B). The LE only SS190 ammo available to me will penetrate body armor and most “household” light barriers, while yawing in soft tissue creating an impressive wound channel and stopping after 11 inches or so, which is comparible to the larger bore penetration numbers.
C) Practice ammo cost is about $20 for 50 rounds of the SS197 stuff. Seems comparible to practice 40 ammo for that price.
D). As a cop, I’m guessing I stand a pretty good chance of having “my shootout” during a traffic stop. I have seen what 40 cal bullets will (not) do when shot into a car trying to neutralize an occupant. I tested the SS190 LE ammo against a car and it will defeat door skins, the window mechanisms inside, windshield glass, car rims (steel and alloy), and all the things that are between me and the threat. That’s stuff that the 40, 9, and 45 just won’t do, as I have seen 1st hand in real shootings and during training/testing.
E) The muzzle velocity of the 5.7 is high enough that when soft tissue is hit, it tears the elastic tissue, much like a rifle round. A standard handgun round will typically allow the elastic tissue to remain in tact and the bullet hole “closes”, restricting blood flow and leaving muscle in tact. This would likely prolong your threats ability to fight. I’m for neutralizing the threat as FAST as possible.
As far as the safety spoke about above, I simply don’t use it. Much like I never did on my first semi auto duty pistol in the mid 90’s (Smith 4006). After all, the only true safety is the operator. I do agree the positioning could be better, but its a non-factor to me, but may be of great importance to someone who actually uses it.
I have owned this pistol for three years and have carried it daily as my duty pistol for a year. I can honestly say it was worth my money and I have not been unimpressed as of yet.
The only complaint I have is the failure of FNH to make the sights a bit more modular so I could replace the factory sights with low light/night sights of my choice.
In my opinion, a great defensive weapon that is light enough to be carried concealed, big enough to serve as a duty pistol, hyper accurate, low enough recoil for even the smallest female (like my 13 year old daughter) to shoot accurately and quickly and high enough capacity that one mag oughta do ya.
What’s not to love! (Besides the price)
Thanks for all of the great info on the 5-7. We are unfortunately in a day where we have to carry in our churches because of bad guys. In a church that seats 4000 plus, an issue we always have to consider is post penetration should we (God forbid, and I hope he does) ever have to fire our weapons. I am intrigues by this pistol for personal as well as professional purposes. Definitely thinking about purchasing one for myself. Wonder if we should consider them for carry inside our church. Hmmmmm? just a thought. Thanks again for all the very helpful info on the weapon. Joe
Statistically, most people have less than a 50% hit rate. So what happens to those bullets that don't hit? That's a penetration issue—not over-penetration. In a crowded church, I'd think about a Taser first. And training. Lots and lots of training.
..I like facts…While some may not like this gun, the truth is still irrefutable..
..A Tazer ..
1)..’Will not’ keep everyone, from pulling the trigger..
2)..’Will not’ work through a thick coat or body armor..
3)..’Will not’ work, beyond a few years..
4)..’Will not’ handle more than one threat..
…A 5.7 or most any gun,
1)..’Will’ do all of the above….
..The concussion..??
..My logic is infallible…
I would have to disagree somewhat. Training I agree with. Taser, yes if you have one. But, firing a weapon in this circumstance should only be an absolute last resort. If you have reached that point then you have a lot of problems happening at once, and 50% hit rate is an important but lessor factor. The five seven is a very accurate pistol and while I’m not saying there is some sort of guarantee that those shooting it will be more accurate, the nature of the round and pistol do lend to that. If you are in a situation where you are needing to shoot then its likely that its a crazed lunatic already shooting people and everyone will hopefully be running away from that person or hiding the dirt/floor which diminishes the likelihood that you would hit someone. No guarantees for sure but we need to place it all in perspective.
Joe prayers for u and your. Church that something may never happen no matter the race religion color or credence but the first thing I would do is have a meeting with the lead minister deacons etc.s and everyone and very quietly ask for all the police officers in the congregation to identify themselves to the leadership only! This is extremely important then have the church contact Motorola for special walkie talkies and ear pieces w/mics! Ask those offices that want to to be on a rotating security detail (armed w/off duty weapons) and patrol the grounds inside and out! (If a threat comes in contact the local enforcement! Don’t play cowboy….get it documented! But once establish a schedule and a rotation schedule and the leadership alone knows these individuals trust is born and so is security(armed) and you can even assign a small 2,person team to the minister! Everything I have just said was implemented and designed by myself and the congregation not only feels safe but the officers have just met 4000 members of its community/patrol beat and its lowered crime in the area by 17% why(u might ask),,something strange called FACIAL RECOGNITION and everyone knows everyone now!! Kinda funny and not! So its been a huge success! And all the ministers that lead worship do so at their best with a 0% of stress knowing the people down in front their for people to talk to and receive baptism from are also off duty quietly carrying police from all around the local area!!!
Let me know if this is of any help and if u have any questions feel free to email me!
Thanks for the credible discussion. I have been ogling this gun for a good while (I own the FN45) and I think I will take the plunge soon for a high capacity yet lighter carry weapon.
Whenever I use a new gun I lay it on a table, grab it and point. It should be pointing dead on without using the sights. I have found that with the 5.7 it is comes up slightly off to one side due to the grip design. Do you have this problem? Any suggestions? Thanks, A.
Learn to shoot gangster style (sideways) when you pull from table 😉
Or mold your grips to straighten your aim…..
well you are talking me into dropping my carry which is a Glock 26 9mm to my 57. the 57 is a bit bigger for my ccw, but i could wear shoulder. Thanks for your imput. Now I have to find a LH holster for it with extra mag. It will make me born again, thx. Lhshtr.
Splint where the 5.7 excells is in motels,apartments, and mobile homes with thin walls. The reason is this…let’s say behind the criminal you are aiming at is a wall,and on the other side of it is a childs bed with the child sleeping in it. When you pull the trigger the 5.7 is most likely too not exit the bad guy and enter the child in the next room. Case 2 you are five feet away from the criminal who in in your family members bed on top of your child or spouse doing you know what to them. If you use a. 45 230grain ball ammo it has 22/24″ penetration to exit the criminal and enter your family member under the criminal. Are they worth shooting to stop the criminal? Here is an in home test you can do on yourself. Satnd with your back against a wall and a tape measure next to your ribs against the wall. From your stomachs front measure nine inches towards the wall. The five seven stops around ten to thirteen inches more like 9/13″. Now from the wall measure 22/24″to represent the.45. Now after it exits it will travel farther than 22/24″because of nothing but air and sheet rock after it leaves the bad guy. Oh did you see how nine to ten inches on the five seven is half way into the vital organs and not past your back? At that point the avoidance of PTP (PostTargetPenetration) value the five seven brings to the table of debate is extreme…like in a crowded parking lot of people at a store or mall. Now you see why the Secret Service like it in our overly sue happy society…lower chance for collateral damage against people near the target.
just a thought for you to consider. 😉
I'm . . . dubious. I reckon that PTP or "over-penetration" is something of a non-issue. How many people are killed by bullets that went through a bad guy? Compare that number (should anyone be able to find it) to the number of people killed by bullets that MISSED their target. If you look at the number of bullets the average policeman shoots for each hit, well, PTP is not the issue. As far as home defense is concerned, my first priority is to get my kids behind me.
Anyway, I understand the Secret Service's need to avoid PTP in a huge crowd or on an airplane. But even that goal isn't as important as, gulp, stopping power. The FBI figures penetration is the critical factor for effectiveness. So . . . the 5.7's lack of penetration actually works against it. In theory.
But don’t forget the fact that the shape of the 5-7’s round allows it to penetrate body armor which for the military is very valuable to have that capability in a handgun
RF, overpenetration used to be a problem, many years ago, when some departments equipped their officers with .357s to give them an edge over the bad guys, and then prohibited HP ammo because it might hurt somebody. Those FMJ .357s ALWAYS overpenetrated, and quite a few bystanders were injured before the departments saw the error of their ways. Today, there is no excuse for LE departments, and precious little for CCs for not having a grip on how to equip yourself to avoid secondary hits, my guess is that misses are FAR more numerous, and failure to clear the area behind your target probably kills a bunch of bystanders every year.
OTOH, the FiveseveN should reduce misses, and penetration is on the shallow side, I’d think it would be a good choice for church defense, given proper training.
Try to say “lack of penetration” with a 27grn bullet against 1-1/4″ bullet proof glass in the same sentence…..
And it comes out the other side pretty quick too.
Excellent review!
Even after months of research, I was hesitant to purchase the FiveseveN for one reason: the "theory" of high velocity and how that reacts post target. There's a lot of misinformation out there about the 5.7 round and I'm delighted to see you guys seem to have it right. I ended up purchasing a new FS last week and have 150 rounds down the pipe so far. I am in love with this gun. It's unconventional design certainly gets double takes at the range but more importantly, the performance seems to be flawless. I actually think the relocated safety switch is genius. For me, it feels more natural to reach for the safety on the barrel than at a traditional 1911 position.
