FN's Five-seveN® Pistol

[netman1019]

I was wondering if anyone has run into this handgun on the street? My wife saw a report on the news about it. The local news around here (News Channel 4) presented the story and questioned why the handgun is legal.

If anyone has more information on it...I'd like to touch base with you.

20 round clip and it according to the article, it defeats most body armor used in the military. Here is the link and the article:

http://remtek.com/arms/fn/57/

FN's Five-seveN® Pistol
The First of a New Generation
In 1935, the FN-made Browning Hi Power was revolutionary. The market quickly adopted this high-capacity 9mm pistol accordingly, and it has since been fielded by over 100 countries.
FN's newest contribution the handgun's evolution is named the Five-seveN®. This 20-round pistol fires a 5.7mm bullet that will defeat most body armor in military service around the world today. Essentially, the Five-seveN® represents a quantum leap forward in the handgun's suitablity for close engagements by delivering the type of performance that was previously confined to rifles or carbines. Elements of this performance include:

High magazine capacity: The Five-seveN® comes standard with 20-round magazine.

High stopping power: The Five-seveN® fires the 5.7x28mm SS190 Ball round which reliably penetrates Kevlar helmets and vests as well as CRISAT protection.

High hit probability: The Five-seveN's® extremely low recoil impulse results in virtually no muzzle climb, thereby facilitating fast and controllable follow-up shots.

Yet, the Five-seveN® is:

Light and ergonomic: Weighing 30% less than most 9mm pistols, the smoothly-contoured Five-seveN® is comfortable to carry and quick to deploy.

Fully safe: Due to its double-action firing mechanism, the Five-seveN® offers no inherent risk of accidental discharge during transportation. Furthermore, all of its safety devices are automatically reengaged following each firing cycle.

The Five-seveN® fires the SS190 5.7x28mm ball round. This projectile will perforate any individual protection on today's battlefield including the PASGT kevlar helmet, 48 layers of kevlar body armor and the CRISAT target (titanium and kevlar). The SS190's conventional design allows it to be manufactured on existing production lines, and its lead-free composition eliminates range contamination.

Five-seveN® Technical Specifications

Caliber 5.7x28mm
Operating principle Delayed blowback
Trigger mechanism Double action only
Magazine capacity 20 rounds
Overall length 208mm (8.2 in)
Barrel length 122.5mm (4.82 in)
Weight, unloaded 618g (1.36 lb)
Weight, loaded 744g (1.64 lb)

[Lupey]

I wont get into the legal end of it :D The pistol was a flop for FN. It was geared towards Military/LE and they wanted nothing to do with it. Well now FN has a bunch that they cant do anything with so they are going to end up in the hands of civilians and they are. I wont post the link but there is a certain place thats having a blowout sale on them. The ammo is very expensive so most people wont bother.

From my understanding the ammo itself is what civilians cant get. You just can't buy ball SS190 ammo, you need to buy JHP which isnt armor piecring.

[gbcop]

From my understanding the ammo itself is what civilians cant get. You just can't buy ball SS190 ammo, you need to buy JHP which isnt armor piecring.


A friend of mine's dad has one who is a civilian. And I have shot the ball SS190 ammo out of it that he has purchased for it. Not sure where he got it, but he has it.

[JimSpoor]

Most any rifle caliber will defeat the Level III or Level IIA armor that is the most popular with LE. There are many handguns chambered for rifle cartridges. How often are they used in crimes. How often are the dreaded "assault weapons" used in the comission of a crime. We can't forget the infamous "cop-killer" bullets.

My point is that many of the facts in the article is true. But so far, as the criminals weapon of choice, it is media hype and nothing more.

[gbcop]

Absoutly... There is a Officer Alert memo in our patrol room about this weapon. It's listed as another fang in the hands of society. Give me a break. Okay, I live and work in a small southern Texas town... Almost EVERYONE HAS GUNS and yet we have almost NO Agg assualts with guns. It's not society that's a problem, it's CRIMINALS.

[bkc2a]

Good point gbcop.

[rzaruba]

My point is that many of the facts in the article is true. But so far, as the criminals weapon of choice, it is media hype and nothing more.

You saw it here first.

The next "cop killer bullets" crisis.

[k9cop21811]

The issue isn't the gun. The issue for this gun and any gun for that matter is the fact that guns are very easily procured by criminals, particularly in the south.

