For some gun gurus, the Five-SeveN is the handgun equivalent of the world’s most fire-proof paper hat. It’s a brilliant technical achievement but who cares? For one thing, you’re more likely to find Keira Knightley at Country Buffet than a box of 5.7×28mm ammo at K-Mart. For another, firing-off a hundred rounds of Five-SeveN ammo costs more than draining a particularly good bottle of Scotch. As for the weapon itself, you can buy two Springfield XD’s for the price of one of FN’s strangely-chambered pistols. Did I mention that the Five-SeveN’s safety sits on the side of the gun’s barrel? Or that the grip is longer (end-to-end) than War and Peace? All of which makes the Five-SeveN a novelty gun for impressing range rovers who Glock around the clock. Right?
In the run-up to International Elvis Tribute Week, let’s put it this way: 23,000 Five-SeveN buyers can’t all be wrong. That’s the annual total. So I reckon the majority of Five-SeveN USG (United States Government) buyers have seen beyond the obvious drawbacks of owning an expensive gun in an obscure caliber to appreciate a weapon with genuine character and utility. What do they see in the the Five-SeveN? Let’s start with the pistol’s most obvious advantage: weight.
The Five-SeveN is as light as an episode of iCarly. Unloaded, the full-size handgun tips the scales at 617 grams (1.36 lbs.). Picking up the weapon for the first time, you’d swear the featherweight firearm is an Airsoft replica of itself. But the most plastic feeling of plastic-feeling polymer pistols is not an airport screener’s worst nightmare. The Five-SeveN’s Belgian manufacturers fashion the gun’s polymer-encased slide, barrel, trigger, springs, pins and various other mission critical bits from steel.
When FN USA introduced the gun to the American market a decade ago, customer Support Manager Bob Ailes used to tell buyers to carry it in a paper bag. These days, Sidearmor (above), Blade Tech, Galco and others offers custom holsters for the Five-SeveN’s distinctive shape. Mag holders? It’s Blackhawk or nothing. Still, if you’re looking to travel light whilst concealing a “proper” sized gun (4.75″ barrel), the Five-SeveN’s good to stow. Yes but . . .
The Five-SeveN is only slightly lighter than a Glock 17. The Austrian Mack Daddy weighs-in at 625 grams (1.39 lbs.). Gentlemen, add your bullets! Load the Five-SeveN with 20 of those needle-nosed 5.7×28mm cartridges and you’re aiming 744 grams (1.64 lbs.) of Belgian bad-ass at your target. Insert 17 9mm rounds into a Glock’s polymer pistol and you’re schlepping nearasdammit two pounds of handgun. A fully-loaded Glock 17 with a standard magazine gives up three bullets and about a half a pound of heft to the Five-SeveN.
And now for the twist . . .
As I pointed out in my ArmaLite 24-15C review, a heavy gun can be a good thing, not a bad thing. In particular, slight men and women and elderly people benefit from firing larger caliber bullets from a bigger, heavier gun. It reduces limp-wristing, flinching (which does absolutely nothing for accuracy) and removes a general preference to forgo range time for something more pleasurable like, say, paying bills. Which is why Glock’s turning to new technology to reduce recoil.
The Five-SeveN doesn’t need no stinkin’ dual recoil spring. Credit the smaller, lighter round for which the Five-SeveN was created. No question: the 5.7×28mm cartridge is a diddy thing. FN’s SS195 cartridge (the best choice for self-defense) is a 27-grain projectile, as compared to the average 9mm bullet’s 115 – 147-grain tally.
Although the FN’s muzzle flash would suit a small flame thrower, the Five-SeveN kicks like a slightly peeved gerbil; roughly 30 percent less than a 9mm bullet. Muzzle flip is simply not an issue. So much [not] so that this FN deserves an intra-consonant “u”. Punching holes or plinking with the Five-SeveN is Big Fun, with an amateur-friendly kill zone of 50 to 100 feet.
The Five-SeveN’s entirely endearing low-recoil also makes it possible for USG owners to grab their weapon in a crisis knowing that the only intimidation involved will be felt by those poor unfortunate souls who find themselves on the business end of a gun made in René Magritte’s homeland. Five-SeveN-istas will be able to fire quickly and very, very accurately.
Provided they’ve got a big enough hand. To accomodate that 20 bullet magazine (optional 30), the Five-Seven’s grip is as wide as a Glock’s, which is way too wide for a lot of small-handed shooters (hence the new Glock 23′s interchangeable backstraps.) To compensate for the big honking handle, the Five-SeveN’s grip texture is extremely aggressive. If you grab a gun as hard as I do, the Five-SeveN leaves a lasting impression—on the last three fingers of your strong hand.