Pick up an FNH catalog next time you're in your local gun shop. This company is impressive to say the least. From their historic relationship with John Browning, to production of his famous Hi-Power, to their uniquely designed modern warfare offerings, as well as the less-than-lethal product line, FN is a formidable firearms manufacturer that is on the leading edge of firearms design.
I
I would ask those who haven't yet seriously looked at or shot a FiveseveN, do so soon. Plunking down $1k seems nothing for the 1911 crowd – perhaps $1k for a "plastic" gun is taboo for some. For this shooter, it was the best investment I could have made.
Finally, to address the ammo issue – the reviewer quotes some hefty price points for the 5.7 ammo. I have yet to pay more than $21 per box of 50. I pay that, or more, for 9mm. I predict as this gun becomes more popular, the ammo will become more available by more manufacturers, thus declining prices are in its future. FN has built an entire line of products around the 5.7. Lest we not forget it was FN who first produced the 5.56 and the 7.62 ammo that is commonplace today. I don't think a company with FN's reputation would invest in technology that will be obsolete anytime soon.
I'd love to own a Five-Seven some day. I play Splinter Cell Conviction and the Five-Seven is my favorite weapon of choice. I'd love to fire one in real life.
I've looked at the Five Seven for over a year. Wasn't sure about it. It seemed pricey for a small caliber pistol. After shooting one at our local gun shop, I fell in love with it. Mild recoil, lots of power and a joy to fire. The fun factor on this pistol is a TEN. I am now a new owner a Five Seven.
I own this gun ($1030), extremely accurate and very powerful high velocity round, the accuracy will amaze you (the PS90 is insanely accurate). I've always bought H&K in 45 ACP, so their was no price difference for me. Light weight, high capacity, very low recoil, low noise make it popular with the ladies too. The 5.7 x 28mm is the round of the future, it already makes the 22 magnum obsolete, in time it will replace other cartridges. I like the 5-7 safety, it was a major selling point for me, partially because I never, never keep my guns on "safe." My biggest complaint with most new semi auto pistols is the spring loaded pressure safety like Glocks, S&W, Kimber ect . The safety devices on those guns add more springs and more [plastic] moving parts, all things that break over time, and in my opinion generally make the gun less safe in a defense/combat situation. For anyone considering purchasing the USG or PS90 should consider that the 5.7 cartridge is a gamble, it may replace other cartridges or it may become obsolete itself. This gun represents the most recent advance in ballistic firepower available to commercial/civilians at this time.
Zack, the 5,7mm cartridge has just been adopted as one of NATO’s Standardised ammunition choices! Need any more guarantees? Also, most of the big users in the world are “Special Forces” type organisations – like the US Secret Service!
NATCHEZ HAS ROUNDS FOR 19.99 a box of 50. get your facts correct. This is the best handgun I own and I own alot of pistols.It is perfect for beginners and professionals alike. Women will have no problem with the recoil of this weapon. It is built to last and built to work. Chamber is nowhere near as sloppy as some Glocks I have shot. This pistol has the fastest rate of fire and is easy to fire fast and keep the muzzle on the taget. Isnt that what its all about? People who dont own this pistol are simply jealous of it as you cant compare too many pistols to it. Excellent wound channel,blazing fast fps,what more do you want?
You lie, or at least now you are now wrong. Natchez does not even carry 5.7.
November 2010? lol Didn’t see that. Sorry Rich. But currently, the only place to buy 5.7 is auctions and the quality of it all is horrendous.
I own several semi-automatic pistols including the FiveSeven USG. All pistols have pro’s and cons. I don’t worry about cost as I make a good living so that eliminates cost as a con or a pro. The FiveSeven is the most accurate pistol I have ever fired at 21′ or 50′. Realistically most self defense situation for most people are likely to be within a 21′ radius. I can place cvs or cns shots with any caliber weapon at that distance but rapid fire tight grouping is best with the FiveSeven as is a double tap. The low recoil and flat trajectory are simply outstanding including for longer range shot out to 50 yards ( not a likely SD scenario and hard to convince a judge or jury on that). I own Glocks (19 and 23), XDs (.45 ACP tactical and 9mm subcompact with extended mag). I also own 12 and 20 gauge Mossberg’s and a Beretta Cx4 in .45ACP. I know and use all these weapons well and can imagine optimal use situation for any. Yet if I had to and could pick only one for SD purposes I would pick the FiveSeven. It is light, highly accurate, easy to rapid fire and at the end of the day has more ammunition with 20 rounds in the standard magazine, than is likely to be necessary for 99.99% SD scenarios within a 21′ radius where you are likely to have only one maybe two aggressors. I smile at posts which make it sound like people are imagining themselves in urban or suburban warfare type SD situations. Let be realistic those are rare enough events that most gun owners will never need to fire a weapon in SD. The FiveSeven with adequate shot placement and bullets to spare is a good defensive weapon. Two in center mass and if need be one in the head and it’s over. The bullets will tumble and yaw more often than not and expand too if you use any of the loads available to civilians. I trained my wife on the XD 9mm subcompact with a crimson trace. But I am taking her to the range to introduce her to the FiveSeven because even with her small hands I know her followup shot placement and timing will improve with a FiveSeven.
This handgun is the best for self defense that I have ever used.
[1] easy to clean
[2] easy to shoot
[3] Accurate
[4] My wife loves shooting it. She much prefers it to other handguns.
[5] I love the thing and the expense in defense of home and hearth was well justified
I saw this weapon in a shop 3 years ago for under $500.00 There is no other reason than greed for the type of increase the Five-Seven has.
I worked 12 years (Part Time) at a gun shop. One of our customers who purchased one suggested we do a test. We took the Five-Seven into the country along with a .460 Rowland and a .50 Desert Eagle. Our target was a balast out of an F-4 Phantom. A balast is a hard lead block about 6″ High, 10″ long and 3/4 thick.
We put the target at 12′. The .460 Rowland penetrated farther thant the Desert Eagle round. The Rowland Penetrated about 75-80% through the balast. We then shot the Five Seven using hollow point ammo. The round penetrated the same distance as the Rowland.
It might not be a lab experiment but it has some good horse power behind it. I think it would be a serious health concern to anyone on the receiving end.
Been researching ever since I read it in tom clancys books. I love it but can’t purchase one for another three years. (not 21 yet) anyone wanna guess what will happen with it by then?
My brother recommended I might like this website. He was totally right. This post truly made my day. You cann’t imagine simply how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!
Fired many, best weapon I’ve owned or fired!
was searching websites for good quality information on purchasing my first gun. it seems the only people that has bad things to say about the five seven are those that never owned one. This is the first website i came across with experinced post and i have to say i am sold should be purchasing mine in the morning
I own two of these and would never part with either of them. I buy ammo for $22.95 box of 50, all three types, hollow point, red tip, and blue tip. I read about the weapon in a magazine on my second tour in Iraq. As soon as I came home I bought the first one I saw for sale. The second came later on a deal. I carry either a Spring Field compact or one of my small frame Glocks when out and about but one of the FN’s is in my vehicle. Nothing like having 60+ rounds at the ready in half the space of a Glock. If you get the chance to buy one DO IT!
Wow, great information about what appears to be a great gun. I shot one the other day for the first time and that prompted me to do some research into them. The more I read the more I am convinced. I have a Glock 19 and have owned or shot several other handguns and this is the most accruate, nicest shooting pistol I have tried.
Love my 5.7. Finally got wifey to try it at the range tonight (date night). She loved it. It was only her 3rd time to the range, and she put every round on the silhouette target in a place that would make it a bad day for a bad guy.
The 5.7 is simply a breeze to put many rounds on target in a very short time. Muzzle flip is nearly non-existent.
I pay $19.95 for a box of 50 rounds. That seems to be the going rate on most of the online ammo dealers. Slightly more than what I pay for a box of .40-cal FMJ range ammo ($16 – $19).
PS… Great review!
where did u find this ammo?
Pistol shooting is my favorite hobby, and this pistol is in the top 3 pistols that I want to shoot, for sure! The other two pistols are the Desert Eagle and the .500 S&W.
Interesting you like your 500. I got the 460 Magnum and I love it because it can cycle cheaper ammo, but they are both fun guns.
Just purchased my 5.7 two weeks ago and fell in love immediately. Light weight, accurate and a blast to shoot. My son always wants to borrow it at the range! Ammo no more expensive than 40 cal. We have 2 HK P30 9 mm, one with the LEM trigger. Also an HK USG 40. None come close to the trigger feel and accuracy of the 5.7. My wife’s favorite gun to shoot. We come home from the range refreshed, not exhausted. Fun factor is a 10 and I would feel comfortable depending on this gun for home defense-God forbid. Hopefully these guns will continue to be available in the future. Just find one to try at the range and you will become a believer.