We arrested an employee of a gun store on Wednesday. He used to have a fed. license to deal in firearms, but now just works for another dealer. The bottom line is, he knows guns, gun laws, is a lifetime member of the NRA and all that. The ride to the courthouse was about an hour long. During that time we (myself, another agent and the suspect) had some pretty good conversation. It was civil and actually interesting. I was surprised most when he said, "Hey, this is something you'll know. Why is it so easy for felons to get firearms down south? I've seen news stories on how easy it is. Why isn't something being done about that? It shouldn't be so easy." This is a guy that not 20 minutes earlier we arrested and was dragging off to jail some three counties away from home. I thought it might be a long ride, expecting an earful from this guy for the whole trip. That wasn't the case. So, he floors me by actually being civil, given the circumstances. THEN, he (a former firearms dealer, current firearms store clerk and lifetime NRA member mind you) pushes gun control on ME. I think I have seen it all now.

My point is that LE should be concerned about this weapon because it will be easy for criminals to get their hands on it. It's never the law abiding guns owners we in LE concern ourselves with. A handgun that will punch through a vest with the precision of a rifle. Nice!

I recall a few years back when I was with Customs we received an alert that some drug runners were being instructed to shoot border officers in the chest when they pull up to the Customs booth. The rationale being that border officers wear vests, which will stop the bullet while allowing you time to run the port.

[kennethm3]

You can only buy the ammo from FN. Not likely that the Cholos down in the barrio are going to be lining up to register with FN to get the ammo. The gun is so rare and the ammo so hard to get that if one of these was ever used in a crime the applicable agency or department could trace it b ack to the owner in about 12 seconds. This gun isn't a criminal threat but I am sure 20-20 or Dateline will do an episode making out to be the next terror on the street and blow things way out of proportion.

[LeeRoy]

I think the ATF guys on the board will back me up on this. The majority (thats more than half for those of you in Rio Linda :) ) of guns used in crimes are stolen. I'm sure there are some areas where this isn't the case but on the average this should be true.

Kenneth has a good point but the problem is that when guns are stolen the ammo is often stolen with it. The bad guy only needs to have one round, not a box of 50, to make an impact.

[Lupey]

FN 5.7 (Fabrique Nationale) pistol is a semiautomatic pistol in 5.7 X 28 mm caliber

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearmstech/fabriquen.htm

1/20/05

In response to numerous questions that ATF has received regarding the capabilities of the 5.7 X 28mm cartridge, the following technical information is provided.

FTB classified SS196 ammunition as not armor piercing.

The FN 5.7 (Fabrique Nationale) pistol is a semiautomatic pistol in 5.7 X 28 mm caliber.

Type: Double Action Only or Single Action (in Tactical model).
Chambering: 5.7x28mm.
Length: 208 mm
Barrel length: 122.5 mm
Magazine: 20 rounds.

The FN 5.7 (Fabrique Nationale) pistol is a semiautomatic pistol in 5.7 X 28 mm caliber approved for importation as a sporting firearm.

The classification of all ammunition is governed strictly by the definitions presented in the GCA. Specifically, as defined in 18 U.S.C. Section 921(a)(17)(B), the term "armor piercing ammunition" means- a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile. FTB has also examined a 5.7 X 28 mm projectile that FN Herstal has designated the "SS196." The SS196 is loaded with a Hornady 40 grain, jacketed lead bullet. FTB classified SS196 ammunition as not armor piercing ammunition under Federal firearms statutes.

According to FNH USA, FN Herstal tested the SS192 ammunition. SS192 ammunition did not penetrate the Level IIIA vests that were tested. FNH USA states that SS196, Hornady V-Max 40 gr. bullets fired from a 4-3/4 inch barrel did not penetrate the Level II vests that were used in testing.

FNH USA has informed FTB that SS192 is no longer imported for commercial sale to the United States and that commercial sales of 5.7 X 28mm ammunition are restricted to the SS196 (not armor piercing).

FN Herstal 5.7 X 28mm Ammunition

SS190 - Armor piercing (AP)
SS191 - AP Tracer
SS192 - Hollow Point (not AP)
SB193 - AP Subsonic
SS195 - "Green" - lead free hollow point projectile with copper jacket (not AP)
SS196 - Sporting round (Hornady 40 gr. V-max, hollow point lead), (not AP)

[junverza]

Is the FN-P90 available to the public as well? I know it uses the same round.