Fortunately, there’s only 2.75 inches between the ridged trigger and backstrap. Activating the Five-SeveN’s pivoting internal striker-fire hammer is well worth the trip. After about 0.13 of an inch of take-up, the gun delivers a clean, crisp 4.5-pound pull, with no over-travel and near instant reset. Provided you remember to switch off the snout-mounted safety.
Yes, there is that. The Five-SeveN’s safety is, uh, unconventional. Training your brain to switch it off in a high-stress situation will require the usual 3000 round re-education process. At full retail, that’s $1800 worth of bullets. More importantly (for some), if you place your trigger finger as high as possible on the barrel (as I do), you can’t use your left thumb to deactivate the safety. Both digits are touching it at the same time; a recipe for confusion. The best way to flip off the safety: use your trigger finger.
On one hand (so to speak), the Five-SeveN’s safety forces you to NOT fire immediately. There’s your trigger discipline (in the proper place too). On the other hand, the Five-SeveN’s safety forces you to NOT fire immediately. A lot of self-defense pistoleros—guys and gals holstering Glocks, Springfields, M&Ps and the like—want to introduce an extra step into the firing process almost as much as they want to adopt Kevin Costner’s eyes-closed shooting technique from The Bodyguard.
Many of these combat-oriented shooters are concerned about the Five-SeveN’s stopping power. And with good reason. In its defense (or yours), penetration is not an issue. The Five-SeveN sends lead-free SS195 hollow-point jacketed bullet downrange at 1950 feet per second, generating some 220 ft-lbs. of muzzle energy. The SS195 round penetrates traditional ballistic gelatin (in the usual testing process) to a depth of 10.5 to 11 inches.
More to the point (so to speak), the SS195 round is designed to tumble and yaw when it hits its target, creating a wound channel as wide as the bullet is tall (21.6-mm or .85 in). The Secret Service is down with that. But then they get the law enforcement-only SS198LF cartridge. That bullet’s 2050 FPS velocity gives the feds body armor-piercing capabilities while maintaining the round’s flat-shooting flight characteristics and loss of lethality at 550 to 750 yards (vs. approximately one mile for a 9mm bullet).
And the taxpayer picks up the tab. Even shooters who value the Five-SeveN’s light weight, low recoil, amazing accuracy and 20-bullet capacity above bullet size have to pause before committing themselves to FN’s thousand-dollar pistol and its single-source, premium-priced ammo ($30 for a box of 50 cartridges). Controversy may have kept the Five-SeveN in the public eye, but price has kept it out of gun buyers’ collective grasp.
FN is trying to convince American bullet-makers to help Five-SeveN owners feed their USG without breaking the bank. But FN can’t do anything about the imported gun’s elevated price point. And so the Five-SeveN will never find mainstream success. But if you march to the beat of a different drummer with platinum plastic in your wallet, the Five-SeveN is a quirky but justifiable purchase. Hats off to FN.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Caliber: 5.7×28mm
Barrel: 4.8 inches
Overall Length: 8.2 inches
Weight (unloaded): 625 grams (1.39 lbs.)
Grips: Polymer
Sights: Fixed 3-dot combat sights with optional self-luminous tritium elements
Action: SA, delayed blowback
Finish: Black
Capacity: 20 (10 where restricted)
Price: $1180
RATINGS (Out of Five):
Style * * *
Our all-black tester was handsome enough, but a bit fussy and generic.
Ergonomics (carry) * * * * *
It’s a big (accurate) and light (easy to carry) weapon. What’s not to like? Unless you want something smaller.
Ergonomics (firing) * * * *
Ridiculously low recoil. Excellent trigger. Final star removed for the snout-mounted safety. I understand its benefits and could train to get used to it, but I don’t want to.
Reliability – Not Rated
No failures to feed, but FN didn’t send enough rounds to make a proper determination.
Customize This * * * * *
The Five-SeveN’s under-nose rail has plenty of room for lights and lasers. If you consider a 30-bullet magazine as customization, then way-hey!
Overall Rating * * *
Unique, fascinating and fun. But ammo cost and funky safety limit the appeal.
Wow, great information about what appears to be a great gun. I shot one the other day for the first time and that prompted me to do some research into them. The more I read the more I am convinced. I have a Glock 19 and have owned or shot several other handguns and this is the most accruate, nicest shooting pistol I have tried.
