FN Five-seveN

jasmith85 said:
...I don't want to give over $1000 for something that is not .50 caliber or a collectible.
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I personally believe that the gun is quite potentially collectible, but that's not why I would buy one (or pretty much any modern gun, for that matter, but I digress).

Another factor is that—regardless of the gun's other virtues—the controls are non-standard. Although some folks certainly feel that the Five-seveN is easy to use, the fact remains that many shooters won't accept the oddball thumb-safety and (non-ambi) slide-stop placement, and there is no readily available sub-caliber trainer, which can be a particular hindrance given the high ammo cost.
 
I had the use of a new FiveSeven and a supply of SS-192 ammo for several months. Interesting gun with very light recoil. Everybody that tried it liked it. After we were done trying it out, I could have purchased the still like new gun for a very reasonable price. But I did not. Other than using it for a plinker at the range, I just didn't know what I'd do with it. Kinda wish I'd bought it now just because it is so different from anything else I've owned or used before.....ymmv

BTW, the ballistics of the FN 5.7X28 really are better than the .22 Rim Fire Magnum it is often compared with. The .22 Magnum only approximates 5.7X28 pistol ballistics when the .22 Mag. is fired from a rifle. I chronographed 30 rounds of SS-192 ammo. It averaged 2025 FPS in the pistol. Extreme velocity spreads and standard deviation were also much tighter and more consistent with the 5.7X28 than with the .22 Mag. tested in rifle and revolvers.....
 
I do not own one...but a buddy has one and I've shot it quite a bit ...and I don't really see the attraction.

There is nothing wrong with it ...its well made ...but its still a gun with a typical hinged pin trigger that moves thru an arc ....even though its a single action gun / its sure not a 1911 quality trigger. I think he paid about $1,000 for it - and I see some around for $1,100 or so...

Its easy to shoot ...if you like the grip angle and the feel of the trigger..caliber makes it unique....as discussed ammo is not cheap.

My buddy bought it - just because - and we both shoot, carry and enjoy high quality 1911's in 9mm or .45 acp.../ so it spends a lot of time in his safe..and comes out once in a while...
 
Get the poor mans 5.7, the PMR30...

MAC (Military Arms Channel) did an interesting video on youtube between the two pistols comparing penetration with several different types of ammo. The 5.7 did better of course, but the Kel-Tec did surprisingly well.

Kidding aside,

With the 5.7 costing as much as the PS90 its a tough sell, but I can see why you'd want the matching pair.
 
I shot a 57 a while back. My wife shot it as well and she is now asking for one. I may end up getting it for her. She does not like my limited ammo philosophy :confused:
 
5.7

I have posted this picture before....I know that there are many guns that can do as well or better - though they are probably not semiauto handguns with five inch barrels and iron sights.
So - shot at 100 yards with the FiveSeven pistol benched. Four inches C-to-C with four shots in two inches (those are the flyers. The 10 is the good one.)
 

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PMR

Get the poor mans 5.7, the PMR30...
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It is a popular gun. I have been toying with the idea of getting one. But....I have to buy and use non-reloadable ammo....Every 50 rounds is 10 bucks. Since I reload for my FiveSeven, 50 rounds costs a whole lot less than 10 bucks.
Performance is different also. Enough to matter? Yes but not enough to stop me from thinking about the PMR-30.
Pete
 
The PS90 wasn't really a hard sale for me. $1,300 is reasonable for a good rifle. I've spent $1,700 on an AR-15 before so I'm willing to spend that much on a good rifle. But the most I have ever spent on a pistol was $800 for a Para 1911. I honestly kind of like the idea of the positioning of the safety BUT I have never experienced it.
 
safety

I like the position of the safety also. Very natural...right in front of my thumb. it reminds me of the safe/fire switch on an AR15...right there by the thumb. When you are ready to shoot, you just flick it to "fire".
Pete
 
A few years ago I shot a rental 5.7 and loved it. Non-existent recoil, super-accxurate for me.

But the cost of the relationship is a bit steep. I AM planning on getting the PS90, what a cool carbine! And the same price as the pistol!
 
"It is a popular gun. I have been toying with the idea of getting one. But....I have to buy and use non-reloadable ammo....Every 50 rounds is 10 bucks. Since I reload for my FiveSeven, 50 rounds costs a whole lot less than 10 bucks."
Funny, I thought you were talking about the 5.7 in the first sentence (most folks think it cannot be reloaded, though it's not like it doesn't have so idiosyncrasies, namely the wierdo powders the little round typically calls for)

"I like the position of the safety also."
I have to agree; I'm not a fan of cross-bolt safeties, especially on an ambidextrous gun (safe/fire is reversed movement for each hand), but I do like the barrel-style version of it on the PS90.

What I really like, is the placement of the safety on the five-seven. Easy to use, and brilliantly in tune with modern handling practices as far as trigger discipline. Want recruits/officers to index above the trigger guard reliably? Force them to do so in order to fire the weapon. Takes a little getting used to, simply because our thumbs are naturally a bit more dextrous (able to perform precise motions on their own) than our weaker index fingers, but the five-seven's safety is so easy to manipulate with a fully out-stretched finger that there is no real drawback, aside from people's prejudice toward thumb safeties.

I felt it showed a very real commitment on the part of FNH to take into account the actual expected usage of the pistol in its design, unlike far too many other guns which plop levers and buttons wherever is convenient for designers.

TCB
 
Those that are complaining about 5.7x28 ammo prices haven't looked at the market recently. Palmetto State Armory has been selling American Eagle FMJ for $13.99 - $15.99 and SS197 V-Max for $15.99-$17.99 for most of the last year.

I have a PS90 that I like very much, it's fast shooting and plenty accurate to 150 yards (as far as I've shot it) with essentially no recoil. It is small, light, and handy, I keep it available for home defense and use it around my property for pest/predator eradication. I have chickens and raise rabbits so coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, feral cats and dogs, etc. are a constant problem, the PS90 is perfect for that use. I also have a nondescript backpack for it and I throw it in the car when traveling, with it's small size, light weight, accuracy, and 50rd capacity, I consider it an excellent SHTF type weapon. In the PDW roll it's designed for it fills the gap between a handgun and a traditional carbine/rifle.

I don't have a FiveseveN pistol but a friend of mine, a former SF operator, uses one as his EDC loaded with ss197 ammo. He says there is nothing else out there that he can shoot accurately as fast as the FN and he is all about putting rounds on target as fast as possible. I've been keeping an eye on the market and when the right deal comes along I'll be adding a 5.7 pistol to the stable.
 
7 or 8 years ago, I had a T&E for our department. I carried it on duty for 6 months or so, and did quite a bit or "real world" ballistics testing with it.

Keep in mind, I had the luxury of the LE Only ammo. I found it quite useful in penetrating barriers (car doors, windshield glass, solid core doors, etc.) while yawing enough in soft tissue to keep over penetration problems to a minimum. It would also penetrate 2 panels of soft body armor (Level IIIA) and still get several inches into gel. It would do all of things that standard handgun rounds struggled with, and would do it well.

I probably wound up shooting 4-5K rounds with it.

That said, the "hyper light" bullet just flew in the face of all we know in the LE world about handgun ballistics. I bought the T&E gun myself, and still enjoy shooting it.
 
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