FN Five-seveN & 5.7x28mm - New to Me:

I'm exposing my ignorance again - well I'm admitting it while researching this 'multi-purpose' round.

I read that it is designed as a replacement / improvement on my favourite multi-purpose 9x19mm round.

There it is - fourth from the left.

Starting the line-up : 9x19mm, .40", .45acp, 5.7x28mm

5.56x45NATO,  .300Win.Magnum, & two 12 gauges.

This 5.7x28 thing uses light weight projectiles eg. 23, 28, 31 grains that reliably tumble in ballistic gelatine and runs at velocities around 2,000 - 2,800 feet per second - while producing something like 30% less recoil than a 9mm NATO. Mind you it is LOUD and has lots of Muzzle Flash while shooting flat.. Well you can't have everything eh - although apparently there is a sub-sonic flavour available.

And you can buy a semi-auto pistol for it .. The FN Five-seveN.

Standard magazine capacity is 20 rounds - extended 30 round.

Shhh. - That's a Polymer Slide - Steel Lined.

I'm still thinking about this calibre and gun as 'new' - but the FN Five-seveN has been made since before 2000 and has been available for civilian sales since 2004 - and was for a while screamed about histrionically as being "the Cop Killer round". - The round was specifically designed to be capable of penetrating body armour. Wikipedia say it is in service with more than 40 Nations already.

The FN P90 is a 'Long Arm' Personal Weapon For The 5.7x28mm.

The media won't burble too much about the P90 because they can't decide whether it's a sub-machine gun, a 'bull-pup', a 'compact machine-gun' or a short assault rifle. - That is a top mounted magazine and there's been a civilian semi-auto version - the PS90 since 2005. - Hey Cutters, the PS90 weighs less than 3kg. (2.85kg).

- Is this round a "light-weight"  - just a noisy & expensive .22"? - I wonder did they consider something similar but in .30 (.32"cal.=.314' is 8mm) calibre?

The P90 magazine sits alongside the guns barrel and holds 50 light-weight rounds.

Marty K.

After researching & writing 1,036 blogs I've got something NEW to try .. I've signed-up to Patreon. - In over five years I've not made one cent from this .. NOW you can send me a wee support $ - starting from $1. to get all this stuff from New Zealand - over a year that's nearly the price of one Shooting magazine. - Am I worth it?

https://www.patreon.com/posts/24075745