Been carrying a 5.7 now for years.. No doubt its an amazing weapon. I’m a point shooter, & I can hit a paper plate @ 100 yards no joke. Hard to do that with many other guns. .I have first hand seen the Penetration of this gun,.. it is a factor. Please dont Lynch me but I got mine for 700$ brand new in Brownsville Tx. @ a place called Chuck’s Guns, But guns are MUCH cheaper down there. Many People dont know this but you need to check with your state, many states.. in the fine print wont allow anything “Concealed” smaller than .32 caliber. I’m not a huge Glock or plastic gun fan, but this baby is one great gun. & this is coming from a mainly 1911 man. Do not underestimate this pistol. It is unusually light feeling… if you intend on having to use your gun for any part of hand 2 hand. I’d perfer something steel.
Thx for the ear time
Pz.
Hi mr venkman you don,t happen to remember the full address were you bought your fn 5.7? thanks for the feedback….
I’ve had and carried a FiveSeven since about seven years, and have had a PS90 for the same time. I have zero complaints. My first 5.7 had 30000+ rounds put through it and the only reason I sold it to a friend was to get the new one with the fixed sights (yes, I prefer fixed sights…I tend to parallax shoot being left handed and right eye dominant.)
Almost no recoil, accurate further than I am, very very light, so you can carry it all day without ache. Penetration is better than most of the nay-sayers claim, and judging from the number it did on small game, I’m confident that it would be effective. (It bloody PULVERIZED bone!)
For concealed, I usually go with a wee Kel Tec, but when it’s not an issue, I’ve got the FiveSeven.
What an amazing weapon . It is so easy to manipulate. I did my research before buying this weapon and it paid off. I knew for a fact that I didnt want another rifle or another handgun. So how about both. A handgun that shoots a P90 round. Some may complain about the price of the 5.7 and the ammo. I say quality versus quantity. There are many pistols out there that are poorly made. The FN5.7 is not one of them. Its price and ammo should reflect it’s quality.
Why would anyone want to rely on the opinion of people who cannot differentiate between its and it’s or your and you’re?
If you cannot get something so simple correct then….?
After much research for an optimum carry gun, the 5.7 won hands down. What a sweet gun to shoot. Almost no muzzle flip and the 20 round capacity is very appealing. The SS197 SR ammo is extremely effective on both bone and tissue. I love this firearm. After carrying it for about 2 weeks I hardly notice that it is there.
just bought my five seven 3 weeks ago. Should i go with the 195 or 197 round for personal protection.
Fredi, I have owned a 57 for some time now, and I believe I would go with the 195 40 grain for it’s enormous expansion with the Hornady VMAX bullet or the Federal American Eagle 40 gr. FMJ. Neither round should over penetrate. I’m a little afraid of the 197 lead free because I’m afraid it WILL over penetrate in spite of being a JHP. Just MHO.
I bought one and absolutely loved it! I sold it and a thousand rounds of ammo and the 5 extra clips on consignment to a local gun shop to pay bills. I felt horrible afterwards and I miss it. If I buy another handgun I want a 5.7 and a .45. Ioss my 5.7. What a gun.
The gun was built as a military pistol and it shines in that purpose. It is light, easy to shoot quick and accurate. And being that you can extend to 30 rounds. A fully loaded 30 round five sen clip is ironically about 7 oz.almost 8. So for every 1 pound of weight you have 60 rounds of ammo. A fully loaded 10 round clip in the much hyped 1911 is about 8oz. So you have all the weight with 1/3 the ammo. And a 1911 is double the weight. In military use your concerned about killing ability not stopping power as hyped in CCW situations.The M4 sees more use because of the same principle. If stopping power was so important then why aren’t more troops using modernized Tommy guns or if you are a 9mm guy MP5s? Why not shotguns? Slugs can have a 25 yard accurate range and 00 buckshot can surely be a “one shot stop”. But again same problems as comparing a 1911 to the Five Seven. Heavier gun, ammo, harder to shoot and less ammo to shoot with. Yes a .45 acp will do more damage IF you hit your target. And like any experienced soldier or officer will tell you shot placement matters most.The things people forget in military and police use is panic shooting, shooting for extended periods and shooting injured. The five seven does well for each of these. Panic shooting is when the adrenaline is pumping and bullets are flying at you and unlike the range you are in cover or running for it. So your time to point aim and shoot is cut in half. A gun with minimal recoil and muzzle flip makes it easier to fling bullets quicker at greater distances with accuracy. And as I mentioned before with 20-30 rounds you have more chances should you miss. Brings me to shooting for long periods. The five seven being lighter in gun and ammo means that in combat if your a soldier or officer you will experience less fatigue and like with higher recoil loads the shock isn’t playing hell on your muscles, joints and bones. Many soldiers can tell you that allot of middle eastern outposts have single squads for entire areas. A few ranger friends of mine and a marine cousin have told me stories of being attacked and running out of ammo being forced to use CQB and bayonets. And in large part this was due to panic fire and on the M9s part crappy sights.Shooting injured even more so in the event that your forced to shoot off hand is easier because of having a lighter gun with accurate ammo at a higher volume. Physics dont play against you as much and again more chances when they do. The five seven makes allot of situations have a lower percentage of being killed because it was built smart. The 97 Hollywood shoot out is a big one if your a cop. The five seven with its police and military ammo would have ended that quick. In military and police use it adds up to less dead good guys and more dead bad guys. And your in the cartels its the other way around.Bottom line the pistol is expensive because it is built right with a forged hard cromed barrel. Being polymer makes the frame and slide not needing to be forged to be tough and there is the added benefit of not having to worry about heat treat and warp flaws. No tool markings no break in periods. And it has all the function you get from a $1,000 plus pistol 1911 or otherwise. And it has “match” grade accuracy. I personally have fired a 6in group at 50 yards and a 10in group at 100 yards on a man sized paper Target. Yes you can buy cheaper ammo for 9mm and 45acp. But it is cheap ammo with cheap powder that often stinks and smokes up the entire area. Cheap ammo is less accurate and can be a lain to clean after only a few clips. The safety at the trigger should be no challenge for a good shooter who knows modern weapons and shooting techniques.I thinly your article photography is good but the rest blows. It is written from a view that has nothing to do with the intended use of the pistol. It is like a bad Michael Moore film that ignores facts and more wants to get a pre determined notion across. It is not an objective and broad experienced opinion. It’s more like a die hard muscle car reviewer reviewing the Handai Genesis. The car is amazing, but not seen because it is being viewed in tunnel vision.
I am a 67 year old male with weak hands and I have had a 5.7 for a few years and go to the range with my son as many times as we can. The weapon is easy to shoot, fun, accurate and we pay $20 a box for ammo. If it keeps me shooting for a lot more years then it pays for it’s self. Easy to clean is another point as I use it as home protection also.
I agree with and commend Mr. Arias for his well thought out and written response. There is much wisdom, knowledge and truth in his assesment of the weapon itself. I am 54yrs. old served in the military and a large metropolitan police department for twenty seven years. I have been unfortunate enough to have been engaged in several shootouts with felony offenders. It is not like the movies or television, untill its over your adrenaline is pumping and what is a short time seems like forever. I own this weapon the fn 5.7 pistol and find it both manstop kill capable, and extremely accurate with the ability to put large volumes of bullets downrange at any distance. This by far is most important when engaged in a shooting situation. You have a weapon with littel recoil accurately placing rounds at one or multiple targets. This fact allows the shooter to advance in attack or retreat to cover. Either way your adversary wil be more likely to stop his engagement of you, or fire blindly with less chance of stiking you. I have been witness to good police officers who were good shots at the range but but did not fair so well in real life situations. I will close by saying I believe this weapon is a excellent choice for law abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families with. Remember those who have fallen protecting your way of life and hope that no more ever have to.
@ michael seaborn- allot of the reviews on this site fallow a similar one sided joking view of the gun in question. Running through a tactical course with the five seven with different targets not only at different ranges but levels of hight and varied size would make even a “range jockey” could see the five seven’s intend purpose and reason to be designed as it is. Most military and police units are on a tight budget, so a $1,000 dollar pistol is a luxury that most literally can’t afford.
I own a T-33 Tokarev of the Polish make. I happen to think that the 7.62×25 85gr. Tokarev round would be an awsome round and where I would have gone with the five seven or the “seven six” as you would have to call it. It is a heavier round that has more “punch”. I rent the five seven at my local range for ironically $7 an hour. When plinking steel plates the five seven leaves a smear where the tokarev leaves a small dent. The standard winchester fmj are about 1500 fps and about 500ft/lbs. That is higher than allot of .357 magnum rounds!
The only people who bash the five seven are people who don’t consider the whole picture. If I were to design a gun to appeal to the traditional view of a military pistol and the ground breaking modern view the five seven shows I would use the tokarev in general as a base. If new tokarev were made from Aircraft grade aluminum that would be a good start. A trigger mounted safety could be used. A trigger mounted safety with tokarev in double stack and a duracoat finish… That would be really nice balance between weight and dcapacity. Between recoil and the “punch” of the round. I believe it would get allot of respect from the “traditional crowd being a Browning style design. And the Glock crowd would like it because it is light and high capacity.