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Love my 5.7. Finally got wifey to try it at the range tonight (date night). She loved it. It was only her 3rd time to the range, and she put every round on the silhouette target in a place that would make it a bad day for a bad guy.
The 5.7 is simply a breeze to put many rounds on target in a very short time. Muzzle flip is nearly non-existent.
I pay $19.95 for a box of 50 rounds. That seems to be the going rate on most of the online ammo dealers. Slightly more than what I pay for a box of .40-cal FMJ range ammo ($16 – $19).
PS… Great review!
Pistol shooting is my favorite hobby, and this pistol is in the top 3 pistols that I want to shoot, for sure! The other two pistols are the Desert Eagle and the .500 S&W.
Interesting you like your 500. I got the 460 Magnum and I love it because it can cycle cheaper ammo, but they are both fun guns.
Just purchased my 5.7 two weeks ago and fell in love immediately. Light weight, accurate and a blast to shoot. My son always wants to borrow it at the range! Ammo no more expensive than 40 cal. We have 2 HK P30 9 mm, one with the LEM trigger. Also an HK USG 40. None come close to the trigger feel and accuracy of the 5.7. My wife’s favorite gun to shoot. We come home from the range refreshed, not exhausted. Fun factor is a 10 and I would feel comfortable depending on this gun for home defense-God forbid. Hopefully these guns will continue to be available in the future. Just find one to try at the range and you will become a believer.
Been carrying a 5.7 now for years.. No doubt its an amazing weapon. I’m a point shooter, & I can hit a paper plate @ 100 yards no joke. Hard to do that with many other guns. .I have first hand seen the Penetration of this gun,.. it is a factor. Please dont Lynch me but I got mine for 700$ brand new in Brownsville Tx. @ a place called Chuck’s Guns, But guns are MUCH cheaper down there. Many People dont know this but you need to check with your state, many states.. in the fine print wont allow anything “Concealed” smaller than .32 caliber. I’m not a huge Glock or plastic gun fan, but this baby is one great gun. & this is coming from a mainly 1911 man. Do not underestimate this pistol. It is unusually light feeling… if you intend on having to use your gun for any part of hand 2 hand. I’d perfer something steel.
Thx for the ear time
Pz.
I’ve had and carried a FiveSeven since about seven years, and have had a PS90 for the same time. I have zero complaints. My first 5.7 had 30000+ rounds put through it and the only reason I sold it to a friend was to get the new one with the fixed sights (yes, I prefer fixed sights…I tend to parallax shoot being left handed and right eye dominant.)
Almost no recoil, accurate further than I am, very very light, so you can carry it all day without ache. Penetration is better than most of the nay-sayers claim, and judging from the number it did on small game, I’m confident that it would be effective. (It bloody PULVERIZED bone!)
For concealed, I usually go with a wee Kel Tec, but when it’s not an issue, I’ve got the FiveSeven.
What an amazing weapon . It is so easy to manipulate. I did my research before buying this weapon and it paid off. I knew for a fact that I didnt want another rifle or another handgun. So how about both. A handgun that shoots a P90 round. Some may complain about the price of the 5.7 and the ammo. I say quality versus quantity. There are many pistols out there that are poorly made. The FN5.7 is not one of them. Its price and ammo should reflect it’s quality.
Why would anyone want to rely on the opinion of people who cannot differentiate between its and it’s or your and you’re?
If you cannot get something so simple correct then….?
After much research for an optimum carry gun, the 5.7 won hands down. What a sweet gun to shoot. Almost no muzzle flip and the 20 round capacity is very appealing. The SS197 SR ammo is extremely effective on both bone and tissue. I love this firearm. After carrying it for about 2 weeks I hardly notice that it is there.
just bought my five seven 3 weeks ago. Should i go with the 195 or 197 round for personal protection.
I bought one and absolutely loved it! I sold it and a thousand rounds of ammo and the 5 extra clips on consignment to a local gun shop to pay bills. I felt horrible afterwards and I miss it. If I buy another handgun I want a 5.7 and a .45. Ioss my 5.7. What a gun.
