BORELLI CONSULTING: Tactical Equipment Reviews

FN Five-seveN Pistol
By: Frank Borelli, 23 May 2005

So I was at the range a couple weeks ago when my cell phone rang and a friend of mine says, "Hey; I got this new pistol I need to put some rounds through it. Is it okay if I come down?" "Of course," I replied. After all, this guy was one of my groomsmen and saved my hide more times than I remember on the street. He's always welcome on my range. He shows up about a half-hour later with a handgun I'd heard about and seen at expos, but not one that I'd ever fired.

The pistol (in case you couldn't have guessed from the title) was the FN Five-seveN 5.7mm semi-automatic pistol. After clearing the firing line we put it through some quick paces and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Had I the dollars in my "gun fund" to spend, I'd have been off to purchase one post-haste. Then I realized that I wouldn't be able to carry it on or off-duty anyway, so it would be nothing more than a collection piece in my gun safe. This pistol is definitely not meant to be a collection piece.

As my friend first got onto the firing line I ran through what I knew about the weapon in my head:

- 5.7mm caliber: the cartridge was designated 5.7x28mm.

- The box magazine held twenty (20!) rounds

- The barrel is just under five inches long (4.9")

- It has a mostly polymer frame (like a lot of contemporary handguns)

- All reports I'd heard put the trigger pull in the 10 pound range

The first shot interrupted my thoughts. I looked over at the weapon as my friend started stroking the trigger every half-second or so. The first thing that I noticed was that there was no noticeable recoil as he fired. Now, I don't mean that he managed to control it (though I thought about that since he's about six foot three and well over two hundred pounds) - what I mean is that I saw no recoil for him to fight. After he'd finished the twentieth round and the slide locked back he lowered the weapon and I followed his gaze down to the target. We were at the fifteen yard line and from that distance, standing, shooting free hand, he'd put all twenty shots into about a three inch group.

With a shrug he reloaded and resumed his shooting stance. From the first shot to the twentieth shot I'd estimate that it took him less than five seconds to empty the weapon. He was pulling the trigger just as fast as he could. When I looked at the target I saw that all of his shots were well within a four inch circle.

All of the research I did later on shows that the 5.7x28mm cartridge, from the 4.9" barrel of the Five-seveN Pistol, pushes the 28 grain hollow point projectile out of the barrel at over 2,100 feet per second. That's cooking!

For all that speed, it's easier than shooting 5.56mm ammo out of any AR-15 or M-16. To give you an idea of the cartridge size, it's just a touch longer than the .22WMR rounds, and the brass case is (of course) bigger around.

With that in mind, a smile came to my face as my friend handed me the pistol and a full magazine. Pushing the magazine into the weapon I released the slide and felt the weight. I didn't have the ability on the range to weigh the weapon but it felt lighter loaded than my Glock 19 with sixteen rounds of 124g FMJ. Of course, every bullet of 9mm weighs more than four times a single bullet of 5.7x28mm. That accounts for some of the difference.

Mentally setting aside the weight differences, I got in a good standing stance, insured a firm grip on the pistol and pulled off the first round. I was startled at how little recoil there was. Not only was the gun light in my hand, but shooting it was a dream. How could something that pushed out a bullet so fast recoil so little? That thought continued to nag at me as I fired the weapon empty. Turning to my friend I commented that the gun was so easy to shoot I'd love to have one just for plinking. His reply was that, "At fifty cents per round it'd be expensive plinking." At that cost, he's right. Of course, it's cheaper than a Barrett .50...

Conversation after the fun of shooting eventually got around to all those nasty rumors about how the 5.7x28mm would shoot right through typical body armor. It was reported to be capable of piercing kevlar helmets from 200 yards away. As a police officer / training, that causes me some concern. Back to the research work.

With very little effort I found out that a variety of ammo is made for the Five-seveN pistol to include:

- 31 grain Armor Piercing ammo
- 31 grain Armor Piercing Tracer ammo
- 28 grain Hollow Points
- 55 grain Subsonic (gotta slow WAY Down for that)
- 40 grain Hollow Point Lead
- 31 grain Tracer ammo
- 31 grain "training" ammo

Now I would fully expect that Armor Piercing ammo would, uh, pierce armor? Duh. But, I wouldn't necessarily expect hollow point or subsonic ammo to pierce body armor. I haven't personally tested this but I have some Level IIIA panels that I intend to shoot with this pistol as scheduling permits. I will keep you informed once that shoot test has occurred.

Some other subjective observations:
Looking at photos of the pistol, I had expected the grip to feel long in my hand; longer than my 1911. It was comfortable enough, though different (obviously) than most contemporary handguns feel. The length of the grip from backstrap to finger rest on the front strap is noticeably longer.

The safety is placed perfectly for quick manipulation. Just above the trigger, if you index your trigger finger properly, as you lower your finger toward the trigger to engage your target it's easy to sweep the safety off in the same motion. Additionally, after you've finished firing, it's just as easy to engage the safety as you re-index your trigger finger along the frame.

It takes a little bit to get used to the feeling of such a light weapon that fills your hand so completely. All my life heavy guns have recoiled noticeably. More powerful weapons were always heavier. It is odd to have a weapon that holds twenty rounds of what is (essentially) rifle ammo in such a light-weight package.

Retailing for around $900 (give or take $50 that I could find) the Five-seveN Pistol is less costly than some contemporary combat / defense handguns, and more costly than others. For the ones that is costs more than, is it worth it? Not to me. It's a fun gun, but I don't see a practical on or off-duty use for this weapon for the average police officer / deputy sheriff. On SWAT Teams? Maybe. Military? Sure. If FN would put an eight inch barrel in this package / frame, I could see the pistol being used for varmint hunting in some places. But I can't justify the expense of replacing my Glock 19 (15+1 of 9mm) or my Springfield Armory 1911 (7+1of .45ACP) with this 5.7x28mm weapon (20+1). Until I know more about the armor piercing capabilities and the terminal ballistics, I think I'll stick with what's been around more than a hundred years. Is that close minded? Maybe a little.

It is a fun handgun. It's easy to shoot with minimal recoil. With the magazines holding twenty rounds each, more shooting is accomplished with less magazine stuffing. If you have the dollars to spend and want such a weapon, I'd highly recommend it. If you're looking for something new to put in your duty holster, I'd stand by.

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