I actually prefer the tokarev to the 1911 and if it were made my way it would put the Baretta M9 to shame. It would even adress some hate points the above bias review writes on the five seven. It would not be as wide a grip, it would be heavier to help prevent limp wrist. But being aluminum it would not be near as heavy as a M9 or 1911. It also would not have the “plastic” crack that the FN and Glocks get. Since the Tokarev is a Russian war gun I don’t think its combat ability could be hated. It was designed to be easy to mass produce.
It would be an amazing military pistol with a proven round and design. But I don’t have 20k to make a prototype to show for military trials. And with the market it like the five seven would only have a mid sized cult following. And like the article review here allot of people will just miss the whole point.
What moves the FN 5-7 to a different league is combining it with the offerings from Elite Ammunition. They have 30 grain 5.7×28 ammo that leaves the pistol at 2100 fps+ up to 2300 fps I believe. Videos show various rounds punching through Level IIA vests then 9+ inches of gelatin. Invest in a few boxes of “nothing comes close” ammo from Elite Ammunition, load a 30 round extended mag for your FN 5-7, and you will possess a sidearm that will handle anything coming at you short of armor plate wearing invaders.
The 5.7 round has taken deer, feral hogs, and been used by the Houston police department “successfully”, as well as the maniac shooter at Ft. Hood.
FN knocked it out of the ball park with the deadly duo of the FiveSeven and PS90. Great to see a quality review on these outliers of the pistol world. There is nothing even close to them in capabilities.
your review feels very bias i got mine for 800 and the ammo is 20 not 30 a box also the safety is great as thats were your finger should be when not ready to fire and the holster has a button to release witch is placed in the same spot as the safety so your not loosing any time on the draw. you said “in the usual testing process) to a depth of 10.5 to 11 inches.” i dont no were you got that number as i have personlay seen it go through almost a 3 ft block after going through standerd cop armor with hallow points you also said the round “tumbles” no it dose not this round even hallow points go through level 2 armor at 75 yards and ap ammo is rated at for level 3 armor
the only draw backs to this gun is its a bit bulky for cc fine for oc and cost of ammo “witch i see going down in years to come”
“i relise my grammer is bad its a disorder so dont discount the point made”
It’s pathetic that you even have to defend yourself and the grammar issue. Why others feel the need to impart sarcasm and attack others on issues (such as grammar or writing skills) that have no bearing on the subject matter at hand simply evidences a small minded person who lacks the requisite knowledge to intelligently be involved in the actual discussion.
In short, I’ve suffered from dyslexia for years and have always had difficulty with spelling. Despite the fact that I still graduated number one in my law school class, people still enjoy finding fault with my spelling.
I find it laughable to encounter this type of person when they lack the actual knowledge or possess the ability to articulate on even basic issues.
Rise above the fools and hold your head high.
Michael, I can say to both you and ethereal that I would much rather read something that conveys your meaning and can be easily understood even if there are grammar and spelling errors. Yes, if I had to grade each of your posts as a teacher, I would be forced by the our liberal dominated educational system to count off for that, but since I am retired I can tell them to go crap in their hats. Both of your posts were just fine and enjoyable. I enjoy shooting my 57 a great deal and the complaints that I am mainly hearing have little to do with the overall quality of the weapon which I don’t think anyone would dispute anyway. As to the position of the safety, I have never been bothered by that “peculiarity”. In fact I rather like where it is, and the ammo expense is not nearly as bad as it was when the gun first came on the market. The 57 is far and away the very best handgun I have ever owned, and is the ONLY one I have ever owned which has NEVER malfunctioned. I have yet to experience a misfeed or a stove pipe or any OTHER type of jam and I never expect to. It’s also the lightest weapon I have ever owned which makes it an absolute delight to carry. My ONLY caveat has been that trying to find a holster for this beast has been next to impossible. About the only folks I haven’t tried have been Gun Tech, and if THEY can’t come up with a satisfactory holster I guess I’ll just have to dust off my leather working skills, buy some leather and just MAKE one.
May I suggest DeSantis Holsters. They have a great selection of gun manufacturers and they also do custom work!
Hi ethereal i would very much appreciate if you could hook me up with store address or website were you bought your 5.7×28 handgun, looking for lowest possible price for this weapon . thanks for the feedback j.r.m.
I am a small guy. About 5’6 160 lbs. I have recently been carrying a CZ RAMI 75 in 40 cal. I now carry only my new FNH 5.7. Its not to big for my small hands and shoots like no other hand gun I have ever shot or owned. I am even comfortable w/ the safety design and have no problem what so ever w/ adapting to its positioning. I love it and truly hope that the round is picked up by other manufactures as well as other weapons designers. It is the most friendly in all aspects of shooting such as recoil and accuracy. My entire family is able to shoot this weapon from my wife to my two young daughters whom are young the oldest being 13. Thank you FNH for a great and superior designed weapon.
Wayne, you could say that again….
I am a small guy. About 5’6 160 lbs. I have recently been carrying a CZ RAMI 75 in 40 cal. I now carry only my new FNH 5.7. Its not to big for my small hands and shoots like no other hand gun I have ever shot or owned. I am even comfoetable w/ the safety design and have no problem what so ever w/ adapting to its positioning. I love it and truly hope that the round is picked up by other manufactures as well as other weapons designers. It is the most friendly in all aspects of shooting such as recoil and accuracy. My entire family is able to shoot this weapon from my wife to my two young daughters whom are young the oldest being 13. Thank you FNH for a great and superior designed weapon.
Ammo is not that expensive.. you can get a box of 50 for $20. which isn’t too bad if you can afford a $1000 pistol.
I’ve paid as little as $17.99 to as much as 23.95 for my 5.7 ammo here in PA. Now I reload them for almost half that. However it is not a simple process for the fragile 5.7 case but it’s fun to do. I rarely shoot my Five Seven because of the ammo costs and reloading aggrivation but still love it. I have other CCW pistols and revolvers to choose from and don’t want to carry an expensive gun for a CCW. Just one thats reliable and accurate and pray I will never have to use it.
Thank you for all the great articles in your publication.
My question is where did you get the numbers you mention in this article?
“In the run-up to International Elvis Tribute Week, let’s put it this way: 23,000 Five-SeveN buyers can’t all be wrong. That’s the annual total. ”
Thanks.
From FN.
Thank you for your quick response.
Do you know of any annual numbers on the P90/PS90? (Which of course uses the same 5.7X28mm cartridge as the Five-Seven). Is it the same kind of volume?
No, sorry, I don’t.
@ “The Secret Service is down with that.”
What do you mean in plain language? Does your colloquial usage mean the Secret Service likes the fact that 5.7×28 bullets tumble when they hit their target?
Or that they don’t?
I wouldn’t think bullet tumbling would be a good thing if you’re trying to put down a body-armor-wearing gunman attacking a high-value target. At least I wouldn’t want it to tumble before penetrating the body armor layer.
Anyway, what exactly was your point since I don’t know what is meant by the “down” reference?
the bullets tumble after entering ballistic gelatin, or the target. much like 5.45mm russian ammunition which tumble and breaks. a tumbling bullet creates a larger wound channel and therefore a higher shock to the target. these tiny 5.7 cartridges create a would channel roughly equal to a .45 acp in ballistic gel with 5 inches more penetration. yes. that is a good thing. the only firearms that bullets tumble before hitting their targets are bryco/jennings.
Like the individual from the keystone state said, price of ammo is a lot more affordable and competitive than when it first came out. Ammo isn’t as much of an issue anymore, but the price of the firearm still stands strong. I did catch my favorite gun shop selling a “lightly used” one for $850. I guess a 15% discount was good enough for someone. By the time I made it back the next week it was gone. Oh well, I guess my wallet finally got to hold onto some money for once.
i just got mine i havent shot it yet this is the only auto hand gun i have ever liked i grew up with single actions like the ruger black hawks. but i love the way it fits my hand i cant wait to shoot it.
Well Walt, you are in for a couple of surprises when you first shoot this gun. The first one you will notice is the incredible NOISE it makes! This gun is LOUDER than a .357 magnum. It doesn’t go bang dude, it goes BOOM!! The second thing you will notice( after you get over the noise and the fireball coming out of the muzzle ) will be the lack of recoil. The recoil is almost exactly like a .22 caliber target pistol(in other words there almost ISN’T any). The first time I shot mine at a range, people jumped and turned their heads and immediately started asking the same question which was:
“Hey dude! What the HELL IS that thing?” And these were guys that were shooting 45’s, 9 mm’s, and 357’s!
HMMMM.. let’s see: For years we were told that a 9mm bullet didn’t have enough caliber for serious stopping power. Even the .30 carbine rifle, pushing a 110 gr. pill at 1850 fps. wasn’t good enough.. Yet now this tiny 22 cal bullet is all the rage because it can punch through a vest? Get serious please!! Even with an expanding projectile, there isn’t enough stopping power or caliber going on here. If you shoot some 400 pound bad guy, you had better do a head shot, or he might make you eat it. Another overpriced FN product that won’t sell.
Don’t you think that the government agencies which decided to utilize this cartridge and firearm completed extensive research before going forward?
You obviously do not understand physics. The velocity of the projectile is just as important as the size of the projectile.
Ever heard of Fort Hood and what happened there? You might find it instructive.