The gun was built as a military pistol and it shines in that purpose. It is light, easy to shoot quick and accurate. And being that you can extend to 30 rounds. A fully loaded 30 round five sen clip is ironically about 7 oz.almost 8. So for every 1 pound of weight you have 60 rounds of ammo. A fully loaded 10 round clip in the much hyped 1911 is about 8oz. So you have all the weight with 1/3 the ammo. And a 1911 is double the weight. In military use your concerned about killing ability not stopping power as hyped in CCW situations.The M4 sees more use because of the same principle. If stopping power was so important then why aren’t more troops using modernized Tommy guns or if you are a 9mm guy MP5s? Why not shotguns? Slugs can have a 25 yard accurate range and 00 buckshot can surely be a “one shot stop”. But again same problems as comparing a 1911 to the Five Seven. Heavier gun, ammo, harder to shoot and less ammo to shoot with. Yes a .45 acp will do more damage IF you hit your target. And like any experienced soldier or officer will tell you shot placement matters most.The things people forget in military and police use is panic shooting, shooting for extended periods and shooting injured. The five seven does well for each of these. Panic shooting is when the adrenaline is pumping and bullets are flying at you and unlike the range you are in cover or running for it. So your time to point aim and shoot is cut in half. A gun with minimal recoil and muzzle flip makes it easier to fling bullets quicker at greater distances with accuracy. And as I mentioned before with 20-30 rounds you have more chances should you miss. Brings me to shooting for long periods. The five seven being lighter in gun and ammo means that in combat if your a soldier or officer you will experience less fatigue and like with higher recoil loads the shock isn’t playing hell on your muscles, joints and bones. Many soldiers can tell you that allot of middle eastern outposts have single squads for entire areas. A few ranger friends of mine and a marine cousin have told me stories of being attacked and running out of ammo being forced to use CQB and bayonets. And in large part this was due to panic fire and on the M9s part crappy sights.Shooting injured even more so in the event that your forced to shoot off hand is easier because of having a lighter gun with accurate ammo at a higher volume. Physics dont play against you as much and again more chances when they do. The five seven makes allot of situations have a lower percentage of being killed because it was built smart. The 97 Hollywood shoot out is a big one if your a cop. The five seven with its police and military ammo would have ended that quick. In military and police use it adds up to less dead good guys and more dead bad guys. And your in the cartels its the other way around.Bottom line the pistol is expensive because it is built right with a forged hard cromed barrel. Being polymer makes the frame and slide not needing to be forged to be tough and there is the added benefit of not having to worry about heat treat and warp flaws. No tool markings no break in periods. And it has all the function you get from a $1,000 plus pistol 1911 or otherwise. And it has “match” grade accuracy. I personally have fired a 6in group at 50 yards and a 10in group at 100 yards on a man sized paper Target. Yes you can buy cheaper ammo for 9mm and 45acp. But it is cheap ammo with cheap powder that often stinks and smokes up the entire area. Cheap ammo is less accurate and can be a lain to clean after only a few clips. The safety at the trigger should be no challenge for a good shooter who knows modern weapons and shooting techniques.I thinly your article photography is good but the rest blows. It is written from a view that has nothing to do with the intended use of the pistol. It is like a bad Michael Moore film that ignores facts and more wants to get a pre determined notion across. It is not an objective and broad experienced opinion. It’s more like a die hard muscle car reviewer reviewing the Handai Genesis. The car is amazing, but not seen because it is being viewed in tunnel vision.
I am a 67 year old male with weak hands and I have had a 5.7 for a few years and go to the range with my son as many times as we can. The weapon is easy to shoot, fun, accurate and we pay $20 a box for ammo. If it keeps me shooting for a lot more years then it pays for it’s self. Easy to clean is another point as I use it as home protection also.
I agree with and commend Mr. Arias for his well thought out and written response. There is much wisdom, knowledge and truth in his assesment of the weapon itself. I am 54yrs. old served in the military and a large metropolitan police department for twenty seven years. I have been unfortunate enough to have been engaged in several shootouts with felony offenders. It is not like the movies or television, untill its over your adrenaline is pumping and what is a short time seems like forever. I own this weapon the fn 5.7 pistol and find it both manstop kill capable, and extremely accurate with the ability to put large volumes of bullets downrange at any distance. This by far is most important when engaged in a shooting situation. You have a weapon with littel recoil accurately placing rounds at one or multiple targets. This fact allows the shooter to advance in attack or retreat to cover. Either way your adversary wil be more likely to stop his engagement of you, or fire blindly with less chance of stiking you. I have been witness to good police officers who were good shots at the range but but did not fair so well in real life situations. I will close by saying I believe this weapon is a excellent choice for law abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families with. Remember those who have fallen protecting your way of life and hope that no more ever have to.
@ michael seaborn- allot of the reviews on this site fallow a similar one sided joking view of the gun in question. Running through a tactical course with the five seven with different targets not only at different ranges but levels of hight and varied size would make even a “range jockey” could see the five seven’s intend purpose and reason to be designed as it is. Most military and police units are on a tight budget, so a $1,000 dollar pistol is a luxury that most literally can’t afford.
