FN 5.7 Pistol for self defense?

C

CDR_Glock

New member
I realize this has to be a controversial round for many people. But, I have always wanted one of these pistols, and I'm picking one up this coming week. I want it for the capacity, the supposed accuracy, and purported ballistics of a rifle, in a pistol platform.

I'd have it as a plinker at the range. I am undecided if it would be considered for concealed carry or home defense as I have plenty of guns to do that job already.



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Well my understanding of the round is 5.7mm was originally designed as a high velocity armor penetrating round for PDW like the p90

The round came with a penetration as standard so it could defeat body armor, wounding characteristics was secondary.

With the fn5.7 being a handgun I believe it's difficult or impossible to find any of this AP ammo on the market, and Im not sure what good it would do in a civilian defense situation.

I have not looked at any gel tests but I would not expect great things from it just off the top of my head, But It does offer great capacity due to it's size.

I do look forwards to those who have researched it to give their opinion however.
 
Minus the self defense (to big for me to carry), I would love to have one as well. Am I going to spend $1100 and up for one? Not a chance.
 
My buddy bought a FN 5.7. Really fun to shoot, loud but little recoil. Is it gonna get velocities like it would out of a P90? Of course not, P90's have 16 inch barrels unless you get the sbr stamp. Will a 5.7 kill somebody out of a FN 5.7? You bet.
 
This and the .22 TCM use very light but very fast projectiles. They are loud but have relatively low recoil. Either will do their job under normal circumstances so long as you do your job and put them in the right places. Of course, lower recoil should help you to do that. Supposedly, 5.7 from the pistol is similar in effect to .22 magnum fired from a rifle.

The Five-Seven is a big gun but is easy to control and holds more ammo than a lot of 9mm pistols. If you like it and can find a holster that works for you, then go for it.
 
CDR_Glock said:
I realize this has to be a controversial round for many people. But, I have always wanted one of these pistols, and I'm picking one up this coming week. I want it for the capacity, the supposed accuracy, and purported ballistics of a rifle, in a pistol platform.

I'd have it as a plinker at the range. I am undecided if it would be considered for concealed carry or home defense as I have plenty of guns to do that job already.



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Kinda expensive to use as a plinker at the range, and I can't imagine why it should be anymore accurate than any other caliber, but if it floats your boat and you have coin to burn..........why not.

I've done stranger things in my life too.
 
The FN pistol is very well made and very reliable. It's loud, especially indoors, so double up on hearing protection. It is one of the cleanest shooting guns I own.

As to self defense, the round is certainly more than capable of stopping a threat. That was tragically made clear a few years ago. The ballistics are such that the round is quite suitable for indoor use by avoiding over penetration. It's a large gun for civilian concealed carry purposes. There is a video demonstration showing available civilian ammo penetrating ballistic glass. Didn't expect that. It's a quality firearm good for most any use, some people even hunt with it.
 
The real issue is the relative lack of ammo. Only comes from Federal(AE line. 40 grain FMJ) and FN(27 JHP or 40 V-Max). And there's not a chance you'll find any in small places. No brass at all.
 
I had the use of a 5.7 pistol and a supply of FN SS192 ammo for several months. As others have indicated, it's a quality,reliable, pistol, not small, and generates minimal recoil. The the little safety lever is above the trigger guard, a very awkward location IMHO. Ammunition will never be as commonly available, in the wide array of choices, and at the price of the 9MM. The FN SS192 ammo averaged 2025 FPS from the pistol. Basically, .22 rimfire Magnum rifle ballistics in a pistol. Even though the SS192 is hollow point, I found it to be extremely penetrative. The SS190 ammo, that FN considers the "duty" ammo, would undoubtedly be even more so. I would not be interested in carrying this pistol unless some special situation dictated it.

All this being said, if I were interested in one of the FN pistols, I would buy one. I long ago gave up trying to justify this or that firearm having some useful purpose, other than to indulge my interests;)
 
I had one when they first came out. It was absolutely the most fun pistol I've ever shot. Virtually no recoil but other shooters on the line take notice of the blast and want to know, "What in the world is that thing you are shooting?!?!" Maybe the only gun I sort of regret selling.

As for defensive use I think there are better choices but the 5.7 round shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. Im not trying to glorify what he did, but the 5.7 worked pretty effectively for that terrorist shooter at Ft Hood years ago.

IMO the price of ammo is not really out of line with other calibers in factory offerings. When I was buying ammo for mine a decade ago, I was paying about $27 or so for a box of 50. It can be had cheaper than that now. Is it 9mm cheap? No, but not many other calibers are either. While the ammo probably isn't available at every little mom and pop shop like 9mm or 45acp, I've always seen it on the shelves at any of the chain stores. The fact that all of us here are all already on the internet, buying in bulk shouldn't be a problem.

The one thing that keeps me from buying another 5.7 to replace the one I sold is the price of the gun itself. I think if the pistol could be had more in the $750 range it would sell better.

JMHO
 
Too big too exotic and too expensive to shoot. IF you ever had to actually use it in a self defense situation you can guarantee that the amour piercing part of its development and use will be brought up even if it did not come into play.

There are so many other great choices I see no advantages to using a 5.7.
 
As I understand it the 5,7 was designed for military use against combat armor. There is no doubt that the little bullet will penetrate but what damage does it do inside a soft target? It is only slightly larger than a .22 caliber and unless you get bullets that expand fast it seems to me to be of less value in civilian defense use than a .38 +P. I am a believer in a minimum caliber use in self defense. A .22 LR will kill but it takes time to do that. A 45 will kill with much less time because it makes a larger area of damage. If you want to use a .22 caliber you have a lot of better cartridges and bullets to use than the 5,7.
Gun cost is a factor for some people but, let's face it, we spend money on guns that we want. When it first came out I was skeptical of the 5,7 even from a military standpoint because of its diminutive size. It was designed to defeat body armor and has proven its use but I have not seen anything about bullets expanding or the size of permanent wound cavities. I am still more than a little skeptical.

Some people say that the .357 has too much penetration and some call the penetration of the 5,7 a good thing. I know the 357 has enough penetration but it also makes a big permanent wound cavity. I have shot white tail and mule deer with it at ranges beyond those of a self defense shooting and I trust my .357 to get the job done. Not so much a 22 caliber cartridge with a penetrating bullet. The .223/5,56 is a better defensive round because the bullets either expand or fragment causing more internal damage but not as much as a .357.
 
Armor piercing ammo is not for sale to US civilians.

Ballistics from the gun show one load at just over 2000fps and one at 1700fps. A .22 caliber 30gr (ish) bullet.

Out of a 10" test barrel they show 2300fps, which is the same as a .22 Hornet.

Or the .22 RemJet

Neither one of those is EVER recommended as a defensive pistol round. All the 5.7mm FN gets you is a round that works well in a semi auto pistol, and a large (20?) capacity magazine.

Will a 5.7 kill somebody out of a FN 5.7? You bet.
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Indeed, but killing is not quite the same thing as stopping an attack. Killing does stop the attack, but not until the attacker dies. The point of a defensive pistol is to stop an attack, by incapacitating the attacker. If they die as a result of being stopped, so be it.

A small bore bullet, even at near rifle speeds does not have a good reputation for doing that. Given a choice, I always favor the broadsword over the icepick.
 
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