I own several handguns. A P226, 3 Beretta FS92s, 1 Beretta 92L Parabellum, and of course, my favorite, the FiveSeven. I also have an AR-15 and M-16 Full Auto (5.56). As far as I’m concerned, the only Concealed Carry pistol I prefer is the Five Seven. It’s accurate (I’m accurate to 2″ @ 100 ft) and I carry 3 mags at 30 rounds a piece.
I’ve been kidnapped before and I vowed it will never happen again. I can tell you the penetration of the FiveSeven with the right Ammunition is just absolutely amazing.
In my car, as a backup, I have the AR-15 and the P226 (which I don’t really appreciate as much as the FiveSeven). I can tell you that LE get’s real weird when they know I’m carrying a FiveSeven with 3 mags of 30 (90 rounds).
I will say though, that it’s usually a funny situation and I always get into a long discussion over why I chose that weapon as my primary defensive weapon, even though they don’t seem to understand why I need 30 +1. My answer is simple and clear. If one doesn’t put them down (and it almost definitely would), two will.
I usually alternate my round mix in my FiveSeven. So if the primary doesn’t do it, the secondary does.
I had an old chevy truck that I didn’t really want anymore so I decided to see what a FiveSeven could do to one head-on. 2 shots and the engine was useless (never mind the radiator.. it went clear through it into the Engine block).
So as far as I’m concerned, if someone has an issue with the FiveSeven having enough stopping power, then all I can say is.. I hope their body is as hefty as the front grill + radiator + engine block of a chevy truck.
Keep in mind this was shot at 50 ft. So.. If it comes down to the ability to defend yourself, I would say the FiveSeven is the pistol to have.
I will say though that I have had to pull my AR-15 in one instance, but it’s amazing how the single shot off a FiveSeven at the body of a rice-burner (honda I think) made the attackers think twice. I just casually walked to the trunk and pulled out the AR-15 at that point and simply said, “your choice.. live or die” and I’ve never seen anyone tear out of there as quickly as they did even with their rice burner clearly with a damaged engine.
Gotta love those FiveSevens.. They’re definitely my defensive weapon of choice.
I make it a point to never fire at the person first, but simply to demonstrate what firepower I have at my disposal. I also tell them I have 30 rounds left (very calmly). You’d be surprised at how quickly they back down.
How many times have I been in this situation? 3 in the last year. So how do I respond? FiveSeven and a fully loaded AR in the trunk (which I’ve only had to pull out once).
Nobody gets hurt (so far).. and one of those times, I had 2 guns pointed @ me. No.. I’m not a drug-dealer.. Just a high-profile target, unfortunately. I still wonder why I don’t wear a vest full time.
PK, do you have a website with these experiences and knowledge saved or maybe a forum you hang out or perhaps a newsletter to subscribe to?
One more point.. It’s amazing how lousy a shot most people are.. Can someone please explain the pointing the pistol at you sideways thing? God knows I can’t figure it out.
Some lame movie producer decided that it added an element of bad-ass and presented well on screen. Ever since then, the ignorant and untrained have adopted the stance as “cool” They fail to realize that cool won’t save their sorry ass.
oops.. almost forgot.. I have a 357 magnum as well.. Talk about a waste of money.. completely useless in my eyes.
What a wonderful bunch of reviews and information about the 5 x 7 – what would intelligent people do without the i. net? I do agree that the price of $1100 (retail $1300) is too high, but what has not gone up lately. I noticed that there is a lot of mussel-flash with the 5 x 7.
Just imagine what Ob will do if he gets re-elected with his A.G. Thug Holder still in charge. God help us, but we Americans still have our 2nd Amendment – how big again is the world’s largest private ARMY? Provided there are not too many sheeples that will be afraid to defend themselves.
“If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom,-go from us in
peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands that feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon
you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!”
~Samual Adams~
All that and it makes a nifty short range varmint cartridge too! I might retire my Romainian TT-33, as my I.O.M. 5.7 is working on the resident groundhog and raccoon population very well! Can’t wait too see what it will do to a coyote!
well let’see, we have been told for decades the 7.25 and 9mm rounds were too small, the 30 carbine at 1800 fps was too small, the 223 in the M16 was too small, yet somehow this even smaller cartridge is a super-stopper wonder pill???? What a load of crap. Another goofy FN product that’s a lame attempt to reinvent the wheel with a absurd price tag–like many of their other products. Only a pinhead would carry something like this.
Stand a hundred yards away and lets see how good this 5.7 is at say 5 inch groups while I have other guns and many calibers and a lot more experience than most weekend warriors here I will guarantee the FN 5.7 is one the best handguns ever made and the power of this little round is substantial when pushed at 2050 fps.
Pinhead? I”ve been in combat, have you? Write a letter to the families of the ft hood shootings who’s loved one’s DIED because of the killing power of this round.
Nothing beats a good old 1911 in .45 ACP for self-defense. You don’t need more than 8+1 round for self-defense. If you need more than two rounds to drop an assailant, don’t even carry a gun. Go practice tactical shooting, shot placement and how to keep your cool under stress and come back. You don’t need 17 or 20 rounds unless it’s a weak one with which you need to double or triple tap and you’re engaging multiple targets.
Adrenaline will make you live the event very slowly, whereas in fact it goes down extremely fast, trust me on that. If you do than alone, you’re plain crazy anyway.
But if all you need is a self-defense pistol, get a good .45 ACP, that’s all you’ll ever need. I’ve been carrying mine for the past 22 years or so, both in the military, as a LEO, and as a civilian in a difficult part of the world, and never regretted it.
That’s only my modest opinion.
That being said, it a neat gun and probably fun to shoot.
A partner got shot 3 times by a .45 ACP on a run and never noticed until I told him he was bleeding. Sorry, but you’d have better luck selling ice to an Eskimo than all the blabber about a .45 ACP being the best round. If the .45 ACP was the best, I promise you that the Secret Service would use it to protect our president, but they don’t. Time has passed you by. I love my 5-7 as does the 5’8 170 pound gentleman who was hit 3X by a FMJ .45 ACP and never knew he was hit.
Oh, you gave away all credibility when you said that nobody needs more than 2 shots. Clearly you’ve watched too many movies. I hate to be so critical of your post, but it reeks of a movie addict who has no grasp on reality.
Sean, you should tell that to a suburban cop by the name of Tim Gramins. He now carries 145 rounds of 9 mm ammunition on his person on the job, as he says, “every day, without fail.” That is because he survived an encounter with an attacker that would not go down, even though he was shot 14 times with .45 ACP – six of those hits in supposedly fatal locations. Gramins had to fire 33 times to get those 14 hits. And even then his attacker survived the ambulance ride.
One year ago this month, a man named Paul Slater broke into a Georgia woman’s house while her husband was at work and chased her and her two children into a crawl space leading to their attic. When he opened the access door and attempted to enter the attic after them, she emptied her .38 revolver in his direction, hitting her attacker five times in the face and torso. That’s pretty good shooting by anyone’s standards, much less for a frightened woman crouching in a confined space trying to protect her two young boys. That didn’t kill him. She told him to stop or she would shoot him again, knowing that it was an idle threat as her gun was now empty. But fortunately for the family he did stop his attack that day, and after the mother and her sons ran past him to get away he was able to leave the house and drive away. He lived to stand trial.
Just attended a huge gun show on Sunday; 7 Oct, in Lewisville, TX. The FN 5.7 was not to be seen. All the vendors know all about it, but it cannot be seen. No one on the floor had it. Where would one be able to see it to purchase it?
I just saw my first one up close and personal at Gander Mountain. I had heard about the grip and wanted to hold one before committing my hard earned $$$. Just bought one of these off a gun shop from AZ and should have it probably after the weekend. I also own the PS90 and love it. I think the Five Seven might even replace my Glock 19 if what I read proves to be my experience too.
If the guy from PA who reloads this round is still around I’d like to know what reloading equipment you use for this round?? I’ve been spending alot of time researching it and am also getting ready to commit to reloading to up the fun of shooting this awesome bullet. (I’m going to do some easier reloading at first with the 9mm before advancing to the small 5.7 x 28 which I hear is not a beginners reload.)
Does anybody have any experience with a 5.7X28 with a can on it? bought the gun because i have seen after market threaded barrels called FN today to see if they sold threaded barrels or which one they recommended. the tech i talked to said that if i shot it with a suppressor the gun would wear out 15 times faster. he said they had threaded barrels they had made for the millitary but they dont recommend useing them and that it basically turned your gun into a throw away pistol.
I found EFK Fire Dragon has threaded barrels for the 5.7 but personally don’t have the experience you sre looking for. Have you considered contacting fnhusa and asking them your question?
I had my barrel threaded but damn if I can remember who did the work, it was years ago, but I think it was a place called Tornado Technology. I never heard this about wearing the pistol out with a silencer and would like an explanation of just how that is supposed to happen. Increased back pressure? I don’t get it.
Well mine show no sign of wear whatsoever. I use a SWR Spectre II on it. Of course it is not quiet but quieter. I even bought some sub-sonic ammo for it from Elite but didn’t think the slight reduction in sound, if any was worth it.