I own a T-33 Tokarev of the Polish make. I happen to think that the 7.62×25 85gr. Tokarev round would be an awsome round and where I would have gone with the five seven or the “seven six” as you would have to call it. It is a heavier round that has more “punch”. I rent the five seven at my local range for ironically $7 an hour. When plinking steel plates the five seven leaves a smear where the tokarev leaves a small dent. The standard winchester fmj are about 1500 fps and about 500ft/lbs. That is higher than allot of .357 magnum rounds!
The only people who bash the five seven are people who don’t consider the whole picture. If I were to design a gun to appeal to the traditional view of a military pistol and the ground breaking modern view the five seven shows I would use the tokarev in general as a base. If new tokarev were made from Aircraft grade aluminum that would be a good start. A trigger mounted safety could be used. A trigger mounted safety with tokarev in double stack and a duracoat finish… That would be really nice balance between weight and dcapacity. Between recoil and the “punch” of the round. I believe it would get allot of respect from the “traditional crowd being a Browning style design. And the Glock crowd would like it because it is light and high capacity.
I actually prefer the tokarev to the 1911 and if it were made my way it would put the Baretta M9 to shame. It would even adress some hate points the above bias review writes on the five seven. It would not be as wide a grip, it would be heavier to help prevent limp wrist. But being aluminum it would not be near as heavy as a M9 or 1911. It also would not have the “plastic” crack that the FN and Glocks get. Since the Tokarev is a Russian war gun I don’t think its combat ability could be hated. It was designed to be easy to mass produce.
It would be an amazing military pistol with a proven round and design. But I don’t have 20k to make a prototype to show for military trials. And with the market it like the five seven would only have a mid sized cult following. And like the article review here allot of people will just miss the whole point.
What moves the FN 5-7 to a different league is combining it with the offerings from Elite Ammunition. They have 30 grain 5.7×28 ammo that leaves the pistol at 2100 fps+ up to 2300 fps I believe. Videos show various rounds punching through Level IIA vests then 9+ inches of gelatin. Invest in a few boxes of “nothing comes close” ammo from Elite Ammunition, load a 30 round extended mag for your FN 5-7, and you will possess a sidearm that will handle anything coming at you short of armor plate wearing invaders.
The 5.7 round has taken deer, feral hogs, and been used by the Houston police department “successfully”, as well as the maniac shooter at Ft. Hood.
FN knocked it out of the ball park with the deadly duo of the FiveSeven and PS90. Great to see a quality review on these outliers of the pistol world. There is nothing even close to them in capabilities.
your review feels very bias i got mine for 800 and the ammo is 20 not 30 a box also the safety is great as thats were your finger should be when not ready to fire and the holster has a button to release witch is placed in the same spot as the safety so your not loosing any time on the draw. you said “in the usual testing process) to a depth of 10.5 to 11 inches.” i dont no were you got that number as i have personlay seen it go through almost a 3 ft block after going through standerd cop armor with hallow points you also said the round “tumbles” no it dose not this round even hallow points go through level 2 armor at 75 yards and ap ammo is rated at for level 3 armor
the only draw backs to this gun is its a bit bulky for cc fine for oc and cost of ammo “witch i see going down in years to come”
“i relise my grammer is bad its a disorder so dont discount the point made”
I am a small guy. About 5’6 160 lbs. I have recently been carrying a CZ RAMI 75 in 40 cal. I now carry only my new FNH 5.7. Its not to big for my small hands and shoots like no other hand gun I have ever shot or owned. I am even comfortable w/ the safety design and have no problem what so ever w/ adapting to its positioning. I love it and truly hope that the round is picked up by other manufactures as well as other weapons designers. It is the most friendly in all aspects of shooting such as recoil and accuracy. My entire family is able to shoot this weapon from my wife to my two young daughters whom are young the oldest being 13. Thank you FNH for a great and superior designed weapon.
I am a small guy. About 5’6 160 lbs. I have recently been carrying a CZ RAMI 75 in 40 cal. I now carry only my new FNH 5.7. Its not to big for my small hands and shoots like no other hand gun I have ever shot or owned. I am even comfoetable w/ the safety design and have no problem what so ever w/ adapting to its positioning. I love it and truly hope that the round is picked up by other manufactures as well as other weapons designers. It is the most friendly in all aspects of shooting such as recoil and accuracy. My entire family is able to shoot this weapon from my wife to my two young daughters whom are young the oldest being 13. Thank you FNH for a great and superior designed weapon.