[Guest]

I was looking at some data regarding bullet weight and velocity etc on the 5.7x28 round and the weight and velocities looked pretty similar to a .22 mag round. I wasn't able to find energy stats which leads me to this question. Is the 5.7x28 more or less a glorified .22 mag round and would you guys trust it as a defensive round. I'm sure this has been debated somewhere else before and I certainly have no intention of insulting somone's firearm choice.

 

[ammosargeant]

I dont think the 5.7x28 is a glorified .22 mag since the fiveseven is faster and the .22 mag cannot penetrate body armor. FN developed this round specifically for support troops and infantry in urban warfare settings. It does not meet the fbi's standard of 12 inches of pentration into ballistic gelatin but shot out of the carbine or the pistol the fmj bullet will penetrate class 3 body armor and about another six inches. Of course these fmj rounds are restricted but the other rounds are almost as good. Hornady makes one with a ballistic tip that i imagine would shatter due to the high velocity but they may still be dangerous for cc due to overpentration. I do carry my FN occasionally to salt lake.

 

[Ty]

Are you sure about it going through class 3 body armor? I know its not the best source but Wiki says it wont go through what the 5.56 wont go through.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.7x28mm

FN Herstal has stated that the SS190 round will easily penetrate protections that stop normal pistol rounds, but will not penetrate protections that stop the 5.56x45 mm NATO round such as Level III armor.

 

[Guest]

In the real load almost all rifle ammo goes through class 3 NIJ or what ever the rating rates for up to some real hot hand gun loads and thats where it stops. Rifle ammo beats soft armor. You are probably thinking of class 4 thats soft armor + a plate.

That said the FN is pretty much a glorified .22mag in the flavor we get.

 

[ammosargeant]

The ballistics i have read on the 5.7x28 say it will penetrate class 3 body armor but they are talking about the fmj's which we as normal gun lovers cannot get since they restricted them to leo's and military only. The ammo we can get will not penetrate this type of armor although it is still way more potent then a 22 mag round and will penetrate light body armor. The round that will penetrate 48 layers of kevlar and most body armor worn by the military is the ss190 ball round but it is restricted.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I have always thought that is would make a great varmint round but most people agree that the 22 mag is cheaper and performs as well as the 5.7 in that role. There are guys taking the 5.7 case and necking it down to 17 or 20 caliber to make a wildcat out of it.

 

[Paul]

Well I finally got a chance to shoot ammo's FN FiveSeven Saturday and in my ever so humble opinion that gun is absolutely AWESOME. I looked up the ballistics on it and it is faster and produces more punch than the .22 MAG. Not a ton more, but definetely more. I haven't shot .22 Mag out of anything other than a revolver so I am no .22 Mag expert. I must say though that FN was one sweet gun. It is incredibly light. It cycles as fast as any gun I have ever seen. It handles nice and felt great in my hand. I for one wouldn't want to be on the recieving end of it. Because of the fun we had Saturday I now have another gun on my wish list. FN FiveSeven. Sweet gun.

 

[GeneticsDave]

I've heard good things about them, but due to cost prohibition (gun and ammo), along with not being able to acquire the better round (what it is designed to shoot), and having only minimally better performance than the .22 Mag, I'll have to stay away - unless they legalize the other round or money starts growing on the trees outside my house :violin:

 

[tapehoser]

But at $900-$1,000, it's too tasty for me! That's-a-one-a-spicey-a-meat-a-ball!