The nice thing is you can use a .22 silencer on it, at least the Spectre II you can. It does make the gun hearing safe although not as quiet as a .22 rimfire. The wearing the gun out issue is something I have never heard before and honestly I am a little skeptical of.
http://www.eliteammunition.net/57x28mm_parts/custom_threaded_barrel.html
But it’s expensive, even though it includes minor work.
Excelent review, but becoming dated. Average ammo price has droped $7 per box since. Average gun price has fallen as well.
One thing overlooked: the “odd safety” gives you a tactile reminder of its presence. It took me about 2 seconds to addapt to the safety, not 3000 rounds or 1800 clams. Your finger is already on it, and simply sweeping said finger down to the triger deactivates it.
I think this is a cool gun. however puting down 1k+ for a gun where ammo costs twice as much as 45 ammo, and the ammo is hard to find… well that just doesn’t seems justifiable. plus this guns claim to fame is penetrating stuff (car doors, armor, etc.) and ammo capacity. theses don’t help me, i aint planing on shooting armor. for HD, this thing would go through my house. and ammo capacity… i live in the wonderful state of CA (sarcasm), so that doesn’t help me.
I bought mine years ago. It was the first gun I ever bought on a recommendation without even knowing what the hell it was. A friend called me and said that such and such site had this gun for $800 and it was a deal. I was doubtful but he said to trust him, it was a deal.
So I order it and when I pick it up I thought “My God, this is like a BB gun!” I didn’t like it one bit being used Hi-Powers and 1911s. However after some time I began to get used to it.
The safety is not where one would expect but remember this gun was designed for the military, for 19 year olds that probably had never shot any gun let alone developed habits, good or bad. Once you get used to the safety is is really in a great place. It has the added function of letting you rack a round or remove one with the safety on, something a 1911 cannot do. a design flaw in the 1911 in my opinion. Oh no! There can’t be anything wrong with a 1911! Yeah, I know. Well I can think of a couple of other things wrong with 1911s even though I love them.
I grew up with guns and they had safeties of all sorts. You learn to work them and remember which gun you’re using. It is not a big deal. Besides that is really a great place for a safety, right where your trigger finger should be.
OK, it isn’t a gun you are going to have engraved. It is definitely a work gun and that’s all it will ever be. However, it will look just as good (or just as ugly) years from now. It certainly isn’t going to rust and the finish isn’t going to wear off. It’s the most plastic gun I own.
It has other nice features besides being easy to shoot well and all the other things already mentioned. It is easy to rack the slide. My girlfriend has problems with this on most autoloaders not being very strong. Not this one. It has those ‘bumps’ that allow one to get a hold of it. It is her favorite center fire to shoot, especially with the silencer attached. I have noticed that FN has been advertising them to women. I see why.
I think the gun is a winner but I admit it is way overpriced. I mean really, what do they have into the gun? $50? Now I have seen them selling for $1200! I guess my friend was right urging me to buy one years ago even though $800 seemed outrageous at the time.
Hi jim would you mind hooking me up with store address or website were you bought your 5.7×28 thanks for the feedback . j.r.m.
Fun fact about this gun, it’s from Belgium but we can’t buy it in Belgium, like almost all FN products..
Well allot of great info about the 5.7 l! I currently own, HK P2000SK .40, SIG 2022 .40 cal, the brand new beretta 90two 9mm, Colt customer hybrid AK47, and was looking at the PS90 possibly buying! However although I have never liked a single action hammerless semi-auto I must admit I am very intrigued by this weapon! I have yet to shoot one, matter a fact I (in the last three years) started competing! I am currently looking to put one in my hand and get a sense of feeling! I do not know (at least I haven’t asked) anyone that currently owns one of these 5.7’s so it’s been a challenge looking for one less the Internet! As soon as I get ahold of one, I will add my personal comments of this particular weapon! Thanks for all the great read!! Btw remember if you ever have to defend your self or your family, if you are going to own any type of gun, I suggest not only practice practice Practice, but never pull one unless you are certain you are either going to use it, or are confident enough that you will never let it get taking away from you! I know, it’s not a fun thing to kill anyone period! It changes a person! Respect is the #1 thing with any weapon!!
with an ir laser on the rail and a pvs 14 on the nogin plus 30 in the grip this peice is insane for hoggin 4 legs or 2 🙂
I just bought my second five seven. They are a one of a kind pistol. I own the best ammo u can buy.
I’ve heard a lot of people complain about the saftey. I don’t get this, whether your carrying it as a primary or a secondary the saftey is operable on both sides as your trigger finger moves into position. It’s a remarkable location that I find a plus. A minus is the 75.00 a box for ammo. Glad I stocked up early.
Nice gun, expensive. I’ll stick with my Glock.
Shot my buddies five seven and I loved it. To pricy for my wallet, but I hope to be able to afford one in the future. Great Gun!
I bought my 5.7 a couple months ago and I simply love it. I payed to much for it and I’m still paying to much for ammo but it is what I wanted. I think the safety is different but I don’t let it bother me I have shot all types of guns living in north Idaho we hunt kill and eat everything that moves and the amount of ammo u can carry at such lightweight I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Just traded two glocks for a 5.7 in August, worst trade/purchase I have ever made.
The gun itself is quality, but the round is worthless. Ammo quality and availability is horrible, reloading almost impossible. Loud as hell, muzzle flash from hell and worthless for nighttime defensive.
Wish I had never met the 5.7. Will be selling very soon.
If you’re gonna sell it, contact me!
I have a BHP and a 1911 and I love them both but want something lighter and smaller to carry but still with real stopping power.
Tell the famlies of the soldiers killed by the terrorist using a 5.7 what a bad round it is! Jeez
Ya, I’m sure there is a large number of terrorists using a 1800 dollar Belgium 5.7. I have no idea what attack you are referring to but whether a certain caliber can kill someone isn’t the argument, a .22 can kill someone but I’m sure not going to pay 1800 dollars for one that shoots inferior civilian ammo at $1 a round. If one could reload it it might be worthy but most ammo manufactures are not even going to make 5.7. So you tell me is a 1500-2000 dollar handgun that shoots lightweight very over-priced non-reloadable ammo who’s stock could disappear overnight a intelligent purchase? I sure feel dumb for trading for one. Why even reply? It’s my experience and opinion, not yours.
As to the guy asking to buy it, I sold it in March 1300 and bought two new glocks.
I run a business. http://www.pestcontrolcharlotte.net and take the Five Seven to my office every day at 1800 Camden Rd #1071 in Charlotte NC. The Five Seven is light and is my favorite weapon period.
I’m retired police. I’ve carried a .38 model 15, model 66 3.57, Walther ppk/s .380 Smith 645, and a Sig Sauer p220. I’ve been shot at and I’ve shot back. I carry my Walther if I’m going to be walking about. I have my five-seven if I’m in my vehicle.
I buy my carry ammo from Elite Ammunition (S4M). I’m not worried about anything smaller than a grizzly bear when I have the five-seven. I have seen it take four hits,point blank, from a Smith 645 (230 grain hydroshoks) to knock a big guy down. He was out of the hospital the next day. He asked for more after the first two hits saying “Ah, yeah do me again”. My point is, I trust the proper 5.7 round more than .45 for defense. I like 21-31 rounds per magazine too.
I’m not very knowledgeable about guns, but I was introduced to this weapon on my first business trip to Mexico and noticed that my bodyguard as well as most of the bodyguards that were protecting us carried the 5-7. They explained to me that since we were in high threat areas (cartels, kidnappers etc.),they chose the weapon because it has been proven effective for them in many life and death situations. Looking forward to gettting my hands on one.
WHOA! Just now I learn that my nanny state of California FORBIDS THE STANDARD 20-ROUND FIVE-SEVEN MAGAZINE? I thought that chicken manure applied only to rifles. How do idiotic laws like this get REPEALED? That’s pretty much a dealbreaker.
Suggest u move like I did from my native state 10 years ago. No state income tax here in NV, shall issue state & close enuf to visit family in KA
I’m oturiy in Turkey and I want to buy this gun, I know how to get….
Wow, what a laugh I got reading the review on the FnH “Five Seven” and the comments from shooters who probably can’t afford one! I can’t afford one either – but I bought one – after carrying (legally) a 1911 in .45ACP for over 20 years. 1. If you haven’t heard of the IHOP massacre in Carson City, Nevada – google it. I was at a sales meeting at that very IHOP less than 48 hours prior to the madman with a fully auto AK entered the restaurant and murdered many. How do you defend against such firepower? Yeah, never bring a pistol to a gunfight, but this idiot set the rules. 2. What did the raghead terrorist at Ft. Hood use to massacre 13 soldiers and wound scores more? He used an FnH 5.7. DEADLY WEAPON. Now I don’t go anywhere without my 5.7 and I have 20+1 with another 20 rounds on my hip. My 1911? 16 rounds total. Accuracy. I’ll challenge ANYBODY using a belly gun (glock 9mm) or a 1911 to a match and I’ll put $10K on me winning it. Range? Let’s shoot at FIFTY+ yards – I do it all the time with my 5.7 and hit 5 inch steel EVERY time. Misfires? NEVER has happened in 2 years of ownership. Expensive rounds? Reviewer quoted a price for a box of 25. Hello? They’re sold in boxes of 50 and they cost $28. Do the math. Killing power? Ask the families of the Ft. Hood victims – I don’t give a damn about “wound channels”. Easy to clean and it’s so light, you don’t know you’re carrying it. ’nuff said! Again, the folks who don’t like the 5.7 are just pissed they don’t earn enough money to buy one. They’re worth every penny!! Get a new job and buy one, you won’t be disappointed.
