The 5.7 x 28 round was developed in the 1980’s by Fabrique Nationale Herstal (FN) of Belgium.
FN 5.7 x 28 is a rifle caliber round, but shortened to be small enough to be used in pistols. This gives weapons in thr 5.7 x 28 caliber enormous magazine capacities. The FN P90 rifle has a standard magazine capacity of 50 rounds, while the FN Five-seveN pistol features a magazine capacity of 20 rounds.
The short barrel of the Five-seveN pistol pushes the 5.7 x 28 SS190 round to 2,133fps. The same round reaches 2,346fps when fired from the FN P90.
In an attempt to be environmentally friendly, most 5.7 x 28 ammunition is lead-free.
Weapons Chambered for 5.7 x 28 Ammunition
Fabrique Nationale Herstal (FN) is the only current manufacturer of weapons using the 5.7 x 28 cartridge.
FN Herstal manufactures the P90 rifle and the Five-seveN pistol.
FN P90
The FN P90 is an extremely compact design which is fully ambidextrous.
The FN P90 features a unique design where the magazine is placed along the length of the top of the barrel. This gives the rifle all of the advantages of a bull-pup design. In addition, the P90 ejects spent cases downwards, which will please most shooters.
FN Five-seveN
The FN Five-Seven has been produced in several variant models:
- The Five-seveN Tactical – Single Action
- The Five-seveN Double Action Only (DAO), no manual safety
- The Five-seveN IOM (Individual Officers Model) – Single Action with adjustable rear sights, cross-slots added to the tactical rail, and a magazine disconnect safety.
- The Five-seveN USG (United States Government) – Single Action with checkering on the foregrip and backstrap, a squared trigger-guard, and an ambidextrous magazine release.
FN 5.7 x 28 Ammunition Types
| Name | Purpose | Bullet Weight | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|
| SS190 | Armor Piercing | 31gr | Unpainted tip |
| SS191 | Armor Piercing Tracer | | |
| SS192 | Hollow Point | 28gr | Green tip |
| Sb193 | Subsonic | 55gr | White tip |
| SS195 | Lead-free Hollow Point with copper jacket | | |
| SS196 | Hollow Point Lead | 40gr | |
| L191 | Tracer | 31gr | Red tip |
| T194 | Training | 31gr | Brown tip |
FN 5.7 x 28 Ammunition Performance
| Weapon | SS190/L191 | Sb193 | SS192 |
|---|---|---|---|
| P90 | 2,346fps / 715m/s | 320m/s | 705m/s |
| Five-seveN | 2,133fps / 650m/s | 305m/s | 640m/s |