What a talker you are, keyboard warrior.
Yeah, I learned how to type before spending 22 years in the USMC. But the Corps showed me one thing on the keyboard – the ‘delete’ key! Next. . .
Can you dry fire this gun without harming the firing mechanism?
Yes, you can dry fire the weapon. The manual that came with mine instructed that the pistol should be de-cocked for extended storage. The only method of de-cocking the FsN is to unload it and pull the trigger. This is all described in the manual, so it must not hurt it. I’m sure this applies to all models. But, for reference mine is the USG.
To all of you who complain about the cost of the gun and the ammo I have one question. What’s your life or your families life worth?
I will be buying one as soon as I move to Arizona because California laws suck. I don’t care about the cost of the gun or the ammo, it’s not like I’m going to be shooting thousands of rounds out of it.
Right on Tony, get out of KA just like I did 10 years ago – and I was born/raised there. Don’t listen to the posts on this website regarding ammo availability. EVERY sporting goods retailer where I live in Nevada has the ammo – $28 for 50 rounds (blue tip). And you’re right – unlike .45 ACP (which I love), you don’t need to shoot many rounds to get good with the Five Seven. The “green tip” ammo is all over the Internet. The “blue tip” has the same energy as a .38 special and the “green tip” is the same as a .357 magnum. Practice with the “blue tip” and carry the “green tip”.
Not sure why people complain about the price of the gun or the ammo. I bought mine 3 years ago for $950. I find that to be reasonable for any higher end gun. As for the ammo, it comes in a box of 50 and I can buy it from my local gun dealer for $18 a box. With that said I have about 500 rounds stocked up and he has them available on his shelf. Not hard to find at all.
hi fredi if you talking about fn 5.7×28 i sure would appreciate if you can hook me up to the address or website were you ordered yours thank you appreciate any feedback j.r.m.
I very interested in this work. and my nice choice it
I got a chance to try one (rental) at the local range a month or so ago. What a fun gun! Dead-nuts accurate, very little recoil, HUGE flames out the barrel with each shot. Fun! I’d like to get one at some point.
Anyone know of a store of individual selling one of these 5.7s? I’d truly appreciate any assistance
CTD and Buds are both sold out. Those things sell as soon as they hit the shelves. A MI cop shop tries to keep them in stock, but they are usually spoken for before they even get them in! That’s where I bought my last one (I have several). You could try calling, though. They sell to the general public, but don’t advertise. Michigan Police Equipment Co. Address: 6521 Lansing Rd, Charlotte, MI 48813 Phone:(517) 322-0443
Otherwise, just keep checking the internet, or put yourself on one of the waiting list. Buds has a “Notify me when this item is in” button. Gunbroker also has some.
I found one on gunbroker.com — now I just have to wait another month to do the paperwork, then another ten days to pick it up. Ah, California — one “concealable” weapon per month, plus the ten day “cooling off” period to buy a firearm I’ve wanted for years. Oh, and the 20-round magazine is hobbled down to 10-rounds. That really irritates me. How do we repeal these dumb laws?
That’s one of the reasons I’m leaving California. In Arizona I can have the 20 round mags and carry it. California laws already suck and after this latest shooting in Santa Barbara they’re going to be screaming again for stricter gun control.
I’m seriously considering a condo in AZ with a big gun safe and a big A/C unit. I’ll go visit on weekends and vacations…
Yeah, even though the wack job in Santa Barbara used a knife to kill 3 of his victims. I don’t miss KA at ALL! Oh, I was at “Sportsman’s” the other day, they had hundreds of boxes of 5.7 – both FnH and American. More common than .22LR!
Yeah, most stores have it in stock again, even Cabelas. It is still a little higher than it was before Sandy Hook, though, about 10%, but I suspect the price will keep coming down.
not all parts of Arizona are hot.most of my family lives near Prescott.they are at 5500 feet elevation and get snow in the winter.I’m recently retired and am going to be moving around the Chino Valley area.that’s why I’m going to wait to buy one of these until I get there.I’m not going to waste my money buying one in California and only getting 10 round magazines
Consent to this remark and we’ll help a mythical critter!
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! After a year of saving and trying to find one. I finally got my 5.7!!!!!! Now it seems harder to find a decent holster for the mk2 model
Mernickle holsters make them. I have one, no issues.
Congrats. You looking to CC or OC? I wear a Safariland SLS for my Five-seveNs. (Yes, plural).
I just don’t understand why people complain about the price of a gun (ok, it is expensive), but we buy guns all the time for lots of money. I have a Savage 110ba in .338 Lapua, that cost me 2k and optics on it that cost $1200 not mention the cost of ammo, and I shoot it 2 maybe 3 times a year. Wasted money? Not to me. I have guns that range from $150 (High-Points) to 6k (very well set up match M1A), not a single one do I regret buying, even the crappy High Points. As to my 5.7, it’s my most trusted hand gun that I own (of which include Sigs, Glocks, Colts, Rock Island, Walthers, Springfields and yes, High Points). As to ammo, 28-34 bucks for 50 rounds (and remember these are good rounds not just plinkers), how is that horribly expensive? It’s barely (max 5 bucks) more than I spend on .40’s or .45’s.
I live in the “P.R.C.” (Kalifornia), so I don’t have mags larger than 10 rounds…..you hear that Big Brother, I DON”T have any standard….I mean, high capacity mags….because that would be…well….illegal.
Now, after reading this post you should know that income wise, I’m barely above the poverty line, but I can still afford decent stuff when I save,
Sorry this is long winded, but just had to say my “piece” (lol)….
“ammo, 28-34 bucks for 50 rounds”
Online you can find it for $24. Before Obama was reelected and FN quit making them for a while, Cabela’s routinely had SS197SR on sale for $17.95–without coupon. Throw a $20 coupon in and it was $15.95.
True, you can find it that cheap, which I do always search for (Gunbot, etc.). I was referring to fairly standard post Sandy Hook/Obama, non discount, non coupon prices, which still aren’t that bad.
why does nobody recognize that the 5.7X28 is basically a really expensive center fire .22 WMR equivalent? i’ve shot the five-seven and its a lot of fun, but side by side with say… a kel tec PMR-30? it would be hard for me to choose between the two. If you want another option to shoot this nifty little round check out the AR-57. My old man has one and even with the cheap red dot he has on it, its a hell of a lot of fun. Makes a great gun for jackrabbits
5.7×28 from the pistol is approximately equal to 22WMR from a RIFLE. It also shoots a true jacketed hollow point/frangible bullet seen in centerfire varmint calibers. 22WMR is going slower, and with a plain-Jane expanding or non-tumbling cast or jacketed bullet everywhere I’ve seen it. And it’s only about 1/4 to 1/3 cheaper (and at least in Texas, just as harder to find for some reason). Considering the price of brass is at least that by itself in resale, they are closer to comparable than you think, but one is an inherently less reliable rimfire and the other a reloadable centerfire (albeit a difficult reload).
You know, if you fire a gun for an afternoon with a hundred rounds or so, that may make you qualified to form an impression, but hardly an opinion. I’ve have a FiveseveN for over two years now and have probably put a couple thousand rounds through it. I think I can offer some realistic opinions:
The author leaves “reliability” open from lack of long term use. I can tell you, at least with my experience, I honestly do not remember the FiveseveN having a single FTF or FTE. The ONLY problem I ever had, is that on the earlier versions of the gun, the needle nosed bullets, it not seated all the way into the mag, can catch a magazine release return spring and pop it out of the gun. (It’s an inverted “V” shaped spring and the bullet tip could catch it and pull it out). This was addressed with a different spring. In my case, since I’m never switching the release to a lefty, I put in a small dab of glue to hold the apex of the spring against the housing. Outside of that, the gun has always worked flawlessly.
On the cost? The rounds seem “more expensive” than the really are. Without buying in bulk, they rounds cost about 40-45 cents each. Sure, way more than a 22LR, but what does premium 9mm or 45 round cost? The FiveseveN rounds are currently $25-$30/box of 50 so somewhat more expensive but not by a whole lot. Perhaps the author is considering cost of reloaded ammo. I wouldn’t recommend it with a FiveseveN. The cases have a polymer coating so they don’t stick in the magazine and cleaning the cases on solvents with destroy the coating. Just tumbling may eventually wear it away as well. I believe the factory ammo bullets are also glued in. Also, with reloading a case this small, just a small error with a few extra grains of powder could have really bad consequences. For this reason, I don’t reload any pistol ammo. So yeah, ammo is harder to come by and more expensive, so you buy in bulk. I bought a ton at a gun show for $19 bucks a box two years ago and still have some left. It’s just like any weird caliber, you buy it when you can find it at a good price or pay the premium for smaller amounts when you need some. Think 16 gauge shotgun ammo.
Let’s look at the “weird” place for the safety. I love it. I wish all my handguns could have it. It makes sense. When you draw the weapon, if you are doing it right, your finger is right where the safety is. With a thumb safety on a M9 or 1911 etc, you have to loosen your grip slightly to operate the slide safety. To me, that is a little cumbersome. With the FiveseveN, you are moving your finger to the trigger “anyway” when you are getting ready to fire, so it seems the appropriate place and time to take the safety off. In short, it’s a dime of difference, but I find the FiveseveN safety a plus.
Stopping power: Well, I’ve studied this for decades and know all the arguments and all the tests and all the “theories”. Big and slow or little and fast. A headshot with either and it’s game over. With the light recoil I can attest I can get a lot more rounds in a kill zone with a FiveseveN compared to something like a 45. For true pray and spray I’d rather have my doublestacked FNP 45 Tactical to do some serious damage, but I wouldn’t discount the FiveseveN because of the capability for accurately placed shots. Thing surgical strike vs the carpet bombing approach. Both can work in the long run.
Everything else in the review was pretty much spot on in terms of the trigger feel, etc. There is a magazine safety you can disconnect to make it even smoother. I prefer a single action auto because of the trigger feel. I feel my DA guns with a decocker are probably safer, but I hate the feel of my index finger tip curled back on itself to reach the trigger on one of these DA guns being fired in SA. The FiveseveN doesn’t have any kind of decocker since it’s hammer is internal. There is no way to drop the hammer without clearing the chamber first. That to me is not a plus.
One last thought: The FiveseveN is so light that it is almost hard to “hold still” while aiming. If you wonder what it is like, try seriously aiming a kid’s squirt gun, that’s what it feels like. A gun with more mass is more stable when it comes to aiming because the mass resists movement inputs more than a light weight gun. What I found is that putting a Veridian X5L on the FiveseveN gives it the perfect amount of mass out front to stabilize the gun from an aiming perspective without making it undoubtedly heavy.
As far as size? I must have larger hands because the grip perfectly fits my hand. Yes, I can see where folks with smaller hands may have an issue. As far as concealability, it’s as concealable as a 1911 or M9. In other words, not very. About the only way to conceal it is with a shoulder rig, (which I prefer). I normally carry a PPK/S in a pocket but sometimes run the FNP or FiveseveN in a shoulder rig. Trust me, that FiveseveN feels like it’s not even there when compared to the 45 Tac.
Anyway, I just wanted to add some insight into the FiveseveN for anyone thinking about getting one. They aren’t just a ‘weird oddity’ that costs a lot of money. Like anything else, they have their pluses and minuses. You can only really determine these from experience, not an afternoon with a box or two of ammo.
I don’t think I was quite clear on the decocker. It doesn’t have one, but it doesn’t really need one. If you want to clear the gun you can do so with the safety engaged, but to drop the internal hammer, you still need to “fire” the gun. I prefer a decocker for safety reasons, but there is no way to do so on a FiveseveN.
Nice summary.
Former USMC, retired LEO.
Always liked decockers as well, but I’ve carried numerous frames and calibers professionally since 1979, and I can live without it. Not really a big deal.
Once I tried the safety on the FiveSeven, I never wanted to go back. It’s right there – no real adapting necessary, especially if going from a DA/SA semi, where you never really used a safety anyway. Most firearms I carried which weren’t revolvers were ‘cocked and locked’; internally or externally.
FiveSeven is my primary carry, except in grizzly backwoods. Then I feel more comfortable with my 460V. My Sig P229 .40 cal sits in the safe until my son is ready for it. The Tanfoglio Force 99 in 9mm – which I love – comes out at the range for fun. But the FiveSeven is my practical piece.
And I can buy ammo all day at the box stores: low 20s for 50 rounds.
If someone’s not confident of their ability to stay calm in a crisis and place rounds, let them get a bigger caliber. But odds are they’ll be even less accurate – possibly to the point of missing.
Targets don’t shoot back.
How does this cartridge compare to a 17 hornet with the 17 grain 17 HMR bullets?
Not in the same league. This is a major league round. 27 gr (red box) = .357 mag, 40 gr (blue box) = .38 special
I swore my PS90 would be my last firearm purchase. Damn, I hate lying!
Reloading the 5.7 isn’t that bad,, just pay attention. Anyone want to get rid of you brass let me know. 🙂
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our 5.7 will leave a far deeper dent in a 1/4 thick plate than a .223 will
no recoil, 20 rounds, whats not to like?
I have m1a1 springfield loaded- w/ black syntetic stock only 20 rounds fired with it other than that its new , 3rd generation scope mount , brand new bipod, carrying case, olive green sling,cleaning kit and 60 rounds vacuum packed from moisture, invested around $1700. willing to trade for fn 5.7×28 complete in its box , any takers send me a kite….
Isn’t “kite” prison slang?
Yes but it doesn,t mean i,ve been there ja ja ja …..
finally got my fnh herstal pistol , I have a little problem with the rear sight it seems to have 3 steps for elevation ,but no were in the owner,s manual explains what each step represents , 10 yrs , 10 feet , or 10 meters or what the pistol is sighted in when you get it from the factory or store.any feed back or tips will be helpful , thank you….
Sight it in for the distance and ammo you want. There are several ammo choices from FN as well as third part manufacturers, and although the Five-seveN is pretty flat shooting, your distances matter as you bought the target model. The one with SD/combat sights is not adjustable.
FYI to 5.7 owners: I just passed 1,000 rounds thru pistol and I have NEVER experience ANY type of malfunction. I cannot say the same about any of my other semi-auto pistols. TOTALLY RELIABLE!! (Accurate too!) I usually shoot 2 types of FN ammo.
The 5.7 as we call it is on the mark everytime. I picked up a two tone earth and black for 1150.00 here in Florida. Get you r ammo on line at palmetto state armory ,the best and cheapest around . I shoot all the time and never a stove pipe or miss feed.I carry a glock 17 all the time but about to change that.
How do you compare the XD9 to the Fn 5.7.
Glocks don’t jam. Five sevens do at lest once every fifty rounds. Fact, been there done that!
Edward, sorry you are WRONG. I own glock 22 g4, g19 g4 and g26 g4, great guns, but they are not in the same pack as a 5.seven, I own one too. The five seven replaced my glocks, no failures at all, the same as my glocks. Just don’t say the 5.7 is shit. My 5.7 out shoots my glocks and by the way the glocks trigger point to shoot is not in the same ball park, O.K. Speak when you know the truth. don’t be a shit.
Robert Farago, welcome to the real world. Bullets fired from rifled barrels do NOT tumble through the air; do NOT yaw in the target mass. How do these myths persist?
Jeff Cooper and Elmer Keith put these old wive’s tales to bed forty years ago. Do Winchester, Remington, Federal ammo makers support your fantasy?
My FnH 57 has become my favorite for ALL handgunning, period.
In the bonds, Vapor Lock
Rating on the review selection page does not match the rating on the review.
Is it 5 stars or 3 stars?
On it.
Truth for those that will hear it.
First the standard ammo is garbage and way below the requirements of the weapon. I suggest the purchase of ammo worthy of the weapon.
My current choice travels at 2260 FPS on the chron and penetrates 3A like it’s a sweatshirt.
The weapon has no recoil to speak of, and the safety mentioned sits naturally at the trigger finger. Compared to say a 92F the FN is much more intuitive.
The weapon will not jam no matter how sloppy limp wrist I shoot it and it will put holes in holes.
The fort Hood shooter’s results was what interested me in the weapon after years of carrying a 45.
Stopping power is a myth with any weapon that is not a long gun, bullet placement being the valued factor.
In real life situation the weapon proved to be deadly and accurate with low grade ammo.
This is an expensive, dependable, large, lethal weapon that with the correct ammo slings rounds at near rifle velocities through body armor, but is less likely to over penetrate and kill the innocent.
If you have the means you will fall in love again.
Caleb Carter says: “Truth for those that will hear it.”
Brother won’t hear nothing if he shoot this in the house. It will make you deaf, the kids and dog deaf too. The FN 5.7 pressure is double that of the .357Magnum. Already the .357 will blood rupture ear drums when fired in a room without ear protection.
A better option in the home is the low pressure 45 Colt fired through the Mare’s Leg lever action pistol fitted with a muzzle bayonet, a fine light and a meat hook fitted to the but stock for CQB. 45 Colt is the lowest pressure cartridge.
SIDEARMOR never shipped me a holster from over a year ago after I paid for it and ignored me afterward.
just bought an FN 5.7 for self defense and target practice. am pretty much a newbie with guns & wondered whether replacing the sights might help me get more accurate on the range? if so, which are recommended? thanks…
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